move of the week: therapeutic pilates bridge

This exercise is designed to recruit the deep spinal stabilizers and to mobilize the spine. Bridging this way helps promote better posture and a healthy back!

These are the first steps in learning how to articulate the spine one segment at a time.

1. Pelvic Tilting: Warms up the lumbar spine and recruits deep abdominal muscles. Make sure you are not squeezing your glute muscles (your bum) or lifting your pelvis off the mat. You are just imprinting your low back into the mat and releasing. Try to use your abdominal muscles by pulling them down toward your mat.

2. Spinal Articulation into Pilates Bridge: Make sure your feet and knees are hip width apart. Inhale, peel your spine up into a bridge position (keep your shoulder blades down on the mat). On the exhale, sink your chest down to initiate peeling the spine back down on the mat. At first, try not to think about it. Just go with your breath. Over time, start to add in the feeling of “lengthening” in your spine. That is the next step in this move.

3. Spend 2-3 minutes a day on this move.

• About the author
• The latest from Megan
• About the studio

Dr. Megan Brown

Co-Owner | Mind the Mat

http://www.mindthemat.com

megan_bellamy@yahoo.com

703.683.2228

Megan Brown, physical therapist, Pilates instructor, mother and co-founder of Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga in Alexandria, VA, likes to goof around. Yet her commitment to her students and her skill set in the field is no joke. After graduating from University of Virginia with a degree in Sports Medicine, Megan went on to receive her Masters in Physical Therapy and eventually her Doctorate in the profession. Although Pilates was never part of the plan, the method changed the way she treated patients, positively re-directed her career path and enhanced her own active lifestyle. Customized Pilates instruction is her specialty–she designs classes based on clients needs: athletes, new moms, rehabilitation or just for fun (why be serious all the time?). Pilates + Yoga is the best of both worlds, hence the creation of Mind the Mat studios providing classes for all—in every walk of life.

• 

  Back to Life: Let’s Focus on the Feels, Not the Looks

  By Dr. Megan Brown

  06.18.21
• 

  Exercise & 50s: A MtM Journey That Changed Her Life

  By Dr. Megan Brown

  05.20.21
• 

  Empowering You!

  By Dr. Megan Brown

  04.09.21

Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga was founded in 2008 by Megan Brown, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Polestar Certified Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Sara VanderGoot, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher (e-RYT 200, RYT 500). In their private practices as physical therapist and massage therapist respectively Megan and Sara observed that many of their clients were coming in with similar needs: relief for neck and shoulder tension and low back pain as well as a desire for more flexibility in hips and legs, stability in joints, and core strength.

Together Megan and Sara carefully crafted a curriculum of Pilates and yoga classes to address needs for clients who are pregnant, postpartum, have injuries or limitations, who are new to Pilates and yoga, and for those who are advanced students and are looking for an extra challenge.

www.mindthemat.com     

2214 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301

703.683.2228