Our spine is designed to move! It can bend forward, extend backwards, rotate and move sideways. Yet, as we grow older, many of us gradually lose some of this wonderful freedom of movement.
Spinal extension — the ability to bend your spine backwards — is one of the most important movements to maintain throughout life. It contributes to an agile, adaptable back and supports our ability to move comfortably through everyday activities.
But how do we practise spinal extension safely, especially when we experience back pain?
At Pilates Practice, this is a question we explore with our clients almost every day.
"I have back pain, so I avoid extending my spine."
We hear this quite often.
And it is understandable. When a particular movement causes discomfort, our natural response is to avoid it. Over time, however, this avoidance can become a habit, and we may gradually stop exploring movements that our bodies are still capable of performing.
Of course, every body is different, and there is no universal approach to back pain. Not every extension exercise is suitable for every person, and some conditions require particular care or medical guidance.
When someone begins a Pilates practice because of back pain, our first priority is not to introduce demanding exercises or push their range of motion.
Our initial lessons focus on helping them find comfort, understand their movement habits and gradually build confidence in their bodies.
We may explore gentle movements, breathing, muscular support and simple exercises that can also be practised at home. The aim is to reduce discomfort where possible and establish a foundation of safe, comfortable movement.
As things progressively improve, a whole new world of possibilities begins to open.
Your spine is made to move in many directions
Once a client feels more comfortable and confident, we begin working more deeply with the mobility of the spine.
We explore three essential movements:
Flexion: Bending the spine forward, allowing the vertebrae to move into a rounded shape.
Rotation: Twisting the spine, developing mobility and coordination throughout the back.
Extension: Bending the spine backwards, opening the front of the body and exploring movement through the vertebrae.
We also work with lateral flexion, or side bending, another important dimension of spinal mobility.
Each of these movements contributes to the overall adaptability of the spine. Rather than considering one direction good and another bad, we want to develop a body that can move in different directions with strength, awareness and control.
In Pilates, we are particularly interested in how movement travels through the spine, vertebra by vertebra.
And this brings us to one of the most fascinating challenges of spinal extension.
The hidden challenge: Extending your thoracic spine
Can you feel the part of your spine that sits behind your ribcage? Many people find it surprisingly difficult. Your spine is not one continuous curve with identical movement possibilities everywhere. It has different regions, each with its own structure and movement characteristics.
The lumbar spine, located in your lower back, naturally allows considerable extension. The thoracic spine, which runs through your upper and middle back and connects with your ribcage, behaves differently. Because the ribs attach to the thoracic vertebrae, movement in this region is more complex and often less immediately accessible. When we ask someone to bend backwards, the lower back may readily take over the movement, while the thoracic spine contributes relatively little. This can create a feeling of compression or excessive effort in the lumbar region, particularly if the movement is not well coordinated. One of the most beautiful and demanding skills we teach is how to access extension through the thoracic spine while avoiding unnecessary overwork in the lower back. It is not simply about bending further backwards but about discovering where the movement happens.
Spinal extension is a little piece of art!
Imagine watching two people perform the same backbend. One person creates a large curve primarily in the lower back, while the upper back remains relatively rigid. The other person may not bend as far, but the movement is more thoughtfully distributed across the spine, with a beautiful sense of length, support and coordination. The second movement may look smaller, yet it can represent a much more sophisticated achievement. This is what we are interested in at Pilates Practice. For us, spinal extension that is beautifully distributed throughout the back is a little piece of art. It requires the coordination of many elements: spinal mobility, abdominal support, back muscle strength, breathing, shoulder movement and awareness of the pelvis and ribcage. And, perhaps most importantly, it requires learning to sense what your body is actually doing. This is not something that can always be achieved by simply copying the shape of an exercise.
Why personalised Pilates instruction makes such a difference
In a large group class, a teacher might ask everyone to lift their chest or extend their spine.
Some participants will naturally find a balanced movement. Others may compensate by moving excessively through the lower back, lifting their shoulders or pushing their ribs forward without actually mobilising the thoracic vertebrae.
These differences can be difficult to recognise without individual attention.
In our private Pilates lessons, we can observe precisely how your spine moves and guide you towards a more coordinated experience.
Sometimes a small adjustment makes an enormous difference.
We might place our hands on a particular area of your back to help you recognise where movement is missing. We may use a Pilates apparatus to support your body, change the direction of resistance or introduce an exercise that makes a specific region easier to feel.
And we can adapt the challenge to your current abilities, whether you are recovering your confidence after an episode of back pain or developing a highly advanced Pilates practice.
The goal is not to achieve the biggest backbend. It is to discover the most intelligent movement your body can offer.
How Pilates equipment helps us explore spinal extension
One of the wonderful qualities of the original Pilates method is its extensive repertoire of exercises and specialised apparatus.
At our studio, we use the Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, barrels and mat exercises to approach spinal extension from many different directions.
Each piece of equipment offers its own opportunities.
The Cadillac can provide spring assistance or resistance, allowing us to explore spinal articulation with carefully controlled support.
The Reformer offers a moving carriage and spring resistance, challenging the coordination between the spine, shoulders, hips and abdominal muscles.
The Wunda Chair can make even small movements remarkably demanding, particularly when spinal extension needs to be combined with balance and whole-body strength.
The Ladder Barrel and Spine Corrector are particularly interesting for exploring the curves of the spine. Their rounded surfaces can support the body while helping us discover extension through regions that may otherwise be difficult to access.
And sometimes, all we need is a mat, a small prop and the right instructions.
We select exercises not simply because they are part of the Pilates repertoire, but because they serve the individual body in front of us.
Spinal extension is not only for advanced practitioners
When people see photographs of advanced Pilates exercises, they may assume that spinal extension requires exceptional flexibility or years of training.
But extension begins with very small movements.
For someone with limited mobility or a sensitive back, it may start with gently opening the chest while seated, learning to coordinate breathing with movement or discovering a little more freedom between the shoulder blades.
For another person, the challenge may be developing enough strength and control to support a larger backbend.
And for an experienced Pilates practitioner, even a familiar exercise can reveal new possibilities when attention shifts towards a different region of the spine.
There is no single ideal amount of extension that everyone should achieve.
What matters is gradually developing a range of movement that is appropriate, comfortable and useful for your body.
Keeping your spine agile as you grow older
As we age, maintaining spinal mobility becomes increasingly valuable.
A mobile and well-supported spine contributes to our ability to reach, turn, look around, change positions and participate comfortably in daily life.
It is also important to maintain strength alongside flexibility. Mobility without control is not necessarily useful, just as strength without adequate freedom of movement can feel restrictive.
Pilates offers a thoughtful way of bringing these qualities together.
Through regular practice, we aim to maintain and, where possible, improve the movement options available to your body.
We want you to feel that your back is something you can move, explore and trust, rather than something you must constantly protect from movement.
Reconnect with your back at Pilates Practice
Perhaps you have avoided bending backwards for years.
Perhaps you have been told that your back is stiff, or you notice that extension always seems to happen in the same small area of your lower spine.
Or perhaps you already practise Pilates and would love to understand the movement of your spine on a much deeper level.
Whatever your starting point, we would love to explore these possibilities with you.
At Pilates Practice in Amsterdam Oud-West, our highly specialised private lessons offer the individual attention needed to discover the subtleties of spinal movement.
We will guide you through your spine, help you recognise its different regions and work progressively towards greater mobility, strength and confidence.
Because spinal extension is not simply about bending backwards.
It is about rediscovering the extraordinary movement possibilities of your back.
We look forward to taking you on this journey and helping you reconnect with your spine.
All levels are warmly welcome at Pilates Practice