5 Classical Pilates Movements for Lower Back Pain

I was at a party recently when someone came up to me and said, “You need to relax your shoulders.” Ummm… this is me relaxed. You should see me on a weekday.

Turns out, the guy was a chiropractor and he was not impressed with my scoliosis stance. Before I knew it, every single one of my friends had abandoned their dirty martini to probe the posture police about their own stubborn back problems.

It got me thinking… how did we all end up so tight, tense, and twisted?

Studies estimate that 75-85% of people will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, making it the most common musculoskeletal disorder.

While effective treatment is dependent on the cause of pain, a consistent Pilates practice can offer relief by correcting postural imbalances, supporting a neutral spine alignment, enhancing core stability and increasing joint mobility and flexibility. Promise this isn’t an ad. Just a girl with fewer back spasms.

So before you go begging the guy who can’t stop giving free spine advice over cocktails for posture tips, try this first. These are the five exercises I come back to again and again, the ones that actually work when the martinis wear off:

1. Shoulder Bridge

This foundational exercise teaches spinal articulation, strengthening the glutes and hamstrings while bringing mobility to the lower back. Each time you roll up and down, you invite your spine to move fluidly, one vertebra at a time.

Try it: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet hip width apart. Inhale to prepare, and exhale as you tuck your tailbone and lift your spine slowly off the mat, feeling each vertebra peel away. Inhale at the top, and exhale to melt back down to the earth.

2. Spine Twist

This classical movement strengthens the obliques and deep core muscles while improving spinal rotation and posture. It invites you to move from your center with precision and control rather than momentum.

Try it:  Sit tall with legs extended and feet flexed. Extend your arms out to your sides at shoulder height. Inhale to sit even taller, and exhale to you twist from your waist to the right. Inhale to return to center, exhale as you twist to the left.

3. Single Leg Stretch

A core strengthening classic, this movement activates deep abdominal engagement to stabilize the pelvis and protect the lower back.

Try it:Start in tabletop position. Curl your head and shoulders off the mat, hands lightly on your shins. Inhale as one leg extends out, exhale to switch, keeping the pelvis steady and the breath smooth.

4. Swan Variation

Much of our daily posture rounds the spine forward at desks, phones, and steering wheels. Swan helps counter that by awakening the muscles along the back body and teaching healthy extension.

Try it: Lie on your stomach with hands under shoulders. Inhale to lengthen the crown of your head forward and lift your chest, keeping your abdominals lifted and shoulders soft. Exhale to lower slowly, maintaining control.

5. Neck Pull

An advanced classical exercise, Neck Pull strengthens the entire trunk, challenging the abdominals while improving posture and alignment.

Try it: Lie on your back with legs extended and feet flexed, hands interlaced behind your head. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll up slowly, articulating through the spine, and fold forward over your legs. Inhale to lengthen the spine, and exhale to roll back down with control, keeping your elbows wide and your core deeply engaged.