8 years on, in my Pilates jouney, as a student & Pilates instructor, I am constantly rediscovering & appreciating a simple, humble little exercise called the 'dart'. Almost ALL of us will benefit from this basic & powerful exercise, & it is worth perservering with its challenges, to unearth the incredible wisdom, strength & benefits you will gain.
BENEFITS FROM THE PILATES 'DART'
- Relief from shoulder & neck tension
- Relief from lower back tension
- Stronger upper back muscles
- Improved posture
- Opening the heart chakra
- Improving core support in extension biased movement
- Shouler girdle organisation and strength
- Thoracic spine mobility
WHAT IS THE DART?
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the 'dart', it's a very 'simple' pilates exercise which promotes thoracic (upper back) strength and extension. A strong upper back helps to reduce common overloading of the lower back, encourage upright posture and allows your head to sit on top of your spine (as opposed to forward of it). This apparently simple exercise is both challenging and rewarding, and deserves perseverence and patience to reap the huge rewards it presents. Most of us will benefit from this exercise as it counters our days spent with our heads forward, shoulders rounded, spine flexed, whilst driving, working, lifting or reading. (See 'exercise of the day' at the bottom of the blog)
WHY I LOVE THE 'DART'
When I first started pilates I had a clothing label, and spent much of my time sewing. This resulted in constant back and neck pain and tight upper shoulders. I remember being amazed at how such a simple and small movement made such a dramatic change to my life. At first my biggest challenge was in not lifting from my lower back, and finding my core. Once this happened I quickly found my upper back support muscles and learned to correct the placement of my shoulders. Over time it became a great 'quick fix' for a day of bad posture infront of the sewing machine, and today it's my constant companion for reversing the load that is placed on my body through lifting my gorgeous 1 yr old daughter, time spent at a computer, riding my bike, and teaching Pilates! In just 5 minutes, once a day (or even once a week!), you can do something positive for your spine.
NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT LOOKS
Why is such a simple movement so challenging?
When you correctly execute a 'dart', you are using your deep abdominals to support your lower back, and working against gravity to extend your upper back. This is essentially reversing the forward curve that our upper backs are generally in. As we age, gravity, work, and our everyday habbits and tasks, lead us to become more forward curved in our upper spines. Our Thoracic spine has less natural ability to extend, and without use, the muscles in the upper back become weaker and we rely more and more on our lower backs to access this range of movement. Often when we try our first dart, it's challenging to keep the lower back relaxed and 'find' the upper back muscles. With a little patience, increasing your core strength, and slowly strengthening the upper back muscles and finding the correct placement for your shoulders, you will be able to access the upper back & shoulder muscles and feel your deep abdominals gently supporting your lower back. Both lower back AND upper back pain can be helped by adding a dart to your home exercise programme!
DART AFTER PREGNANCY
After pregnancy, the dart was uber challenging and I had to be very patient as I gently re-visited and strengthened this part of my body. Through pregnancy your core is very much weakend, your ribcage has widened, and the early rigors of breastfeeding put enormous strain on your shoulders, not to mention carrying the ever icreasing little bundle of joy. It takes time to build the strength back into your deep abdominals and it is easy to feed into your lower and middle back as you begin to find your upper back. Patience, patience, patience. Even the preparation for the dart will reap huge rewards and daily, regular practise will build strength in both your center and thoracic spine, don't be in a hurry to find a big lift, keep it small and listen to your pelvic floor and your deep abdominals, they will tell you when to stop!
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Eric FranklinBehind every unhealthy physical movement pattern slumbers a good one.
EXERCISE OF THE DAY
'DART'
If you have any specific back or neck issues you should clear these with your medical professional before commencing any exercise. These exercises should not cause any pain or discomfort either during or after. If you are unsure about this work in any way, please find a qualified instructor or medical professional for advice and/ or instruction.
PREPARATION
Lie on your belly with your forehead on a towel (so your nose isn't squashed). Palms face the ceiling.
EXHALE Draw you belly into your spine and imagine you are picking up a small pebble in your belly button, and gently lift your pelvic floor. Roll your shoulders back and gently down so that your shoulder blades float down your ribcage towards the middle of your back. Allow your hands to lift to hip height and reach your fingertips to your feet.
INHALE: Bring your hands back to the floor and let your shoulders relax down.
Repeat 6-10 times
FULL DART
INHALE: Lower and relax
REPEAT 6-10 times
NOTES:
Maintain a soft, relaxed lower back throughout these repetitions and tune in to your deep abdominals to gently support the movement.
Stay as long as you can between your tail bone and your middle back. Slightly sliding your tailbone underneath you and feeling your hip bones slide towards your ribcage will allow this length to be maintained.
It is important that you widen your collar bones and feel your shoulder blades sitting flat on your ribcage, before you reach to your feet. Pulling the arms down when the shoulders are still rolled forward will encourage a closing of the front of the shoulder. Feel wide and open in the chest AND the back (between the shoulder blades) and then feel the fingertips reach to the feet.
'Listen' to your Pelvic Floor and deep abdominals. If you feel your pelvic floor or your belly drop, or cannot sense a lift, you have begun to find the support from somewhere else in your body (maybe you are squeezing your butt or tensing your lower back). Come down and lift only as far as you can, maintaining the support of your core.
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