Season 4, Episode 5: What is neutral spine, and what are all these words my teacher uses?

Tania Huddart: Think of your body as a champagne bottle. The cork is at the crown of your head. The base sits in your pelvis. Now feel the bubbles rising up through your spine. They lengthen you, without any effort at all. And any tension in your shoulders just rolls off. Like the condensation running down the outside of the bottle.

Host: Welcome to Build Confidence and Purpose with Pilates. I'm here with Tania Huddart: Pilates teacher, teacher trainer and author of Teach Pilates with Confidence and Pilates & Purpose. Both voices you'll hear are made with AI. Every word Tania says is her own, and she's approved each one.

Last time, we talked about breathing, and why everyone keeps telling you to do it. This time, it's the other thing I hear in every class. What is neutral spine, and what are all these words my teacher uses?

Tania Huddart: Pilates does have its own language. And nobody hands you a dictionary on the way in. So let's start with the word you'll hear most. Then we'll pick up a few others along the way.

Host: So, neutral. Every teacher says it. What does it actually mean?

Tania Huddart: Neutral is the starting point for almost everything we do in Pilates. It's the position where the muscles around your pelvis, your ribs and your head can work at their best. In any direction.

Think of your spine as the thing that joins three weights. Your pelvis at the bottom. Your rib cage in the middle. Your head at the top. In neutral, those three sit comfortably with each other. And the spine between them keeps its gentle natural curves. It isn't flattened. It isn't arched.

Host: Why does that matter so much?

Tania Huddart: Because from neutral, your tummy muscles can do their job properly. A lot of people think a good abdominal workout means pressing your lower back flat into the floor. It doesn't.

When you flatten your lower back during tummy work, you overstretch the muscles that run along your spine. That can make lower back pain worse. And over time, it can weaken those muscles.

Neutral also steadies your hip joints. That helps with everyday things like walking. And with things like running and cycling.

Host: OK. So how do I find it?

Tania Huddart: Lie down on your back. Bend your knees, and put your feet on the floor. Check that your heels are in line with your sitting bones. Those are the two bony points you sit on.

Now put your hands on the front of your pelvis. Find your two hip bones, and your pubic bone below them. In neutral, those three points make a flat triangle. Like a little table top you could rest a cup of tea on. And you'll feel a slight hollow under your lower back. Not a big arch. Just a little space.

Host: What if it feels strange?

Tania Huddart: It might, at first. Your muscles are letting go into a shape they're not used to. Odd is fine. Pain isn't. You shouldn't feel pain in this position.

If it feels stiff, gently sway your knees from side to side. Let them go, then come back and find neutral again.

And like everything we talk about here, this is general information. If you have back pain, or any condition, check with your doctor before you start something new.

Host: Is neutral only about the pelvis?

Tania Huddart: No. The pelvis is where we start. Then we travel up.

Bring your attention to your rib cage. You have twelve pairs of ribs. Let them all soften towards the floor. Gently. You're not forcing anything.

Then imagine your collarbones opening sideways. Your shoulder blades sink towards the floor. And let your chin release down a little, so the back of your neck can let go.

If your neck is tight and your chin points at the ceiling, fold a hand towel under your head. That's not cheating. That's being kind to your neck.

Then just breathe. Deeply and evenly. And notice your body, from your feet all the way up to your head.

This is the most common starting position in Pilates. So it's a lovely place to get curious. Notice how your pelvis, your rib cage and your head relate to one another. And notice how your spine gently undulates as it connects those three weights. Like a soft wave, not a straight rod.

Host: That's lying down. What about standing, which is what I'm doing most of the day?

Tania Huddart: Standing is a little different. You're finding points on your body and stacking them, one on top of the other. A full-length mirror helps.

Start at your ankle bone. Then find the side of your knee, and the side of your hip. Then the side of your rib cage. And the line carries on up through the middle of your ear.

I think of it as a seam. The seam running up the side of a full body suit. Keep that seam as straight as you can.

Let your shoulders relax down, away from your ears, and wide across your back. Keep most of your weight over your heels. And stay long through your spine.

This is where the champagne bottle helps. Let the bubbles rise, and let your shoulders drop. You get taller without pulling yourself up.

Host: I think I lean back a bit when I stand.

Tania Huddart: A lot of us do. But leaning back puts a great deal of extra pressure on your lower back. It upsets your balance, too.

So keep your lower back long. Keep breathing easily. And try to keep the distance between your head and your tailbone.

And please don't try too hard. Effort creates tension. And tension creates discomfort. Neutral should feel easy, not held.

Host: Easier said than done.

Tania Huddart: It is. That's why I use pictures rather than instructions. You've had the champagne bottle. Here's another one.

Your head is a little boat, bobbing gently on the waves. Your tailbone is the anchor, resting on the seabed. And the chain between them is your spine. It's ready to move with the currents. It isn't stiff. It's free, but it's still connected.

If neither of those works for you, that's fine. Some people love the hot air balloon. Find the picture that makes sense in your own body.

Host: Let's do some of the other words. I keep hearing "core" and "powerhouse". Are they the same thing?

Tania Huddart: Very close. Your core is the deep muscles that hold you up. They run from your pelvis to your rib cage and your diaphragm. That's the big dome-shaped breathing muscle under your lungs.

So your core includes your tummy muscles, the muscles along your spine, and your pelvic floor. Plus the muscles that steady your shoulders and your hips.

Powerhouse is the word Joseph Pilates used for the muscles around the centre of your body. So if your teacher says powerhouse, they mean your core.

Why does it matter? Strong, well-balanced core muscles help you hold good posture for longer. And they let power travel from your lower body to your upper body. That matters in any sport. It matters when you're carrying the groceries, too.

Host: What about when my teacher says "tuck"? Or something about twelve o'clock?

Tania Huddart: Those are two names for the same thing. A tuck, or a twelve o'clock tilt, is when your lower back rounds towards the floor. Your hip bones roll back out of neutral. Your pubic bone comes forward. And your spine rounds.

Your teacher will sometimes ask for it on purpose. It's a movement. It just isn't your home base.

Host: And then there are "foundation" exercises, and "modifications".

Tania Huddart: Foundation exercises are the ones you learn first. Some teachers call them preparatory exercises. They help you understand how each part of your body works, before you link the parts together into a sequence.

A modification is an exercise done differently from the standard version. Usually to look after a wrist, a knee, or a spine that needs care.

And I want to say this clearly. A modification isn't a lesser version. It's the right version for your body today.

Host: And Pilates breathing, which we talked about last time.

Tania Huddart: Yes. You'll sometimes hear it called posterior-lateral breathing. That just means breathing into the back and the sides of your ribs.

Breathing in gets your body ready to move, and focuses your mind. Breathing out helps you support your trunk, and switch your muscles on.

Host: If someone's heading to their next class with three things in their head, what should they be?

Tania Huddart: One. Neutral is your home base. A flat triangle across the front of your pelvis, and a little hollow under your lower back.

Two. Don't try too hard. Effort creates tension, and tension creates discomfort.

Three. If you don't understand a word your teacher uses, ask. That's what we're there for.

Host: And a question to sit with?

Tania Huddart: Next time you're waiting in line, notice where your weight is. Is it over your heels, or tipped forward onto your toes? Are you leaning back? Just notice. You don't have to fix anything yet.

Host: You'll find Tania's article, Finding your neutral spine, in the Journal at taniahuddart.com, along with A short Pilates glossary.

Next time: how do I know if it's the good kind of hurt?

Tania, last word?

Tania Huddart: Neutral isn't a pose you hold. It's a place you come home to. And the more often you visit, the easier it is to find.