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Exercise guide
Pilates Spine Stretch Forward
A seated articulation: sitting tall with the legs apart, the spine curls forward segment by segment over the legs and then restacks vertebra by vertebra.
What this exercise works
- Muscles
- erector spinae · rectus abdominis · hamstrings · transverse abdominis
- Goals
- mobility
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Category
- Stretching
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Demonstration
Step 1
Step 2
How to perform the movement
- Sit tall with the legs straight and slightly wider than the hips, feet flexed.
- Reach the arms forward at shoulder height.
- Drop the chin and curl the spine forward one vertebra at a time, reaching past the toes.
- Restack the spine from the base upwards until you are sitting tall again.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Technique cues and common mistakes
- Keep the pelvis upright: the curl comes from the spine, not from tipping the hips.
- Press the heels away throughout so the legs stay active.
- Sit on a folded blanket if sitting upright already rounds the lower back.