Sexton1
Level 1 Valued Member
Dear All,
Just a general question that doesn't concern StrongFirst specifically but that Pavel and a few other people on here may be qualified to answer:
Given the standard Pilates or Yoga class involves a great deal of bending (forward bend, child's pose etc.) should they be considered safe for the back?
The conventional view, which seems to be supported by some people's experience, is that Pilates and Yoga are good for the back, but Stuart McGill seems to insist strongly (I hope I'm not misinterpreting him) that his research indicates bending stresses the back in ways that can be dangerous (and yet in his writings he never says anything as definitive as "stop doing Pilates," only that it can be dangerous for some people).
I ask this question because I'm considering adding Pilates and/or Yoga to my training mix on days when I'm not using kettlebells, and I've had some (minor) back trouble in the past. I know Pavel has said in the past that Yoga is good for general health, and Dr McGill doesn't explicitly rule Yoga or Pilates out, but what he says about bending makes me concerned.
Just a general question that doesn't concern StrongFirst specifically but that Pavel and a few other people on here may be qualified to answer:
Given the standard Pilates or Yoga class involves a great deal of bending (forward bend, child's pose etc.) should they be considered safe for the back?
The conventional view, which seems to be supported by some people's experience, is that Pilates and Yoga are good for the back, but Stuart McGill seems to insist strongly (I hope I'm not misinterpreting him) that his research indicates bending stresses the back in ways that can be dangerous (and yet in his writings he never says anything as definitive as "stop doing Pilates," only that it can be dangerous for some people).
I ask this question because I'm considering adding Pilates and/or Yoga to my training mix on days when I'm not using kettlebells, and I've had some (minor) back trouble in the past. I know Pavel has said in the past that Yoga is good for general health, and Dr McGill doesn't explicitly rule Yoga or Pilates out, but what he says about bending makes me concerned.