Speaker #0Hi and welcome to BioPilates Deep Dive. Today I invite you to explore an exercise that holds a unique place in the Pilates method, the full short spine. This exercise is rich, demanding, and refined. It involves segmental mobility of the spine, stretching of the posterior muscles of the legs, and the precision of breathing. I want to guide you step by step through this movement highlighting not only the technique, but also the anatomy, the physiology, and the pedagogical issues that make it a true jewel of practice. When I set up for the short spine, I begin with meticulous positioning. I lie on my back, my head resting on a flat headrest to preserve cervical alignment. I use two springs to create resistance that supports the movement without making it excessive. My feet are placed in the straps, my legs are long, in adduction and external rotation, descending diagonally as low as my neutral can be maintained. My ankles are in plantar flexion, my toes gently pointed. My arms are extended along my body, palms down on the carriage. This initial position is crucial. It conditions the quality of the exercise and prepares the spine for its segmental unfolding. Inhalation initiates the movement. I bring my legs parallel, keep them straight, and allow the pelvis to move toward neutral. The stretch already begins. The hamstrings lengthen, and I feel the posterior chain organize. Exhalation then triggers the articulation, starting from the coccyx, then progressively vertebra by vertebra. I roll my spine off the carriage, passing through the lumbar region, and then into the lower thoracic spine. I never elevate the cervical spine. And. because the goal is to remain on the thoracic segment to protect the neck and avoid unnecessary strain. During this ascent, my legs extend toward the ceiling as a natural continuation of the spine. I inhale, hold the position, and bend my knees. My ankles move into dorsiflexion, my legs open in external rotation, slightly wider than the shoulders, and I draw my heels toward my ischial bones. This placement creates an intense but controlled stretch. I exhale and slowly articulate my spine downward, this time from the thoracic spine back to the coccyx, keeping the heels suspended and immobile in the air to maintain tension in the posterior chain. Finally, I inhale again to settle the sacrum and contract the hamstrings to bring the heels closer to the ischial bones, and I exhale to extend the legs diagonally ankles returning to plantar flexion with softly pointed toes. This cycle is ideally repeated five times because beyond that the quality often diminishes in favor of endurance. What makes the short spine so valuable is the requirement for segmental mobilization. The descent in a flat back, very common among students, is a major mistake. It reveals rigidity of the posterior chain and an inability to articulate the vertebrae independently. When the back lowers as a block, the spine loses its capacity for mobility, and the stretch of the hamstrings becomes approximate. The true work of the short spine is to roll vertebra by vertebra, letting each segment find its own space. This requires deep control, conscious breathing, and perfectly calibrated muscular engagement. Another key issue is the amplitude of the lift. It should never be too low, otherwise the articulation is not fully engaged nor too high, as this would overload the cervical region. The correct lift stops at the upper thoracic spine without ever rolling onto the cervical vertebrae. Mastery of amplitude protects the neck and makes the exercise safe, restorative, and pedagogically sound. The short spine full also highlights muscles that are often forgotten. I want to focus on two of them, the adductor brevis, small adductor, and the pectineus. The adductor brevis originates from the inferior pubic ramus and inserts onto the linear aspera of the femur. Its main action is thigh adduction, but it can also assist with slight flexion and above all, stabilize the pelvis. in the frontal plane. The pectineus originates from the pectineal crest of the pubis and inserts onto the pectineal line of the femur just below the lesser trochanter. Its actions include adduction, hip flexion, and subtle medial rotation. In the short spine, these two muscles act as essential stabilizers of the pelvis. When I maintain my legs in adduction and external rotation, they control the orientation of the femur, balance the hip joint, and facilitate spinal articulation. Without their action, the movement would become unstable and imprecise. But for these muscles to play their role, the entire muscular system must work in coordination. This is where... The physiology of skeletal muscle comes in. Every contraction is born in the sarcomere, the contractile unit of the muscle fiber. The nerve signal triggers the release of calcium, which allows the myosin heads to attach to actin and slide along the filaments. This exquisitely fine mechanism is entirely governed by the central nervous system. In the short spine, I constantly alternate concentric eccentric, and isometric contractions. The rectus abdominis and obliques contract concentrically to lift the spine, then eccentrically to control its return. The hamstrings work eccentrically to regulate the stretch, then concentrically to draw the heels in. The transversus abdominis and pelvic floor contract isometrically to stabilize the pelvis. The success of the exercise depends on this subtle orchestration. The importance of the perineals also deserves emphasis. In a rare but highly effective modification, I propose the stretching of the perineals to correct foot pronation. When the knees bend in the high phase, I bring the soles of the feet together. This induces a stretch of the lateral perineal muscles, which play a key role in controlling the ankle. By correcting pronation, this variation influences not only distal stability, but also the entire ascending chain, all the way to the spine. It's an important reminder. In Pilates, nothing is isolated. Every local adjustment modifies the global balance. There are, however, common errors to avoid. The most critical is bringing the knees toward the chest. shortens the posterior chain abruptly compresses the spine, and overburdens the neck. Another mistake is letting the heels drift during the descent. When the heels move, the hamstrings lose their tension and the spine lowers as a block. Finally, rolling too high onto the neck is dangerous and cancels out the exercise's intended benefits. Vigilance and precision are essential. Breathing is the guiding thread throughout the protocol. I inhale to prepare. I exhale to articulate upward. I inhale to bend and open. I exhale to articulate downward. I inhale to settle the sacrum, and I exhale to extend. Each phase is inseparably linked to breath, and it is this synchronization that gives the movement its fluidity. Without it, the exercise becomes mechanical and loses its deeper purpose. The full short spine is demanding, but its benefits are considerable. It restores segmental mobility of the spine, stretches the posterior muscles of the leg effectively, corrects foot pronation, reinforces lumbopelvic stability, and refines body awareness. It requires concentration, but when practiced correctly, it provides a unique sensation of length, lightness, and decompression. I retain three key principles to transmit to my students. First, neutral. is the foundation. Second, each vertebra must move independently. Third, the knees must never come toward the chest. With these three reference points, the practice becomes safe, efficient, and deeply respectful of the body. In conclusion, the full short spine is more than just an exercise. It is an exploration of segmental movement, a practical lesson in anatomy, and a live demonstration of muscular physiology. It perfectly embodies the spirit of Pilates, precision, control, breathing, and fluidity. When I teach or practice it, I do not aim for performance but for quality. I aim to give the spine back its natural mobility, to harmonize the relationship between breath and movement, and to cultivate a body that is free, aware, and stable. This is the richness of the exercise, and this is why it holds such a valuable place in my practice and in my teaching.
