As a skilled and experienced Pilates instructor in Sherman Oaks, California, I am passionate about helping individuals find relief from lower back pain while discovering the incredible benefits of Pilates. Today, we'll be exploring how Pilates, combined with the versatile Courageous Ball, can transform your Pilates practice and provide effective relief for your lower back discomfort. Whether you're new to Pilates or seeking to deepen your practice, this blog post will inspire you to embrace the power of the Courageous Ball and connect with me to experience the transformative effects of private Pilates lessons.


The Power of Pilates in Relieving Lower Back Pain:
Lower back pain is a common ailment that can be debilitating and impact your quality of life. Pilates offers a holistic approach to alleviate lower back pain by addressing its root causes, strengthening supportive muscles, and promoting proper alignment. Here's how Pilates can help you find relief:


1. Core Strengthening: Pilates focuses on strengthening the deep abdominal muscles that support the spine. By targeting these core muscles through precise movements and controlled breathing, you develop a strong and stable core, reducing stress on the lower back and promoting better posture.


2. Spinal Mobility and Flexibility: Pilates exercises gently lengthen and stretch the spine, improving its mobility and flexibility. Increased spinal mobility helps relieve tension and compression in the lower back, alleviating pain and discomfort.


3. Postural Alignment: Poor posture can contribute to lower back pain. Pilates emphasizes proper alignment, teaching you how to engage specific muscles to achieve optimal posture. By maintaining good alignment during exercises and in daily life, you can relieve strain on the lower back and prevent future pain.


4. Targeted Muscle Strengthening: Pilates exercises target not only the core muscles but also the muscles surrounding the lower back, such as the glutes and hip flexors. Strengthening these muscles helps stabilize the pelvis, providing support and reducing the strain on the lower back.


Introducing the Courageous Ball for Lower Back Relief:
Now, let's explore the powerful combination of Pilates and the Courageous Ball, specifically designed to alleviate lower back pain and enhance your Pilates practice. This versatile prop offers targeted support and stability, allowing you to engage deeper muscles while maintaining proper alignment. Here are some ways we can incorporate the Courageous Ball into our private Pilates sessions to relieve lower back pain:


1. Lumbar Support: Placing the Courageous Ball between your lower back and the floor during exercises like pelvic curls or bridging provides gentle support and promotes proper spinal alignment. This added support eases tension in the lower back and encourages a more effective and pain-free movement.


2. Core Activation: By incorporating the Courageous Ball into exercises like seated twists or side bends, we can engage the deep core muscles and the muscles surrounding the lower back. This increased activation helps stabilize and support the lower back, reducing discomfort and improving overall function.


3. Gentle Extension: Using the Courageous Ball for gentle back extensions, such as the swan or cat-cow exercises, can alleviate tightness and increase mobility in the spine. These movements promote healthy spinal extension and flexibility, relieving lower back pain and promoting a stronger back.


Connect with Me:
Are you ready to find relief from lower back pain and unlock your full potential through Pilates? Whether you prefer in-person sessions in Sherman Oaks or the convenience of Zoom, I am here to guide you every step of the way. As a skilled and experienced Pilates instructor, I personalize each session to address your unique needs and goals.


To book a private Pilates lesson or learn more about how Pilates can help you relieve lower back pain, reach out to me today. You can click here or call me at 818-654-4917.

Together, we'll embark on a transformative journey that will not only alleviate discomfort but also empower you to embrace a healthier, pain-free lifestyle.


Don't let lower back pain hold you back any longer. Connect with me and discover the incredible relief and freedom that Pilates, combined with the powerful support of the Courageous Ball, can bring to your life. Let's unlock your full potential and find lasting relief together!

🗣️ "My range of motion has improved vastly; muscles and joints are no longer tight; and my body feels more balanced when exercising. Lower back pains disappeared. If only I'd met Pippa earlier, I could've avoided years of chiropractic care and tennis elbow surgery."  👏


Hey there, Sherman Oaks! I'm Pippa, your dedicated manual stretch therapist, and I'm here to help you break free from lower back pain and embrace a life of wellness and vitality! 🌈


Check out the amazing benefits of my personalized stretching techniques that have transformed countless lives. Experience a whole new level of freedom and balance, and say goodbye to those nagging back pains that have been holding you back for far too long! 💪


🌟 Whether you're an athlete, a hardworking professional, or someone seeking to live pain-free, I'm passionate about tailoring my approach to meet your unique needs. Together, we'll unleash your body's potential and unlock the extraordinary!


🔥 Join the growing community of individuals who have discovered the power of my manual stretch therapy. Break free from the limitations of tight muscles and limited mobility – it's time to embrace a life of limitless possibilities! ⚡


💥 Ready to take charge of your well-being? Don't wait any longer! Reach out to me today to book your initial consultation. Click here or call (818) 654-4917, and let's embark on this empowering journey together. 🙌


🔑 #pippaspilatesstretch  #ShermanOaksWellness #UnleashYourPotential #EmbraceBalance #FindYourFreedom #BreakFreeFromPain #CustomizedStretching #ExperienceTheTransformation #BookNow #LiveVibrantly


🌞 The time is now to reclaim your vitality and live life to the fullest. I'm here to guide you every step of the way! 🌈✨

As a Pilates instructor and stretch therapist, I'm here to share the incredible benefits of breath work and how it can transform your well-being while reducing lower back pain. Let's dive in and discover the power of intentional breathing! 🌬️✨


1️⃣ Holistic Wellness: Breath work is a gateway to holistic wellness, nurturing our mind, body, and spirit. By harnessing the power of our breath, we can enhance our overall sense of well-being.


2️⃣ Mind-Body Connection: Focusing on our breath allows us to establish a deeper connection between our mind and body, promoting mindfulness and presence in the present moment.


3️⃣ Stress Relief: Deep, intentional breathing activates our parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a relaxation response and reducing stress levels. It's a natural and accessible tool for finding calm amidst the chaos.


4️⃣ Enhanced Oxygenation: Breath work increases oxygen flow to our muscles, organs, and brain, promoting cellular rejuvenation, improved cognitive function, and an overall boost in energy levels.


5️⃣ Core Activation: Proper breathing techniques engage and activate our core muscles, providing stability, support, and better posture. Strengthening the core can alleviate lower back pain and improve overall spinal health.


6️⃣ Alleviate Lower Back Pain: Breath work combined with targeted stretches and Pilates exercises can help alleviate lower back pain by releasing tension, improving spinal alignment, and promoting relaxation in the affected muscles.


7️⃣ Improved Circulation: Deep breathing facilitates better blood circulation, aiding in nutrient delivery, waste removal, and the overall health of our tissues and organs.


8️⃣ Increased Body Awareness: By consciously breathing and tuning into our body, we cultivate a heightened sense of body awareness, enabling us to identify and address imbalances, limitations, and areas of improvement.


9️⃣ Emotional Release: Breath work can facilitate emotional release, allowing us to process and let go of emotional tension, promoting emotional well-being and inner harmony.


🔟 Empowerment: Mastering breath work techniques empowers us with a powerful self-care tool that we can access anytime, anywhere. It's a lifelong skill that supports our overall wellness journey.


💨 Let's harness the power of breath work for holistic wellness and reduced lower back pain! Join me on this transformative journey, and let's embrace intentional breathing for a healthier, happier life. 🌈💪


Share this valuable information with your friends who could benefit from breath work and reducing lower back pain! Follow me for more wellness tips and don't forget to connect with me if you'd like some help! Together, let's create a community dedicated to wellness and self-care. 🙌💕


#BreathWorkForWellness #LowerBackPainRelief #MindBodyConnection #StressRelief #HolisticWellness #PilatesInstructor #StretchTherapist #BreatheDeep #SelfCareJourney #EmbraceWellness #SpinalHealth #SelfEmpowerment

*You might recognize these as "Tick Tock" or "Windshield Wiper Knees"


This exercise quickly unwinds and releases your hips and lower back, while sneakily activating your core & opening your shoulders.


You can do this as a quick movement break, or as a warm up for other activities where you want to be strong in your core and mobile in your hips & lower back.


Adjust your reps & range of motion as needed, please be sure to focus on reaching your knees away rather than twisting down to the floor. Reduce the size of your twists or number of reps if it feels like too much.


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BONUS: you get a FREE foot rolling guide pdf when you sign up for my monthly newsletter.
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The overall theme this month for my new videos is warming up and releasing the lower back. I’m sure we’ve all seen the horrifying statistics (80%!!)  about how many people experience low back bak on a regular basis… If not, check this out.


I hope you find this warm up useful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I’m happy to help.


Technically, you can check this video out for free! (You get 7 days for free when you sign up)


This 7 minute lower back warm up gets your pelvis and lower back moving , activates your core and hips, as well as working your feet and ankles.


You may want a pillow or rolled up towel for underneath your head to support your neck and shoulders.


If you feel any discomfort, try reducing your range of motion or adjusting the angle of the thigh in the hip joint.


You can check out the video here, it can be rented on it’s own or included in your monthly membership. 


You can sign up for a membership with a FREE 7 day trial here.

How many of these can raise the funds for? As you can see from the pic, every $100 we send in provides 700 meals this Thanksgiving. 

​Every person counts!
Please feel free to invite friends, family, workout buddies, or your social media community to join us. 

Tip: the easiest way to do that is to save and share the graphic below with all the info on it. 

Foam rolling can help restore balance to your whole body, and potentially become an essential aspect of your self-care.  


Saturday 9/19/20  
 1-2:30pm  via Zoom 
$25-35 sliding scale
Register Now! 
(you must use this link and buy only this class to access the sliding scale option,
otherwise it will show up as the averaged price of $30)



In this master class, you will explore and learn how to use your foam roller as an effective self-myofascial release tool. When done mindfully and strategically, it can help relieve chronic muscle tightness or pain, increase circulation to reduce soreness, and improve your overall mobility.



Things we will cover:
- General strategies & tips on how to approach using the foam roller effectively
- How to avoid common mistakes and avoid injuries or preventable soreness 
- Specific exercises with lots of options or modifications for a full body experience
- Question & answer time at the end of the class

*You will have access to a recording of the class for 1 week after it meets live so that you can focus on feeling and learning as we go, then review the information afterwards.*



What You’ll Need:
- Plenty of open floor space
- I suggest a thin yoga mat, especially if you’ll be on a hard floor. 
- Some other padding or supportive surfaces around like a few towels, blankets, or blocks.

- 1 Moderate Foam Roller (definitely not firm, and soft may not give you enough resistance)
Here’s my favorite:
Optp Foam Roller- comes in blue or green

Here's a solid choice at a lower price point:
AXIS Standard Foam Roller- silver


Questions? click here to contact me 

Want to Register Now? click here 

Most of us understand the importance or benefits of training for exercise, especially specific practices such as Pilates, Yoga, running, jumping or lifting. We see the direct correlation between good or ideal form and alignment with athletic abilities as well as injury prevention. 


We work our full body movements (squats)  as well as isolated areas. (biceps, quads, abs etc.)


What about the pelvic floor?


How do you feel when you laugh, cough, or sneeze? Is anything else happening?​

Where or what is my pelvic floor?
Imagine the area between your pubic bone and tailbone, then your two sitbones. Then, visualize those 4 points coming in towards center and up towards the sky. That area is your pelvic floor or diaphragm.  Want more detail? Watch this you tube video, it is an anatomically correct 3D tutorial. 


Why is it important? 
This area is responsible for bladder control. bowel control, sexual function, support of the reproductive organs, and is often seen as the foundation or deepest layer of our core. 


Some pelvic floor disorders are overactive bladder (OAB) or urinary urgency, stress urinary incontinence (leaking), pelvic organ prolapse (POP), and chronic pelvic pain. 


Are there other parts of our body or activities we could improve by training this area? Yes! Posture, SI dysfunction, chronic lower back pain, gait, and more. 


Do I have to isolate it in order to work or strengthen it? No! In fact when we use facilitated muscular contraction by recruiting other areas such as the glutes, transverses abdominus, or hip muscles we get a much stronger connection. 


Why do we need to add different forms of training?
The pelvic floor muscles are composed of both fast twitch (fast contraction time, fast fatigue) and slow twitch (endurance) fibers. They require different types of challenges to improve fitness, and we ideally want balance in the ability of these fibers. Traditional plyometric training can hypertrophy or enlarge the fast twitch fibers. Too much bracing or static training isn’t ideal either. We want a dynamic, strong, and adaptable pelvic floor so we train for endurance, coordination, and strength. 


How can I tell if I’m doing it correctly?
There are specific ways to measure contraction or activation of this area, but they aren’t always necessary. When we try different exercises (in different relationships to gravity) and work that idea of facilitated muscular contraction (getting other areas involved to feel more of an action) you can usually start to develop a more fine tuned awareness. 


Once you find your most successful exercises to practice, consistency is key.
Just a few minutes every or most days will have a huge impact! 


Want to learn more?
Register for my pelvic floor training workshop. (click here)
Read my blog post on my Pfilates training. (click here)
Contact me to set up a one on one Pilates session. (click here)