In 2005 I fell backwards on my neck. I continued to dance after that initial injury making the pain worse and worse until I had 4 herniated discs and shooting nerve pain through my finger tips.
When I finally began to rehab and heal through Pilates I built up to this exercise: a roll down into extension.
My teacher sat behind me and held my head so my neck didn’t have to work. I was legitimately scared of going backwards. With her support I got through the exercise without any pain and conquered that fear…and we helped decompress my spine.
Showing the body that movement is safe is a large part of what this work is. Building strength and mobility simultaneously, creates stability and eases pain. Today, an exercise like this is a piece of cake for me.
Rebecca Lubart is the founder and CEO of Dynamic Body Pilates, a one-on-one Pilates studio in New York City specializing in chronic pain, movement challenges, and healthy aging. With 20 years of experience teaching Pilates, Rebecca helps people better understand how their bodies move—and how strength, mobility, balance, and coordination work together.
Her approach grew in part from her own recovery from a traumatic injury and the search for more effective, whole-body solutions to persistent pain. She founded Dynamic Body Pilates in 2012 to bring that approach to others. Today, Rebecca and her team help clients move with greater comfort, confidence, and independence through highly individualized Pilates and movement education.