• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Pilates Studio
  • Scoliosis Resources
  • Starting Point Series
  • Pilates Teacher Training
  • Scoliosis Intensive
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Spiral Spine

Spiral Spine

Scoliosis Resources and Pilates Studio, Brentwood Tennessee

  • Home
  • PILATES STUDIO
      • spiral spine Pilates studio

        Visit our Brentwood, Tennessee studio offering group and private Pilates lessons for all populations and Balanced Body Pilates teacher training.

        Start Here

        Book a class

        MEET OUR STAFF

        READ ERIN'S STORY

      • Pilates teacher training

        Turn your love of Pilates into a career. Train at Spiral Spine Pilates, a host site for Balanced Body, the most recognized name in Pilates around the world.

        balanced body
        pilates teacher training

  • Scoliosis Resources
      • SS_Logo_scoli

        You can live a quality, pain-free life. The solution is simple, the results are life changing.

        START HERE

        VIRTUAL LESSONS

        SCOLIOSIS STORE

        SCOLIOSIS WORKSHOPS

        READ ERIN'S STORY


      • Affected by scoliosis? These short, free videos will teach you some basic concepts, including pad placement and diagramming.

        starting point
        video series

  • Blog
  • Workshops
  • Contact
  • Take Pilates
  • Pilates Teacher Training
  • Scoliosis Workshops
  • Scoliosis Intensive
  • Home
  • Book A Class
  • Pilates
    • Start Here
    • Our Staff
    • Meet Erin
  • Pilates Teacher Training
  • Scoliosis
    • Start Here
    • Virtual Lessons
    • Scoliosis Store
    • Scoliosis Starting Point Video Series
  • Scoliosis Workshops
  • Blog
  • Contact

Welcome, Jackie Arnold!

January 12, 2021

Welcome to a new year! I’m so excited to share with you our newest teacher, Jackie Arnold. Jackie comes to Spiral Spine Pilates with a decade of experience working with clients of all ages and body types. Early in her career, she focused on helping clients improve posture, strengthen muscles, and alleviate back and joint pain. More recently, after using Pilates to assist her during and after her own pregnancies, she has become passionate about working with pregnant and post-natal women. She enjoys helping them exercise as their body grows and changes, and guiding them postpartum to regain their strength and energy. You can read her full bio on the staff page.

Below, Jackie shares her favorite Pilates exercises that helped her through two pivotal moments in her life: a shoulder impingement and her pregnancies. These exercises will strengthen your shoulders, back, and abs in pregnancy friendly positions.


Over the last decade I have loved working with people to improve posture, strengthen muscles, alleviate pain, and increase mobility through Pilates. I have a right shoulder impingement which frequently causes radiating pain in my neck, upper back, and down my arm. I have had to learn how to strengthen parts of my back and shoulder rotators to alleviate the pain as well as to protect my shoulder function. Many times these exercises involve keeping my arm below a 90 degree angle, which helps target the muscles I need to activate and stabilize.

In addition, over the last five years, I have experienced two healthy pregnancies, births, and recoveries. I found Pilates to be essential in keeping my body mobile and strong throughout my pregnancies, which led to an easier deliveries and recoveries. So many women hear that “you can’t do abdominal work while pregnant.” While it is true that we need to avoid supine flexion (such as traditional crunches), there are still lots of safe ways to work your core muscles.

Below are some exercises that I have loved throughout the years. Some of them target my shoulders and back, and some of them target the abdominals in positions that are pregnancy friendly.

Kneeling Abs Front
kneeling abs reformerI love this exercise because it is abdominal work that simultaneously works my shoulder girdle. You start with your hands on the footplate of the Reformer and your knees underneath your hips. Gently press the carriage back by extending the knees and hips while keeping your shoulders stacked over your hands. Then pull the carriage in by flexing at your knees and hips. Your back and arms will feel the stabilizing work to keep the upper body in position, while your abs are getting a good workout too. I also love all the fun variations of this exercise. A favorite variation is to place the rib cage in lateral flexion with your hands on the side of the Reformer.

Pulling Straps
Reformer pulling strapsThis exercise helps me strengthen my back and shoulders without reaching my arms over a 90 degree angle. Lay prone on your long box on the Reformer and grab the rope portion of your straps above your loops. Pull your straps towards the floor then back to your legs. You can also open your arms to a T position, then pull back to your hips or do tricep presses when your hands are down by your legs. For people who cannot lie on their stomachs, this exercise can be done one arm at a time while kneeling on all fours without the long box.

Reverse Swan on the Chair
I love that this exercise helps work my core while seated and also helps open up the front of my chest and shoulders. For a beginner client or a pregnant woman, I like to add a large ball under the feet so that they can rest their legs and focus on their core.

As you sit on the center of the seat of the Chair reach both hands back to the peddle. Press the peddle down several inches while keeping your elbows straight, then engage your abs deeply as you sit up into the starting position.

 

reverse swan with propPilates has been so versatile in helping me in my life. I am excited to share this passion and work with you at Spiral Spine Pilates soon.


Jackie will be in the studios on Wednesdays starting later this month and can’t wait to meet all of our wonderful clients.

Related Posts

  • Welcome, Michal Harvey!

    I'm thrilled to share that Michal Harvey will start teaching at Spiral Spine Pilates in…

  • Welcome!

    Welcome to Spiral Spine's blog! This is where you get to hear from me on…

  • Welcome, Michal Harvey!

    I'm thrilled to share that Michal Harvey will start teaching at Spiral Spine Pilates in…

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

The Beautiful Scoliotic Back

BUY NOW

Analyzing Scoliosis

BUY NOW

Hard Core Scoli Workout

DVD | Watch Instantly on Amazon | Balanced Body

Untwisting Scoli: Maya

 Amazon | Balanced Body

Scoli Journal

BUY NOW

 

Spiral Spine App

Download For iPhone 
Download for Android

Pilates Gear and Resources

Footer

Our Pilates Studio

7020 Church St E, #7 & 8
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-891-7118

What we’re up to

spiral_spine

This is me. What do you do when you don’t have a This is me. What do you do when you don’t have an X-ray? You create dot sticker pictures and a diagram sketch. The process of creating them gives you so much information about your scoli body. Have you created yours? What did you learn about your body? For info on how to create these check out my latest book Analyzing Scoliosis (available on amazon) or other resources on the shop page on SpiralSpine.com. #scoliosis #spiralspine #analyzingscoliosis #bentbutnotbroken #scoliosisawareness #scoliosiswarrior
Showing Cat Walker in today’s Cadillac training Showing Cat Walker in today’s Cadillac training for @balanced_body at @spiral_spine . 🐈 🐱 🐈‍⬛ #advancedpilates #pilates #balancedbody #spiralspine #nashvillepilates #pilatesteachertraining #pilatesinstructortraining #pilatescadillac
Teaching Advanced Bridge on the Cadillac in @balan Teaching Advanced Bridge on the Cadillac in @balanced_body ‘s training at @spiral_spine today. 🌉 #advancedpilates #pilates #balancedbody #spiralspine #nashvillepilates #pilatesteachertraining #pilatesinstructortraining #pilatescadillac
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Quick Links

  • Book a Pilates Class
  • Virtual Lessons
  • Scoliosis Resources
  • Scoliosis Workshops
  • Pilates Studio
  • Pilates Teacher Training

Copyright © 2021 · Spiral Spine. Design by Great Oak Circle.