Training Tip: Head Up with Gaze to Navel

Many newcomers to Pilates complain their neck "hurts." The question is, does it hurt, or is it just sore, as many other muscles that have not been used or stretched become sore? 

CAUTION: If it is shooting pain or pain like fire -- lower your head and tell your instructor immediately! Do not attempt to "work through" acute pain -- your instructor should provide a modification for you. 

However, if the "hurt" is not acute, it is probably muscle pain and part of the strengthening process. For many people, lifting their head with their gaze to the navel stretches the muscles in the back of the neck in a way those muscles have not been stretched in a long time, while challenging their abdominal muscles to hold up the head. Straining to do so, the client may clench the muscles around his/her neck, jaw and chin, causing fatigue and slight muscle pain. Relaxing the mouth, neck and chin will help, as will lifting the head to the correct position, then lowering for a brief rest. 

Hundred on the Reformer

When one considers how many bones are in the skull, how much brain and other matter are within the skull, how heavy the head is and how slight the neck is in comparison -- the physics makes sense. Many beginners lift their head so the gaze is to the ceiling, but that puts all the weight of the skull on the neck. By lifting the head so the gaze is to the navel, the skull is lifted over the shoulders and chest, so the abdominals are supporting the weight of the skull. In order to do correctly, a client must have strength in the abdominals and flexibility in the neck and shoulder muscles. 

Developing strength and flexibility may take practice and time. Clients should endeavor to hold their heads up in the correct position for as long as possible, lowering for a brief rest, then raising again. Not raising to the correct position may cause more pain and less positive results than lifting to the correct position, resting and resuming.