From Women’s Fitness March 2026

This column was published in the March 2026 issue of Women's Fitness, as part of my regular Pilates Doctor feature.

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people come to me at Beyond Move — and one of the most misunderstood. The instinct is often to rest, or to avoid movement altogether. But in most cases, the opposite is true. A healthy back needs to move, and it needs to be supported by the muscles around it working properly.

What I focus on in this feature is not just strengthening the back in isolation, but addressing the whole system: alignment, core engagement, spinal mobility and the smaller stabilising muscles that most people never train. These are the muscles that do the quiet, essential work of keeping you upright, balanced and pain-free over time.

The five exercises I share — breaststroke, modified side plank, hip twist with weights, oblique abdominal prep with a ball, and diamond press-ups — can be done three to five times a week. They work across the posterior chain, the obliques, the lumbo-pelvic area and the upper back. Done with attention to form, you should start to feel a difference within five to six days.

As with all Pilates work: do not push through pain, start with fewer reps and build gradually, and always consult your GP or physiotherapist if you have an existing condition.

The full feature is published in Women's Fitness, March 2026.