Let’s geek out on the spine!
Each day, our spines provide us with incredible movement and support, yet many of us take this amazing structure for granted until we start having neck or low back pain. Let’s do a deep dive on the spine together to better help our clients and our own bodies!
Taught by Bre Dumke Helfrich, MSc, PhD, Certified GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® Trainer, Certified GYROKINESIS® Trainer, & Certified Comprehensive Pilates Teacher
If you're a movement professional wanting to go beyond counting reps, choreography and basic anatomy, this is for you. Similarly, if you're a clinician wanting to merge science with embodied movement, this is for you. And if you're a movement geek wanting to connect with other movement geeks, this is for you.
ABOUT:
The MDL Spine Geek Out is composed of two courses: a 3 hour lecture & a 2 hour movement class. The lecture will cover the anatomy, movement, and common pathologies of the spine. The movement class applies all that we learned in the lecture so you can integrate it into your own personal practice and teaching. We will first explore our own spine anatomy then work through common weaknesses and imbalances that can cause pain. You’ll learn all my go-to exercises that make keeping spines feeling their best!
CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WILL BE COVERED IN THE COURSE? HERE'S A QUICK ROADMAP:
Spine Lecture (3 Hours):
Spine Anatomy Review
We'll briefly review the bones, discs, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, and skeletal muscles that make up this incredible structure. These are the building blocks that set the stage for all that our spine can do!
Arthrokinematics & Myokinematics
We'll cover the different movements of the spine with respect to both the joints themselves and the skeletal muscles that provide these movements. Emphasis will also be placed on understanding the differences in the different spinal sections. By understanding the movement that the bones and muscles provide, you will be able to better understand what you feel within your own body and what you see in your clients.
Common Considerations & Pathologies
We'll discuss many of the common spine considerations and pathologies that we see as movement professionals (and may experience personally!) and how such factors can impact movement. This will help you strengthen your skills as a movement professional so that you can work with all bodies and all abilities.
Spine Movement Class (2 Hours):
Mat & Small Prop Work
Spine movement 101. We'll start class with a review of the motions of the spine. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the differences in motion of the different areas as well as our own personal anatomy.
Key spine exercises. Many of us struggle with head and neck tension, immobile thoracic spines, and low back pain. Let's work on the key ways we can alleviate such issues and better understand this dynamic structure to keep us feeling our best.
Shoulder, rib, and hip influence on spinal motion. While this class revolves around the spine, we would be remiss to not discuss how shoulder, rib, and hip movement (or lack thereof) can impact our spinal motion. The interplay of the spine and these areas can be quite profound in understanding spinal motion.
For the mat portion of class you will need:
Floor space to move
A raised table/bench/stool that you can sit and put body weight on
A slo-mo ball
Equipment Work
We primarily utilize the Pilates Trapeze Table which can easily be substituted with the GYROTONIC® Pulley Tower to take the mat work further. Oftentimes, load is critical for building strength as well as connecting our brain to lesser understood areas. How can we facilitate engagement of that which is weaker or harder to recruit?
Note: If you don't have access to equipment, I still encourage you to join. My goal is to inspire you to take this work and creatively make it your own. We will discuss ways you can replace the equipment with resistance bands and other more accessible props. Also, traditional cable machines also make excellent substitutes for Pilates and GYROTONIC® equipment.
Bre Dumke Helfrich, MSc, PhD, is the founder of Movement Design Lab in Steamboat Springs, CO. After surviving a mountaineering accident in Southern Colorado that left her with numerous injuries, she left the world of academia on a mission to heal. It is from her own experience rehabbing with both the Pilates and the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® that both systems blended perfectly with her geeky science mind. She is passionate about adapting both systems to fit the needs of her clients. Clients first - choreography second. Bre earned her MSc in Health and Exercise Science from Colorado State University, is a Certified Comprehensive Pilates Teacher, a Certified GYROTONIC® Teacher, and a Certified GYROKINESIS® Teacher. She also earned her PhD from the University of Utah in Kinesiology specializing in Cognitive & Motor Neuroscience. To say she is a movement geek is a bit of an understatement.
Outside of the teaching, Bre loves all things mountains. From trail running to backcountry skiing, Bre feels most at home in the high alpine. She feels lucky to call Colorado home where she lives with her husband and two young boys.