Pilates Move Up Monday: The Back Stretch on the Tower

Controlled spinal articulation on the Tower with precise knee bends at the top.

After teaching Pilates Tower all weekend, I was reminded how valuable this exercise is for building real understanding of articulation and shoulder support. Pilates Back Stretch, performed with the push through bar from above, is one of those movements that quietly prepares clients for more complex work like Short Spine and High Frog. It teaches where the lift actually begins.

Set up matters. Use the safety chain. Choose a spring that gives you feedback, not one that drags you around. A single heavy spring works well. You want resistance that supports the lift but still demands control on the way down.

Lie a comfortable hand’s distance from the uprights. Press the bar up and place the feet on it. Parallel is my preference. Turnout is an option, but parallel gives a clearer sense of balanced pelvic connection. The balls of the feet rest on the bar. Hands hold the vertical poles slightly higher than the elbows, staying outside the springs.

From here, look upward, not at the legs. Point through the toes and begin the lift.

Breathe out as you roll the pelvis up. The exhale supports the abdominals and helps sequence the spine. You articulate through the lumbar and into the thoracic spine until you are resting on the shoulder girdle. You do not load the neck. There must always be space behind the cervical spine. The weight is across the shoulders, not the throat.

At the top, take a breath in to organise. Then bend the knees three times. I often cue a small inhale to bend and an exhale to lengthen. The key is that the thighs continue to move toward the chest. Do not think about pulling the heels toward the seat. Think about drawing the knees toward the shoulders. If the femurs stop moving, the bar stops moving. The lift of the centre stays active while the heart remains soft.

After the third bend, extend the legs fully and breathe out as you articulate down. The descent is where the work shows. Lengthen the spine down through control. Resist the spring. Do not drop the pelvis. Each vertebra returns in sequence.

What you should feel is length through the entire back chain. The hamstrings respond strongly. The front of the hips open. The abdominals work to stabilise and control the movement under load.

You can choose different ranges. Some clients may work only with a pelvic lift. Others may articulate fully onto the shoulder girdle. The rule does not change. There is always space at the back of the neck. There is never pressure into the cervical spine.

Back Stretch is not about how high you can go. It is about how intelligently you move. Breath supports the lift. Precision controls the bend. Strength governs the return.

After a weekend immersed in Pilates Tower work, this exercise still stands out. It teaches sequencing, stability, and length in a way that is clear, direct, and uncompromising.