My Aching Back, part II

   I've been doing a lot of sitting recently.  I attended a conference this weekend AND helped my partner finish a presentation she's giving at a national conference.  Sitting much more than I usually do which caused discomfort in my back and hips.  As I was listening to one speaker or another I was thinking about all the people who have sit-down jobs and wondering how they do it...day in and day out.
   I put my coursework into immediate practice...on myself.  One topic discussed was lumbosacral control which is teaching people how to have motor control of their pelvis.  This is much of what we do in Pilates.  Try this exercise from Feldenkrais:  lie on your back with your knees bent, imagine there is a clock on your tummy with 12 o' clock at your belly button, rock the clock between 12 and 6 (pelvic tilts) then roll your pelvis around the entire clock, alternating directions.  If you find a region of the clock that doesn't have as much mobility you can focus on that section by rocking in and out of that area.  It should loosen up.
   You can progress by doing this in sitting (that's what I did) or standing putting your hands on a wall or on the floor on your hands and knees.  It's all good and it helped my back rise out of the discomfort I was experiencing.  Pilates can help too.  Try a private session and you'll get some excellent instruction on establishing motor control of your core muscles which helps you on many levels, including extended periods of sitting!!!