For nearly two decades, Yana PlenovaDoctors recommended spine surgery to fix her back injuries. Instead, Plenova used her knowledge of body mechanics – from her career as an Olympic gymnastics coach – to support her back health with stretching and strength exercises.
Finally, I invented the pelvic clock trainer to help others achieve flexibility, strength and coordination in the lower back, pelvic floor and core – in order to prevent pain. Whether you offer your lower back to sit for a long time, cycle, play golf or are just pregnant, Plenova has exercises designed for you. And for the goop editors who are grateful to it. The aquarium clock is simply gorgeous.
To narrow the hips and back
“In most cases, back and hip pain is mechanical,” Plenova says. “It doesn’t happen all of a sudden. The inflammation comes from a mechanical defect. People may not even realize that they are standing unevenly. If you move again and again with an imbalance, you will eventually get pain. There are four main imbalances that are very common – where it might not be. The hip is level. People lean to one side, or the pelvis is tilted forward – as in pregnancy – or backward. The pelvis can buckle, for example in golfers. “
Where to start with the device?
“A pelvic clock can help tighten contracted muscles and correct these imbalances to help you restore coordination,” Blenova explains. “You don’t have to feel very stretched. With a pelvic clock, you have about two inches of height from the floor, and you are ten to twenty degrees from the extension of your spine and hip – that’s as much as you need.”
How to use the aquarium clock: starting position
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Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
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Place the tub clock under the sacrum, with the round side on the floor and the flat surface facing up and the 12 o’clock toward your head.
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The sacrum is a large triangular bone at the bottom of the spine, just above the tailbone.
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“Find a neutral position for your pelvis and spine, not expel your belly. Finding and recording this is really important,” says Plenova.
for you
Thigh flexors
“Most people who sit at computers a lot have tight hip folds,” Plenova says. (We know, we say.) What to do: “Gently shake side to side to release the hip joint.” Blinova recommends this step for cyclists in particular.
How to use the pelvic clock: Move your hips
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Lie down with your feet flat on the floor.
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To restore coordination in your hips, gently shake from side to side, back and forth, from 3 AM to 9 AM.
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Try to keep your knees in between.
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Spend more time on the hip that does not descend easily.
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To release the quadriceps, extend both legs straight on the floor and repeat hip movements to 3 and 9 o’clock, with the right and left hips dropping and returning to the center.
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Repeat ten to twenty times.
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This develops strength and flexibility in the back and hips at the same time.
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Spend more time on the weaker side.
For pelvic tilt and pregnancy
“About 70 percent of pregnant women experience back pain sometimes,” Plenova says. “Sources of pain are mechanical: the joints become more flexible, the child pulls the body forward and the pelvis tilts forward.” To counter this, Plainova recommends tilting in the opposite direction.
If you’re having trouble visualizing it, then leaning forward (forward) looks like this:
How to use the aquarium clock: Tilt the tub
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When the pelvis is tilted forward (forward tilt), for example during pregnancy, counter this by pulling the pelvis up until 12 o’clock.
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On the exhale, pull the pelvis around 12 o’clock and feel a slight stretch in the lower back.
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Inhale and return to neutral, or if you feel comfortable, switch to 6 a.m.
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On the exhale, return to 12 AM and hold for a while. You are stretching your back muscles and contracting your stomach muscles.
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Repeat ten to twenty times.
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If you want more – and depending on the stage of your pregnancy – bring your knees to your chest and stay there for a while. (As with anything else in this area, consult your doctor first.)
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When the pelvis is tilted backward (posterior tilt) – for example, in someone with a round back or a swinging back – resist this by rocking the pelvis to 6 o’clock instead.
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When you swing forward until 6 a.m., you are tightening your stomach muscles, and if you place your hand on your back, you will feel an isometric force.
For occasional hip problem
“The sacroiliac joints are at 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock, bony protrusions on either side of the sacrum,” she says. “Usually the sacroiliac joint on one side is the one that causes problems for women. It is the hypermobility of the sacroiliac joint that causes it to come out regularly. This is why I invented the device – so you can handle it right away. This is intended for pregnant women and for any … A person has occasional hip pain that spreads from the buttocks and may go down your leg. The exercise does a job similar to what a chiropractor would do: raise one side of your pelvis up and the other side down.
For reference, here’s what Plenova refers to:
How to use a pelvic clock: hip care
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Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees raised.
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Go to 1 o’clock on the exhale and return to neutral, or go further until 6 o’clock.
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Go to 11 o’clock on another exhale, then return to neutral.
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Next time, hold each position for a few breaths.
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Repeat ten times.
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Spend extra time on the tighter side.
If you feel good about 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock, you’ll need more of these lines. Blinova provides in-depth information on how to care for sacroiliac joints Here. When these joints are aligned, the resulting pressure on the sciatic nerve can be painful. It has included useful and great videos Detailed set of exercises To extend, strengthen and stabilize the lower back and core.
For basic work
“You don’t need a lot of iterations to get your core worked on with the pelvic clock,” Blenova says. “This exercise is good for postpartum women, even long after they have had children.”
How to use the pelvic clock: a basic exercise
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Raise your legs with your knees bent and your legs parallel to the floor.
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Raise your arms straight.
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Take five deep breaths in this pose.
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You have to work your abdominal muscles to maintain your balance.
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Extend one leg and lower it nearly until you reach the floor, taking five deep breaths while you are in this position.
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Return to the top and repeat on the other side.
“The concept of pelvic clock exercises is that there is always an opposing muscle group for every muscle,” Plenova says. “Your back muscles are resisted by your stomach muscles, and if we tighten the back, we strengthen the forehead.”
For pelvic floor strength
“To strengthen the pelvic floor, use a pelvic clock with Kegel exercises,” Plenova instructs. “You can increase the benefits by exercising the pelvic floor and abdomen simultaneously.”
How to use an aquarium clock: Kegel Combo
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Take a deep breath through the nose and expand the rib cage.
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Exhale forcefully, tilt and hold at 12 o’clock.
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Next time, while doing a full exhalation and tilting the pelvis until 12 o’clock, add one kegel contraction one at a time.
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Hold for five seconds.
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Inhale and relax your pelvic floor and pelvic floor muscles.
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Repeat ten times.
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(The Kegel exercise indicates contraction of the pelvic floor muscles. You should feel constriction around a finger inserted into the vagina and not feel constriction in the abdomen or buttocks.)
Yana Plenova is a former Olympic coach and currently works as a consultant lower back exercises in New York City. She obtained a master’s degree in Exercise Science from Perm State Pedagogical University in Russia and trained the Soviet Army rhythmic gymnastics team and the Italian national rhythmic gymnastics team. She is the inventor of the pelvic clock exercise device and the founder and CEO of Flect, LLC.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. To the extent that this article presents the advice of doctors or medical practitioners, the opinions expressed are those of the said expert and do not necessarily represent the opinions of goop.
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