The power of the superficial back line

‘Flow Creates Structure and Structure Affects Flow’ 

Think about the type of life you lead…How active is it as an instructor? Perhaps not as active as you would like. Now lets think about your clients’ level of activity.

These days all of us lead busy lives. Full lives. And with these lifestyle choices we need to remember that the choices we make directly impact our flow and structure.  

As practitioners, we all know the importance of programming to suit the diverse needs of our clients but it is equally important that we also address these needs at a fascial level.  

If most of our client’s day is seated slumped forward over a desk or a computer there’s significant reasoning to assume their back line is in a poor compressed and dehydrated state.  

This then leads to an increased chance of health problems such as. 

Poor posture.  

Pain, tightness and stiffness. 

Decreased mobility. 

Depression, stress and anxiety.  

Headaches and poor lifestyle choices…and the list goes on.

Why the Superficial Back Line matters

The Superficial back line (SBL) is incredibly important; it’s the largest sensory organ in the body and is often an overlooked area of the body. It connects the posterior region of your body and runs from the bottom of your foot to the top of your head. Think of it as one powerful line of continuous fascia which connects multiple structures. 

Once we grasp this, we can then understand that when our clients may be experiencing pain in their shoulder, it’s more likely to be stemming from the opposing lower limb.  

This can be said also for example a frozen shoulder, if we go through various testing procedures, we can often find it’s more likely to be a direct result of hip and pelvic instability.  

It’s important to understand this because if we have the tools to unlock our clients’ restrictions through movement, we can create a whole new level of wellness through movement.  

With the SBL attaching to the base of the skull, there is a vast area of connective tissue that can play a role in determining the structure and function of our clients. If we then think about the muscles which are responsible for breathing that attach into the ribs and thoracic spine, we begin to understand how stress, depression and anxiety can play havoc on breathing techniques.  

Our goal is to create movement choices that put pressure on the SBL so we can start to create positive changes within our clients.  Illness increases the pressure in the body and as a result we often see the flow of cellular activity stagnate.  If you see any imbalances in a client’s posture, it’s likely to increase pressure in certain parts of the body while others receive too little pressure. In other words, a long-lasting pressure has consequences for the whole body. All illness and dysfunction can be also understood in terms of pressure and stagnated flow. By harmoniously managing the pressure we can enhance the wellbeing of our members and clients.  

Let’s look at some examples of where we can improve the pressure and elasticity of the SBL to support the needs of our clients physically and mentally.  

1. Hip extensor and Posterior oblique sling stretch.  
A beautiful intense stretch that is effective for all clients, especially for those who are struggling to get to the floor. It’s also great for cyclists and runners this is a great release to start with. Take 5 slow deep breaths to enhance the movement of fluids through those stuck areas within the connective tissue.  

2.  Deep back line stretch with added anterior hip stretch.  I’ve incorporated this stretch into an elevated position on the swiss ball for two reasons.  

1.      The swiss ball stimulates increased pressure throughout the lower limbs to the hip region while

2.       adding stretch into the front hamstring and glute.  

You can add a beautiful standing SBL stretch with gentle thoracic rotation to facilitate a deeper release.  

3. Posterior chain strengthener with added latissimus dorsi stretch. 

Beautiful exercise to build essential posterior strength for everyone, especially for the sedentary, cyclists and runners. I love reaching alternate arms, focusing on length from the big toe to the fingertips. Take 5 deep breaths. 

4. Lumbar and hip extensor strengthener with an upper thoracic and cervical spine stretch.  

This back strengthener and stretch exercise are not only great to improve lumbar endurance, but it’s also actively building hip extensor strength whilst releasing through the upper thoracic into the cervical fascial attachments.  

It's great therapy for everyone. Take 5 deep breaths.  

5. Deep anterior hip with rhomboid and latissimus dorsi stretch.
These are two areas that suffer from a flexed forward position for hours. In this exercise, we target the mid-back that’s a common symptom of pain from the use of computers and phones, with the additional recess into the hip region and Latissimus dorsi, which will be also benefited by the lumbar region.  

6. Spine and hip release.
This is a great go to exercise to nourish the spinal discs and offload tension around the lower back and hip region.  

7. Deep back line stretch.

This exercise is not for everyone, however this beautiful stretch when held for 5 breaths enhances function due to its dynamic full SBL release. A compressed and restricted erector spinae will reap full reward from this deep stretch.  

8. Full body strengthener.

This beautiful exercise creates a sense of balance and restoration. Targeting the entire posterior chain, the anterior hip and shoulder girdle, this beautiful strengthener and full body stretch can be enjoyed, it will rejuvenate your fascial system. Take 5 empowering reps per side. 

9. Full back line release.

This exercise is a beautifully restorative approach to releasing tight fascia. This stretch creates length while applying pressure into the fascial system. You can elevate on a bench, bed or ball. Below are some tips to enhance this release. 

1.      Tuck the chin slightly in to flex the cervical spine, flex the spine whilst posteriorly tilting the pelvis.  

2.      Draw the sit bones away from the shoulders. 

3.      Press the elbows into the ball whilst pressing the fingertips into the upper back. 

Take 5 or more deep breaths.  

10. Spinal traction release. 

This is a devine heart opener and spinal traction stretch to incorporate daily for improved function and performance. Breathe into this stretch allowing the tail bone to lengthen away from the crown. This will help improve your intervertebral disc health and space.  

11. Wide stance deep back line stretch.
This is an empowering stretch delving deep into the back line to enhance function and restore a sense of wellbeing.   

I hope you and your clients enjoy these and reap the benefits of purposeful exercises for improved function and performance. 

Charell Berg is an award-winning group exercise leader with 30 years of full-time experience in the fitness industry. She is a certified Pilates and personal trainer with a passion for Pilates, fascia, and functional movement to restore wellness. Charell also runs her own clinic and home studio as a remedial massage therapist. You can find out more here.

Charell is also a finalist for the AUSactive 2024 Pilates Professional of the Year, Group Exercise Leader/ Instructor award, Peoples choice exercise professional and Mental health awareness award.