DD has arched back and protruding belly

[Anonymous]

My 10-year old DD has always had an arched back due to slightly low muscle tone and of late she's put on some weight around her midline. She's not overweight yet but her BMI is towards the higher end of normal. I asked the pediatrician if the arch in the back is normal and she said it's not a problem and she might be overcompensating for the weight she's put on in the front, and at that age they often put on weight as a prelude to puberty.
Does this make sense? I'm wondering if she's likely to have back problems later on, for isntance during pregnancy. Also, the arched back makes her belly look much bigger than it really is because it sticks out.
Anyone in a similar situation care to give some advice?

thx.

[Anonymous]

You may want to consider enrolling her in ballet class which emphasizes proper spine alignment and core strength. That will likely help and she would probably enjoy it.

If that doesn't sound like her cup of tea you can find a kids pilates class.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. She's actually been enrolled in some form of ballet or other since nursery school but she's pretty bad at it. I'll look into kids'pilates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. She's actually been enrolled in some form of ballet or other since nursery school but she's pretty bad at it. I'll look into kids'pilates.

It's doesn't matter if she's bad at it as long as she enjoys it. Are you going to a reputable place? Some of the "mom & pop" studios don't really pay close attention to the important stuff that will actually help your DD with her posture. If it's a tap/jazz/ballet combo that's a red flag. I'm not saying that these studios don't have their place but if your looking to help with posture a school with classically trained teachers is a must.

American Dance Institute is excellent for classical ballet training. It's in Rockville. They also have a pilates studio but I'm not sure if they offer children's group classes for floor work. You could sign her up for private sessions with an instructor on the reformer though. It's pricey but it's the BEST way to condition core muscles. The equipment is cool so she'd probably enjoy the novelty of it. The reformer kind of "forces" the body to engage the inner core and pelvic muscles for the exercises. The problem with other forms of exercise is that the body will naturally allow the strongest muscles to perform a movement. So if your core isn't that strong your body will place the effort on the thighs for example. So, pilates will actually "retrain" your body to engage your core when it wouldn't have otherwise. The reformer is just the most efficient way of doing doing but not the only.

Have you ever seen a ballet dancer put her leg up high and hold it there? She is actually using her core and hamstring and not her quads to do this. I remember our teacher actually walking around the room and checking to make sure our quads weren't overly engaged when we were practicing leg extensions at the barre. This is an example of retraining the muscles. A non-dancer would engage the quad 100% and wouldn't be able to keep their leg up for more than 30 seconds. The quad is the strongest leg muscle in a non-dancer but the hamstring has the potential to be a lot stronger if trained correctly and used in conjunction with the core muscles.

[Anonymous]

My DD's physical therapist recommends TaeKwonDo and yoga over ballet for core strength and swimming, of course, is great for general fitness and strength.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD's physical therapist recommends TaeKwonDo and yoga over ballet for core strength and swimming, of course, is great for general fitness and strength.

Hmmm....I've studied all three for years and don't agree from personal experience. I've seen many people do TKD and yoga with sway back and unengaged abs. It's easy to be lazy with them in the beginning levels. Classical ballet is focused intently in spine alignment and engaging the midsection. Basically they spent an hour doing barre work practicing doing the movements with proper posture in every class. It's the Number one priority.

By the way I'm a black belt in TKD and have studied ballet for 25 years. I also do yoga regularly over the last 15 years.

[Anonymous]

11:21 and 7:54 are smart and right on.

Other great studios are BalletNova Center for Dance (previously Arlington Center for Dance), Maryland Youth Ballet, and of course Washington School of Ballet. All have divisions for prepro and recreational kids, so your DD's degree of seriousness shouldn't be an issue.

Ballet and Pilates are FUN and should be a great way to teach her to carry herself, express herself, and engage those muscles.

[Anonymous]

You may want a second opinion on the back itself, to confirm that it is only a muscle problem. I have Scheuermann's disease, not serious, but it is a curvature of the spine. I wore a back brace in puberty to help the spine to grow properly. It is genetic and with treatment, I have many fewer problems than my mother (who also has it). There are also specific exercises a PT could recommend.