When I first started doing Pilates, I honestly didn’t think it was that difficult. Sure, I was young and fit, and that helped somewhat, but it was so easy because I simply wasn’t putting all of the pieces together. I also hadn’t been taught all the pieces yet. The truth is that I’m still learning Pilates, twenty years later! Finding new connections is one of the things I love about Pilates; here’s what I mean.
Different Teachers, Different Teaching
My first instructor had a modest amount of Pilates training. I liked what she taught me but when I found my next teacher and mentor, Pilates became quite different for me. This cycle has continued over the years as I train with different teachers. I pick up on new things that make me aware of elements of each exercise that I have not been “getting” or doing and even elements that I might be overdoing.
For example, when drawing my legs into my body, I’d stop at “table top” or 90 degrees. It was what I’d been taught! While learning Pilates from other teachers after that, I saw that pulling my legs in further into a more “squished up” position offered a great stretch through the back and bottom, plus it improved hip and knee mobility.
One of the big things that I have noticed in my practice over the last year, is that I often don’t fully reach my legs to open up the front of my hips. I had also been dealing with tightness in my lower back and hip flexors with associated pain over the last year. It was when my teachers started pointing out to me that I could lengthen out a little bit more, that I realized that I was holding back a little bit and therefore not getting that stretch in those areas that my body needed. It’s easier to notice on the apparatus when you’re not fully extending your legs, but on the mat, there is no footbar to push into. As soon as I notice my lack of extension, I reach out and boy, the stretch is amazing.
Finding Consistency
As you’re learning Pilates, you’ll notice that many exercises can be put into “groups”. For example, rolling exercises or the side-lying series. Something that I eventually learned was that while there are many similar exercises, I wasn’t doing them all the same. Looking at the “squished up” exercises that I wasn’t doing fully, there is the double leg stretch, which is similar to coordination. It’s also rolling like a ball, stomach massage with a round back, backstroke on the long box, monkey and reverse monkey on the tower, footwork on the wunda chair is close to the same, and it shows up again in the knee stretches on the reformer. There are more, but you get the picture. Each of these exercises has you in a tight ball shape with your legs folded into your body and then extending away.
While these are all the same (but different), it’s important to focus on achieving the full flexion or extension. When you skip that, rush the exercise, or go overly slowly, you miss out on the juiciest parts of Pilates. Holding back doesn’t do anything other than potentially cause you more pain.
Keep Learning Pilates
A well-trained Pilates teacher will help keep you safe as you’re learning Pilates, but they’ll also help you find a deeper understanding of the practice. Pilates is something you can safely do on your own but, especially in the beginning, having someone guide you through proper form, breathing, and how to use the apparatus is essential. From there, they are there to tweak your form and technique. I’m happily still learning and discovering new things about Pilates, which I can then bring to you here or in the studio.