Pilates is Meant to Be Easy and Hard

When I teach a beginner’s Pilates class, you would think that each person was in the same boat; they’ve never done this before, the terminology and movements are new to them, and it’s unlike any other fitness modality. Yet many people are surprised when they can’t do a “simple” roll up, while the person next to them is nailing it. Or why they find balancing so easy, while the rest of the class struggles. The reason for the discrepancy is more than where the individual is starting from. Rather, Pilates is meant to be easy and hard by design, and it’s a completely individualized form of fitness. Your Pilates is not my Pilates, nor should it be. 

I Used to Think Pilates was Relaxing

When I first started my Pilates training, I did so because I liked it. I saw it as a relaxing, stretchy-type of fitness that I thought complemented the more extreme types of fitness I did like running, spin class, and aerobics. Sure, it made my abs burn sometimes, but it wasn’t that hard…. Yet. 

I still remember talking with a friend who was a former dancer and was also into Pilates. She was going on about how hard Pilates was – and I just didn’t get it. As a beginner, I was learning the movements and hadn’t yet realized the full breadth or benefits of Pilates. But as a former dancer, my friend was very in tune with her body and how it worked together, which is exactly what Pilates is all about! She knew that a leg lift wasn’t just about moving her leg, but about engaging the muscles in her back, core, glute, and leg. No wonder she found it so difficult! And there I was, just pumping my leg up and down, no problem. Silly Melissa. 

Read More: Why Pilates Helps Teen Dancers & Athletes

Beginning with Pilates

I shouldn’t be too hard on myself, because each person who learns Pilates starts somewhere different. And since Pilates is meant to be easy and hard, I was exactly where I should have been: I was learning (slowly) about how my body worked. I was in the easy stage, but the hard was on its way.  

The Stages of Learning Pilates

Each person will move through these stages at their own pace, though it’s always beneficial to do a private lesson in the beginning to get your form right. And if you are dealing with injuries or other restrictions, private lessons might be essential for longer. 

1. Learn the fundamental movements, like how to flex, extend, and rotate your spine.
2. Learn the exercises and their choreography. Start with the basics, and add on as you are able to – like building blocks.
3. Learn to be aware of your breathing while doing the exercises. 
4. Learn the exercises on the mat and the various apparatus.
5. Become aware of how and where you initiate the movements of each exercise. Be more aware of your body position on the equipment.
6. Continue to keep stacking the building blocks of each exercise. Suddenly, exercises that may have felt near-impossible become possible. Add on more advanced exercises as you are able.
7. Dig deeper. Explore the different ways to move, flex, and extend your body. Find more control and precision. Work on flow and pace, so the work becomes more intense.  
8. As you dig deeper, you will start having ah-ha moments about how your body works. I still have them!

Progressing in Pilates Makes it Harder

I found Pilates easy in the beginning because I was already fit, but more so because I was only going through the basic choreography. I was familiar with what to do next, where to place my body on the equipment, and I had instructors there helping me. You’ll go through this easy stage, too! 

But soon, I started seeing and making the connections. Once you know the moves, you can spend your time on the awareness of your body position, the way you connect your hands, feet, and body to the mat, floor, and equipment. The way you lengthen your body and limbs, and where you initiate your movements from, will help you to feel the work more. You’ll also start to see how one exercise relates to another, or how they are actually the same but executed on a different apparatus, or with gravity pulling against you in a different way.

That’s when Pilates becomes both easy and hard: when you know the movements well enough to focus on why you are doing Pilates in the first place. 

Why I Do Pilates Now (Hint: it’s not to relax!)

It wasn’t until some time after my comprehensive Pilates training did I start to understand the impact it can have on our health and lifestyles. It was correcting muscular and strength imbalances in my body. I had better balance and mobility. Nagging pains started to dissipate. So I started to learn and understand more about it; how Pilates can help us to rehab from injury, or even lessen the extent of what could have been a terrible one, or how it helps us move with more ease in everyday life.   

I love how Pilates is meant to be easy and hard, because I am motivated by a challenge! I want to keep progressing when I can, and learn more about how my body moves. My ultimate goal with Pilates, however, is to keep my body strong and balanced as I get older. I want to keep doing the things I love for as long as possible, and Pilates is the key. 

Read More: Age Better with Movement

Are You “Getting It” in Your Pilates Practice?

It can take months or years to get through all of the “stages” of learning Pilates, and the journey will never stop. We all start somewhere different, and learn at different paces. So take comfort in knowing there is no timeline to “learn” Pilates, nor is there a test at the end! But if you aren’t sure if you are making the proper connections in your body or if you’re performing a movement properly, there are two things you can do: 

1. Just ask! Ask your instructor or book a few private sessions to tweak your form and get some guidance. 
2. Choose an exercise you can’t do, or one that is really hard for you. Break it down to its simplest parts, and then build back up to it. Here are some modifications to the Hundred, for example. You can also find movements to help build up the weaknesses, and practice similar exercises. Again, guidance is helpful here. 

No matter where you start, or how easy or hard you find Pilates, we can all benefit from it.