Break the Rules of Pilates

Pilates can be very scripted. Exercises are meant to go in a certain order, the positions are very specific, and your breath should match your movements. As a previous dancer, this type of exercise feels like home to me; there are rules to follow, and I love a good rule! My husband, however, believes that rules are meant to be broken. Perhaps I’ve learned a bit from him over the past twenty-odd years because I’ve warmed up to the idea that the rules of Pilates can be bent. 

I Loved the Rules of Pilates

I’ve been a rule follower my whole life and I used to be very nervous about what I wanted. This held me back for many years, but I’ve been slowly changing. I’ll never be the person who jumps a fence to explore the other side (don’t be crazy!), but I’m finding the freedom of doing more of what I love without worrying about the opinion of others. This includes how I approach fitness.

When I first started in the industry, however, I loved all the rules. I learned how to teach aerobics from an amazing, confident woman. She was very structured and I obediently followed her guidelines. We had manuals with information on how each class had to be taught and the speed of the music that was required. Still, we had some space to make up our own choreography and to use our favourite music, and I loved the combination of creative freedom within the structure. When someone didn’t follow the rules, however, I definitely felt uncomfortable. 

As I learned to teach Pilates, I still felt the same way. I don’t know if it was because my instructor said that the exercises and breathing had to be done one way, and one way only, or if it was my personality. But it took many years of my own practice and attending different workshops and classes to learn that the rules of Pilates weren’t iron-clad and that I didn’t need to be a Pilates perfectionist.

Now I ask myself (and others) what if it’s done this way, instead? There can be more than one “right” way to move your body, which is very dependent on where you are starting and where you want to go. 

What is the Goal for Your Pilates? 

If you ask anyone who does Pilates why they do it, inevitably they will say it makes their body feel better. As an instructor, my own goal is for my clients to leave the studio feeling better when they arrive. If feeling good is the goal, then I don’t think following the strict rules of Pilates is necessary. The only “rules” that I can think of that need to stay in place are:

1. Do a safe full-body warm-up  
2. Break down exercises to build them back up 
3. Move safely and improve form over time 

I know that I’ve achieved my goal when my clients notice changes not only in how they feel after class, but also when they feel the difference in other areas of their lives. 

How You Know It’s Working

When Joseph Pilates created Contrology, which is now known as Pilates, it was to help the body move better in all the ways it is meant to. Yes, he designed the movements to go in a certain order, but there are other ways to do it, too. And as you improve how your body moves, you will start to notice in ways you never expected. 

Just today a client was telling me how much better she is doing in her golf game. She knows that it’s strength training and pilates that are helping her, and she has noticed that her chronic foot pain is less.

Another client has enjoyed two weekends of playing ball hockey with no shin pain (amazing!). She said, “I’m not sure what I am doing, but it makes me happy?” What she’s doing is moving her body in ways that she wasn’t before Pilates and functional strength training.  

Years ago I had a client say that she had suddenly noticed that when she stepped into the bathtub that morning, she was able to lift her foot up and over the edge without hitting her foot on the way over. She didn’t really know how long she’d been able to do it again, but was super excited about the change. It meant she had improved her balance, hip flexion, and core strength. 

The changes really can creep up on you! 

With Pilates and functional strength training, we can all get better at the things we love and need to do in our lives. No matter where you are starting from, we can get you there! It just might take breaking a few “rules” along the way.