You Don’t Need To Be Flexible To Do Pilates

I really wish I could shout from the rooftops that you don’t need to be flexible to do Pilates! I hear and see the fear in new or potential clients all the time; they’re nervous to try because they have an image in their mind that Pilates is for people who are already fit, strong, flexible, etc. It drives me nuts because Pilates was designed for every body – including yours! 

Yes, if you google Pilates, the majority of images are of thin, fit women and a few men. Marketing tactics? Who knows. But I’ve been to many different Pilates studios, workshops, and conferences and it really is like walking into a grocery store. There are people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and fitness levels. Even more important (I think), is that each person is there for a different reason. They usually will start to find relief from discomfort and pain, but keep practicing Pilates because of how great it makes them feel. 

Flexible People Feel Pain, Too

I’ve been guilty of being jealous of flexible dancers, but I’ve also worked with several who deal with pain all the time. These dancers turned to Pilates to help them with the stability of their joints or to move from their core. One ballroom dancer I worked with had chronic back pain. She’s spent years making her low back look like it was beautifully extended, but she actually wasn’t lengthening her spine into extension or using her core. Rather, she was bending at her low back.

When she came to work with me, she had no core stability or awareness of where she was holding her spine in space. It’s hard to describe, but from the teacher’s side of the reformer I could see her ribs off to one side and her hips to the other. Her spine was like a winding road. Through direction, I helped her find a tall spine so she could start to build strength to support her spine and pelvis.

This is just one example of many where a flexible person can still have lots of pain. It’s also interesting to me that these super-flexible folks will find the “hardest” exercises easy, while they find the “easier” exercises much harder. 

Who Else Does Pilates? 

As I mentioned above, Pilates is designed to help every body move better with more flexibility, strength, and mobility. By design, it can help with all sorts of pain and discomfort, which is why so many doctors recommend Pilates as rehab or even prehab for surgery. Here are just a few “types” of people that I see regularly in the studio. 

People with Chronic Conditions

Some of my clients have chronic conditions that give them frequent pain or have flare-ups or special considerations when it comes to movement. These are the people with “hidden pain”, like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and others. You would never look at these people and know that anything is hurting, but they are. Pilates helps, which is why they come.

Those Recovering from Surgery or Accidents

Other clients of mine have been in motor vehicle accidents, fallen, or had surgeries of some kind and have been cleared to exercise by their doctors and physiotherapists. They may even still have regular physio or kinesiology appointments. These clients will often stick with 1:1 Pilates sessions for a while and then move into a class setting once they can. Group classes help lower the cost, and then they can do more Pilates each week. 

Moms & Moms-to-Be

I see women who are pregnant (if they were already doing Pilates), new moms, and even mothers who are feeling the effects of pregnancy and early motherhood years later. A woman’s body goes through a lot during pregnancy and the following lifting, carrying, and feeding of the baby. 

I remember having a few follow-up checkups from the home nurse and my doctor, but nothing after six weeks. I was cleared for exercise, and I did fine other than peeing myself for a few months. For some women, this continues for years! Others have rectus diastasis (a gap between your abdominal muscles). Most new moms will tell you of the back pain and numbness from carrying their children on one side. Pilates helps to strengthen the core and pelvic floor, and get the back strong and aligned again. 

Athletes of All Ages

Professional and youth athletes are doing Pilates, too. They usually discover Pilates after an injury or when they’re having trouble executing something in their sport. Sometimes athletes are recommended to Pilates to help them learn to move their bodies differently to avoid injury or to strengthen imbalances that caused one. 

Most sports have repetitive actions and require you to use your dominant side most of the time. Think of baseball or football players using the same throwing hand all the time, golfers, or runners. Pilates helps “even things out” and brings awareness to how we move. 

I love to work with recreational athletes well into their 70s. It’s super motivational for me to see them keep moving and to hear about their goals and achievements. It gives me ideas of what I want to go out and try next. 

Seniors and “Deconditioned” Adults

Balance and being able to get up and down from the ground or even out of a chair can be very difficult for some people if they haven’t stayed consistent with exercise to stay strong. Some people may never have exercised at all, and are now suddenly aware of how limited their lives have become. They don’t want to be stuck at home or may have become fearful to go places because it’s too difficult to get around. Again, these people start in 1:1 sessions until they can join a group class (which is a big achievement to celebrate!).

Pilates is For YOU

Do you believe me now that you don’t need to be flexible to do Pilates? My friend Anula’s business is called “Pilates Human” because everyone is welcome, and that’s the way it should be. Pilates is for anyone who wants to move better, feel less pain, and keep doing the things they love far into the future.