What Makes Pilates Easy or Hard

I love that Pilates is designed for everybody and every body. It means that whether you find Pilates easy or hard, there is a variation to help you do the exercises and build your abilities to keep progressing. But what is it that makes certain movements so challenging, while others seem so easy? The answer isn’t quite that simple. 

Where You Start From 

Those new to Pilates are always surprised by their abilities. It could be that they thought it would be super hard, but it wasn’t. Others come believing it will be easy for them, and then they find it really difficult. Everyone will feel Pilates differently when they first start because everyone is in a different place when they begin.

Some beginners that I’ve worked with…

• Were very active and fit, but had never worked their core.
• Lifted weights and did cardio at the gym, but didn’t stretch or work on mobility.
• Could run for hours, but couldn’t straighten their legs or move their feet fluidly.
• Hadn’t worked out in years.
• Were recovering from surgery or illness, and Pilates was suggested as a gentle reintroduction to fitness.
• Got injured doing their favourite sport, and Pilates was recommended to try Pilates to avoid re-injury.

You might say that starting any activity will feel different to each individual, but Pilates is unlike any other activity I’ve seen in my decades of fitness. It checks all the boxes of strength, mobility, and flexibility while also being adaptable for any skill level. When it comes down to why you find Pilates easy or hard (or any of the individual exercises), is deeper than your physical ability in these areas. 

It’s Not Just About Strength or Flexibility

I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard people say that they aren’t flexible enough to do Pilates. I’ve had very flexible dancers as students, and that didn’t determine their success with the movements. That’s because Pilates requires you to work on your mobility, strength, and flexibility. We all have strengths and weaknesses in those areas that will determine how easy or hard you find specific exercises. 

For example, if you’re unconditioned and just getting into any kind of fitness, you’ll likely find it very difficult to move the springs on the apparatus or maybe even curl your head and neck up off the mat. Luckily, we have modifications that will help build your strength to eventually do the full version of the exercises. 

On the other hand, you could be very strong but find that your neck hurts when you curl up; or you can curl up just fine but don’t feel anything. In this case, finding the exercise too easy could be a sign that you are overusing larger muscles in your body and missing out on engaging the deeper, smaller muscles. With practice, Pilates will help you to make deeper connections in your body that will change how the exercises feel to you. 

Listen to Your Teacher

If you are finding Pilates easy or hard – or both! – the first place to turn is to a knowledgeable instructor. They will help ensure you are doing the movement correctly, give you variations, and help you connect with the correct muscles. 

I’ve been there on the strong side of things but had very poor mobility and flexibility. Everything was tight, and while I made it look like I was doing the Pilates exercises well, the truth was that I was overdoing them. When I had a skilled teacher’s trained eye on me, suggesting small adjustments in my movement, I was suddenly shaking like a leaf and sweating. 

This isn’t about trying to make Pilates harder for yourself. Rather, it’s about doing the movements for your ability and getting stronger and more flexible and mobile. Sometimes adding springs is the answer, but taking them off is, too. By pulling your legs together more, reaching longer through your arms, or moving your arms from your back, you will engage other muscles and find more challenges.

Your Pilates instructor will also ensure that you do the movements in the proper sequence, as each exercise prepares you for the next. With all of the options between the mat and various apparatuses, we can find a solution to help you successfully build the strength, mobility, body awareness, connectivity, and/or flexibility to execute each exercise to its fullest. With that said, some exercises might never be for you or take you years to perfect, and that’s just fine. 

As You Become More Experienced

New students may be surprised when they find Pilates easy or hard, but as you get more experienced in your practice, you’re likely in for another surprise. It’s very common for clients to ask me why Pilates gets harder the more they do it. 

This question always makes me happy, because they’re:

1. Getting stronger.
2. Are more aware of their movement.
3. Are making better connections and moving with more control.

Another common comment is that they may have not really sweat in their first few sessions or even a few months of sessions. Then a few months in they’re dripping in sweat because they are really starting to “get” Pilates.