FAQs

No matter how hard I try, I can never tell if I am straight or not during the exercises. What can I do?

First of all- well done for paying attention to your alignment! The alignment is very important in Pilates and paying attention to it will not only help you benefit from the exercises and work your body evenly (in a balanced way), but it will also develop your sense of awareness to your body and to how your body moves in space. Saying that, please never get too stressed or worried about being a little wonky… we all are… and Pilates exercises simply highlight this fact, giving us the chance to address it.

Now to your question- in the Matwork we always suggest using the space and the borders of the Mat as a reference; keep your eyes open and always look around you. Make sure you follow the instructions on where you should be on the Mat (EG Lying in the centre of the Mat, Side Lying on the back edge of the Mat, Kneeling with your hands right in the front of the Mat etc). During the exercise keep checking that you are still following the instructions given and if you realise that you have moved from the initial position then correct yourself back to it. Whenever you have your legs in front of you keep checking that they are well aligned; this is something that many people forget to do which often “throws them off”. Additionally, you can use the space (walls and objects) around you for reference; straight lines and fixation points (like when a dancer spins on one leg and uses a focus point) can help you achieve better alignment too.   

Once in a while I see a headline about how Pilates benefits sex life… what’s the truth behind that?

Well… isn’t that just a wonderful question?? In modern society the spotlight tends to be focused on pharmaceutical fixes and it is easy to overlook what the power of your own body, fuelled by Pilates, can do for your sex life.

The three components for good sexual health, according to sex therapists, are blood flow (central to both lubrication in women and erection in men), nerve sensory function and musculoskeletal function, as in pelvic floor strength. Strengthening the muscles of the power house (what you would do in Pilates from day one…), especially the deep-internal muscles, helps increase sexual sensation; “the stronger these muscles are, the stronger the muscular contractions that come with orgasm.”

Research suggests that strengthening pelvic floor muscles can help women improve their sexual experience; help seniors who have weakened pelvic floor muscles due to age or infirmity, help women who have developed post-pregnancy dysfunction and also help men improve erectile function!!

Sex educators point out that the deep, focused breathing taught in Pilates will oxygenate the blood and improve the sensitivity in the genitals. On top of that, “improved body awareness, the ability to focus on multiple body parts at the same time and the attention to detail make for a great recipe for great sex.”

Last but not least is the point of natural, animal like instincts. Pilates can help you look and feel better and human beings are instinctively aroused by appearance and vitality. “If you’re in better shape, you’ll look and feel more attractive, and probably enjoy sex more.”

 

Hope this helps clarify things… no doubt it gives us all some food for thought :-)

Should I exercise when I have aches and pains?

Muscle soreness that occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise is normal, especially if you are not used to exercising or have "pushed yourself harder"... It would be a good idea not to strain the sore muscles further with strenuous exercise but you can definitely continue with moderate exercise (and it would probably make you feel better).
There are, however, occasions when the pain or discomfort is different and can be indicative of a problem. The following "warning signals" might indicate you should stop exercising and seek some advice:

  • Joint pain is different to muscle soreness and should not be dismissed or ignored. Exercise should not result in pain in joints.
  • Shooting pains might indicate a neural problem and if they persist you would probably benefit from seeing an Osteopath or a Physiotherapist.
  • Persistent pain or discomfort - If the pain persists for longer than two weeks or gets worse, see a healthcare professional-especially if the pain doesn't respond to standard treatment methods (e.g., rest, ice, over-the-counter pain medications).
  • Persistent swelling in or around the area of pain

Pain (in most cases) is the body's way of communicating to us that a problem exists and a potential injury may be on the horizon.
 

Should I feel my lower back during the Double Leg Kick (DLK)?

The DLK is an exercise that works all of the back muscles from the top of the spine all the way down to the lower back and so you may well feel the lower back muscles working during this exercise. Saying that, the focus in your mind and in how you perform the exercise should be on the upper and mid back muscles and you should never feel a strain in the lower back area!
If you do feel a strain try one (or all...) of the tips below:
Your legs should be actively supporting their own weight- when you raise your legs off the ground and when you bend your knees to kick, feel the heels squeezing together and feel the hamstrings working just under your bottom. When your legs are straight make sure to keep them very close to the ground.
Your abdominals should be supporting your spine at all times- scoop them in and up, making your waist as narrow and long as you can. The secret is in paying equal attention to pulling your tummy in and to actively lengthening your spine.
When bending your knees to do the kicks you must "lift out of your pelvis" to counter balance the action of the legs which otherwise would de-stabilize your pelvis and lower back area.
When lifting your head and upper back off the floor, lift only as high as you can without straining your lower back and always think of your chest bone reaching forward- out and away from the lower back area.
I hope this will help and that you will enjoy doing this exercise as it's a really great one for your back when done well!!

The area between my shoulder blades gets tired and tensed when i work long hours at my desk. What can I do?

Sitting at a desk is not optimal for any spine! The pelvis, hip joints and lower back become compressed; the upper back and rib cage tend to collapse into a slumped position and the head tends to move forward towards the computer screen, compressing the upper vertebras of the spine and leading to tension in the neck and shoulders. In this position the breath is very much compromised, leading to tiredness and adversely affecting digestion and the function of all the internal organs.

Regular Pilates practice before and/or after work will keep your spine (and the whole body) stronger, more mobile and more balanced. It will decrees tension levels from your thoracic spine and rib cage, keeping them free to move and improving your capacity to breathe deeply which is so vital to your general health.

What will equally help you overcome the problem is attacking it at the source- changing your work station habits and improving your posture throughout the working day. The following tips may help you accumulate less tension in your body and feel better throughout the day:

Sit all the way back in your chair, leaning gently against the back of the chair

Make sure to sit on your sit bones and not on your tail

Place a small cushion or wedge on the back of the sit in a way that keeps your pelvis slightly tilted forward effortlessly.

Keep both feet on the ground at all times (or at least most of the time...)

Sit tall but make sure NOT to stick your chest out. Allow the ribs to rest comfortable in the body

Bring your chair as close to the desk as possible and rest your arms on the desk while typing.

set up an alarm on your computer, reminding you to take a minute or two break once an hour. Just get out of your chair for a moment, walk around, stretch your arms out and take a few really deep breaths.

What are the benefits of Bhastrika (Bellows Breath) and Kapalabhati (Glowing Mind Breath) breath techniques?

These two breathing techniques produce heat, helping to flush out and remove toxins and stimulate the metabolism. The pumping action massages and stimulates the visceral organs and tones the digestive system. These techniques also help to balance and strengthen the nervous system.

Please be cautious if you are feeling faint, nauseous, shaky or overheated as this may indicate too forceful approach. If suffering lung disease like asthma, chronic bronchitis, practice under expert guidance only

You should not be practicing these techniques if you are menstruating or pregnant, suffer from diahorrea, high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia, gastric ulcer, stroke, epilepsy or vertigo.

What are the benefits of the Foam Roller? I have never tried it and not sure what to expect.

The Foam Roller is a great tool used by many Pilates teachers, fitness instructors, physiotherapists and osteopaths around the world. It is ideal for improving coordination and balance and requires increased core control and body awareness when used as the surface on which you perform the movement. Another great benefit is that the need to stabilise yourself on a constantly moving “platform” calls for heightened concentration and being “in the moment”.

 

The Foam Roller can be used to add elements of balance to familiar exercises, revealing imbalances that you may not be aware of on the Mat. Examples to that would be the Roll Up and the Chest Lift lying length wise on the roller. It can be used to increase range of motion to exercises- using the roller as an elevated surface and working the range “below” the roller. It can also be used to support a body part while moving the same body part or while moving the rest of the body, simulating exercises performed on the Pilates apparatus such as the Swan from the Cadillac.

 

Finally, we must not forget the many exercises that allow us to use the foam roller to passively massage our muscles (and other body tissues), improving circulation and releasing tension. Like any form of deep tissue massage, rolling on the roller would feel like a combination of pain and pleasure that is not everyone's cup of tea... and yet, used well, it can help relieve nagging pains and avoid injuries related to muscle tightness. 

 

The foam roller is an inexpensive prop that will not take too much space in your house and will potentially enhance your practice and give you great benefits! Enjoy it.

What causes the muscle soreness I feel sometimes after a Yoga class?

“Delayed muscle soreness” signals a natural adaptive process that the body initiates following intense exercise. This type of muscle soreness manifests itself 24 to 48 hours after the exercise session and spontaneously decreases after about 72 hours.

Numerous studies attribute this condition to microscopic tears in the muscle and surrounding connective tissue following exercise. Usually this will take place when you increase the intensity, frequency or duration of your workouts, or participate in an activity with which you are unfamiliar.

The good news is that once you have experienced delayed muscle soreness at a specific exercise intensity, you shouldn't encounter that sensation again until the intensity level is increased. This is because delayed muscle soreness has been shown to produce a rapid adaptation response, which means that the muscles adapt to a given exercise intensity level. Until the exercise intensity level is elevated again, soreness won't occur. This is why it is widely recommended to progress the intensity, frequency and duration of your workouts gradually and conservatively. When you want to try a new workout or activity, make sure to begin gradually, taking care not to be overzealous in how hard you exert yourself- particularly until your body has adapted to the demands imposed upon it.

What causes the muscle soreness I feel sometimes after I exercise?

“Delayed muscle soreness” signals a natural adaptive process that the body initiates following intense exercise. This type of muscle soreness manifests itself 24 to 48 hours after the exercise session and spontaneously decreases after about 72 hours.

Numerous studies attribute this condition to microscopic tears in the muscle and surrounding connective tissue following exercise. Usually this will take place when you increase the intensity, frequency or duration of your workouts, or participate in an activity with which you are unfamiliar.

The good news is that once you have experienced delayed muscle soreness at a specific exercise intensity, you shouldn't encounter that sensation again until the intensity level is increased. This is because delayed muscle soreness has been shown to produce a rapid adaptation response, which means that the muscles adapt to a given exercise intensity level. Until the exercise intensity level is elevated again, soreness won't occur. This is why it is widely recommended to progress the intensity, frequency and duration of your workouts gradually and conservatively. When you want to try a new workout or activity, make sure to begin gradually, taking care not to be overzealous in how hard you exert yourself- particularly until your body has adapted to the demands imposed upon it.

What is it exactly that teachers mean when they say "scoop" the abdominals in?

The image of "scooping" the abdominals (abs) in is indeed widely spread and being used by most Pilates teachers. The trouble, as with any image, is that some people will "get it" instinctively while to others it would make no sense at all... and that is absolutely fine and no reason to worry at all!!

Personally, when I visualise scooping, I get the sense that something is being pulled into something else (like when you scoop ice cream...) and that the movement of scooping something into something else has a clear sense of direction. "Scooping the abs in" intends to do exactly that- it should get you to draw the mid section of the body in (from the insides of the pelvis all the way up to just below the lower ribs), in a way that makes your waist narrow and long; and it should give you a clear sense of direction- UP- it is always up in Pilates as we want to elongate the spine and not to compress anything down.


If you are not sure that you scoop well, sit in a chair or stand up in front of a mirror and engage the abs while imagining the idea of drawing your mid section in and drawing it up. If you can physically feel or see in the mirror that your waist is getting a little more narrow and that your spine is being elongated (you are getting taller...) then you are doing it well! If you see your abdominal area bulging out and /or feel yourself being pulled down (getting shorter) then please try again.


Other images that are used for the same purpose and that may make more sense to you are:

Imagine squeezing yourself into a tight jeans/dress while standing tall ("Zip up")
Imagine walking slowly into a really cold lake...

 

Keep on scooping!

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