Core Wellness Pilates

Do you sometimes feel like the pace of your class is too slow for you?

You might be missing out on some major benefits of doing Pilates classes slowly OR you might just need a different class or instructor.

Every instructor is different. Try out several and find a style you prefer.

However, sometimes, participants go at a fast pace because:

1. They have GOALS.
2. They are intent on meeting their GOALS fast.
3. They believe that more repetitions will give them faster, better results.

Now, typically more repetitions in personal training DOES yield faster, better results, but the converse is true in Pilates.

In Pilates, less is actually more when performed correctly. Form and attentiveness to your form in motion is actually key to getting results in Pilates classes. When working with the equipment especially, it is very important to have excellent form to prevent unnecessary injury. Moving slowly not only gives your Pilates instructor the opportunity to fine tune your placement and form, but it gives YOU the ability to notice and feel your body properly placed AND notice the muscles that are being worked WITHOUT momentum taking over and stealing your workout benefits.

When Pilates is done faster on the Reformer, it is possible to use mostly momentum and to get stuck using a powerful gust of strength at the beginning and ending of the movement. But the secret sauce to Pilates is the CONTROL or in other words the motion that happens in-between the start and finish. The Concentric firing of the muscles, the Eccentric control of the muscles on the end phase.

For clients who want to rush through the exercises, I encourage them to get the fast motion out of their system first, then I encourage them to go “half as fast”. This sometimes works, lol!

Then there are times when someone DOES need more of a challenge, it’s simply too easy for them. In this case, the challenge can be adjusted appropriately to offer greater muscular load (or challenge stability). Sometimes using Isotonic contractions where the joint is flexed increasingly (or extended increasingly) within an already concentric phase can be a refreshing challenge. Isometric challenges are also an option to increase the challenge to the muscles, it’s where the concentric contraction is held and maintaining the flexion.

Currently, Isokinetic Contractions are being coined as useful by some in the medical community. These types of contractions deal with the SPEED of the contraction. The speed is constant and the resistance varies. So a perfect example is bike riding or the elliptical machine if performed at a consistent pace. Pilates has many exercises that are considered beneficial to isokinetic muscular strength. Please consider glancing at this article regarding Pilates and how it “increases the isokinetic muscular strength of the knee extensors and flexors in elderly women.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29037633/

Have you found this information useful? Please like share or comment! Thank you.

Looking for a clean and welcoming environment to practice Pilates? Try a class at Core Wellness Pilates! Contact corewellnesspilates@gmail.com for more information.

BeWELL