Posts In: Pilates

The foundation of any effective exercise plan lies in routine. Consistency is key when it comes to seeing results, whether you’re looking to grow stronger muscles, increase your endurance, or become more flexible. But how do you maintain your progress when your routine goes out the window? 

It can be tricky to keep up your regular Pilates routine while on vacation. Lack of equipment and lack of space are common issues, not to mention lack of time – you’ve no doubt got some sights to see, after all! However, abandoning an exercise routine entirely can contribute to feeling lethargic, having trouble sleeping, and losing muscle mass.  

Here are the basics to staying fit while traveling and how to successfully take your Pilates routine on the road: 

Be Realistic with Your Time 

Vacations have a way of coming and going in the blink of an eye. Time flies when you’re having fun, after all! If you’re determined to get in some workouts throughout your travels, be intentional and realistic with your time. 

If you’re an itinerary-based traveler, sprinkle in a couple of quick workouts throughout your travel plans. You might want to consider doing an express version of your typical routine, as well. Focus on just the key movements that are conducive to your goals and leave the accessory work for when you get back home. Remember, the main goal here is to maintain routine and avoid losing progress – you can get back to the crazy intense workouts once you’re back in your own city! 

Craft a Bodyweight Routine 

If you typically use Pilates equipment in your routines like the reformer, TRX bands, or the jumpboard, consider building an equipment-free version of your routine before you set off for your adventure.  

You’ve got all sorts of bodyweight Pilates exercises to choose from. From the bicycle to the shoulder bridge to the side bend and everything in between, basic Pilates moves are more than sufficient to get your heart pumping and your muscles working. Pick your favourites to build a full body routine, or use this as an opportunity to try out some new moves! 

Get Involved with Local Classes 

Leaning into your passions is a fantastic way to integrate into local culture while traveling, giving you a unique and intimate perspective on the places you visit. Since Pilates is your thing, look around online for a local Pilates studio that is open to drop-in members or that offers a weekly pass option. 

You’ll meet new people, work up a sweat, and maybe even discover a new move or two. Plus, there’s something so incredible about connecting over a shared passion with people who come from a completely different walk of life! 

No luck finding a local class? Take a look at the ABsolute Pilates virtual class offerings to see if you might be able to join us virtually during your vacation. 

Don’t Sweat It! 

It’s entirely possible that exercise takes a back seat while you’re away. Even if you plan ahead and set aside time for Pilates, traveling is filled with spontaneous and exhausting experiences and it’s completely reasonable to take a rest from your exercise routine while you’re away.  

If this is your experience, don’t sweat it. In the same way that it requires consistency to get healthy and build your ideal body, it also takes consistency to fall out of shape. You likely won’t notice any difference by taking a week or two off, and incorporating rest periods into your routine can actually benefit your progress in the long run.  

At the end of the day, your focus should lie in making the most of your vacation and prioritizing long-term health through your Pilates passion! 

Interested in more Pilates tips and tricks? Contact us at ABsolute Pilates today. 

The jumpboard is an addition to the Pilates reformer which can add new dimension and challenge to your Pilates workouts. Essentially, the jumpboard is a vertical board that you attach to the end of the reformer. Once it is safely installed, you can use your legs or hands to push off from the board. The reformer’s sliding seat moves with you, and then returns to the starting position.  

There are many advantages of using the jumpboard, and lots of fun ways to add it into your Pilates routine. Jumpboard Pilates classes challenge your cardiovascular system more than most and have a pace that is well-suited for intermediate and advanced Pilates practitioners (although beginners can use the jumpboard too). Here is what you need to know about the Pilates jumpboard.  

The Advantages of the Jumpboard

Why add in the jumpboard to your routine, or why attend a jumpboard class? There are advantages of adding this accessory to your reformer. The jumpboard offers: 

• Cardio: Once you’ve gotten used to various Pilates movements, increasing the intensity and upping the cardio can allows you to continue to challenge yourself. You’ll get the benefits of exercising your heart and improving your VO2 maximum. You’ll also increase your muscular endurance by performing exercises at increase speed. How does the jumpboard add cardio? It requires you to move quickly enough to finish up a stretch or movement in time to “land” on the board.  
• Plyometric exercises: Plyometric exercises are those that use force and speed in different movements to increase your strength and physical condition. Using the jumpboard can allow you to perform various plyometric exercises. This is essential for athletes who need to build up explosive power, and it can be a great addition for anyone who just wants to add a new challenge to their routine.  
• Reduced joint stress: While certain plyometric exercises tend to place stress on your joints, the reformer minimizes this. Your full body weight is on the reformer rather than on the jump board when you land, which takes a great deal of the impact off your ankles, knees, and hips.  
• Variety: Our muscles get used to the exercises that we perform a lot. It’s wise to challenge them with new things and help keep workouts effective. Plus, workouts are more exciting and engaging when you switch things up! 
• Fun: No one said exercising needs to be boring. Using the jumpboard is just plain fun, and it’s a great tool to use to help you stay motivated to keep doing Pilates.  

How to Use the Jumpboard

In a Pilates jumpboard class you’ll be exposed to a whole series of exercises that take advantage of the board. We’ve selected some of our favourites below so that you can try them out yourself if you have access to the equipment.  

• Single leg jumping: A basic jumpboard move, all this involves is alternating your legs as you jump so that you land and push off with one foot at a time. Focus on keeping your lower back against the reformer at all times throughout the movement.  
• Wide jumping: Widen both legs, moving the feet to the edges of the jumpboard. Push off and land with both feet in this widened position. This helps work the muscles of the inner legs.  
• Side single leg jumping: While lying on your side, use only your upper leg to jump. You can adjust your positioning to bring the leg forward or back during the jump to alter which muscles you’re challenging.  

You can get started using the jumpboard at ABsolute Pilates. Sign up for a class today.  

The reformer is an important tool often used in Pilates that can isolate muscles, add resistance, and allow for a full range of motion. It enhances the benefits of any Pilates routine, but with its platform, wheels, and pulley system, it can seem a bit daunting to beginners. And for those who perform their Pilates at home, purchasing a reformer is an expensive investment. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of using the reformer and alternative solutions if you don’t have access to a reformer yourself. 

Why Isolate Muscles?

When we move to accomplish something in real life, we tend to use a range of muscles to support our motion. While it is important to practice compound movements in our exercises to mimic those real-world patterns, isolation exercises help us to target specific muscles individually. Isolating particular muscles through specific exercises allows us to place an increased focus on weaker muscles in our body, or any muscles that we particularly want to enhance. Training those muscles in isolation eliminates our ability to call upon other, stronger muscle groups to support the movement like we can in compound exercises, making isolation movements a particularly good choice if you’re experiencing any muscle imbalance. 

The reformer can be used to isolate specific muscles and force us to develop strength without help from surrounding muscle groups, which is especially beneficial if they are chronically under-used or are recovering from an injury.  

Why Add Resistance?

Body weight exercises can be very fruitful and help you develop strength, to a point. Once you have trained your muscles to the point where you can move your body weight with relative ease, additional resistance is needed to continue challenging and strengthening your muscles.  

Resistance training isn’t just for athletes who need to push their bodies to their limits, it is necessary for anyone who wants to improve their physical fitness. Bodyweight exercises are also resistance exercises, however, the intensity of that resistance is limited by the weight of your body. Increasing resistance with the help of tools like the reformer allows us to continue to challenge and grow our muscles once we’ve plateaued at the bodyweight level. When done in quick succession, reformer exercises can also boost your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness too.  

Why Focus on a Full Range of Motion?

Pilates movements on the floor do not always allow us to achieve a full range of motion. However, making each and every joint work through its full range of motion is important in order to maintain that range, especially as we age. It can be particularly important for those who are recovering from surgery or any injury which, without physical therapy, could end up limiting their range of motion. The reformer can allow you to move your joints through a full range of motion in ways that are more comfortable for you.  

Alternatives to a Pilates Reformer

If you don’t see yourself investing in a reformer anytime soon, what are the alternatives? You can attend classes at studios which have reformers, or you can simply do mat Pilates without one. There are also several other more affordable equipment options which can enhance your Pilates workouts, including: 

• Foam rollers 
• Resistance bands 
• Hand weights 
• Weighted balls 
• Stability balls 
• Blocks  

There are many ways to modify your core Pilates exercises with these tools. Talented instructors can show you how to make the most of your routine even when you don’t have a reformer. Sign up for a reformer class today with ABsolute Pilates or join in one of our matwork classes!  

Though some might assume that Pilates is a modern fitness craze born from diet culture and social fitness classes, that is certainly not the case. Pilates has been practiced for over a century, originally created and developed by one man during World War One. It has evolved through the years and incorporated modern exercise science into its practice, while staying true to its roots and core principles. 

If you’re a fan of Pilates or simply interested in history, this blog is for you. We’re going to explore the origin of Pilates and how it evolved through the years to become the fun and effective exercise technique that we use around the world today. 

The Invention of Pilates

The form of exercise we know as Pilates is named after its creator, Joseph Pilates. Born in Germany in 1883 to a gymnast father and a naturopath mother, Joseph himself became a competent gymnast, diver, boxer, and skier.  

In 1912 Joseph was living in England and working as a self-defense instructor. As the First World War took over the globe he found himself held with other German nationals at the Knockaloe internment camp on the Isle of Man, where he developed his own exercise method and practiced the techniques with his fellow internees. However, it was not yet called Pilates – in Joseph’s lifetime, he referred to his exercise techniques as “Contrology.” Many of his first students in the internment camp suffered from various injuries and ailments, which allowed Joseph to tailor his Contrology techniques to act as a successful method of recovery and rehabilitation. 

Following his four-year internment, Joseph continued to develop his technique before emigrating to the United States in 1926. He and his wife, Clara, opened a fitness studio in New York in which they continued to develop and teach Pilates to a range of clientele who were looking to hone their abilities or recover from injury. While Joseph was the man behind the method, it’s said that Clara was the primary teacher in the studio. With limited English to work with, they relied heavily on hands-on correction to teach the method. Many dancers attended Joseph and Clara’s studio, as well as a handful of celebrities of the time including famous dancers, authors, and actors. Among the original Pilates athletes, about 60% were men.  

Equipment and Methodology

If you enjoy Pilates as part of your exercise routine, you likely know that there is a range of equipment that may be used to accompany certain exercises. As Joseph Pilates developed and honed his initial Contrology techniques he also created and utilized equipment, which he referred to as apparatus. 

While in internment, Joseph made use of hospital beds rigged with springs in order to provide resistance while exercising. He continued to develop various pieces of equipment to accompany his exercise techniques as his resources grew, and he ultimately created a range of apparatus, many of which are still used in Pilates today. Among his inventions include early versions of the Reformer (originally called the Universal Reformer), the Cadillac, the Wunda Chair, the High “Electric” Chair, the Spine Corrector, the Ladder Barrel, and the Pedi-Pole. 

Joseph believed that physical health and mental health were interrelated, and he referred to the combination of mind, body, and spirit as the “whole-body.” He based his techniques on the pillars of breath, whole-body health, and whole-body commitment. Also integral to Joseph’s methodology were the principles of concentration, control, centering, precision, and flow. 

In 1932 Joseph published a booklet titled “Your Health,” followed by another titled “Return to Life Through Contrology” in 1945. These texts, accompanied by the teachings of his former students and apprentices, allowed Pilates to continue on and gain traction even after his death in 1967.  

Contemporary Pilates

The Pilates we know and love today is often a combination of modern Pilates techniques alongside the traditional methodology of Joseph’s original methods. The equipment has evolved, and the evolution of exercise science has continued to shed light upon the lasting success of Joseph’s original Contrology concepts. However, contemporary Pilates is still grounded in the philosophy and movement patterns developed by Joseph over a century ago. 

Pilates has a unique history behind it, and it’s a tried-and-true approach to exercise that has stood the test of time and only continues to gain traction. If you’re interested in joining in and getting active with some Pilates exercises, contact us at ABsolute Pilates. We offer classes in-studio and online for students of any level of experience looking to work up a sweat and improve their abilities!  

Exercise of all forms, Pilates included, is a great habit to build for a healthy lifestyle. While it’s not necessary to track your progress and simply being active and staying fit is fantastic on its own, intentionally tracking progress can provide benefits to some. 

Progress is achieved through consistent efforts, so it’s not always obvious when you’ve made progress. Intentionally tracking your progress can act as a great motivation then, as you’re able to compare your starting point with what you’ve achieved, and envision the new heights you’d like to reach in the future. Keeping track of progress is also a good idea if you have specific goals you’re trying to reach, as it can give you insights into your performance and whether you need to tweak your exercise routine to help you achieve those goals. 

So, how do you go about tracking your Pilates progress? 

Define Your Goals

First of all, it’s crucial that you define your goals and determine exactly what it is that you’re hoping to track. Pilates provides an array of benefits, and while you can approach Pilates with the intention of improving your overall health, you will likely see more significant progress if you focus on one or two areas of improvement to track. Some of these areas include: 

• General physique 
• Strength 
• Flexibility 
• Muscular endurance 

Consider what’s important to you and pick one or two areas to focus on improving. Use those areas to measure and track your progress as you regularly practice your Pilates routine. 

Tracking Physique Progress

If physique is one of your main motivators, you’ll want to begin by taking initial photos and measurements to determine your starting point. This can be scary for many people, as body dysmorphia is common and it can often be a source of discomfort to focus on the parts of your body that are not your favourite. Just remember that you’re beautiful and strong in every version of yourself, and appreciating the body you have now will only help you to recognize the progress you make in the future. 

There are a few tricks to taking quality before-and-after photos, like wearing the same clothes in each and standing before a plain backdrop. This resource tells you everything you need to know about snapping the right photos that will showcase your Pilates progress more than ever.  

When it comes to taking measurements, this video shows the right method for accurate and consistent measurements.  

When tracking physique, the scale is not a very accurate metric. Fat and muscle have different densities and losing fat does not always translate to losing weight if you’re gaining muscle at the same time. Ditch the scale and go for photographs or measurements for a more accurate indication of your physical progress. 

Tracking Strength

Tracking strength is fairly straightforward – how much weight is your body able to move, with correct form? Choose a handful of key weighted exercises, and mark exactly how much weight you can successfully lift for each. Return to those same exercises and write down your performance so that you can look back on where you started versus what you’ve achieved, and use that information to set goals for the future. 

Tracking Flexibility  

Tracking your flexibility is similar, and requires that you take initial measurements in certain positions and compare that data to measurements gained through the exact same positions at a later date. Just as with progress tracking in general, you can choose to focus on certain body parts, or tackle your overall flexibility as a whole. 

This article outlines specific positions to use to test the flexibility of various body parts. As you continue through your Pilates journey, return to those same positions and take measurements. While it can be hard to feel the progress on a daily basis, those numbers will undoubtedly show that you’ve been improving! 

Tracking Muscular Endurance

As with strength progression, tracking your muscular endurance requires you to pick a handful of exercises to compare over time. Muscular endurance tests are best done with bodyweight, static positions like a plank or a wall sit. Perform the exercise until failure, and make note of how long your muscles lasted before giving out. Routinely perform those same exercises until failure and you’ll see that your times are increasing, and your Pilates training is paying off. 

Maintain a Positive Attitude 

Tracking progress can be a great way to appreciate our efforts and recognize our achievements, but it can also be easy to get down on ourselves if the progress isn’t coming quickly enough for our liking. It’s important to remember that progress takes time, and we need to be patient with ourselves and our bodies. 

Pilates yields so many benefits outside of these areas, as well. It helps us to release endorphins, improves our quality of sleep, and allows us to meet friends, to name a few. Those are things worth celebrating, too! 

If you’re interested in signing up for an in-studio or virtual Pilates class, contact us at ABsolute Pilates. We can help you to reach your exercise goals, and have fun along the way! 

Everybody experiences the occasional slump. Whether you’re a professional athlete, a longtime fitness enthusiast, or someone who is simply trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, everybody goes through periods where exercise is the last thing they want to do. 

Maybe your life is extra hectic at the moment, or you’re feeling more tired than usual. Whatever the reason, rediscovering your motivation for exercise is the key to getting back to it.  With these few tips, you’ll have your heart pumping again in no time! 

Focus on Why

When you’re not feeling motivated to exercise, it can be helpful to remember why you started in the first place. You might’ve started exercising because you wanted a stronger body, improved mental health, better sleep, or any other number of reasons. What’s your why? 

If it motivated you to exercise in the first place, it likely can motivate you out of your slump. Even if your life has changed and your initial why is no longer relevant, think about how exercise can benefit your body and your lifestyle. Focus on the results you’re chasing, and you might start to feel excited about exercise again! 

Change Your Perspective

Exercise can sometimes feel like a chore, and chores are no fun. If that’s how you’ve been feeling, it may be time for a change of perspective! 

Rather than thinking of your exercise regime as something you have to do, try thinking of it as something you get to do. If you can frame exercise as something that you’re lucky to have in your life and as an opportunity to celebrate all of the incredible things your body is capable of, you might find that you feel more motivated to get your body moving.  

Make It Fun!

If you have been lacking in motivation lately, the issue may be that your workouts simply aren’t fun enough. Take a minute to think about what you enjoy, and how to incorporate those elements into your workouts. 

If you usually run on a treadmill, consider hitting a trail for your next run to experience the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Try blasting some of your favourite tunes the next time you go to exercise, or even joining an exercise dance class. You might find that joining an adult recreation league does the trick, so that your focus is on winning a game with your teammates, and exercise is an added bonus (rather than the main focus).  

Join a Group

Lots of people find that they’re far more motivated to do something when they do it with friends. Joining an exercise group is a great way to keep up healthy habits, form new friendships, develop new skills, and add a level of accountability to your workout schedule. 

Whether it’s a walking group, a sports team, or a group workout class, joining a group of likeminded people is a fantastic way to stay motivated to exercise and have fun while doing it.  

If you’ve always wanted to give Pilates a try, or you’re looking for a place to meet some friends and work up a sweat, look no further than ABsolute Pilates. We offer a variety of classes in-studio, online, and in a hybrid format. Take a look at our current class offerings, and contact us if you’d like to find out more!  

Although Pilates was originally designed by a man, Joseph Pilates, for war veterans (who were, at the time, all men), it has since transformed to be geared primarily toward women’s health. So, we understand why men might be skeptical about taking up this exercise method. But Pilates is an excellent option for men in many different stages of life, and with varying fitness goals. Whether you’re looking to reduce back pain from an injury, improve your sports performance, or you’re a novice just looking to increase your overall physical fitness, Pilates is an excellent choice. We’ll walk you through 3 key Pilates moves specific to men’s health, their benefits, and how to perform the movements. They could be just what your routine is lacking! 

1. Hip Rolls

An excellent exercise for essentially any man, the hip roll is important for improving spinal mobility. It will also strengthen your glutes and open hip flexors, two key improvements that can help to relieve back pain.  

To perform: 

1. Lay on your back with your arms at your sides.  
2. Put your feet flat on the ground, knees bent.  
3. Press your arms into the floor, flat on either side of your body.  
4. Engage your abdominal muscles as you raise your pelvis and tailbone off the mat, and slowly add each vertebra of your lower spine.  
5. Squeeze your glutes and hold your body straight from knees to shoulder.  
6. Reverse slowly, bringing each section of the spine down, starting from the top this time.  

2. Shoulder Bridge

This exercise is a great option to challenge men with strong core stability to challenge themselves and improve even further. By maintaining the position with only one leg, you’ll feel much more stress on your core muscles.  

To perform:  

1. Lay on your back, knees bent, just as when starting the pelvic curl.  
2. Activate your abdominals and extend to the top of the pelvic curl, so you form a straight line from knee to shoulder.  
3. Lift one leg off the ground, keeping the knee bent. Only go as high as is comfortable.  
4. Lower and raise one leg from 5 to 10 times. 
5. Repeat with your other leg. 
6. End the exercise as you end pelvic curl, by slowly lowering to the mat.  

3. Obliques

Those who work office jobs or who spend the majority of their day in one spot can use this exercise to help reduce certain kinds of pain they may be feeling from sitting all day. Also called bicycle crunches, the obliques exercise activates – you guessed it – the obliques, along with the hip extensors. The latter are particularly neglected when a lot of time is spent sitting at a desk.  

To perform: 

1. Lay on your back with your legs in the air, knees bent, and abdominal muscles engaged. This position is called tabletop.
2. With your hands behind your head, lift your head, neck, and shoulders.  
3. Move one elbow towards the opposite-side knee. 
4. Bend that knee towards the elbow, while extending the other leg out straight, foot pointing towards the wall.  
5. Switch sides, bringing your other elbow to the other knee and extending the other leg.  
6. Repeat 8 to 10 times.  

 Ready to learn more about how Pilates can improve men’s health? Talk to us at Absolute Pilates or sign up for a class today.  

May 7th is Pilates Day! It’s a day where the whole Pilates world, across the globe, celebrate Pilates and the impact that it has on all of our lives. The goal is also to promote awareness of Pilates and the benefits that it can provide to anyone, from any walk of life. We want everyone to know how Pilates can make them feel: strong, empowered, energetic, and much more.  

What is Pilates?

Pilates has a storied history and began as a program to help veterans, but it has morphed since its beginnings. Today, Pilates is a low impact non-aerobic exercise program that focuses on building strength core strength for any member of the population. Your core muscles are essential to balance, strength, flexibility, and overall health. In our world, where people are tied to desks and always looking at screens, core muscles often go neglected. Pilates can fix that.  

Pilates is a particularly useful exercise program because it scales. You can start out with Pilates even if you are a complete beginner to this kind of exercise. Over time as you gain control, strength, and flexibility, you can continue to challenge yourself with new poses and exercises. You can also expect to see benefits in your arms and legs, your overall energy levels, and your range of motion, when you regularly practice Pilates.  

Pilates is often compared to yoga, as both can focus on the core. You can certainly bring the mindfulness techniques of yoga with you to Pilates, but you’ll also get a more intense core workout. Plus, with Pilates you can use equipment to further challenge yourself or help you target specific areas.  

The Benefits of Pilates

There are many potential benefits of Pilates, including: 

• Improved posture 
• Improved flexibility 
• Improved balance  
• Improved range of motion 
• Injury prevention 
• Increased body awareness 
• Increased energy levels  
• Decreased stress 

Pilates can also reduce pain, depending on the cause of that pain and where you’re experiencing it. For example, Pilates has been known to reduce back pain, as well as alleviate menstrual cramps. 

The benefits of Pilates don’t stop there – the exercise is known to have many other positive effects. For example, reduced pain and increased flexibility and bodily awareness can in many cases lead to a healthier sex life. More energy and reduced stress can improve your motivation across the board. Overall, practicing Pilates can have a significant and wide-ranging impact on your life.  

Celebrate Pilates Day Yourself

Newcomers and long-time lovers of Pilates can both celebrate Pilates Day with us by signing up for a class. Or consider these personal challenges you might take on to enjoy Pilates Day: 

• Journal about what Pilates has meant to you and how it has changed your personal journey.  
• Challenge yourself to try a new Pilates exercise or perform one longer than you might normally.  
• Invite close friends or families to join you in some Pilates movements.  
• Share parts of your Pilates journey online over social media.  
• Practice Pilates in a new place, like a riverside, meadow, or other natural place.  

If you want to get in on a class, you can sign up for one with ABsolute Pilates. Contact us today!  

From TMJ dysfunction to lower back pain and everything in between, there’s a whole spectrum of ailments which can be caused by, or exacerbated by poor posture.It’s hard to blame anyone for having poor posture these days, as we sit cramped in desks looking at screens or hunched over our phone for so much of the day. Even with that, there are ways to become more conscious of your posture and work to correct it. Pilates is an exceptional exercise regime which can help you correct major posture problems, and reduce the stresses impacting various muscles and joints in your body.  

The Research on Pilates and Posture

Several studies have demonstrated that even just a few weeks of Pilates exercises can positively impact a person’s posture. One study focused exclusively on middle-aged women and found that their posture after 12 weeks of Pilates had improved on both the horizontal plane and the sagittal  plane (which runs vertically and segments our left and right side). Further research focused on adults of both genders and found that even after one session of Pilates, their postural alignment had noticeably improved. At the end of the 16-week study, participants had statistically significant posture improvement in six different dimensions, including posture of the head, pelvis, and lower back. This study also found that the participants experienced a significant reduction in pain.  

The Core of the Issue

We know that Pilates does help improve posture, but how exactly? Muscle mass supports our body and helps to keep good posture. However, the most supportive muscles for healthy posture, in the core, are often underdeveloped as a result of our desk-bound lives. These are the muscles in your stomach, abdomen, and along your side.   

Even those who remain active in their day job may find that they are not often activating the core muscles, which means that their back, neck, head, hips and more do not have the muscle support they need to maintain strong posture. This can even create pain as other muscles work to compensate for the core, but aren’t really able to provide the required support.  

Pilates exercises focus heavily on the core and all of the additional muscles that support it, from the pelvic floor to the shoulders. With Pilates you’ll gain the strength you need to automatically stand, sit, and walk with better posture.   

Other Pilates Posture Support

Of course, not all postural issues are corrected by core work alone. Your poor posture may stem from your hips or neck, for example. These can also improve with Pilates, which does strengthen muscles across the body. If you have specific concerns about the posture in different areas of your body, your Pilates instructor can show you which movements may help the most. In addition, the benefits of Pilates beyond improved strength can help with building and maintaining good posture. Those include: 

• Improved joint mobility 
• Reduced weight  
• Pain relief  
• Improved circulation 
• Improved bodily awareness  

You might also find that Pilates starts you on a quest of self-discovery, where you pay more attention to your body, how it moves, and what it may need, leading to other supports that could help with posture too. Get started on your journey to better posture today with a class from Absolute Pilates.  

Attention all Pilates enthusiasts: we invite you to join us in the social media phenomenon known as March MATness! All through the month of March, we are celebrating alongside other Pilates practitioners the traditional set of movements that Joseph Pilates, the original creator of Pilates, invented. For the last nine years, Pilates fans have been celebrating their progress. In recent years, people have been sharing it on social media, with dedicated hashtags for each pose. From the studio or from your home, you can join us in celebrating the powerful impact of Pilates! 

How Do You Participate in March MATness? 

Every day during March, you can take a picture of yourself in a Pilates pose and post it online with the relevant hashtag. You can explore the list of poses and hashtags here.  

You don’t have to necessarily stick to just photos. Let your imagination run wild and post anything you like that is Pilates-related and inspires you! Previously people have made visual art, poetry, prose, and other art depicting the poses or Pilates in general. Others take a more educational approach, giving out tips to complete different Pilates poses, and even adjustments you can make if you can’t quite capture the pose at your level. It’s really enriching to take a look through the posts online and see if you can get more inspired in your Pilates practice!  

And, if you’d rather keep it private, make your March MATness journey a feature of your journal. We know you’re with us in spirit!  

The Spirit of March MATness  

While you’re working through the month, remember that March MATness is not supposed to be a challenge or a competition. While you might challenge yourself to perfect your form, do Pilates every day, or meet other personal goals during the month, it isn’t necessary.  

March MATness is a “come as you are,” celebration. That means that we’re focusing less on winning or challenging ourselves, and more on accepting who we are and where we are in our Pilates journey. You do not need to fuss over how you look, what poses you can achieve, or whether or not you can complete the whole month. Instead, just finding your own personal joy in the poses is enough.  

Feel free to join us, even if you’re late to the party, with whatever Pilates inspiration you happen to enjoy.  

This Year’s Theme  

Every year, March MATness has a specific theme. This year it is #pilateshereandnow. With this theme, we’re challenging everyone who loves Pilates to think about how Pilates looks for them today, in their everyday life. Especially after potentially not being able to get out to the studio as much as you might have liked in the past two years, you may have found that your Pilates routine has changed, or the place Pilates has in your life has changed.   

Need some studio time to get into the spirit of March MATness? You can join us for classes at Absolute Pilates. Contact us today to sign up!