You Don’t Need to be Flexible to do Pilates

Have you been putting off starting Pilates because you believe you aren’t flexible enough to do it?

If you just yelled yes at your computer, you are so not alone! And I can totally see why you think that considering the majority of what you see about Pilates on social media or if you google it includes images of skinny, athletic women who are the embodiment of grace performing exercises.

The truth is that Pilates is for everyone, and that includes the inflexible!

I wish I could shout it from the rooftops that your level of flexibility doesn’t matter when it comes to Pilates. In fact, Pilates can help you get more flexible and improve your mobility. Through the use of props, exercises can be modified to your personal needs, one of which being a lack of flexibility. For example, if your hips and hamstrings are tight and you can’t sit flat on the floor, we can easily put a platform/block under your hips. This allows your feet to be lower than your hips so your hips can be tension free in that position. If you aren’t flexible, Pilates is actually what you need and you will quickly see an improvement because it equally works on strength and mobility.

There is a reason that many athletes have started doing Pilates, and that is to help balance out their intense training schedules. I have trained athletes from the NFL and NBA and one of the main things we worked on was improving their flexibility and mobility.

Who is Pilates for then?

I know it’s hard to not get wrapped up in the images of Pilates that you see all over the internet, but don’t let how people market Pilates stop you from starting a Pilates practice any longer!

One of the main things that I love about Pilates is that it is adaptable. It meets you where you are, and will help you accomplish all of your fitness goals, whether that is to improve your athletic performance, get stronger, get out of pain, or improve your balance. I can go on and on!

CHRONIC PAIN & HEALTH CONDITIONS

Many of my clients got started with Pilates because they have chronic health conditions such as fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, Ehlers Danlos, osteoporosis, etc.  They fell in love with Pilates because it is a gentle exercise method that can be adapted to how they feel on a daily basis and also takes into consideration the specific needs and limitations of their bodies. If anybody has or is currently dealing with a health issue, you know how important that is! The amount of modifications for exercises are endless, and props will always be your best friend. The important thing to remember is that just because you are dealing with certain issues and may have limitations, does not mean you cannot be challenged like you want. For example, if you can’t hold on to weights in your hands because of a bad arthritis flare, we can always wrap weights around your wrists or not even use them. Or if you are not allowed to flex your spine due to Osteoporosis, you may think there is no other way to work your abs since you can’t do a crunch, but there are so many alternatives to flexing your spine in Pilates that work your core even better than a sit-up!

ATHLETES & DANCERS

Cross-training is key for keeping dancers and athletes in the best shape possible. No matter if you are a professional or recreational athlete, having balanced training is important! Don’t get me wrong, they are incredibly strong and gifted at what they do. But their training is specific to their sport of choice, which means it is often not balanced. Golfers, baseball players all do the same rotation every time they hit the ball, and overtime their backs feel the consequence of that repetitive movement. This is what leads so many men to Pilates. I wish it was for a better reason than their back hurting, but they quickly feel the benefits of adding Pilates to their training and I am so happy when they continue even after their back pain goes away.

Pilates will fill in the gaps of your training to help you reduce the risk of overuse injuries. Take ballet dancers for example, they live with their legs turned out (lateral rotation). They are extremely strong in that position because they live with their legs rotated out all day. But that also means they need to work their legs in parallel and medial rotation so that their inner thighs are equally as strong as their outer hips. Making sure the body is balanced will help you do what you love for longer!

HEALTHY & ACTIVE AGING

You don’t have to start Pilates because you are injured or in pain, even though that’s how most of us discover the amazing benefits of it. You can just want an amazing workout that makes you feel challenged without feeling broken afterwards. You can just want to feel strong and move well and be able to get up and down off the floor with ease and actually believe that your age is just a number, instead of actually feeling like you are twice your age. Pilates is the path to keeping you strong and mobile!

PRE & POST-NATAL

Pilates is fantastic to prepare your body for childbirth and also gentle and adaptable enough to be done while pregnant (with your doctor’s approval of course) and your body is going through its daily challenges. You will prepare your body for childbirth, and strengthen your upper body to support holding your child. During pregnancy, it is possible to develop Rectus Diastasis (separation of your abdominal muscles) as well as pelvic floor dysfunction. Working with an experienced instructor can help you get your body feeling strong again after giving birth! As a mom, the pressure is put on you to always put yourself last, but it is time to put a stop to that mentality!

Pilates is for you no matter what stage of life you are in, your body type, your injury, your flexibility, your age. If you have a question about a specific situation you are dealing with, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!

If you’re ready to stop putting off your health any longer, click the link below to take advantage of the Introductory Special of 3 Private Sessions.