Movements Afoot’s Blog

Lesley Powell, Director of Movements Afoot

Traditional fitness people get angry at Pilates teachers saying ” You get taller” and/or “You are lengthening your muscles”. Sometimes this is how a client expresses the workout. In the Eskimo language, there are many different words describing snow and their different textures. Language has its limits in trying to explain a physical experience.

So why do Clients feel taller? Pilates works on better alignment of the joints, muscular balance and flexibility. When any of these factors are out of whack, it affects the structure. Look at an old barn falling down. Some of the structures have shifted, weaken and/or put more forces on specific places.

With our culture’s movement patterns changing, Pilates does have to adjust to this. So many people are stuck in flexion throughout their day with the computer, the car and couch potatoes. The original Pilates mat can be contraindicted for some clients. There is such a wealth of exercises to create an extremely dynamic workout without any flexion.