I use props with my Pilates students for several reasons: to reduce strain, to help them find certain muscles, and to support them so that they can execute an exercise. Some of these props are part of the Pilates repertoire – many Pilates mat classes use the magic circle to help students work their inner thighs. Other props are less conventional and can even be home-made.
In my Pilates for Pregnancy series, I have developed floor work based on the mat exercises in which you are propped up on an incline made of pillows. We do this because it isn’t safe or comfortable for a pregnant woman to lie on her back. Yet if you are pregnant, the exercises will help you manage a lot of the side-effects of pregnancy so you want to keep working out. Using pillows to modify your position lets you enjoy the benefits of Pilates.
And if you aren’t pregnant, you may want to use a shallow pillow or a rolled-up towel under your knees when you doing any of the exercises in a sitting position – for example, saw or spine stretch. Gradually, your hamstrings and quads will become more flexible and you may not need the help, but in the beginning, or if your legs are tight because you may be a serious runner, you will want to ease the tension on your lower back by bending your knees. The pillows help you do achieve a more relaxed position before you start, which means that you can work your spine during these exercise without your legs getting in the way.
I also use a soft ball under my students’ necks when I’m working with them on the reformer. For example, if we’re practicing teaser on the box, which is an advanced move, using the ball means that her neck won’t dangle off the end of the box, forcing her to strain her neck when she initiates the curl at the beginning of teaser. Of course in the classic execution, she should actually initiate the curl of her head and neck from her sternum, and many students can do that from the mat. But on the box, this may be too much even for advanced students – your head weighs 13-15 pounds! So I use a squishy ball so that she can relax her head and neck and focus on her abs, lower back and timing so that her head and legs move in sync. It’s more important to learn the synchronized movement than to have perfect, props-free position.
Remember, Joseph Pilates was all about innovation and modification. The most important thing is to learn your body. Don’t be afraid to try something new or help yourself along with a prop or two!
Sarah
In my Pilates for Pregnancy series, I have developed floor work based on the mat exercises in which you are propped up on an incline made of pillows. We do this because it isn’t safe or comfortable for a pregnant woman to lie on her back. Yet if you are pregnant, the exercises will help you manage a lot of the side-effects of pregnancy so you want to keep working out. Using pillows to modify your position lets you enjoy the benefits of Pilates.
And if you aren’t pregnant, you may want to use a shallow pillow or a rolled-up towel under your knees when you doing any of the exercises in a sitting position – for example, saw or spine stretch. Gradually, your hamstrings and quads will become more flexible and you may not need the help, but in the beginning, or if your legs are tight because you may be a serious runner, you will want to ease the tension on your lower back by bending your knees. The pillows help you do achieve a more relaxed position before you start, which means that you can work your spine during these exercise without your legs getting in the way.
I also use a soft ball under my students’ necks when I’m working with them on the reformer. For example, if we’re practicing teaser on the box, which is an advanced move, using the ball means that her neck won’t dangle off the end of the box, forcing her to strain her neck when she initiates the curl at the beginning of teaser. Of course in the classic execution, she should actually initiate the curl of her head and neck from her sternum, and many students can do that from the mat. But on the box, this may be too much even for advanced students – your head weighs 13-15 pounds! So I use a squishy ball so that she can relax her head and neck and focus on her abs, lower back and timing so that her head and legs move in sync. It’s more important to learn the synchronized movement than to have perfect, props-free position.
Remember, Joseph Pilates was all about innovation and modification. The most important thing is to learn your body. Don’t be afraid to try something new or help yourself along with a prop or two!
Sarah
posted by Sarah Picot @ 5:55 AM
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