FAQ

What should I expect in a first session?

Your Pilates instructor will review your health history, current concerns and discuss your movement goals. You will learn the foundations of Pilates that ensure a high integrity of movement, assess your movement patterns and initiate a plan that will help you strengthen with confidence.

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Why so subtle?

Our bodies have well established movement. When retraining our habits, the lesser used muscles can be difficult to feel. The larger superficial muscles tend to dominate our movement and prevent the smaller muscles from naturally working.  The brain is used to a certain amount of effort that is often excessive. For example a pelvic tilt needs connection to feet, pelvic floor and deep abs with less gluteals, hip flexors and low back. When you perform a simplified pelvic tilt it feels like less work and much more subtle. Learning how to do a correct pelvic tilt is part of the foundation work that is essential to strengthening your core in ab work rather than straining your back and hips.

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How do I do core work correctly?

The Core is made up of your transverse abdominals (the deepest layer of abs), the multifidus (deep back muscles), the pelvic floor and your diaphragm. It is not your gluteals, hip flexors or superficial back muscles. Learning the difference between your superficial muscle groups and deep core muscles will improve the effectiveness of your core work.

 

Why so much focus on Pelvic Floor?

The Pelvic floor is a vital part of your core. The Pelvic floor should contract with the core. It is as equally important that the pelvic floor stretch with movement. It often becomes too tight, too weak or disconnected from the rest of the core. We teach you to understand the muscles of the pelvic floor and how to use them to create a longer, more integrated strength in your body. 

 

Why is breathing and the diaphragm so important?

The diaphragm creates the “top” of the core. If you think of your core like a rectangle in your body with the pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, multifidus and diaphragm. The rectangle should not be rigid or constantly engaged. The diaphragm and pelvic floor are domes in the body. (along with the arch of your foot, top of your mouth, and the cranium). The pelvic floor and diaphragm together drop down and widen with inhale and up and in with exhale. They look like an umbrella opening and closing with the inner ring sliding up and down. The exhale (and closing of the umbrella) creates a strong, long and connected core (and healthy back). If the diaphragm doesn’t open evenly it is like a broken umbrella only opening on one side. The lack of mobility on all sides eventually wears down the structure...creating dysfunction or injury.