Does this look hard?

Pilates can be as hard or as easy as you want. As I’ve grown in my own Pilates practice, each movement gets more difficult as I learn to engage my body.

Why? Let me show you.

This movement is only the top half of an exercise called Pull Up. Why do you think it’s hard for me.

Is it my belly hanging over my yoga pants or that my nose drips from Texas allergies? My belly is going to hang a bit because I’m 52 and 10 pounds overweight (thank you Godiva Christmas Chocolate).

My allergies will never stop here in windy West Texas. Neither of these two truths are why this exercise can wear me out.

I intentionally don’t pose or filter my pictures No make up, hair going asunder, emerging bald spot. This is a real Pilates body.

Look again at the difference in the pictures and ask – what is different?

In the first picture of each pose, my hands are simply resting on the seat of the Wunda Chair. In the second, my arms are pushing into the chair to round my thoracic vertebrae to have more flexion, thus lengthening my front line.

Pilates Nerds only - I know this isn’t the ideal Wunda Chair, but a girl has to start somewhere. I’m saving up for an electric chair!

Wait a second – Could you speak English?

Flexion is bending. Like bending your elbow.

Extension is extending. Like extending your legs to rest your feet on the coffee table.

Thoracic vertebrae – the middle of the back.

Lengthen front line – the front half of my body need to uncrunch (a very scientific-y term, LOL).

Why am I doing this?

Pain is radiating down the front and side of my legs. I’ve been sitting too much over the past three days. I blame the IRS and tax time.

Me after hours at the computer, red eyed, slumpy, and hangry. Time to stretch and eat some lunch!

Sitting causes my front body to crunch up and my shoulders to round. Then, my lower back jumps in to do extra work, throwing everything out of whack down through my legs. It’s a vicious circle.

I’m creating back length by making my arms and legs work in tandem. M core is pulling up and back toward the spine. What’s the result – the lengthening makes my pain reduce. Since I don’t have X-ray vision to see inside my body, I can only go by feel.

It only takes a few of these movements to make me feel like I’ve pushed an airplane.

Bett Pilates - Midland Texas - Does your body feel crunchy inside?

This is the magic of Pilates – engaging all of these muscles to create length in the body. To get un-crunchy.

 Hugs, Love and Health,

Bett