We may be biassed, but in our expert (and very humble) opinion, pilates is one of the best ways to move your body. Not only is it a low impact form of exercise and perfect for all ages and abilities, but pilates is designed to help improve strength, flexibility and overall muscle tone. When taken to the next level with our Studio Reformer, pilates can also be a great form of resistance training.
It’s no secret that maintaining good form throughout any form of exercise is imperative. Not only can proper form help to lower your risk of injury but it also allows you to move efficiently, increase your performance and enables you to have a full range of motion.
It is common when starting your reformer journey to fall into the habits of moving too quickly, not focusing on controlled movements and forgetting to breathe. Concentration, control, breathing and precision are the fundamental principles of reformer pilates and when executed properly help to develop the mind and body connection and allow you to get the most out of each movement and the overall workout.
Here are our top tips to help you maintain good form during your next reformer session…
Engage your core
Maintaining an engaged core throughout your pilates flow will not only help protect your lower back from injury but will also aid in improving the overall effectiveness of each reformer exercise.
Lying on your back exercises
When incorporating any lying down on your back exercises into your reformer routine, make sure to keep your spine in a neutral alignment, this means that there should be a straight line from your ears to your hips. Maintaining a neutral spine will help to reduce the load on certain muscle groups and lower the risk of lower back pain and injury.
Seated exercises:
When completing any seated exercises, make sure to keep your shoulder down and back and have your pelvis in a neutral position. Maintaining a neutral pelvis is the safest position for the spine and provides your core muscles with more power to unlock movement potential.
Standing exercises:
When completing any standing exercises it is important to remember to keep your weight evenly distributed between both feet. This will ensure you remain balanced and stable and reduce the risk of poor coordination and injury.
This blog should be considered as general advice only. For personalised exercise advice, please refer to a professional who understands your medical history and mobility capabilities.