Mat Pilates: Finding your Powerhouse | Core Training | 20-Minutes

In this 20-minute mat Pilates class I will lead you through a quick core routine that can be done alone, or paired with a SAM or balance routine (linked below). We begin by learning how to identify "neutral spine" and "neutral pelvis", which are very important terms in Pilates. Core training is done most efficiently when the spine is in a neutral position and the muscle engagement is even on the front and back of the core. (BTW, in Pilates the "core" is much more than simply the "abs"...your core includes your abdominal muscles, diaphragm, pelvic floor, multifidi and other back muscles, and even the hip flexors and gluteal muscles... so really the entire torso and all of its connection points to the limbs). When muscular engagement on both sides of the spine is even you can think of the abs and back muscles "sandwiching" the spine- you do not want an "open-faced sandwich!", which happens if either the abs or lower back muscles become inactive.

Pilates is a phenomenal modality of cross-training because it is low-impact and strengthens the essential stabilizing muscles of the ankles, hips, back, abdominals, and shoulders throughout their full ranges of motion. Strengthening and relieving tension in these muscles groups is key to obtaining proper joint alignment, which tends to suffer when runners and hikers become fatigued. Running places the body’s joints under significant and repetitive impact in the sagittal plane of motion (AKA moving forwards and backwards). Pilates helps to prevent overuse pain patterns, chronically tight hip flexors, and stress injuries that might occur if running were practiced alone in high volumes. In addition, Pilates will help improve your running and hiking gait, muscular efficiency, and recovery.

As with any type of exercise, please listen to your body and don’t do anything that causes you pain or joint discomfort. Remember that anything you need to do to modify is a good decision! Please hit pause if you’d like more time on any exercise. I demonstrate modifications and progressions in the box in the upper left corner. Most of the supine ab exercises can be done with the head, neck, and shoulders down as a modification. If you are not used to training the core, your neck muscles might tire easily, but will quickly get stronger! It is important to tuck the chin down slightly in order to keep the back of the neck lengthened; imagine you are holding a tangerine between your sternum and chin- you don't want it to drop and roll away, but you also do not want to squish it! When you create the "hand hammock" and hold the back of your head, make sure you are never pulling on the neck- let your head be heavy into the "hammock" and use your ABS (think of knitting the lower ribs towards the hips), not your neck strength to keep the head in good alignment with the rest of the body.

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Colin Regan: Original Music

It's always a great day to move our bodies and strengthen our core!

Best,

Kira Kinesis