This month in our Back-to-Basics series, we’re focusing on the Pilates principle of control. We encourage you to take this opportunity to refocus your practice on the principles that are the foundation of every Pilates movement. If you missed our other posts in the series on centering and concentration, visit our blog.
Control: An Intermediate Principle
Mastering the principle of control allows you execute every Pilates movement with stability, and purpose. Once you have built the foundational skills through the principles of centering and concentration, control allows you to consciously engage the correct muscles, maintain alignment, and avoid unnecessary tension and momentum. It allows us to move smoothly and intentionally. These skills improve your strength, balance, and coordination and reduce your chance of injury.
Why Controlling Movement Is Important
Controlling movement in your Pilates practice is important for several reasons. Control helps you get the most out of your practice by preventing injury, properly engaging your muscles, improving stability, and making your practice more efficient. For example, when performing leg circles, control is key to keeping your pelvis stable while your legs move freely. This protects your lower back, prevents unnecessary swinging, and engages the appropriate muscles.
Muscle Engagement and Injury Prevention
Deliberately activating the correct muscles helps you get the most out of each movement and ensures you are protecting your joints, ligaments, and spine. When you control your Pilates movements, you protect your muscles from improper positioning and muscle strains. This is especially important for people who are using Pilates to heal through movement and want to avoid further injury.
Improved Balance and Stability
Control comes from the core. Practicing control in Pilates strengthens your core and stabilizing muscles, reducing the risk of falls or compensatory movements that could lead to injury.
Efficiency
Finally, practicing control makes your Pilates practice more efficient. Rather than rely on momentum, use control to make sure every motion is building strength and mobility.
Developing Control in Your Pilates Practice
As with all of the foundational Pilates skills, practicing control sounds simple, but it’s not easy. Mastering control takes focus, practice, and time. Here are a few tips from the JLB Pilates instructors for developing control in your practice.
Slow, Deliberate Movements
Don’t rush! There are a lot of pressures on your time, and you may feel like moving more quickly may lead to faster results. But the opposite is true. Maintain a steady, controlled pace and avoid rushing through movements. When you’re in the studio, you don’t need to be anywhere else. Put the pressures of the day aside and focus on your practice.
Engage Your Core
Your core is your powerhouse and the foundation for a balanced, stable practice. Keep your core active throughout your movements.
Coordinate Your Breath with Your Movement
We’ll discuss breath in-depth in a future post, but for now, know that focusing on your breath and when you are inhaling and exhaling can help you control movements and activate muscles properly.
Maintain Proper Alignment
Practicing control in your Pilates practice ensures that your joints and muscles are positioned correctly. This maximizes your efficiency and prevents compensatory movements that could lead to injury and slow down your progress.
Control is the bridge between mindful movement and strength. Focusing on control helps you develop precision, stability, and efficiency and keep your practice effective and safe. It also helps you improve everyday movement and your overall wellbeing.
Interested in checking out our Pilates studio? We enjoy working with individuals in Maple Grove and surrounding communities to find healing through movement. Schedule your initial appointment with our team today.
