Why add a foam roller to your Pilates routine?

Ever wonder what the big deal is with foam rollers?  They seem to be everywhere and so many people are talking about why they love them. We kind of think they are amazing too and wanted to share with you why you might want to consider adding in the foam roller into your Pilates practice!

1. Core Strength.  The shape of the roller makes it just enough unstable that when you lay on it…your core muscles have to activate to keep you from falling off!  What this means to you is that you work your core muscles more and you don’t even have to think about it.
2. Balance.  Balance is something we can always improve.  By adding in the foam roller to traditional Pilates exercises you can challenge your body to work on it’s balance in new ways.
3. Getting rid of tension and tightness.  As a teacher I can tell you once of my biggest challenges is teaching clients how to work less in some places and how to reduce tension.  The foam roller can be a great tool used to roll out tight muscles and fascia.  When those muscles and fascia are released the rest of your exercises become better and you can do them more efficiently, creating balanced strength and flexibility quicker in your body.
4. Life skills.  I always think of my Pilates time as “training for life” time.  I exercise so that I can move through life without getting injured and feeling great in my body. Life is not usually predictable when it comes to movement.  You need to be able to adjust when you accidentally step on a rock that twists your foot or have to balance on your tip toes to reach something on the top shelf.   Challenging your body to move in a variety of ways is always a good thing. Adding in the foam roller to your Pilates exercises challenges your body to have to move and react in different way than what you typically would in each Pilates exercise.   By mixing things up slightly and asking your body to do things a little different with the foam roller you can prepare it better for the unexpected movements that happen in life!
5. Variety. Variety keeps you from getting bored and maybe not focusing as much as you should. Adding in a prop like the foam roller creates just enough change to an exercise that you can’t just space off and do it like you usually do!  You really have to pay attention and check in with the whole body to do the exercise well! Increased focus often means we move better, engage more muscles properly, and get more out of each exercise.  It also is a great stress reliever! 

If you are interested in what the foam roller could do for you, we have the perfect class:  Beginner Friendly Foam Roller Pilates Mat! This beginner friendly class will give you a fabulous Pilates workout while incorporating the foam roller!  You’ll have fun, and learn some ways you can use your foam roller as pat of your Pilates practice, and learn how to use it to stretch and lengthen tight muscles and fascia throughout your body!  

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