Am I doing this right?

When people first discover Pilates I find it can be a little overwhelming!  One of the things I love about the method is that traditionally it is taught in one on one or small group atmospheres and teachers are trained to teach students to move properly so that they don’t get injured.

Because Pilates teachers are so knowledgeable about the details of each exercise they can clearly describe the goals of the exercise, the muscle engagement and the proper alignment.  With all of this knowledge being taught to them, new students often find themselves with a glassy look in their eyes, staring at their instructor saying, “Am I doing this right?”.

As teachers we know that your body can’t possibly process everything new we are throwing at you the first time you try it and that’s ok!  But what we are looking for is that you know what we are asking your body to do and that you are trying your best to do it in a way that is safe for your body.  When someone asks me this question I often start my answer by asking them how it feels in their body.  I ask them if anything hurts or is uncomfortable.  If the answer is yes then we investigate and figure how to help them move without pain.  If the answer is no than I may just ask them where they feel the exercise and we might fine tune from there.

Wondering if an exercise you are doing is right? Definitely ask your teacher or feel free to ask us questions in the comments and we’ll do our best to give you some guidance!