Why is so great about Pilates?

There is something great about coming in for a workout and lying down on your back to begin. It's not so intimidating when you know you're going to go thru a progression of exercises that start with you in supine (lying on back), to seated, to kneeling and you will ultimately finish with a standing exercise. It's refreshing to know what to anticipate and that your body will catch up to the idea that you're in for a workout. What other form of exercise does this? None.

Why is Pilates performed in this fashion? Lying down a flat surface helps you to find your boney landmarks and get you into a neutral pelvis. Neutral pelvis is when the pelvis is neither in an anterior tilt or posterior tilt. In other words, the tail bone is in line with the mat rather than tucked or arched. Whatever the pelvis does, the rest of the spine has to follow which is what makes it so important and why Pilates has become associated with great posture. When we find the "connection to our powerhouse", we are engaging our core muscles and doing this while we are in a neutral pelvis. Thus, we teach the body to maintain this position on its own.

This is why Pilate’s enthusiasts generally appear taller and stand with such confidence. We don't have to constantly think about engaging our core because practicing Pilates with consistency makes this automatic. I hear people say that they just need to "stand up straight" or "pull there shoulders back", but let's face it, we have enough on our minds. Who can remember do that 24/7? It's not likely unless your body has been trained to do it.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Classical Pilates and whether it was performed in neutral pelvis. Some Pilate’s practices got a bad rap because the information was misinterpreted and people thought it was to be performed in a "flat back" position. In other words, the pelvis was tucked under so there were no natural curves in the lower back area. This is why Pilate’s teachers are now so specific about where your body should be when you begin learning the practice. If you are training your body to be out of neutral, this can cause pain and misalignment of the body. Thus to get into a good position, I always begin my class the same way.


Lie down on your mat with your knees bent, arms long by your side. Breathe fully and deeply into the side and back of your lungs. Feel the back of your head heavy, and your shoulder blades imprinting on the mat. Breath into your ribcage and feel the back of the ribs touch the mat and your tailbone long and heavy. Draw your naval in and up and you are ready to begin.