Less is more

There are a few phrases I consistently use when teaching my Pilates classes including pull in your powerhouse, draw your shoulder blades on your back, and hug your midline. And one that is not an active cue but really makes you think about what Pilates is and what it's about is "less is more." Pilates is fundamentally about precision and control. Thus, if this is your main goal, then less range of motion, less resistance, less choreography, less props, and even less music enhance the workout that you achieve by narrowing your focus on very specific muscular efforts and body alignment.

It is easy to become lazy and choose to entertain yourself or your clients with all the extras. I think this is especially true if you adhere to a classical approach and follow a system of exercises. A great teacher will challenge you to achieve more than you thought you could! They will stress the importance of working with intent to execute the exercises in a manner that requires all of your effort and attention. In Joseph Pilates book, "Return to Controlology" he states “A few well-designed movements properly performed in a balanced sequence are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortion." We all must remember that Joseph called his system Contrology before it became Pilates.