The rise of mobility training

I reflected today there appears to be a renewed interest in improving mobility. From the wealth of information I receive from various fitness related e-subscriptions that land in my mailbox daily and the information I seek out in books and online everyone is feeling a little tighter and more restricted than they would like to be.

Perhaps mobility is a deceptive word - for some people it may generate images of older people and walking frames - but the concept is really about physically operating at your maximum potential. Our sedentary lifestyle certainly affects mobility, but as we're told to head to the gym to get more active, this opens up another problem. I see more and more gyms and fitness centres opening up and with a saturation of personal trainers it is also possible our "activeness" is negatively affecting our mobility.

Where I see mobility training offering great benefit is its potential to balance the physical disruption caused by either lack of activity or repetitive, restricted movement. There are a number of people doing great work in this space, but I believe Joseph Pilates really was a pioneer in this realm. The physical body really benefits from balance (I know, so does everything else it seems) and a focus on enhanced, functional mobility is really about bringing the body to a place a equilibrium. At its simplest, we need to strengthen muscles that are weak, lengthen muscles that are tight and look at the movements the body performs holistically. 

If we are allowed to move naturally, following the movement patterns are designed for, we wouldn't see so many of the issues that plague our modern society. This might be easily dismissed as new-age or earthy, but the concept is simple: the impact that technology, sitting, busy lifestyles has on our bodies cannot be ignored. Conversely, going to a gym and using machines that replicate only a limited range of our human body's movement potential isn't exactly going to improve things either.

So what is the answer? Thankfully I also believe our bodies are tremendously adaptable. At some point you will have been astounded watching someone perform an amazing physical feat, just as I was amazed watching a clip of 71 year old contortionist 'the amazing Christina' last week. I think we all need to explore our individually best movement, work on our strengths, but work even harder on our weaknesses - whatever they may be. Pilates has some amazing things to offer in this area - at some point during a session you are doing to struggle through an exercise that challenges your particular trouble spots, while you will also get great pleasure flying through a sequence that you're perfecting execution in. The key benefit is that Pilates is always striving for balance as the ultimate aim. If the pendulum swings too far in one direction there is a pathway back through focussed concentration.

If only we could use this concept of striving for balance as a map for life...unfortunately the pathways aren't always so clearly defined. I wish you all the best in your journey to balance.

The power of Pilates to ground and centre

We often talk about centreing in Pilates class. Generally I use this term to describe the engagement of deep core muscles - your pelvic floor, your transverse abdominus and some lower back/pelvic stabilisers. Centreing describes an intrinsic connectedness around which all other parts of the body revolve or rotate. You can "centre" yourself by engaging your pelvic floor and gently scooping your abdominals in towards your spine. We often talk about "squeezing into a tight pair of jeans" as a feeling for centreing.





It occurred to me that cueing the phrase centreing often supports a greater purpose with Pilates. In our day to day lives we are often very mentally distracted from our bodies. Our mind is racing through thousands of thoughts in a short period of time and we easily become disconnected from our physical selves. By focussing our thoughts on our inner corset, even for just a few minutes, a sense of connection flows through the whole self. This can ground us back in the present and allow an opportunity to fully devote ourselves to our practice.

The use of centreing as a description also supports Joseph Pilates philosophy describing our core as our "powerhouse," a source of controlled energy supporting all movement in the body. If we feel movement originating from the inside out we are purposefully reconnected with our physical self, giving us a sense of control over our bodies. This is grounding and can be very empowering. Grounding is not necessarily a static state - as we connect with our breath we become more grounded. Lengthening our muscles and enhancing our range of movement also supports further grounding. Focussing on the precision of each movement continues the grounding process.

Centreing and grounding through Pilates allows us to walk away from a session renewed - we have refreshed a source of energy and reestablished a natural connection to our physical self and a satisfying sense of acccomplisment.

Why Pilates? Some observations of grattitude

My family and I were fortunate enough to get away over the New Year period for a few days of outdoor adventures in the snowy mountains. Between bushwalking, mountain biking, bobsleds and swimming I had the opportunity to observe how Pilates impacted my execution of these physical activities. I was so grateful for the connection with my deep core muscles as we traipsed across uneven group (mountain goat anyone?) and navigated complex roots and boulders on the bike. I was so pleased to have knowledge of the best stretches to release tension from tight muscles and realign my posture after carrying a loaded pack. 

Even after all the adventures were over, I was surprised to find myself integrating Pilates principles into unpacking our holiday, balancing uneven heavy loads.

I would like to observe a wonderful gratitude for this amazing body, capably taking me through such pleasurable adventures. I warmly embrace the strength, grace, awareness and connection that Pilates has given me with my body.

I truly hope that Pilates bring you the same sense of satisfaction no matter what your activity of choice.

Until the next adventure.

Natasha