I’m just back from winter break and winding down 2024. I rarely take large chunks of time away from the studio and teaching, but it allowed me to reflect and think about some things I learned, some beliefs that were reinforced, and some things that I would like to change this coming year.
So! Here are 10 thoughts from a Pilates and Movement teacher (AKA me) to consider as we start 2025
Number 1: Surgery, injury, or a setback in progress doesn’t mean you have failed.
Throughout my career, I’ve taught countless clients who have had some pretty tough stuff regarding injury, surgery, and rehab. Just this year, I’ve worked with people who have had replaced knees, multiple back surgeries, new hips, shoulder reconstruction, falls, cancer, my own weird injuries, acute and chronic, and all the other bangs, cuts, and bruises that just happen when living life. These things are not a mark of failure. They are a mark of being human. And in most cases, these experiences end up being a mark of complete and awe-inspiring resilience. If you have experienced injury, surgery, or a setback this past year, I’m so proud of you for navigating a hard time. In my book, we keep moving, we make changes, and we learn and accept what our bodies need to navigate this messy business of life.
Number 2: Adopting a new practice doesn’t mean you have to abandon an old one.
This past year, I deepened my weightlifting practice. Rather than feeling like Pilates was useless, it made me appreciate what Pilates offers even more. I also got back into Yoga and have continued indoor cycling. They all inform and compliment each other. I think often when we start something new, it’s natural to disregard the old. The truth is when it comes to movement we need lots of different forms and practices to help us move and feel our best.
Thanks Pilates for making my strength training better.
Thanks strength training for helping Yoga not to hurt anymore.
Thanks Yoga for helping me recover from strength training.
Thanks cardio for helping my breathing in it all.
What are you thinking of doing new this coming year? And what current practice are you keeping to support it?
Number 3: Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
So often, we wait for the perfect amount of time, the perfect plan, the perfect setup, or the perfect equipment, clothing, or mindset to get moving. It’s never going to be perfect. But all those imperfect, short, messy, and often seemingly not worthwhile workouts add up to a whole lot of good for your body, mind, and entire being.
Number 4: The best way to get better at something is to actually do it.
There is a thought sometimes that we shouldn’t practice an exercise until we are good at it. Um, you get better at it by DOING IT. No, you won’t damage or injure yourself by practicing a movement. Yes, you will learn what works and what doesn’t; over time, you will get stronger and stronger. Again, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Practice makes practice. Do the thing. Learn about yourself.
Number 5: Alignment matters, but don’t let it paralyze your practice.
There has been a lot of conversation recently about alignment in the movement world. Whether it matters or not and whether it should be taught or not. Ultimately, I believe alignment does matter and should be taught, but there is nuance. Teaching alignment in a way that scares the shit out of people is not great. Like, if you move out of a “neutral spine” your back will explode, and you are a trash human being. Not very helpful. 😬
I prefer to teach alignment in terms of choices and outcomes. What are we trying to balance out? What are we trying to get a little stronger? What isn’t moving that probably should, and what might be moving too much that might benefit from more stillness or stiffness? What shapes can we put our bodies in to explore and answer these questions? I find teaching this way makes the idea of alignment more dynamic and personal and ultimately allows for greater client autonomy and empowerment. In my book, that’s the whole point of teaching exercise and movement. Choices. Outcomes. The knowledge to know what to choose for the desired outcome.
Number 6: When you feel stuck or confused about your body, learn about it.
The body is complex. It can also be mysterious, confusing, and really frustrating. One of the most helpful things I do in sessions is show people what human anatomy looks like. Learning a bit about muscles, bones, joints, and how humans move in general is beyond empowering and can help demystify injuries, pain, and movement issues. Get an anatomy book. Look up pictures of body parts online. Download an anatomy and human movement app and poke around. When in doubt, learn.
Number 7: Work on your feet more.
It’s not as sexy as abs and glutes and triceps, but if you want to move well for the long haul, work on your feet. Strong mobile feet help with everything from back pain to tight hips to pelvic floor issues and of course foot pain. Work on your feet. Seriously. Just do it. You’ll thank me later.
Number 8: There is no perfect movement plan that will prevent all injuries or fix all problems.
In the past year, I’ve experienced a knee injury, a low back sprain, a shoulder injury, and a few other random aches and pains. Injuries happen to EVERYONE. I’m grateful for the knowledge to help myself through them and come out a bit stronger, smarter, and more resilient on the other side. That’s what I help my clients do, too. I will never promise people that working out will prevent all injury. I can promise though that working out and having a better relationship with your body and movement practice will help you navigate injuries when they inevitably do happen. Shit happens. Get as strong as you can to deal with the 💩.
Number 9: Remember, the point of working out is to do more of what you love.
I love the Pilates studio.
I love the gym.
I even love the corner of my garage where my spin bike lives among boxes and camping equipment.
But what I love more is being able to keep playing with my son and living an active life with my friends and family. We can get so caught up in performing an exercise perfectly, hitting a PR, or fitting in a particular pants size. How do you feel? Can you do what you love? Does your workout routine support your whole being? What are we really working toward in the long run? I will never yuck anyone’s yum, but in my little corner of this wild fitness world, I strive to help people not just get better at Pilates and strength but feel better living life.
Number 10: Don’t forget to make space for change.
In a sea of options to fix, optimize, enhance, improve, and conquer, don’t forget that sometimes the best thing we can do to make change is create some space. I’ve had countless conversations with clients over the years about navigating injuries, progress plateaus, and movement issues. While a well-crafted program of exercises is obviously very helpful, often what helps the most is allowing whatever problem we are working on to have some breathing room. To take a step back, focus less on fixing and focus more on creating a context or environment where the whole human is being seen and addressed. Not just a laser focus on the specific issue at hand. Instead of throwing all we have at a problem, we can give it some space, observe it, and let a new direction or path reveal itself. Don’t forget to make some space so things can change and, maybe even more importantly, so you can notice when they actually do.