cue redo

do you, not the cue

how we say something can be more important than what we're actually saying, and this is true whether we're talking to our toddlers, partners, coworkers or fitness classes. i've written before about how certain common movement cues produce less than optimal results - in my own body and in my clients' as well - and today i'm digging in a little deeper as to why that is and what to do about it.

the first thing to understand is that in pilates and barre, as in life, nothing exists in a vacuum. meaning, just because an exercise might target a specific muscle or muscle group, the entire body from nose to toes participates in executing the movement. i call it integrate to isolate, and what i mean by that is to organize our limbs through center and mentally check in everywhere to best perform even the simplest bicep curl. so when a teacher repeatedly cues “belly button to spine" in a roll up and doesn't mention the other, very real actions of the hips, back or or pelvic floor, a whole lot of information and muscle activation is missed. 

over time, this can lead to imbalance, overuse and even weakening of certain muscles. i see it in clients all the time. someone complains to me of hip flexors taking over or having trouble finding their low abs or having crunchy shoulders and i can almost guarantee it's because of how they were taught to move. a willingness to undo old cues you don't need anymore is just as important as being receptive to new ones. not saying it's easy, but it is important. for me, i had to actually let go of my core, and all the cues it had embodied over the years, a lot before i could understand how to better engage it and use its powers for good. pregnancy helped, but i also consciously had to quiet the classical pilates/ballet teacher in my head telling me there was only one way to do it. 

the problem is that we think it's our fault. we think that we're weak, unfit, that we “just don't get it” or are somehow relegated to doing modified versions of exercises forever. hear me now: it's not that you're weak, and you're definitely not stupid. it's that you're strong, and you were told how to do something and you did that cue just as well as you could. and the cue probably wasn't wrong either - it just wasn't the whole story. 

it is imperative that you actually feel the movement in your body and develop the ability to talk to your muscles so, at the very least, you can rephrase for them what your instructor is saying. my advice is that if you don't feel it when your abs are being cued, back off the cue, adjust your pelvis, and take a breath. look with your eyes or hands or mind-body awareness and find your own way into the movement. try what your instructor is suggesting, receive their corrections with curiosity and openness, but don't take their words as the gospel (unless it's me and i'm trying to help you get a great hip hinge 😂).

again, in pilates & barre, as in life, it's best to take just what you need and leave the rest. 

explore

try this: have a seat on the floor with knees bent, feet on mat, hands behind thighs. now pull your belly button back to your spine and feel what happens. just live here for a few breaths. see how it feels to move air around in your back. check in with shoulders, hips, neck, and belly. release and sit up tall again.

now try this: from the same seated position, curl your tailbone up into the front of your pelvis and send your hips towards your heels. bring your pubic bone towards your navel and pull everything in between towards your low back. stay here for a few breaths. check in with shoulders, hips, neck, and belly. 

feel the difference? 

i'd love to hear what you think, how it feels, or if there's a cue or two you'd like to have my edit on. come on into the studio, or heck, just hit reply and let me know!

that's it for today, babes, stay cool ✌️