How do you know if you’re progressing in Pilates? There are many ways to approach this question. While the focus here is Classical Pilates it easily applies to other forms of physical exercise training.
For clarity’s sake this is highly dependent on your consistency and dedication to a particular training method. Our application is based on long term investment training not just a few sessions.
Progression elements are categorized in five broad buckets, let’s dive in.
Bucket 1-Knowledge
Over the course of any type of exercise training one’s knowledge base should gradually increase. From a Pilates’ perspective this includes at a minimum these six components.
- Know more exercises
- Understand exercise order when applicable, as in reformer and mat
- Exhibit familiarity with multiple apparatus
- Comprehend movement principle of stretch and strength with control
- Grasp the concept within exercises of what is moving and what is not moving
- Understand and utilize breath to enhance movement patterns
Bucket 2-Goals
The decision to embark on a training method such as Pilates and or personal training involves having personal goals. Some examples are, improve posture, enhance core strength, gain greater mobility in shoulders, diminish back pain and restore overall fitness level. These are just a few of the multitude of goals attainable.
Thus, knowing if you are progressing means taking the time to review, remember and relate to what your original goals were and consulting with your trainer as to current status. It’s important to acknowledge that reaching goals and overall body enhancement is not a straight-line path. It is filled with plateaus as well as highs and lows especially when injuries or life challenging events occur.
Additionally, one might want to change a goal. It could be that maturity in life and training presents new avenues to pursue. For instance, an older individual might need a new focus on upper back strength than they did originally. Time changes our needs and priorities.
Bucket 3-Body Awareness
Pilates is the ultimate in posture and body awareness training method, in my humble opinion. One of my favorite responses when asked, what does Pilates do?
Pilates enhances posture, improves body mechanics, increases body awareness and in a nutshell helps you move better.
A good example in awareness is when you notice “outside” of your Pilates or other training that you are much more aware of where and how your body is in space. Are you mindful of your posture in your car? Are you noticing not only yourself but how others move, sit or stand?
Finally, do you take notice, for example when slouching on a Zoom meeting to maybe sit up a bit taller. (Hint: put a sticky note next to your computer if not!)
Bucket 4-Applicability
For athletes or even recreational sports’ enthusiasts like avid golfers, is Pilates enhancing your sport? Progressing means being able to apply the training received to other aspects of your life. It does not have to be a sport but could be a hobby, like gardening or even a household chore such as loading and unloading groceries.
Seeing and feeling improvement in other physical endeavors is a true sign of progression. For many individuals, this has slowly seeped into your movement patterns and you might be less cognizant of the improvement.
Bucket 5-Proficiencies
Any form of total body exercise training should contain the five elements below. Progression will entail training in all aspects that continues to augment and support adequate skill acquisition that is safe, age appropriate and specific to the individual needs. One would expect to see gradual increase of skill level in all components of the exercise method.
- Strength
- Endurance
- Balance
- Coordination
- Flexibility & Mobility
Progressing can be exhibited in a variety of skill acquisition manners. For example, you simply can do something you could not before. You are able to execute an exercise with precision and control which was not possible in the beginning. You can do exercises that require more complex combinations of movement. There is overall strength and confidence in movement performance.
Realizing that each of the above pillars of physical fitness will progress at varying levels, speeds and assimilation within your own unique specific learning style. We gain proficiency in a field through kinesthetic, auditory, writing and visual approaches. It is this combination of learning styles that can truly enhance learning and progress.
It’s important to note that due to the Covid lockdowns there are limitations to the ability to both learn and progress if virtual teaching is the sole option. Therefore, progress might happen at a slower pace and or in a more nuanced phase forward.
Final Note
Physical fitness training truly exemplifies life’s journey. Understanding and investigating one’s level of progression means taking good stock of where your voyage began and taking a deeper look into where you would like to go. You might be quite content with where you and that’s OK too! Just sit back and enjoy the ride!
Maybe the preoccupation with technological progress has overshadowed our concern with human progress.
Wynton Marsalis
