Top Tips for Precision in Pilates

Precision is essential to getting the most out of Pilates exercises, so it is useful to have a few strategies to ensure correct posture and alignment from the outset. Here are a couple of tips to help achieve this.

1) Mark your mat

In the picture you can see one of favourite Pilates mats – it is more than fifteen years old and very well used! One of the reasons I return to this mat again and again is the markings on it. The stripes are really helpful for making sure my body is correctly aligned, especially during side-lying exercises which require shoulder, hip and ankle alignment. If you don’t have a stripy mat you can mark your own using a good quality retractable measure and a permanent marker pen (pictured). Then you can be sure you have everything in the right place for every exercise!

2) Use a block

A yoga block can be a really useful tool to support sitting with a neutral spine, especially for beginners. It can also support head positioning for supine exercises or be held between the knees during shoulder bridges. For more advanced exercises, it can be passed between the hands and feet during the progressed double leg stretch.

Finally, on a sunny day a mat and block can always double up as an impromptu mattress and pillow for a sneaky outdoor nap!