Classical Pilates for Modern Life
(A Harmonious Pilates, Inc. Original Publication)
by Joanna Telacka
Classical Pilates Teacher
Business Owner
Triathlete
April 20th, 2024
Shining light on Pilates truths, honoring Joseph Pilates,
and supporting you in your Pilates journey.
I Wrote Last Week's Newsletter With a Goal...
It was to inspire those of us who, for the sake of maintaining our good health, should get up off the chair or the couch more often.
I hope that my message resonated 😊
(here is a link if you want to read it again)
https://classicalpilatesformodernlife.mykajabi.com/sitting-is-the-new-smoking
Now that you know you should add movement to your life to balance out the negative effects of prolonged sitting, what’s the best way to do it?
My advice is simple:
Avoid the “all or nothing” approach.
Instead, figure out “how” to move to create long-lasting positive changes in your body and eliminate the probability of injury.
Why talk about injury?
Simply because, any time we start a new physical activity, we need to set up some safeguards that will guarantee that we are able to pursue that activity for years to come.
We need to set up an injury prevention system.
You may be thinking of taking up brisk-walking, running, biking, tennis, pickleball, or team sports. All of these activities will benefit your body. All of them also will lead to shortening (tightening) your leg muscles and creating stress on the hip joints, knees, and ankles. Unless you have a support system in place that will provide a balance between effort and recovery, between muscles working (shortening) and muscles stretching (lengthening), the repetitive motion that is built into these activities will eventually result in restricting the movement of the joints and will cause discomfort or injuries.
For example: It is not uncommon to experience hamstring or calf muscle strain from taking up pickleball or tennis, where sudden stops and starts demand the muscles to be ready to perform “on demand” and the joints to move quickly. A lack of uniform development of both can result in an injury. Repetitive running, brisk walking, and cycling can create stress on the knees and the hip joints and result in knee pain and/or inflammation of the hip flexors/hip pain.
So what is the solution?
Dynamic stretching like we find in the classical Pilates system of exercises, combined with controlled movements that strengthen the muscles, increases the range of motion in hip joints, knees, and ankles. This is the proven way to balance out the demands of repetitive movements of the lower limbs. These attributes make classical Pilates a perfect base layer for any physical activities we wish to pursue.
Joseph Pilates on his Method of Contrology
"Nor does Contrology err either by over-developing a few muscles at the expense of all others with resulting loss of grace and suppleness, or at a sacrifice of the heart or lungs. Rather, it was conceived to limber and stretch muscles and ligaments so that your body will be as supple as that of a cat and not muscular like that of the body of a brewery-truck horse, or the muscle-bound body of the professional weight-lifter you so much admire in the circus".
"Return To Life"
My Two Cents
During activities like walking, running, or biking, the repetitive bending and straightening of the legs over time can lead to wear and tear on the hip joints, knees, and ankles. When the muscles supporting these joints are not only strong but also flexible, joint movement is smooth and unrestricted, allowing for long-term, frequent activity.
Personally, I use Pilates to counterbalance the effects of sitting—something I do quite a bit when creating content for my newsletters, instructional videos, or social media posts. My triathlon training involves a lot of running and biking, and I add even more miles when preparing for marathons. I don’t have a preferred approach to classical Pilates; I get just as effective of a workout on the Mat as I do on the equipment.
Try it all, mix it up, and work toward the uniform development of your body.
If you don’t have access to equipment, no worries—learning the Mat will still bring lasting positive changes to the way you walk, run, or bike for years to come.
Stay Connected with Us! 🌟
If you want more content related to Pilates, stretching, health, and fitness, be sure to join our community and stay connected through our various platforms:
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You can always reach out if you need a question answered, more guidance or encouragement—let's share our Pilates journey together 😊
And If you know someone who can benefit from the content of my newsletter, please share it with them. My goal is to reach as many people as I can to help them have a better quality of life. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Joanna 😊
