A Quickie Guide to Preventing a Pilates Injury

Pilates is an exceptional exercise program that has the body awareness and mind connection without all the New Age Asian mysticism type of stuff that often go hand in hand with yoga. More and more people are introducing themselves to the low impact wonder of Pilates. However, just like with any other sport, there is just one problem – injuries. Pilates has less than most thanks to the low impact aspect, but it still does happen on occasion.

Pilates proponents proclaim that Pilates is a low impact exercise program which helps ease the aches and pains from the back, neck and other areas of the body. The problem though lies in the fact that Pilates also can be quite demanding on your body as well, especially the musculoskeletal system – in other words, your muscles and bones. You must be well in tune with your body in order for Pilates to work to its maximum efficiency. Attuning your self to your body does not happen overnight though which is why injuries can occur.

Half the battle is the knowing of which Pilates exercises are the best for you and this may require the help of a certified Pilates professional. If you are not accustomed to the exercises or you are recovering from an injury, you can just make the aches and pains much worse. You need a Pilates professional who can modify some of the exercises to compensate for the pain or injury. Of course, adhering to the main principles of Pilates always helps too.

1. Learn how to center yourself. This requires holding particular muscles in a neutral position which creates a general spine alignment in the process. Correct alignment (finding the neutral position) before performing any Pilates exercise is important and knowing how to correct the technique is essential.

2. Breathe properly for fewer injuries. Inhalation and exhalation at the right times during the Pilates exercises is crucial. When you inhale, the diaphragm helps stabilize the trunk area of the body where the core muscles are located. Exhaling air should not be forced but let out naturally.

3. Accuracy is important in Pilates, particularly when following the directions of the instructor. If you do not follow through correctly for some of the moves, you can seriously hurt yourself. Being precise in aligning your spine is important as it encourages better posture, flexibility and more.

4. Controlling those precise movements is essential to proper techniques. Once you learn what the core alignment is and what it feels like, you know that each Pilates exercise typically requires this position before providing resistance in any number of exercises. Also keep in mind that every person is different so your breathing techniques and core exercises may slightly differ from someone else.

5. Emptying your mind and only concentrating on the Pilates exercise at hand is important. Allowing other issues and distractions to cloud your mind could result in unnecessary injury. Therefore, concentration is paramount.

6. Fluidity is important in movement and only comes with economizing. Why take 10 extra steps to accomplish something when you could do it in far less? Economizing movement creates better flow and fluidity. It is also a great way to compartmentalize movements as they are easier to break down and analyze.