Choose Your Own Adventure: Finding Balance at The Pilates Studio

Two nights ago I was making soup and I thought to myself, ‘this soup needs black beans, it is Mediterranean after all.’ I went to the cabinet and on the top shelf I saw the very edge of the black bean can.  I then proceeded to pull up a chair that had a wobbly leg, climb up onto it, and stand on one foot on the edge of the chair. I did all of this so that I could reach the last can of black beans out of the very back of the cabinet.  It wasn’t until my feet had hit the floor again that I realized what I had accomplished…and while getting the black beans in this way may not have been a stellar example of common sense, it was a great example of the kind of balance that Pilates can create in the body.  Really when you think about it, one could be say that Pilates averted disaster!

I jest, but I am positive that everyone can at least agree that balance is important.  Whether it is balance in myofascial connections that create posture, balance in standing, balance in spirit, or balance in any of the precarious positions that life throws our way, we are all striving to find a dynamic stasis that allows us to move in any direction we choose.  Now here’s the conundrum, one of the best ways to practice and improve balance is to throw the body into precarious situations that require struggle… It can be a frustrating thing, and I always say to clients that the minute a “balance” exercise becomes easy then progress towards better balance is halted.  It is at this point that the exercise has to be progressed by adding an additional proprioceptive challenge. For instance, if someone is standing on one foot without wobbling, then it is time to lift the heel off the floor.  It is in the struggle that the body shows the weaknesses that need to be improved.  The following exercises provide an introduction into balance practice.  Follow the instructions below and see what you discover!  Think back to the pre-teen  “choose your own adventure” novel that was popular about twenty years ago, and take a balance adventure.   

Marker Exercise - When starting a balance practice, it is helpful to use a marker exercise to measure progress.  For the purposes of this post the marker exercise is going to be standing on one foot.  Find your breath and take note of how the body feels, then keep breathing as you pick up one foot.  What is the body doing to remain vertical?  Are the hips shifting forward and back or side to side?  What are the ankles doing? What about your upper body? Asking yourself these questions will help you decide where to go next.  What is causing the struggle for balance?  After you’ve done the marker exercise, and assessed what movements your body did in the struggle choose on of the following options: 

·      If in your struggle for balance your body kept folding in half at the hip sockets,  Scroll down the page and try Gotta get me some hip power, anterior pelvic tilt, and More than just the plank. Then try the marker exercise again.

·      If your hips kept shifting forward and your back was arching, scroll down and try the photos of the log balancing sequence and toe taps on the foam roller then scroll up and try More than just the plank. Then try the marker exercise again.

·      If you tried the marker exercise and your ankle was wobbling everywhere, scroll down and try Stomping out foot pain with Pilates, and with that also try the  calf raise exercises on the step, and then scroll up and try Gotta get me some hip power. Then try the marker exercise again.

·      If your balance was perfect with no wobbles and your spine was perfectly still, then go back to the beginning and try the marker exercise again with either your eyes closed or standing on your toes.  Remember the best way to assess balance is when the body is struggling to find it. Then choose one of the previous options

·      If none of these items fit your marker exercise story, then write a  comment below, tell me what did happen and I will reply with some ideas.

      Gotta Get Me Some Hip Power

Anterior Pelvic Tilt

More than Just the Plank

Balance on the Log

First lift one leg

Then lift opposite arm

Then lift both arms

Toe Taps

Stomping out foot pain with Pilates

Calf Strengtheners

Calf raises with straight legs

Calf raises with a bend at the knees

Alternating calf raise

This was a fabulously fun blog post to write.  I got to think back to the wonderfully pleasant moments I spent reading choose your own adventure novels, and write about one of my most favorite areas of functional movement. What could be better? Please feel free to leave a comment with any questions.

Katrina Hawley, C.M.A, R.S.M.E

CO-owner of The Pilates Studio.