Today’s blog is a little blast from the past! This was originally posted two years ago when we were having outdoor classes at Mandy’s house (so thankful we’re no longer neck-deep in Covid-times)! But because Pilates and functional movement aren’t trendy, the principles are still highly relevant today. Enjoy!
Last week in my Pilates in Holland Outdoor Reformer Class, Mandy told us to pretend to hold tiny golf pencils under the outside corners of our butt cheeks.
“That’s the part we needed to work. Squeezing those cheeks together just results in a unibutt, and nobody wants that!”
Being, well, cheeky, I joked, “What’s a unibutt anyway??”
“Do you really want to see it? Unibutt looks like this.” (You’ll have to ask Mandy to show you, I didn’t get a picture! A blogger describes it as: “a fast-growing epidemic in the older generations. This is where your butt looks like you have one butt cheek instead of two. I honestly don’t know what is the cause and I hope I never have to find out. It is like diaper-panties or something!”)
But, back to Mandy: “And I want to say I’m being vain and just want to have a better-looking butt. But really, it leads to all kinds of problems.”
When those outside glute muscles don’t work well, you are not as stable on your feet, leading to a shuffling gait rather than a smooth walk. Because you don’t feel secure on just one standing leg, turning around becomes more of a three-point turn instead of a smooth pivot.
Here’s Terree demonstrating the difference:
A mobile, balanced gait.
A shuffling gait, with less balance & mobility.
Pilates helps us have a stronger core and trunk, but there are many more long-term health benefits:
- Posture: Think of undoing years of poor posture! Pilates helps us retrain muscle patterns.
- Balance: We want you to be as active as you want to be and able to explore all the things your heart desires. Feeling that pep in your step to enjoy the simple daily tasks ahead of you or taking on a new adventure is our goal.
- Reshape your body: Pilates uses the smallest to largest muscles, creating a whole-body approach to your workout and wellness every time. It’s so efficient that you feel the “pilates buzz” even after a short movement session.
- Body-mind connection: Use your breath to reduce stress & calm your mind while increasing your energy so that you can show up as the healthiest version of yourself.
So, yes, Pilates in Holland is here to help you look and feel better about your body. But that’s a side-effect of helping your body to be stronger, more balanced, and capable of performing the everyday tasks we take for granted for years to come. And that’s the magic, the secret sauce of living and aging well. To keep doing the things we love with the people we love, just like we get to do with you every day.
