The tribe has spoken!
And…..sometimes it is hard to understand our language if you’re not a tribe member!
So here are a few terms that our tribe members will use at our studio
Neutral Posture – Aka ‘Good Posture’
Neutral posture indicates proper alignment of the body’s segments such that the least amount of energy is required to maintain a desired position. The benefit of achieving this ideal position would be that the least amount of stress is placed on the body’s tissues. Neutral posture optimizes breathing and affects the circulation of bodily fluids. Danis, C. G.et al and Webster Medical Dictionary
Reformer and Trapeze Table (Trap Table/Caddy) – Aka Pilates Equipment
Many people only know Pilates as a matwork regime. The Reformer is a large piece of Pilates equipment, where a bed slides forwards and backwards. It is versatile and can be used for laying, kneeling, standing, in four point, sitting… you get the picture! Also it stops you from having to get to the ground to exercise. As many of our clients have pain or pathologies, this is super helpful.
The Trap Table is a similar height to the Reformer, but it has a large metal frame around it. This makes it easier again for people to move without having to lay on the floor to exercise. It was modeled around the fact that Joseph initially pinched the old bed springs from under beds in the hospitals he worked in, to help the war injured recover. These days, people who have knee ad back pain may not be able to get to the floor easily, but can still work on their strength in a safe an effective way.
Local Muscles and Global Muscles – aka core versus good looking muscles.
Put simply, this is inside versus outside muscles. Your ‘core’ as you can assume, is inside and very deep. Often the core is confused with abdominal musculature (the 6 pack muscle is called Rectus Abdominus) and this is not part of your core. It sits on the very top of your abdomen musculature, and it doesn’t attach to your back. Situps would be an example of a ‘GLOBAL EXERCISE” and will only strengthen the Rectus Abdominus muscle, hurt your back possily pre-disposing you to a disc injury, and doesn’t strengthen your core. Let me repeat that. SITUPS ARE ACTUALLY BAD FOR YOU. We don’t teach situps, and never will -but I’m getting off track.. A global exercise works the big outside, movement muscles. A local exercise strengthens the deep, stabilisers of the joints. These are the muscles that prevent injury, rehabilitate injury and these are often the most forgotten exercises as many confuse ‘feeling a burn’ as working the deep stabilisers. I am sorry to tell you that you have only been working the globals!