Pilates is the PERFECT complement to any other form of movement. To kick off this series of blog posts explaining how Pilates can help with all kind of movement, sports and daily activities, let’s start with the most basic human activity:
Walking
(Technically, we probably start with crawling, but I’m guessing you don’t spend too much time doing that. Although you actually might want to. But that’s a topic for another post.)
So, back to walking. Since we’re all in the middle of this pandemic, you may find yourself going for a lot more walks – because your gym is closed, you’re bored, you finally have the time to do it.
Since walking is such a basic form of movement, it doesn’t really require much of a warmup or cool-down – you can just head out the door and get going. Or at least that’s what you’d think.
But have you ever really observed how people walk? How they move their bodies as they put one foot in front of the other? Ok, Maybe only Pilates instructors do that. And Monty Python, of course. As documented here.
Now, I really don’t want to make you self-conscious about walking – but I do very much want to encourage you to be aware of your body. So take a look around. You’ll see all sort of odd compensation patterns and lopsided movements that can over time compound into injury.
Let me stop right here and say I’m STILL glad whenever I see people walk! Movement is a GOOD THING!
So what do you need for solid walking movement? Mobility, strength and stability in the ankles, knees and hips, core control and axial elongation (that’s a fancy word for “length – especially through the spine”) are some of the most important elements.
Try these movements – and do them regularly – and see if your walk doesn’t improve.
Heel raises (single-leg)
Stand on one leg, tucking the other foot behind the ankle. (Feel free to hold onto something for balance.) Slowly lift onto the ball of the foot and come back down with control. Try to evenly weight all the metatarsals (the bones in your foot above the toes). Complete 10-20 reps and repeat on the other foot.
Ankle circles
Softly point the toes and make the biggest, slowest circle with your ankle that you can. You can hold the front of the shin to make sure the movement is actually coming from the ankle. You can do this exercises on the floor, seated or standing. Circle 3x in one direction, then reverse directions. Repeat with the other ankle.
Mini-squats
Stand with feet parallel and hip-width apart. Squat down slowly as far as is comfortable and press through the feet to come back up. Keep your chest up, stick your tailfeathers out, and make sure you’re hinging at the hip. The knees should always be pointing in the same direction as your toes, and try to keep your arches lifted by “screwing” the feet into the ground. Do 5-15 reps.
Reverse lunge
Feet are hip-width apart. Lunge back with one foot, keeping the width and trying not to wobble. Imagine a straight line from the crown of your head through the back knee. Without letting the front knee come forward, reach down through the back knee for a deeper lunge. Then push off the ball of the back foot to return to starting position. Do 5 reps on each side. (Notice how that push-off is the same as in walking? It also gives you a nice stretch of the hip flexor, which can get tight if you walk a lot – win-win! I LOVE multifunctional movements!!!)
Standing hip circles
Stand tall, shift your weight onto one foot, bend the opposite leg and draw the knee in a large, slow circle in one direction. The movement should come from your hip socket, so no rotating or hiking of the pelvis and keep your upper body square (imagine the shoulders and pelvis like a box – it doesn’t rotate or side-bend here). 3x in each direction, repeat on the other side.
Now, if you’ve been doing these carefully – with “control”, because Joseph Pilates called his method “Contrology“, which is what it’s all about! – you have actually worked to stabilize the core. The core, BTW, is basically your torso and NOT just your abdominals. Thought I’d get that out of the way:)
As for that “axial elongation”? In all those movements, think about lifting your ribs off your hips and floating your head – which is stacked above your spine – up toward the ceiling.
Go ahead and give it a try – and then get out the door and enjoy your walk!
Bonus: Prone hip flexor extension
This one is extra-effective for lengthening those tight hip flexors that result from lots of sitting and walking.
Lay face down on the floor, stacking your hands underneath your forehead. Keeping the knees bent and touching the floor, curl the toes under. Activate your core by gently pulling your belly button towards the spine, then reach through the right heel to straighten the leg and stretch the front of the thigh. Switch legs. Repeat 3 times.
Up next: Hiking, Running, Cycling, Swimming, Kayaking, Golfing … and I’m taking requests for other topics!
And if you’re not the type of person who will actually do all of that on their own (aka most of us, myself included!) – or want some eyes on you/detailed instructions – sign up for a class or try a private session!