What the heck are “movement patterns “?

I have written about movement patterns quite a lot and I’ve realized that perhaps people might not really understand what that means and why they’re important. So I will try to explain the what and why.

Movement patterns are just how the body is, well, moving. Walking, sitting, reaching, bending. You’ve been told “lift with your legs, not your back” but unless your body knows how to do that the phrase is  useless.

The human body is an amazing system. When the spine and all the joints are moving properly it is capable of performing all kinds of things. With specific training it can achieve extraordinary feats. But unfortunately modern life has led to too much sitting and too little movement in daily life. This is something Joe Pilates saw happening over 100 years ago, and his method was designed to be a solution for this very problem!

Many fitness methods focus on strength, flexibility and “form”. But very few focus on movement. And fewer still focus on the spine itself. How the spine and all the joints function is imperative to health and longevity.  The dodgy is made to move. So the idea of “having good form” is much more complex than just “standing up straight” or keeping your shoulders “down”. When the movement patterns are not working properly you will be wearing your joints down and causing potential damage. The muscles you might think you’re working in a particular exercise might not be able to function so you’ll be overworking other muscles. There’s no quick fix to these issues, but with some careful and consistent work you’ll get your body moving more functionally and feel less pain and more freedom in movement. It won’t take long before you’ve improved those movement patterns and that results in healthier joints, less pain and tension.  This translates into all aspects of your life, so sitting, walking and all activities become easier. You can recover the ability to do things that you might have thought you lost due to age.

So, that’s what movement patterns are and why they’re important. Pilates is all about rebuilding movement patterns and giving your body the potential to do the things that you want to do. If you’ve been exercising but not feeling like it’s giving you the results you want please consider Pilates. I’m here to help you reach your goals no matter what they are, no matter your size, age or abilities. Every body can do Pilates and the benefits you’ll reap go far beyond how you look. Pilates will help you live better. Because movement is life.