Fun!

“This isn’t fun for me!” A direct quote from a client. We were working on a standing balance exercise, improving balance was a goal for them. It was challenging for them. I was trying to help them make adjustments for better balance. And they got fed up and made that “not fun” pronouncement and gave up. We moved on to something else. Later on I pointed out that while maybe not fun that it’s important work on challenges. And then we did some “fun” stuff.

Pilates can be fun. But it’s not a form of entertainment! It’s sometimes fun, sometimes challenging, sometimes confusing and always work. It’s conditioning for the body and mind and often you’ll discover that you had no idea that your body moved that way or maybe no idea how to get your body to move that way. Some exercises will feel wonderful. Others not so much!  You shouldn’t be in pain but if we just did the things that were easy, feel good and “fun” for you you’d make very little progress. The point of Pilates is to teach your body to move in all ways possible, developing balanced strength and flexibility for better posture, balance and coordination. This is a challenging task, especially if you have had a sedentary life or only moved in limited ranges. Fortunately sessions mix up the challenges with the “fun” stuff. And which exercises are which is different for everyone!  One person might find roll up easy and “feel good” while someone else might dread it and struggle through it. Private sessions are great for helping you conquer the exercises that you struggle with in your own time while ensuring that you get to do your favorites too. Group classes are always a mix but you can go at your own pace and get modifications to help make exercises work for you as you progress. But the point of Pilates is not to have fun. Fun will be had. But facing challenges will happen. Conquering those challenges will be very satisfying. But it’s not gonna happen instantly, and some of the best exercises are the ones we like the least because they highlight our personal weaknesses. Those are usually not fun but working on them is crucial. Even those can be fun if you enjoy being challenged and experiencing something akin to failure. You’ll never truly fail if you’re attempting movement but it might not feel like success for a while.

Pilates takes practice, like anything. And we have to practice those things that are not our favorite, or “fun”!