A Deep Dive Into Pilates Part Six: Precision
“A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of doing sloppy calisthenics or forced contortions. “
~ Joseph Pilates ~
The final two principles of Pilates start to come together with time and practice. As breath, concentration, centering, and control meld together, the student will start to experience the true accomplishment of precision and flow.
I like to think of precision as the maturation of accuracy. Accuracy is the proximity of performance to a specific target while precision is the quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate in repetitive execution. We’ve all
heard the saying, “Once is luck, twice is coincidence, and three times is a pattern or skill.”
Joseph Pilates developed his repertoire on the mat and apparatus to be performed with precision. Joseph believed this emphasis on perfect technique and movement helped his students to break down existing bad habits and learn how to move correctly. Within each Pilates exercise there is an appropriate placement, alignment, and trajectory for each part of the body. Every movement and step is performed in a precise manner with specific shapes and cues for each exercise. For each activation there is an appropriate release and for each gross movement pattern there is a counter balance and an accessory motion.
Your Pilates teacher is your partner in this journey. They are the ones who will help you to learn how your body is currently moving and they will guide you towards better performance and greater awareness. It is so valuable (and eye opening) to have a teacher watching you and providing external feedback. Very often, what clients think they are doing is not always what is actually happening. By precisely controlling the movements you are able to achieve more uniform development in your body. You can strengthen the weaker muscles, release tension in the overworked areas, and elongate tight muscles. Overall improvement will occur with time and practice. Your ability to feel what is right, what is precise, will grow and you will be able to transfer this knowledge into all facets of your active and mobile life.
Our most dedicated clients often talk about how much Pilates has enhanced their activities and sports whether it is biking up Mt. Washington, nordic skiing, ice hockey, hiking, rock climbing, tennis, or running. They reflect on how sourcing strength from the core, finding the correct movement pattern, incorporating breath, and sinking into a rhythm gives them more power, endurance, precision, performance, and with all of that a greater sense of ease. That’s right, they’re performing better and at the same time it feels easier. Precision and accuracy make us feel on target and on track as it is only then that flow and grace can occur. It's precision that takes skill to the next level.
The demand for precision in Pilates can often cause frustration in clients. We have many newcomers that have been used to the fast, big, more weight, more reps world and it takes a moment for them to transition and understand the importance of quality over quantity and conscious versus subconscious action. When these clients are asked to perform at a slower pace and with more focus, a common misconception is that it’s “too easy.” That is directly translated as exercises being done without control and clients not knowing what muscles should be working. Each Pilates movement has a purpose, placement and technique that needs to be followed in order to be successful. When we move with precision, our bodies can execute the movements better and we can therefore achieve greater benefit from it. Precision will help you to actually feel the proper engagement. We want to strive to feel it in the right places, and not just mimic and look like the teacher or the person next to you. Looking the same and feeling the same are very different things. Not to mention that the outcomes will be completely different. It’s important to value the process as much as the result.
"Patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor." ~ Joseph Pilates
We are a society that has grown accustomed to a fast pace and fast results paired with increased ease and decreased effort. A text or email is now sent and responded to in a matter of minutes. A book can be ordered and read on a kindle. Movies are streamed and TV shows are binge watched in episodes of plenty. We order online and have what we want in two days with Prime. Gone to many of us are the days of envelopes and stamps and browsing the aisles of movie and book stores. For some, “waiting” or slowing down has become downright uncomfortable. And yet when it comes to the body and seeing results - waiting, patience, repetition, and consistency are exactly what are required. There are no fast results, only practice.
Anyone will tell you that precision is key to performance training. Whether it is football, basketball, ballet or any other sport, being accurate and precise helps you to excel. It is important to realize that precision is also important in everyday life activities. It allows us to perform tasks with greater ease and more efficiency. Clients will often say that they feel more connected and coordinated - more energetic and motivated. Accuracy and precision in day to day activities reduces energy expenditure, helps with healing, and can have an impact on those dealing with chronic fatigue or even a progressive illness.
For those who have experienced Pilates at Sakash Health and Wellness, you know that we ask a lot of questions, we are constantly assessing and reassessing, and that we tell you where and how you should be moving and feeling things. All of those moments matter and eventually build up to the greater precision we are striving for. It is through this process that you learn which muscles are supposed to work and when, how to properly align your body, and how to teach your body and mind to understand the movement better. But the most valuable and effective part is that you then take what you have learned and you apply it to all of the movements in in life. We can all benefit from a mind-body exercise protocol and we also need to be asking ourselves what our physical goals really are. At the end of the day, it is about living a healthier, longer, pain-free life. Quality movement with proper execution and body awareness will help to promote that.
Expect nothing less than feeling your best.
Sincerely,
Shellie