Pilates Question

[intelsana]

So I just finished up mari winsor's 20 minute pilates workout and I had a thought that I have had after every single pilates workout I have done: I feel my core a little but during the workout but I don't really feel much else. I don't feel sore afterwards. The only thing I feel is my neck being quite sore. So I am wondering....am I doing something wrong? Is mari winsor's 20 minute workout too easy for me? Should i be feeling sore after pilates? How do I know that its working? I don't want to do the workout and waste my time.

Any thought?

[killoffsonny]

I don't know what to tell you. I've done pilates regularly for three yrs now at least once a week and I've never felt sore. The only time I feel sore is in my triceps if I haven't done the tricep pushups in a long time.

[buffmama]

For me, if I feel my neck I'm not using my core enough. With pilates it more of pulling in than a crunch feeling. If the moves are too fast I lose that and don't have good form. The slower workouts are great for focusing on the rolling and stretching aspects that can get lost also if moving too quickly. You may also just need to drop your neck back a little like you're in bed but keep your shoulders up. I also think I tend to feel the work more the neck day. Even if I don't, if I have a regular pilates practice I do notice the difference in what I can do and how I look. Good luck!

[Kitten]

Let me start out by saying I am not a fan of Mari Winsor. That being said, her 20 minute workout is not very good imho. I think she spends way too much time setting up each exercise so you're not getting anywhere near 20 minutes worth of exercise. As far as your neck being sore, I agree with buffmama.
For me, the Crunch videos with Ellen and Yogilates always have me sore the next day, ymmv.

[luvcritters]

It's been a long time since I've done the 20-minute workout. If I remember correctly she gets you into position and then explains things. It might seem like a waste of time but you're holding an isometric contraction and gaining strength. She does this in most if not all of her workouts.

Lay your head and upper body down when your neck starts hurting. No one says you have to hold your head up for The One Hundred or the Series of Five. Eventually you'll gain enough strength and your neck won't bother you. Squeezing your glutes and keeping your ribs down will help you hold your head up.

I don't think you need be sore to get something from Pilates. Sore to me means I did too much or worked muscles I haven't worked in a long time.

[loulou]

From the book, “pilates body in motion” by Alycea Ungaro.

“CHIN TO CHEST”

“In exercises that call for the body to remain flat on the floor with head and limbs elevated, the position of the head is vital. Other exercise techniques use the image of an egg or some other object placed under the chin during abdominal exercises. In Pilates we use the weight of the head drawn forward to help decrease neck tension and thereby increase the work of the abdominals.

Bringing the chin too far down where it presses against the neck is incorrect and uncomfortable. Conversely leaving the head behind you will strain the front of the neck muscles and make it difficult to maintain correct spinal alignment. The correct alignment places the head above the sternum (breastbone) with a space underneath the chin and the eyes focused on your midsection or girdle area. This position also facilitates the best possible recruitment of your powerhouse.”

Great book. You can do a “look inside” on Amazon. Form is everything in Pilates.

[Gancho Girl]

Originally Posted by loulou

Form is everything in Pilates.

this.

I think an egg is too small for most people's alignment. I tell clients to imagine a peach under their chin, and they don't want to squeeze it or the juice will run everywhere, but they don't want to drop it either.

[Aunt Famous]

Speaking generally -- and not in reference to the Mari Winsor workout -- I do a ton of Pilates and never feel sore; at most, my muscles will feel a little fatigued. This is a change from the days that I lifted heavy, where I typically felt wiped out and like I'd been hit by a freight train. I started Pilates because I got tired of feeling like that. I am always surprised by how I feel after Pilates since I usually feel like I should be doing something more. But consistency has paid off for me. I look completely different now, and I have much better posture. I also find Pilates to be very soothing, and I feel less anxious on days when I have a Pilates workout under my belt.

Mari Winsor is not my favorite purveyor of Pilates exercises. You might want to try Jules Benson's Total Core Pilates, Molly Tittle's Quick Cut Pilates, or either of the Andrea Speir discs. I have a subscription to Pilates Anytime ($18/month), which has been well worth the money. Jules Benson's disc shows modifications for sore necks -- for example, she'll suggest that you keep your head on the ground in the neck hurts, or recommend a small pillow. (Even the reformer has a head rest that you can move up on some moves for your comfort.)

Good luck. The more Pilates I do, the more difficult it becomes. If it is something you enjoy, stick with it and measure your results after a consistent program. Like I said, I keep getting (pleasantly) surprised by how I look and feel these days with Pilates, dance, spinning, and walking being the mainstays of my fitness program.

AF

[sheepla]

I learned pilates from Ana Caban dvds and would recommend them as a starting point (particularly her beginners workout). I don't mind the Mari Winsor workouts but they are not the place to start when it comes to getting form right.
I think buffmama is right on when she says if your neck is sore, you aren't engaging your core enough (I have the same problem with using my hip flexors instead of my core at times).