By Nicole Rogers

It’s surprising that there are so few books out there that directly address the anatomy of Pilates, considering the Pilates world’s enthusiasm for studying anatomy, and considering there are plenty of books out there about the anatomy of yoga. But if you’ve been wishing for a Pilates-specific anatomy text, you’re finally in luck. 

Paul Massey’s The Anatomy of Pilates, released earlier this year by North Atlantic Books, covers the basic anatomy of the classical mat series. It is a great introduction to Pilates-specific anatomy, and it is definitely intended for Pilates professionals. The book is filled with excellent illustrations that clearly show the key muscles and how they function in each exercise. The first two chapters provide an introduction to Pilates, and a guide to posture and movement assessment. Then the book provides a description of each exercise: the movement, the breathing, the possible “pitfalls,” and of course the specific muscles that are used. 

The book is a straightforward text that deals mostly with musculature.

 
In the third installment of Pilates on Call—our month-long open Q&A with Pilates experts—we’re thrilled to welcome the owners of Core Conditioning in Los Angeles: Dawn-Marie Ickes, MPT (l); Allyson Cabot, PT (m); and Gabrielle Shrier, MPT (r). The three physical therapists/Pilates instructors founded Core Conditioning, a pair of integrated wellness centers, in 2003, where they combine physical therapy with Pilates and Gyrotonic for rehabilitation, as well as offer group classes.

This month, they will be taking your questions on joint injuries and issues—hips, knees, shoulders, feet, spine, neck, etc. Chances are you have encountered clients with problems with all of the above and more. Or perhaps you have a new client with an injury you’ve never dealt with before. Here’s you chance to get the PT-Pilates perspective on how to help them. Post your questions in the comments section below or email editor@pilates-pro.com. Dawn-Marie, Allyson and Gabrielle will get to them as quickly as possible, but might need a day or two to respond.

By Suzanne Martin, PT, DPT

Scoliosis is a chronic spinal condition, not particularly a disease. It’s a hot topic in the Pilates world, and in the hands of a skilled instructor, Pilates can excel in the long-term training needed to help change the many factors involved in the distorted spine and unbalanced musculature associated with scoliosis. In this article, I’ll introduce you to scoliosis and provide some guidelines and Pilates exercises for working with these clients.

By Madeline Black
Pilates has developed a reputation for building core strength, especially once the fitness and physical therapy worlds came to Pilates in the 1990s. But my history with early Pilates, studying in New York in the late ’80s, was always about the feet. Along the way, the core became the mantra of Pilates. I strongly feel the time has come to a focus on the feet again.

In Pilates, the feet are very important to the way we engage the body, and they deserve more attention. Feet bring to mind metaphors for moving us forward in life and finding our sense of place and existence in the world. Yet in our bodies, we pay little attention to them. We squish them into shoes, stand for long periods of time, walk on cement sidewalks. I live in the country, and we still do not pay attention to our feet here. If we did, we may lessen back issues, hip and knee pain, and release our necks.

By Debbi Goodman, MSPT

The postpartum time period is very exciting for most women, but it can be very stressful as well. Women are going through the process of healing their bodies after the birth, dealing with drastic hormonal changes, and adjusting to life with a newborn. Most women are physically exhausted and may have extreme emotional swings. Regaining their prepregnancy body is often a main concern.

In order to work with postpartum clients, Pilates instructors should have knowledge about the physical transformations of pregnancy and how they impact the musculoskeletal system.* It is common knowledge that the abdominal muscles stretch a great deal over the course of the pregnancy, and it is our challenge to help women restore the proper length, strength and tone of these extremely important muscles.

Review by Nicole Rogers

Kelly Kane, founder of the Kane School of Core Integration, is well known for her knowledge of anatomy as it relates to the Pilates method. In The Kane School Core Principles Series—her first DVD series—she delivers a lecture in three parts covering “Respiration and Pelvic Stability,” “Core Stability and Hip Differentiation” and “Cervical Nod and Curl and Scapular Stability.” The lecture is complete with anatomical illustrations, demonstrations using models, sample exercises and a glossary. Kane clearly explains these topics, from basic concepts like neutral pelvis, to the most detailed anatomical descriptions of complex systems like respiration.

Kane maintains a sense of humor throughout an almost three-hour lecture in total and uses a variety of visuals to keep it dynamic. Her demonstrations using model students are invaluable. For example, once you understand how transversus abdominis relates to the pelvic floor in the lecture, you can watch closely as Kane cues a student to engage her transversus abdominis through a series of exercises.

By Suzanne Martin, PT, DPT

Pilates training can be an excellent way to achieve the postural re-education and muscle-balancing necessary to recover from the side effects of breast cancer treatment. Pilates can help alleviate pain from breast cancer operative procedures, restore joint mobility and tissue integrity, and help regain lost strength. Most importantly, Pilates can be a gateway for a true “Return to Life” for many women, as the title of Joseph Pilates’ popular book states. However, Pilates instructors should be on the lookout for some often coincident injuries that will require additional special knowledge about the shoulder complex in order to work safely and effectively with the growing population of breast cancer survivors.

New Column! “Continuing Ed” is our regular look at workshops, programs and other methods of bodywork that can enhance your skills as a Pilates teacher. Judging from the popularity of anatomy articles on our site, Pilates instructors are anatomy junkies. That’s why we’re kicking off this new series with a look at the Functional Anatomy for Movement & Injuries (FAMI) Workshop.

If you’ve been through a Pilates teacher-training program, chances are you have a general understanding of anatomy—or maybe not. Some programs require students to take an anatomy entrance exam and others barely touch the topic. But one thing is clear: the more you know about the body and how it’s put together, the better you’ll be at helping clients work with theirs.

That’s the idea behind the FAMI Workshop, a 4-day immersion course in anatomy and injuries designed for movement professionals. Held at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, the course includes lectures by Mount Sinai faculty and other medical professionals, a hands-on look at pre-dissected cadaver sections in the gross anatomy lab and practical integration sessions.

By Lesley Powell

“Push your shoulders down.”

We hear that phrase frequently in Pilates studios, but I say it’s time to throw that cue out. Why? For most people, pressing the shoulders down freezes the shoulder girdle’s function and interrupts its natural rhythm.

The arms connect to the torso through the shoulder girdle, shoulder blades, clavicles and humerus bones. Each bone moves in different degrees of rotation and timing. The timing and the control of these motions are essential to a healthy shoulder. This “scapular-humeral rhythm” is like a symphony—each bone is an instrument playing a different variation of a melody.

A great scapular-humeral rhythm will invite the correct phrasing of the arm and core muscles. When you get a client to better use her shoulder girdle, her arm strength, posture and connection to the core will improve. Read on to learn how this rhythm works and how to help your clients improve theirs.