#53 Some Big Pilates Questions

And Why They Might Help Us Understand People Better

Over the last two weeks, I found myself confronted with many questions about Pilates.

What even is Pilates? Why should I practice it? Why do we always start with Footwork on the Reformer? Can we please skip the Hundred? What is "real Pilates"? What is "correct Pilates"?

The questions never seem to stop.

At first, one would think there must be an answer to every question. Lately, however, I have found myself answering almost all of them with the same sentence:

It depends.

Not because I don't know the answer, but because most Pilates questions cannot be answered without first understanding the person asking them.

What are their goals? What does their body need? What do they enjoy? What challenges are they facing outside the studio?

The longer I teach, the more interested I become in understanding the individual in front of me, and the less interested I become in universal answers.

Because bodies don't fit neatly into boxes. And people don't either.

So perhaps before asking whether something is right or wrong, correct or incorrect, we should first ask a different question:

Who is the person in front of us?

Pilates and Biomechanics – Is Following the Science Enough?

I absolutely love science and can get really nerdy when it comes to scientific papers about biology, the body, and movement. But reading a study is entirely in the theoretical sphere and does not always translate into real life with real bodies.

A simple example: yes, there might be a perfect way to move according to how the body is built and intended to function, but how often do you think you can perform an "optimal movement" when you are surfing?

Less often than you think, because the biggest challenge is reacting to constantly changing situations. In surfing, as in life, things rarely go exactly according to plan. Real life is rarely a sterile, controlled experiment.

Therefore, my argument: let people make imperfect movements in an imperfect world, as long as those movements help them find new connections within their body.

And Pilates provides an amazing toolkit for exactly that.

For example, I have my personal Wunda Chair routine that focuses on balance, grounding, and connection through the hip. Because this is where my work lies right now: connecting my feet to the ground (or, in my case, the surfboard).

And well, if I can't find my best C-Curve in that moment, so be it.

I'm not implying that I shouldn't work on my spinal mobility, but as I prepare to become a better surfer, my priority lies elsewhere.

And I believe that, as good teachers—regardless of the field—this should be our first and foremost priority: How can we help this specific person with their specific needs in their current life situation in the best possible way?

The person is the focus, not a paper written by people who have never seen the body in front of me.

Classical vs. Contemporary Pilates – What Is Better for Me?

Another big question. And another question with no one-size-fits-all answer.

One of the loudest criticisms of Classical Pilates is that it is boring and that there is no creativity. And yes, I agree—it might be boring for the first one to three years. Yep, really! We are talking about years.

Because in Classical Pilates, you first have to learn all the exercises on all the equipment and then practice, practice, practice. And this is true for both students and teachers.

But—and this is the most important part—after you have put in that work, the real fun begins.

And yes, I totally understand that in a time when we are used to one-click payments, next-day delivery, and everything being fast and instant, it can be difficult to understand that some things cannot be rushed, accelerated, achieved through shortcuts, or obtained easily.

Classical Pilates (and surfing) is a slow process. And yes, at times it can be frustrating, and feel like one step forward and three steps back.

But if you keep showing up, stay curious, and trust the process, it will reward you.

So while you are asking, "Why do we have to do the Hundred again?" the answer, whenever it comes to slow-process skill learning, is always the same:

So we can look deeper and deeper.

And I guarantee you that you will always find something new.

Contemporary Pilates is the fun, every-time-slightly-new, exciting option, and if you enjoy it, go for it. There are excellent and very motivated Contemporary teachers out there. 

But if you are looking for something that goes deeper, beyond the generic and into the personal—something where only time can bring answers to your questions—then find a Classical teacher.

Do It This Way. Do It That Way. Who's Right?

I have had the privilege of working and training with some of the best-known teachers in the Classical Pilates world.

And every single one of them has their own handwriting when it comes to Pilates and teaching itself.

Apart from that, in very specific exercises, I have noticed significant differences in how each teacher approaches and teaches them.

Elephant on the Reformer with the heels all the way back to the shoulder blocks?

Stomach Massage Round with four springs or two springs?

How short or long should the leather straps be?

Down Stretch with upright hips or with the thighs touching the mat?

The list goes on—and we are just talking about the Reformer.

The really fun questions begin when we move to the Wunda Chair and the endless discussion about spring settings.

So who's right and who's wrong?

Well...

You have to find your own personal answer to that question.

I have taken classes with some of the best-known teachers in the Pilates world, and sometimes it simply didn't feel right in my body.

Does that make them bad teachers?

No. Absolutely not.

They were simply not the right teacher for me at that particular moment in time.

And so I come back to this personalised way of thinking.

A teacher who has no idea what surfing demands of the body and who cannot identify with the nature of surfing will have difficulty truly understanding why my body behaves the way it does.

The best Pilates teacher in the world may not know how someone feels after a week of heavy surf with hours and hours spent in the water.

And how can that teacher possibly train me in the studio in the best way?

So, back to the question of who's right and who's wrong when it comes to different approaches within Classical Pilates.

My answer is this:

The teacher who understands my body, my habits, and my day-to-day life best—and who can translate that understanding into a Pilates session that helps me live life better—that teacher is right.

A Final Thought

Maybe that is why so many questions—in Pilates and in life—are difficult to answer.

Not because the answers are complicated, but because people are.

Bodies change. Priorities change. Life changes.

And perhaps our job as teachers and humans in general is not to become certain, but to remain curious.

Curious enough to keep learning, keep observing, and keep asking questions.

Curious enough not to put people into boxes.

And curious enough to keep meeting the person in front of us as an individual, even after many years.