Footwork Fetish — Why most Instructors Insist it's the only way to start a Pilates session!

Let's dive right in, actually, let's do some footwork first!

As much as it might seem as though your instructor is using footwork as a beginning-of-the-class filler, there are some undeniable benefits to starting with footwork that you may not know! I promise your instructor wants to get to the fun stuff just as much as you do. But like Momma said, "you have to eat your vegetables before you eat dessert!"

Just like any structure, the integrity of the foundation is a huge indicator of its strength and stability. The same holds true for the human body and for that reason pilates instructors will typically start class with footwork. The benefits of footwork is backed by science; proven to help with stability, posture, and core alignment, among other things. For these reasons and a few others you may not know, I will always start my sessions with some variation of footwork.

So let's get to the bottom of footwork and why it's so important!

The First Look

When clients walk into the studio they are usually sporting a cute "fit" engaging in that "nonchalant" fast-walk, hellbent on getting "their" reformer! (Yes, it's a thing and we all do it!)

And while you think your instructor is checking out your latest matching two-piece, what we are really doing is making last minute tweaks to our well-written class-plan based on the bodies we see walking into the studio. The truth is we have a very clear idea of what we are going to focus on in class, but sometimes the exercises we have planned just won't serve every BODY. Lisa might have shoulder stiffness, and Judy might be favoring her knee that is acting out with the rain. A quality instructor is taking it all in and making little tweaks that will ultimately make the experience feasible for each client.

So how does footwork play into this initial observation? Well, footwork is the real first look, it's the meat and potatoes, the moment an instructor can evaluate alignment, posture, foot positioning at rest and in motion!

In a nutshell, here are the things I look at when I ask my clients to lay supine on the carriage with heels on the foot bar, cue breath, and spinal alignment and begin moving the carriage. I immediately look at how their back touches the carriage; are they Lordotic (swayback), Kyphotic (hunchback) or both? Do their feet pronate or supinate? Do their knees pull in medially or laterally? Are their shoulders hiking up to their ears? Do they need a prop for support? Footwork gives us that first look that allows us to make tailored modifications for clients so they have a productive session.

Let's talk balance!

Foot alignment is imperative in avoiding imbalances that can negatively impact the spine, knees and hips. During footwork we can identify any foot imbalances, such as pronation and supination. Instructors can make little adjustments that can help the client work in a way that promotes balance and stability which ultimately benefits knee, hip and spinal health. Establishing a solid foundation ultimately aids improvement in posture! So when you walk out of pilates class feeling stronger, taller, and confident you can thank footwork for supporting alignment, balance and posture.

Getting to the Core

There is nothing that makes me chuckle more than when a client comes in and says "Can we work on core today, I really want to work my abs!" To which I smile and say "of course", but what I really want to say is, "if you are connected and working within the pilates principles, your core will be worked." But I digress!

So is footwork ab work? Well, the long and short is this, if you consider stabilizing your core, proper breathing, control, and pelvic stability to be ab work, then the answer is YES! During foot work, stabilization of the lumbo-pelvic area is optimal, and in order to obtain lumbo-pelvic stability you must find the connection to the abdominals. Now if you are one of those clients that gets on the reformer and starts "cutting cold cuts" like Bruno behind the meat slicer in a busy New York Deli, then no, my friend, you are not doing much, well, you are working on my last nerve, but unfortunately, that won't give you an abdominal workout! In conclusion, footwork=core work!

Footwork is better than spinach!

Well, not unless you really like spinach, especially sauteed with a little garlic and oil! But if you're not a fan of swallowing a whole can of spinach then footwork is a great alternative to getting strong! (confused: google Popeye; If not, remember to schedule your mammogram, colonoscopy and refill your HRT!) Footwork makes you strong! More specifically your lower body heavy hitters like glutes, calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and all those little stabilizers in the feet and ankle! And I MUST mention the soleus muscle, there is a connection between movement in the soleus to glucose metabolism. Incorporating a soleus push-up during footwork can directly reduce post-meal sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity! Oh and another important tidbit that pertains to the ankles, footwork strengthening the ankle could be the difference between a misstep off a curb resulting in an ER visit for an ankle sprain or a quick self-correct that has you thanking your lucky stars for pilates and the instructor who insists on starting with footwork!

Brings awareness to the tootsies!

Feet are usually an after thought until you are wearing the wrong shoes on a long walk, writhing in pain with every step, which makes you immediately question all life choices! During footwork, you become hyper aware of your feet, how they move, how pressure and weight are being distributed. This awareness transfers into everyday and it can positively influence the biomechanics of running and walking patterns!

Footwork feeds flexibility

I can't tell you how many times I say the words "lengthen through the back of the knees", in one session! As someone who was never able to touch her toes I know the limitations a lack of flexibility can bring. It was through my pilates practice that I was able to increase flexibility and it made a world of a difference for me. I want to facilitate that journey for my clients and footwork is a great place to start increasing flexibility in the lower limbs.

Here's a little footnote, pun intended!

Footwork is not limited to the reformer, it can be completed in many different ways, and on different apparatus. I can't express more clearly how important it is to take class with a comprehensively certified instructor who is knowledgable about the different apparatus, how they are different and how they tie together to create a cohesive practice. Big box pilates studios do make pilates more accessible at a lower cost, but I can tell you that if you have the means to invest in a proper pilates studio that pays close attention to form that is where you want to be. They say "you don't know what you don't know" and unfortunately that is very much the case with many of the clients who attend big box pilates studios. It is when they experience a more intimate settings with a comprehensively trained instructor that they, not only have a safer practice, but additionally experience enormous growth in their pilates practice.

by: Joanne Dal Bon

Comprehensively Certified Pilates Instructor

Pilates Haus of Reform

Allentown, Pennsylvania