ABC Tips for Beginners - Part 1 (1-minute read)

How can a first-timer in Pilates fast track to reach their fitness goal?

For the first timers practicing Pilates, some might find it quite intimidating when we talk about the Pilates ABC and taught them to adapt these rules in their body. We were often asked, “Is there a quicker way to attain these Pilates fundamentals?”

“Yes indeed!” Isn’t it nice to hear it as words of encouragement? The prerequisite of being on this fast track is start doing the Pilates homework given. Practice makes perfect. It generally takes our body 10,000 times of repetition to learn a new move and transform it as our new muscle memory, as your new proprioception.

10,000 times? Although this process of un-learning and re-learning alignment or muscular recruitment seems like a long time, but it actually isn’t if you do the math. There are 365 days a year, if you practice a specific exercise with full concentration and awareness for just 2 minutes each time, doing 10 reps and do this 3 times a day, for example morning, lunch and evening. You’ll master what you’ve practiced after a year. This is some kind of deliberate effort in practicing.

What if we take into account of doing a few more rounds of practice each day by infusing such practice in the daily activities? For example, you could check your posture, practice the “Zipper” engagement (such as the pelvic elevator exercise for the pelvic floor) and practice the Pilates breathing while sitting down, walking, standing, shopping, and during other sports.

See… That’s plenty more reps there for you and speed things up by months, if not weeks. Your dedication is the most important element in fast-tracking your practice result. Quickly grab a mat and start practicing now.

Perhaps go back to the previous post on 14 February 2018, titled “Breathing- The Shower of Life”, to practice your B-for-Breathing. Click onto this link to read on: https://www.mindfulpilates.com.hk/en/pages/resources/blog/breathing-the-shower-of-life-(30-minutes-read).html

-       Karen Leung, Head of Pilates at Mindful Pilates in Central Hong Kong