Mind & Motion

07/29/2026

When we said being consistent is important… 😂

07/27/2026

This is one of the reasons Pilates can feel so good after a day of sitting.

You move your spine in multiple directions, take your joints through their available range of motion, activate muscles that have been relatively quiet, and reconnect with positions your body hasn’t visited in hours.

Giving your body the movement variety it was built for helps keep things working and feeling good.

07/24/2026

The true meaning of aging gracefully. 😂

07/22/2026

Everyone’s experience with Pilates is different, but one thing we hear again and again is that it helps people feel more confident in their bodies. That is a win to celebrate.

07/20/2026

Pain is often treated as an inevitable part of pregnancy, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to help manage it.

Researchers found that adding a supervised Pilates program to standard prenatal care helped reduce pain and disability, with smaller improvements in mood. Sleep quality, however, didn’t change significantly. What I appreciated about this study is that it didn’t promise miracles. That’s what good research often looks like: some outcomes improve, others don’t.

For many expecting mothers, moving with less pain can make everyday life feel more manageable. And when movement feels better, it’s often easier to stay active throughout pregnancy.

While Pilates isn’t a cure-all, this study suggests it can be a valuable addition to prenatal care for women experiencing pregnancy-related back and pelvic pain.

Study: Pilates-based therapeutic exercise for pregnancy-related low back and pelvic pain: A prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

07/17/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions about aging is that it happens all at once.

It happens gradually—in the habits we keep, the ones we lose, and the small choices that shape our days over the years.

That’s why we’re less interested in chasing the “perfect” workout and more interested in helping people build a relationship with movement that lasts a lifetime.

📚 Research summary inspired by Scott Wescombe.

07/15/2026

Sometimes I start my workout like this: (Meghan on the reformer doing footwork)
Sometimes I start my workout like this: (Meghan on the wall doing WECK method stretches)

CAPTION: I came across a post recently where a well-known Pilates account criticized another teacher for starting class with side-bending and rotation. To be fair, that sequence might not be appropriate for everyone—but it also might be exactly what many people need.
It got me thinking: just because one movement method follows a particular sequence doesn’t mean a different approach is wrong. Different doesn’t automatically mean harmful.
In classical Pilates, we typically begin a reformer workout with footwork because that’s how Joe Pilates originally sequenced it (though he often preceded it with work on the Cadillac). Footwork is a global movement that helps connect your feet to your spine. The Weck Method, on the other hand, often begins with side-bending and rotation against a wall to emphasize coiling one side, then the other, before returning to center. Both approaches can feel fantastic.
My philosophy is simple: start with movements that help you settle your nervous system and connect with your body. That might be rolling on the floor, hanging from the footbar, side-bending, or gentle rotation. Explore movement in all directions before adding load so your joints experience freedom of movement before they’re asked to control it under resistance.
Movement isn’t one-size-fits-all. The best way to begin is the one that prepares your body to move well that day.
How do you like to start your workout? I’d love to hear in the comments.

07/13/2026

07/10/2026

After wat hing Romana so gracefully perform Rowing in the vintage clip we shared on Wednesday, I was reminded that this exercise really can look like the real thing. 🚣🏼‍♀️

When we’re first learning Pilates, we often break an exercise down into steps: Roll back. Bend the elbows. Open the arms... That’s an important part of the learning process, but those steps can sometimes become a little mechanical.

I was taught to sit tall between each repetition, but I find that pulling the handles back to the chest from the rounded, forward position creates a continuous rhythm that feels much more like rowing a boat.

Once you know the sequence, let one rep flow into the next. The movement becomes smoother, more dynamic, and the whole body starts working together.

We’re exploring the four classical Rowing exercises all month long at Mind & Motion.