06/03/2026
“Why do I keep cramping in Pilates?” 😩
One of the biggest misconceptions about cramping is that it always means you’re dehydrated.
In Pilates, that’s often not the case!
More commonly, cramping is a sign that a muscle is working harder than it’s conditioned to.
Take hamstring cramps during bridging, for example. Most people assume they’re a hamstring issue.
In reality, they often indicate that the glutes aren’t contributing enough to the movement, forcing the hamstrings to take on more load than they were designed for.
The same thing happens with foot cramps during footwork.
Many of us spend our days in supportive shoes, disconnected from the small intrinsic muscles of the feet.
When Pilates suddenly asks those muscles to stabilise and control movement, they fatigue quickly and can cramp.
Cramping isn’t always a sign that something is wrong. It’s often valuable information.
It tells us:
✨ where we’re compensating
✨ which muscles are overworking
✨ which muscles may not be contributing effectively
✨ where strength, control, or endurance needs to be developed
As instructors, our goal isn’t to simply push through the cramp.
And as clients, your job isn’t to push through the cramp. It’s to listen to the information your body is giving you.
It’s to understand why it’s happening.
Sometimes that means adjusting the setup.
Sometimes it means reducing the range of motion.
Sometimes it means improving recruitment patterns before adding load.
And often, a cramp is your body giving you a clue about where that system could be working more efficiently 🤍
