Blog - The Curious Mover
The Metaphor of Spring
In Pilates, we use springs as resistance rather than weights. That’s not really news to anyone, but let’s take this metaphor of spring a lot further, especially in this Spring season! Let’s apply the spring to muscles: pulling the spring open (lengthening) followed by closing it (contraction). Just like the two phases of muscle actions: the lengthening or load phase, and the contraction or shortening phase. I see more emphasis on the contraction phrase, but not enough on the lengthening, resulting in short and contracted muscles, which leads to pain and tightness.
Hips Don’t Lie #3
For the final installment of hip mobility and strength, we work primarily in the transverse plane. This first video took you mostly through the sagittal plane. The second video took you into the frontal plane. This video is the rotational plane in which we need movement as well. More on that later.
Hips Don’t Lie #2
This version we are working the hip in parallel and external rotation in the frontal plane. It will also challenge balance, whole body connection, and foot flexibility and stability. I also think we need to move our pelvis around our hips more, thus the sexy, yet important second exercise. There is an over emphasis on pelvic stabilization exercises these days, and not enough mobility. I say “Free the Pelvis!”
Hips Don’t Lie
Gluts. The booty. Everyone wants to do exercises for them. But in my over 2 decade career and practice in this field, I am finding essentially the gluts need to train in “load” phase. What is load?