How reformer Pilates can help build your ​core strength

Building your core strength is vital to preventing injury and improving the way your body moves. Here, our Pilates instructor Danny explains how Reformer Pilates can help build your core strength.

What is the core?

The core is often mistakenly thought of as just the stomach muscles – the abdominals. Although the abdominals play a part in core strength there is a lot more to it than that.

The core is the muscles of the torso, so pretty much everything apart from your arms and the legs. These core muscles need to work in synergy to provide you with stability and control of movement. I’m sure you know someone who has hurt their back picking up a child or putting a suitcase in an overhead locker. A strong core will greatly reduce your risk of such injuries.

The role posture plays on your core strength

Posture adaptations can cause a change in the length of your core muscles. If the muscles of the front of your torso are ‘pulled long’ they are in a weak position and therefore inhibited. If the muscles of the back are ‘shortened’ they can become overactive and feel tight. Attempting to improve your core strength from a compromised position can do more harm than good.

By fixing posture your core muscles return to their preferred length, which allows them to work together as a unit, improving movement quality and reducing pain.

How Reformer Pilates can improve your posture and therefore, core strength

At Hatts, our Reformer Pilates classes focus on correcting posture for you to integrate the core muscles effectively through a wide variety of ranges and planes of movement.

This approach prepares your body for other activities, meaning you can lift, twist sit and stand pain-free and continue to do so in the future.

So, improving your core strength with Reformer Pilates can help you move better, feel better, and can even help you look better.

For more information about Hatt Pilates, please call us on 01380 730473.