Pilates and finding your balance

22 Jan

Balance. Alignment. Confidence.

Working with clients in my Pilates studio, or in mat work, I’m very aware that physical and mental balance often go hand in hand. Training with Polestar Pilates, and as a Psychological fitness therapist has taught me to look at the body as a whole, to incorporate mind and body work, and to use movement and mind-set (or specifically, mind state) as a way of promoting a more aligned way of living.

Balance from a physical perspective is much more nuanced than we think. Whilst you might think it’s to do with muscle strength (and yes, it definitely is) it’s more than that. It’s the interaction of the nervous system with your joints, skin and muscles. It’s also about proprioception – the ability to know and sense where your own is in space.

“Proprioception” – the ability to know and sense where your own body is in space

All of this information is pulled together by the central nervous system; i.e your brain. This year, I’m undertaking further Professional Development as a Neuro Pilates specialist (yes, those that know me won’t be surprised that I’m doing even further study!) Studying neuroscience as it relates to Pilates is a way of me understanding the mind-body connection even more, and translating this into being of useful service to my clients. (Neuroscience is essentially the Scientific study of the nervous system, to include the brain).

So, let’s look at a few parts to the ‘balance equation’. Balance from a physical perspective may be defined as the ability to maintain a centre of mass over the base of support (revbalance.com). Traditional ‘tests’ for balance have involved seeing how long we can stand on one leg……but how often are we doing that in real life? (Unless we’re a ballerina, or in Cirque de Soleil, which most of us are not)! We need to be able to maintain balance by responding to the forces beneath and around us.

When we look at balance ‘from the outside in’, we think of losing balance or falling, or literally trying to stay on our feet. This naturally becomes more challenging as we age. This is, in part, because we lose muscle (muscle atrophy) from about the age of 30, but also because we lose confidence. Many of you will know from experience (for yourself, or a loved one) that having a fall in later life can have a significant impact.

From the ‘inside out’, balance is the input of the vestibular system (inner ear), your vision, and your nervous system. Any of these might be affected by various pathologies or conditions, including Vertigo, Multiple Sclerosis, a Stroke, or Parkinson’s disease. For these, you would normally be referred to a specialist Neuro Physio, or a Neuro Pilates specialist (watch this space)….

So, how do we train for balance? We need to build overall strength, (ideally with some weights), improve our confidence with core training such as in our Pilates practice and further build confidence by having plenty of positive movement experiences such as going for your favourite walk, and/or maintaining your mobility with daily activities. Perturbation (one of my favourite movement terms) is also important – it essentially means ‘mixing things up!

Balance also applies from a wider perspective of how we feel in ourselves. In movement and mindset terms, we would consider this to be ‘alignment’. From this perspective balance is no less nuanced, but in part is in the way we live in line with our values. I mentioned earlier being of service to clients. Being ‘of service’ is one of my own values/alongside a love of learning, and an appreciation of beautiful things.

It may be obvious to you if you’re not really living an aligned life – whether in work or your personal life. But if you don’t know where to start, then search ‘Character Strengths’ or ‘Personal Values’ for various tests online. Also, notice what gives you energy (or depletes your energy). Noticing these things is a good place to start.