07/09/2026
PILATES ISN’T JUST ABOUT STRETCHING AND “THE CORE"
Last week in class, we focused on something incredibly important: leg strength and the ability to get up from the floor or a chair without relying on our hands.
It’s a skill we need to keep practising.
As we age, strength, balance and movement skills can gradually decline. Yet many older adults come to believe that using their upper body to push themselves up is simply what they have to do.
But what if we focused on how the feet connect with the floor?
We explored weight distribution through the feet and what happens when the body moves its weight towards the front-to-middle of the foot, rather than habitually shifting backwards into the heels.
When the toes and forefoot are involved, we can create a much stronger connection with the floor and recruit the muscles that help us move:
🦶 The feet and toes
💪 Quadriceps
🍑 Glutes
🦵 Hamstrings
🧘 Pelvic floor
🧠 Abdominal musculature
And here's the part I find fascinating…
Sometimes you don't need to cue “engage your core” at all.
Change the way the body interacts with the floor, and the body can organise itself differently.
That connection can help support balance, stability and efficient movement.
This is why I’m cautious about simply telling everyone to distribute their weight “evenly through the whole foot.”
For some people, that cue can result in them shifting their weight backwards into the heels. The toes become less involved, the body may lose some of its forward support, and the movement strategy changes.
Instead, sometimes we need to explore:
Where is your weight?
What are your toes doing?
How are your feet connecting with the floor?
And what happens further up the body when you change that connection?
Because Pilates isn't just about stretching.
It isn't just about getting people to “engage their core.”
It's about teaching the body how to use itself more effectively.
The feet are our foundation.
And learning how to use that foundation can have a huge impact on something as simple — and as important — as getting up and down independently.
That's Pilates that can translate beyond the studio and into quality of life. 🤍