by Dr. Rachel Miller, PT, DPT
There’s been a lot of talk lately about whether Pilates falls under fitness or wellness. The truth? It can be both, but it will depend on the studio/environment.  There are many Pilates studios opening that are fitness focused which can still be beneficial, but are often missing the foundational piece especially in a group class environment.
Pilates is a journey. The more you learn about movement and the Pilates concepts, the more benefit you will gain from your practice which is what we focus on here at The Pilates PT.  Our bodies are designed to be efficient. When we move, the body naturally chooses the easiest path to get the job done, usually by recruiting the strongest and most accessible muscles. But what your body needs is often using the smaller, harder-to-find muscles.
Pilates is Brain Work
Pilates is just as much mental work as it is physical. The more you understand where your body is in space and which muscles are initiating movement, the more precise and effective your practice becomes. Subtle adjustments such as like changing your breathing pattern or alignment can completely transform an exercise.
Returning to foundational movements, experimenting with different verbal or tactile cues, and working with an experienced instructor can all help you connect more deeply to your body.
Getting the Most Out of Your Pilates Practice
So how can you make sure you’re getting the maximum benefit from Pilates?
1. Education
Knowledge is power—especially when it comes to movement. Understanding why and how your body moves builds awareness and control. Our Core Connections videos are designed exactly for this: educational exercise that helps you move smarter and more efficiently.
2. Personalized Attention
Private sessions are the best way to truly “wake up” the smaller stabilizing muscles and address your individual needs. Once you have a solid foundation, moving into a duet or small group classes can help you apply what you’ve learned while still receiving personal guidance.  
*Our Pilates intro package combines 2 private sessions with our Core Connections videos and is an amazing deal... 
3. Addressing Limitations
If you’re dealing with pain, tightness, or mobility restrictions, it may be helpful to start with physical therapy. Working with a Pilates-trained Physical Therapist can bridge the gap between rehab and movement, helping you transition to Pilates safely and confidently.
Pilates is more than just a workout, it’s a practice in awareness, precision, and connection. When you combine education, mindful movement and expert guidance, you create a foundation not only for strength and flexibility but for overall well-being.

By: Rachel Miller PT, DPT

Pilates is known for its incredible benefits in core strengthening—but is it possible to engage your core too much? The answer might surprise you.
The Core Should Be Functional, Not Just Strong
Our deep core system is designed to be reflexive, meaning it should automatically engage and relax as we move through life. For example, if someone bumps into you while you’re standing, your core should naturally activate to keep you balanced.
But what happens if your core muscles are already contracted all the time? They lose the ability to respond effectively. Just like any other muscle, the core needs to be able to both contract and relax to function optimally.
A Tight Muscle Is a Weak Muscle
Over the years, I’ve worked with many patients who habitually clench their glutes, suck in their stomach, or hold tension in their pelvic floor. While these patterns are common, they can actually lead to muscle weakness and dysfunction over time.
The causes vary:

• Glutes: Often tight due to posture—especially standing in a posterior pelvic tilt.
  
• Abdominals: Sometimes from a desire for a flatter stomach, but also as a subconscious reaction to pain or digestive discomfort.
  
• Pelvic floor: This one can be tricky since we can’t see it. Tightness here may result from pelvic or hip issues, past trauma, chronic stress, or the body’s attempt to stabilize when surrounding core muscles are weak.
  

How to Restore Balance
The first step toward a healthy, functional core is awareness.
Take a few moments throughout your day to check in with your body:

• Are you gripping your glutes or sucking in your stomach?
  
• Do you notice tension in your pelvic floor?
  
• If so, can you consciously let it go?
  

Try adjusting your posture or focusing on slow, deep breathing to encourage your muscles to relax.
Once you can release unnecessary tension, you can start rebuilding balanced strength. If you struggle to feel your glutes or deep abdominals engage during exercise, it might be because they’re already “on” all the time. Gentle release work or mindful breathing can help reset your system so your muscles can start firing appropriately again.
Contract and Relax
Here’s a simple example: If you flex your bicep right now and then try to contract it even more, you can’t. The muscle is already shortened. You would need to straighten your elbow first to relax it before you can contract it again.
The same principle applies to your core. For your muscles to activate effectively, they must first be able to let go.  As you move through your Pilates practice (and your day), remember this simple truth: A functional core isn’t one that’s always tight... it’s one that knows when to engage and when to release.

By: Rachel Miller PT, DPT

The core is our center.  It stabilizes the trunk while arms and legs are moving. It not only includes our abdominals, but also our back and scapular musculature, pelvic floor, and gluteal/hip muscles.  The core is supposed to help you with daily activities.  The more strenuous an activity or exercise is, the more the core should help.  Unfortunately, when we have pain or surgery in this area, it affects the core muscles and can cause weakness and the core to not function optimally.  The good news is that the core can be retrained, and all of these signs of core weakness can be improved.

1. You have neck or back pain
While there are many causes of neck and back pain, core weakness can be one cause.  Pain with prolonged sitting or standing, or pain with change in positions such as sit to stand or rolling over may indicate core weakness as a contributing factor.  

 2. You tend to slouch
Sitting or standing for long periods of time can be challenging.  Our postural muscles are endurance muscles- meaning they need to work a little bit, but for a long period of time.  None of us have perfect posture all of the time.  That is fine, variety is good for us.  But if you are in a slouched position for hours every day, that leads to a forward head position, pec/chest tightness and excessive flexion of the upper back.  This can lead to back and neck pain as well as core weakness.

3. You have poor balance
Our core and especially the muscles in our hips/pelvis are important for balance.  If these muscles are weak, your balance will be affected.  Often one side of your body is weaker or has more difficulty with balance so see how you feel with a single leg balance test.  As we get older, balance becomes more challenging so incorporating balance training into your workout routine is important. 

4. Core exercise or heavy lifting are difficult
It seems obvious but if you struggle with core exercises, you likely have a weak core.   The only way to get better is to practice.  But keep in mind that the deeper core muscles that provide stability should be working with our outer muscles that our movers so working with someone that can teach proper form and muscle activation is highly recommended.  Do you tend to hold your breath with exercise?  If the answer is yes that is a common compensation for core weakness.
Remember that your core is meant to help you with real life, not just core exercise.  When you lift a heavy bag of groceries, do you feel your stomach muscles automatically tighten?  That is what we want- a reflexive core.  If you find heavy lifting or strenuous activities are difficult, or if you don’t feel your core engaging, that is something that you can change.

5. You leak urine with sneezing, laughing, coughing, jumping or exercising
This is a sign that your pelvic floor muscles are not doing their job.  Either there is a pelvic floor muscle issue, or your deep core system is not working together properly.  If you are leaking even just a little bit, even just sometimes, while it is common, it is not normal and pelvic floor Physical Therapy can help.
You may now be thinking what is the best way to strengthen my core?   I believe that it takes some body awareness and education, along with exercise with proper form.  Pilates does exactly this, and our Pilates intro package is the best starting place.  It gives you access to over 2 hours of educational exercise videos called Core Connections that focus on teaching you proper form and core activation as well as core exercises for the entire core system.  The intro package also includes two private Pilates sessions- either in our studio or virtually so you can get feedback and guidance from an expert.