Speaker #0Hi, in this new episode of BioPilates Deep Dive, I want to take you inside an exercise that looks simple on the surface but reveals extraordinary depth when you truly explore it. It's the 45 degrees on the Reformer, a precise diagonal of movement that unites breathing, shoulder control, and pelvic stability in a single intelligent line of motion. Lying on the back, the body finds its geometry. Legs in tabletop, hips and knees at 90 degrees. The pelvis in an imprint to stabilize the trunk, hands in the straps. As you inhale, the arms rise along the diagonal to 45 degrees. As you exhale, they return toward the hips, the carriage gliding silently. It seems easy, yet here everything happens. The breath, the steadiness of the ribcage, the... the placement of the scapulae, and the precise coordination between the teres minor and the teres major. The teres minor originates from the upper two-thirds of the lateral border of the scapula and inserts on the inferior facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus. It acts mainly as an external rotator, but above all as a posterior stabilizer. It keeps the head of the humorous. centered in the glenoid cavity. The teres major arises lower, from the posterior surface of the scapula near its inferior angle, and inserts on the medial lip of the intertubercular groove of the humerus. It is an internal rotator, a ductor and extensor of the arm. It is the power partner, yet it depends on the precision of the teres minor to guide it. Both are innervated by branches of the posterior cord of the brachial plexus, the axillary nerve for the minor, the lower subscapular nerve for the major. Together, they create a functional duet, balance between strength and subtlety. In this exercise, breathing becomes the conductor. On the inhale, the ribcage expands laterally, while the scapulae remain broad and heavy, anchored without lifting. The diaphragm descends, the transverse abdomen is prepared. On the exhale, the transverse and the pelvic floor co-activate, stabilizing the lumbopelvic region so the arms can move freely. Breath and motion form a single rhythm. Inhale to lengthen, exhale to control. The position of the pelvis depends on the level of the practitioner. In imprint, the lower back maintains gentle contact with the mat, the learning phase, where stability is trained. In neutral, the... The pelvis breathes, the natural lumbar curve is preserved, and stability becomes active rather than imposed. Moving from imprint to neutral is not just a technical detail. It is a transition from control to autonomy. Imprint teaches how to hold, neutral teaches how to regulate. The orientation of the hands is equally crucial. In neutral, palms facing the hips, the balance is ideal. The teres minor and major share the work, one guiding the other propelling. In pronation, palms facing down, internal rotation dominates, the teres major leads, and the instructor must watch that the shoulders do not drift forward. In supination, palms facing up, external rotation increases, the teres minor takes charge, and the humeral head stays perfectly centered. Each variation offers a different dialogue. Pronation strengthens, supination refines, and neutral harmonizes. During the concentric phase, when the arms move down toward the hips, the teres major acts as the main driver, while the teres minor stabilizes the humeral head. During the eccentric phase, as the arms return upward, both muscles work together to control the movement, keeping the scapula stable on the ribs. cage. This alternation between concentric and eccentric action builds an efficient and resilient shoulder. Every fiber of these muscles functions through an elegant electrochemical process. A motor command triggers the release of acetylcholine, calcium floods the fiber, and the actin and myosin filaments slide past each other. Movement is born from this microscopic dialogue between electricity, chemistry, and structure. But the clarity of that dialogue depends on posture. If the pelvis shifts or the breath rises into the chest, the neuromuscular signal becomes noisy. Precision in anatomy always requires coherence in neurology. In 45 degrees, that coherence is visible through scapular stability. I often tell my students to imagine their shoulder blades as two leaves resting flat on the back of the ribcage, sliding, breathing, never lifting. When the breath is correct, the neck lengthens naturally, the upper trapezius releases, and the shoulders find calm from that stillness. the arms can truly move. Teaching this exercise is fascinating because it reveals hidden imbalances. When the breath rises toward the throat, the scapulae elevate. When the elbows lock, rotation freezes. When the pelvis loses its base, the lumbar spine overarches and the movement becomes abrupt. When everything aligns, the breath, the arms, the pelvis, the room becomes silent. and that silence is the sound of precision. Hand orientation also tells me everything I need to know about symmetry. One scapula might move earlier, one arm might rotate differently. The practitioner begins to listen, and that listening is already therapy. The 45 degrees is not a simple arm series. It is a lesson in proprioception. Physiologically, the lateral thoracic breath encourages balance between activation and relaxation. It stimulates the parasympathetic system. improves muscle perfusion, reduces lactate production, and refines tone. When we breathe correctly, we coordinate air, blood, and nerve flow. The result is a stable economical movement. I believe deeply that Pilates, when taught with this precision, becomes a form of neural education. We are not only training the muscles to move, we are teaching the nervous system to recognize quality. The 45 degrees demand synchrony between breath, pelvic stability, and scapular motion to create a single, coherent gesture. It is one of the few exercises that unites central control with peripheral refinement. For teachers, a few cues help. If the humeral head moves forward, return to supination. If the trapezius dominates, lighten the springs and focus on lateral breath. If the lumbar spine deepens, return to imprint. And always remind the student the arms do not lift, they lengthen. That single shift in intention transforms the biomechanics entirely. Pedagogically, the progression is gradual. We start in imprint, building awareness and breathing control. We progress to neutral, coordinating the chains. Then we add supination and pronation, testing fine control. Finally, we slow everything down. The slower the rhythm, the more the nervous system learns. In slowness, perception sharpens. In precision, movement becomes intelligent. The teres minor and major are discrete muscles but essential ones. The minor refines precision. The major supports power. Together they remind us that true strength is always guided by awareness. at 45 degrees The body finds that rare alliance between stability and freedom. When the breath expands laterally, when the pelvis anchors, when the scapulae settle, the motion becomes calm. You no longer feel the springs, you feel the flow. The movement ceases to be mechanical and becomes alive, almost meditative. This is the essence of Pilates, respiration regulating tone, the nervous system adjusting. the gesture becoming an experience of equilibrium. I often close this sequence with a simple image. Imagine your arms as two sails, your scapula as two masts, and your breath as the wind. The terrace minor holds the sail, the terrace major guides its curve. At 45 degrees, the line is pure, anchored yet open, stable yet expansive. That is the science of movement. That is the language of Pilates. In the precise silence of 45 degrees, the body begins to know itself. Breath becomes intelligence, muscle becomes awareness, and stability turns into freedom. Thank you for listening to BioPilates Deep. I'll meet you again soon for another episode exploring the hidden beauty of conscious movement.
