- Speaker #0
All right, diving in today, folks, we're going to get into something in Pilates that I think a lot of people, maybe even seasoned practitioners, find surprisingly tricky.
- Speaker #1
Yeah, it's one of those things that looks deceptively simple. Totally.
- Speaker #0
So we're talking about how to really stabilize your pelvis, like truly stabilize it when you're lying on your stomach.
- Speaker #1
Especially when you're doing those movements that are kind of inspired by the rest stroke and swimming.
- Speaker #0
Exactly. And lucky for us, we got to chat with Caroline Berger de Femini, who really knows her stuff.
- Speaker #1
Oh, yeah. She's amazing. A specialist in functional movement, does a ton of work with postural rehab. And she's a Merit Wey Pilates instructor over at Studio Bio Pilates Paris.
- Speaker #0
So we're going to pull from our conversation with her today to kind of go deep on this, right? Why is this movement style so pedagogically challenging, as she puts it?
- Speaker #1
Yeah. And what are some of her key insights and tips that she uses in her teaching? that we can all you know benefit from because ultimately i think what we're after here is a better understanding of how to really engage the core for sure and just build that body awareness right in a way that's going to help you in all sorts of movements not just on the mat totally all right so first things first what makes this seemingly simple idea right pelvic stability lying prone so tricky well caroline she's got a great way of putting it she says the main challenge the core of it is gravity
- Speaker #0
Oh, gravity, the constant battle.
- Speaker #1
Right. When you're on your stomach, just think about it. Your pelvis naturally wants to tip forward.
- Speaker #0
Think towards the floor. Yeah.
- Speaker #1
And that creates that arch in your lower back, you know, we call anterior pelvic tilt.
- Speaker #0
Oh, yeah. You see that all the time.
- Speaker #1
So it's almost like you're constantly having to work against your body's natural tendency. Like it's default in that position.
- Speaker #0
It's like your body's trying to be efficient, but not in the way we want it to be efficient.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. It wants to just kind of hang out. But for this to work. For us to find that stability, Caroline is adamant that we need to activate certain muscles, deep muscles.
- Speaker #0
Okay, so which ones are we talking about here?
- Speaker #1
Well, she mentions the transverse abdominis first and foremost. That's like your deep inner core muscle. Acts like a corset, cinching everything in.
- Speaker #0
Oh, I love that image, the corset.
- Speaker #1
Right. Then you've got your pelvic sore muscles, which are essential for support, obviously.
- Speaker #0
Providing that lift from below.
- Speaker #1
Yeah. And, of course, the hip extensors, those muscles at the back of your hips and thighs.
- Speaker #0
So it's not enough to just like think about those muscles.
- Speaker #1
No, no, no. That's where the real challenge comes in, according to Caroline. It's the coordination, the technical aspect of getting all of those muscles to work together in sync.
- Speaker #0
So you're fighting against your body's natural inclination to arch and you're trying to consciously engage these specific muscles all at the same time.
- Speaker #1
It's a lot. She really emphasizes how technically demanding that is. You're basically asking your body to do something it's not used to, you know, breaking those ingrained postural habits.
- Speaker #0
And to do it with precision and control.
- Speaker #1
Yes. It's like high level neuromuscular control that you're building.
- Speaker #0
OK, so that's the teacher's challenge, right? Helping someone overcome those ingrained patterns and gravity. But for someone who's learning this, what are some of the common hurdles they might experience?
- Speaker #1
Well, Carolyn points to a few things. First. She says there's a loss of reference points when you're prone. Think about when you're lying on your back, you can kind of see your pelvis. You can feel it against the mat.
- Speaker #0
Yeah, you have a clear sense of where you are in space.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. But on your stomach, it's like you lose those familiar cues. It's harder to intuitively feel whether your pelvis is neutral and stable.
- Speaker #0
It's almost like your proprioception gets a little scrambled.
- Speaker #1
It does. And then you add to that the whole coordination of... breathing which we know is so important in pilates oh yeah that lateral rib cage breathing right and trying to coordinate that with thoracic extension like that gentle lift of your upper back while simultaneously maintaining that deep core engagement we just talked about whoa okay so
- Speaker #0
you're thinking about how you're breathing you're trying to move your spine in a specific way and you're supposed to keep your core engaged that's a lot to juggle it is it's a lot going on at once cognitively and physically No wonder people find it tricky.
- Speaker #1
Right. And this is where, according to Caroline, body awareness becomes paramount. You really need to develop that refined sense of what your body is doing, how it's feeling internally, to get this synchronization right.
- Speaker #0
Makes sense. Without that awareness, it's tough to know if you're doing it correctly.
- Speaker #1
Right. And so because of those challenges, in her own teaching, Caroline relies a lot on imagery, tactile feedback, actually putting her hands on people and guiding them. And of course, very careful step-by-step instructions.
- Speaker #0
So she's not just throwing people into the deep end with this?
- Speaker #1
Definitely not. She's very methodical and supportive in her approach.
- Speaker #0
Okay, so how does she typically start to teach this? What are some of the go-to exercises that she finds foundational?
- Speaker #1
Well, she loves to use three specific exercises. Yeah. And they're all kind of drawing on that extension phase of the breaststroke. The first one is thoracic extension with your hands by your shoulders.
- Speaker #0
Okay, so you're lying on your stomach, hands by your shoulders. Yep.
- Speaker #1
And the main focus here, she says, is to get that mobility in your upper back, your thoracic spine. But at the same time, maintaining stability in your lower back and pelvis.
- Speaker #0
So you're trying to isolate the movement to your upper back.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. And here's the cool thing. She says this exercise almost acts like a diagnostic tool. Because if you start lifting your upper body and you see that... lower back arching excessively.
- Speaker #0
That's a sign you're not engaging your deep core properly.
- Speaker #1
Bingo. Yeah. It means those deep stabilizing muscles aren't getting the message. So it's a great way to identify if someone needs to work on that connection.
- Speaker #0
So it's like a built-in feedback mechanism. Love it. Okay, what's the next exercise in her progression?
- Speaker #1
The second one she finds super useful is a lift with your hands placed by your hips. So same idea, lying on your stomach but now your hands are down by your sides.
- Speaker #0
Interesting. And what's the emphasis there? Well,
- Speaker #1
here she's focusing a bit more on engaging the scapular retractors, those muscles that pull your shoulder blades together. And the benefit of this, she explains, is that it encourages a long, streamlined posture through your upper body.
- Speaker #0
Oh, so it's like you're prepping for that propulsive movement you see in swimming.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. It's about creating that length and openness in your chest and spine.
- Speaker #0
Okay. And the third exercise?
- Speaker #1
The third one, she says, is generally a bit more advanced. It's an extension. with your hands placed gently under your forehead.
- Speaker #0
Ah, so now you're increasing the challenge.
- Speaker #1
Right, because with your hands further up, it creates a longer lever arm. Think about it like holding a longer weight. It's going to demand more from your back extensors to lift up against that resistance.
- Speaker #0
So it's a natural progression. You're building strength and control as you move through these variations.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. But here's the thing that I found really fascinating. Even though these exercises seem like they're primarily focused on the upper body,
- Speaker #0
Yeah, you're mostly thinking about your back and shoulders.
- Speaker #1
Right. But Caroline is adamant that your legs and hip extensors play a huge EB role in getting that pelvic stability throughout.
- Speaker #0
Oh, interesting. I wouldn't necessarily think of my legs being so crucial in what seems like an upper body movement. How does that work?
- Speaker #1
Well, this is where it gets really cool and where a lot of people, I think, miss the mark. She says if you don't engage your leg muscles properly, specifically your hamstrings, glutes. and those inner thigh muscles, the adductors.
- Speaker #0
Okay, so we're activating the whole back line of the legs.
- Speaker #1
Yes. If those aren't active, she says your pelvis is way more likely to lift off the mat, which leads to, you guessed it, that anterior pelvic tilt and overarching in your lower back.
- Speaker #0
So it's like your legs are acting as anchors grounding your pelvis.
- Speaker #1
Precisely. And she gives this really great cue for this. She says your thighs should press lightly into the mat.
- Speaker #0
Hmm, I like that. It's simple, but it makes you think about that connection.
- Speaker #1
Right. And what she explains is that this cue, it activates your entire posterior chain, like all the muscles along the back of your body, from your heels to your head.
- Speaker #0
Wow. So it's creating this whole system of support.
- Speaker #1
It is. It's not just your legs working in isolation either. She emphasizes the importance of consciously engaging your abdominals in coordination with those hip extensors.
- Speaker #0
So it's like this beautiful interplay between opposing forces. Yes.
- Speaker #1
Like a dance, almost. Your abdominals are preventing that excessive arching. in your lower back while your hip extensors are contributing to the overall stability.
- Speaker #0
And I imagine that's where the challenge lies, finding that balance between the two.
- Speaker #1
She says it's one of the hardest things to teach because the tendency, you know, is to just arch your lower back to get that upper body lift, and that's when you run into trouble.
- Speaker #0
Yeah, you're compromising your spine. So what are some of the teaching tools or modifications that Caroline uses to help people find that sweet spot?
- Speaker #1
She's got a bunch of great tricks up her sleeve. One thing she often recommends is using a small cushion, placing it right under your asus.
- Speaker #0
Your asus, that's those bony points at the front of your pelvis, right?
- Speaker #1
Yep. And that cushion, it acts as a gentle, physical reminder and also kind of a block, making it harder to slip into that anterior tilt.
- Speaker #0
Ah, clever. So it's like a subtle nudge in the right direction.
- Speaker #1
It is. And she also loves using imagery. Like one of her go-tos is to imagine your pubic bone drawing in and up towards your navel. Oh,
- Speaker #0
I love that one. it instantly makes you engage your lower abs.
- Speaker #1
Right. And another image she uses is picturing your sternum, your breastbone, lengthening and pulling away from your toes. That helps promote that upper back extension without collapsing in the lower back.
- Speaker #0
So she's giving people a way to feel the movement internally.
- Speaker #1
Exactly. Yeah. And then, of course, she's all about modifications. She might have someone do the exercise on an arc barrel, which gives a bit more support. Right. Or use a sponge between the knees to activate those inner thigh muscles.
- Speaker #0
Oh yeah, I've seen that one. Helps with pelvic stability.
- Speaker #1
Yep. Or she might even break down the movement using two breaths for each repetition. So people have more time to really focus on each phase and make sure they're not losing that core connection.
- Speaker #0
So it's about meeting people where they're at and giving them the tools they need to succeed.
- Speaker #1
Precisely. And as we were wrapping up our conversation, Carolyn shared some really insightful final thoughts. She emphasized that this prone extension work with its focus on pelvic stability, it's demanding. It's essential,
- Speaker #0
right?
- Speaker #1
It's fundamental. She says it's key for developing a deep sense of body awareness.
- Speaker #0
And that awareness, it doesn't just stay on the mat, right?
- Speaker #1
No way. She talks about how it translates to all sorts of things, other Pilates exercises, swimming, even just walking with better posture throughout your day.
- Speaker #0
It's like you're building this foundation that can improve your movement in all aspects of life.
- Speaker #1
That's the beauty of it. Yeah. And I love how she puts it. She says, Pilates is never about how many reps you can do. It's about the quality, the precision, and the mindful engagement you bring to each movement.
- Speaker #0
So true. It's not about quantity. It's about quality. All right. So let's recap. We had a great conversation with Carolyn Berger de Femini today, all about stabilizing the pelvis in prone, particularly in those Pilates exercises that take inspiration from the breaststroke.
- Speaker #1
And we learned why this seemingly simple idea is actually quite challenging, both for the instructor and the student.
- Speaker #0
We talked about that pesky gravity always trying to pull us into anterior tilt.
- Speaker #1
And the importance of engaging those deep core muscles. the transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, hip extensors to counteract that.
- Speaker #0
We also explored the common hurdles that students might face.
- Speaker #1
Like that loss of reference points when you're prone, the coordination of breath and movement, and the need for a heightened sense of body awareness.
- Speaker #0
And we got to hear about Caroline's favorite exercises for teaching this.
- Speaker #1
Those thoracic extensions with hands in different positions, and the surprising role that the legs play in all of this.
- Speaker #0
And of course, we talked about the teaching tools and modifications that Caroline uses to help her students succeed.
- Speaker #1
The cushion, the imagery, the different variations. It's all about finding what works for each individual.
- Speaker #0
But I think the biggest takeaway here is that mastering this seemingly simple action, stabilizing your pelvis and prone, it's really a gateway to building a deeper awareness of your body.
- Speaker #1
An awareness that can benefit you in so many different ways, both on and off the mat.
- Speaker #0
So here's something to ponder. How can you apply these principles of pelvic stability to other exercises you do, or even to your everyday movements?
- Speaker #1
Think about it. How can you adjust your posture, engage your core more mindfully in all the things you do throughout the day?
- Speaker #0
It's about taking this knowledge from the Pilates studio and letting it inform how you move in the world.
- Speaker #1
And ultimately, finding more efficiency, comfort, and connection within your own body.
- Speaker #0
That's the real goal, isn't it?
- Speaker #1
Absolutely.
- Speaker #0
All right, folks, that's a wrap for today's deep dive. Thanks for joining us.
- Speaker #1
See you next time.
