Transcription

• Speaker #0

  We hear so much about the reformer, don't we? How it's this amazing machine for strength, for tone, posture, a real game changer.

• Speaker #1

  Oh, absolutely. It has huge potential.

• Speaker #0

  But you know, sometimes people put in the effort, the time, and maybe they aren't seeing those results or worse, feeling a bit of pain.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. And that's often where these common mistakes creep in. It's usually not about effort. It's about the how.

• Speaker #0

  Right. So that's what we're diving into today. We're looking at insights from Caroline Berger of Femini, based on an interview by Studio Biopilots Paris.

• Speaker #1

  She has some really sharp observations.

• Speaker #0

  Our mission here is pretty simple. Distill Caroline's expertise so you can use the reformer more effectively, more safely, whether you're experienced or just starting out.

• Speaker #1

  Think of it as sidestepping the common pitfalls.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, a shortcut to better practice. Because Caroline makes it clear the reformer needs attention to detail.

• Speaker #1

  Using it mindlessly can lead to compensation, strain, maybe even reinforce bad habits you didn't know you had.

• Speaker #0

  Okay, so let's jump in. What's the number one thing Caroline sees people struggle with?

• Speaker #1

  Postural alignment. It sounds basic, maybe.

• Speaker #0

  Right, fundamental.

• Speaker #1

  But it's apparently the most frequent error. So many people focus on the goal strength, toning, without really checking in on their core stability or how their spine is aligned.

• Speaker #0

  And Caroline stresses alignment isn't just about looking neat and tidy on the machine.

• Speaker #1

  No, not at all. She calls it the functional base. It's about making sure the right muscles are firing. protecting your joints and creating stability for the movement itself makes sense and she gives this great example a client with knee pain during footwork okay turns out the root cause wasn't the legs directly it was a subtle pelvic tilt ah so the pelvis being off through everything else exactly the quads were taking over from the hamstrings and just by correcting that tilt using blocks for support the knee pain went away wow yeah the real light bulb moment isn't it Shows how interconnected everything is.

• Speaker #0

  It really does. And that explains why she starts sessions just focusing on finding that neutral alignment. Lying, sitting, standing.

• Speaker #1

  Building that awareness before the dynamic work starts. Because if that base isn't right, the body compensates.

• Speaker #0

  And those compensations can become ingrained habits. Okay, super important. What's the second common mistake Caroline points out?

• Speaker #1

  Getting the spring resistance wrong.

• Speaker #0

  Ah, the springs. This feels crucial. How does getting it wrong mess things up?

• Speaker #1

  Well, two ways, really. Too heavy, and you tend to recruit the big superficial muscles, which he calls accessory muscles, just to muscle through it.

• Speaker #0

  Right, instead of the deeper target muscles.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. But then, too light, and you might not have enough feedback or support to control the movement properly or even feel the right muscles working.

• Speaker #0

  So it's a balancing act.

• Speaker #1

  It is. Caroline has this interesting term for resistance, a pedagogical variable.

• Speaker #0

  Pedagogical? Like, It teaches you.

• Speaker #1

  Precisely. It's a tool to help you find specific muscles, change the intensity, and even guide the movement path itself.

• Speaker #0

  That's a smart way to look at it. It's not just about making it harder or easier.

• Speaker #1

  Not at all. Take leg exercises, for instance. Too many springs can actually make it harder to keep your pelvis stable.

• Speaker #0

  Oh, interesting. Counterintuitive.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. And then too few, you might just not get enough challenge to really activate, say, your hamstrings or glutes effectively.

• Speaker #0

  Okay. So finding that just right resistance is key for feedback and control.

• Speaker #1

  And she told this story about a really sporty client who always cranked the springs right up. Max resistance.

• Speaker #0

  Classic more is better thinking.

• Speaker #1

  Pretty much. But during an arm exercise, all that resistance meant they lost stability in their shoulder blades. Got tension in the neck.

• Speaker #0

  Not the goal.

• Speaker #1

  Definitely not. So they reduced the springs, slowed the movement right down, and then they could actually feel. The deep stabilizers around the shoulder girdle working. True control, not just brute force.

• Speaker #0

  That's a fantastic illustration. Okay, so we've got alignment, we've got resistance. What's mistake number three? Breathing. Breathing. Something we do all day without thinking. How do we get it wrong on the reformer?

• Speaker #1

  Well, the way we breathe often isn't optimal for Pilates. Caroline emphasizes lateral posterior breathing.

• Speaker #0

  Lateral posterior. So breathing into the back and sides of the ribs.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. It's huge for core stabilization. engaging deep abdominals supporting the spine.

• Speaker #0

  But she sees people holding their breath instead.

• Speaker #1

  Very often, yeah. Either through concentration or just the effort involved.

• Speaker #0

  And what does that do? Negatively, I mean.

• Speaker #1

  It creates tension, rigidity, restricts your movement, stops the core engaging properly, disrupts the flow. It just hinders everything.

• Speaker #0

  Makes sense. Did she have an example for this one too?

• Speaker #1

  She did. Another fit client, but one who consistently held her breath. By consciously working on that lateral breath, thinking ribs expanding sideways on the inhale, long spine on the exhale.

• Speaker #0

  Her control improved dramatically.

• Speaker #1

  In just a few sessions, yeah. It shows breath isn't just for oxygen. It's a tool for internal stability.

• Speaker #0

  So how do you, you know, practice that? It doesn't feel natural at first for most people.

• Speaker #1

  Good question. Caroline suggests practicing it off the reformer too. Just sitting, walking, becoming aware of your ribcage moving.

• Speaker #0

  Bringing awareness to it in daily life. And then coordinating it. Inhale to prepare. Exhale on the effort or the contraction part of the movement. It takes practice. It's sensory learning.

• Speaker #1

  What about cues? Does she use specific ways to help people feel it?

• Speaker #0

  Oh yeah. Like placing hands on the lower libs to feel the expansion.

• Speaker #1

  Okay, tactile feedback.

• Speaker #0

  We're using imagery. Imagine ribs widening like wings or gently blow air through a straw on the exhale. Things like that.

• Speaker #1

  Those are helpful images. I can picture that.

• Speaker #0

  Once you integrate the breath, she says, it really changes the quality of the exercise.

• Speaker #1

  Okay, very clear. Moving on then, what's the fourth mistake Caroline flags?

• Speaker #0

  Moving too quickly.

• Speaker #1

  Rushing through it. Why is that bad? Seems like you'd get more done.

• Speaker #0

  Ah, but speed can mask errors. You rely on momentum, not muscle control.

• Speaker #1

  Right. You bypass the hard parts.

• Speaker #0

  Exactly. Less precision, more chance of compensation, and you just don't get the same benefit. Speed lets you cheat, essentially.

• Speaker #1

  She mentioned someone in a group class moving really fast.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, like double time compared to everyone else. Yeah. Very energetic, but...

• Speaker #1

  But completely missing the pelvic stability needed for the exercise. So they slowed her right down, broke the movement into parts, added pauses.

• Speaker #0

  And that helped her connect.

• Speaker #1

  Hugely. She started to actually feel her deep core. engage her pelvic floor properly.

• Speaker #0

  So slowing down isn't about being lazy. It's about being more focused and controlled.

• Speaker #1

  Absolutely. Caroline says it forces you to feel, to adjust, to correct during the movement. It reveals the real challenge.

• Speaker #0

  Which you might miss if you just fly through it.

• Speaker #1

  Precisely. Leads to deeper work, better coordination, and it's much safer too. Yeah. Reduces injury risk. Quality over quantity, always in Pilates.

• Speaker #0

  A crucial reminder. Okay, that brings us to the fifth and final mistake Caroline highlights. This one feels very relevant today.

• Speaker #1

  It really is. Copying exercises without understanding them.

• Speaker #0

  Like seeing something cool on Instagram or YouTube and just trying it.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly that. And the big problem is what works for the person in the video might be totally wrong or even unsafe for your body.

• Speaker #0

  Because everyone's different. Morphology, history.

• Speaker #1

  Absolutely. Caroline's seen people injure themselves trying advanced stuff they saw online without the right foundation. or modifications or guidance.

• Speaker #0

  That sounds risky. Does she have a specific example? Yes.

• Speaker #1

  Someone tried an advanced lunge sequence from Instagram. Okay. Ended up straining their psoas muscle because without guidance, their pelvic alignment was completely off for that move.

• Speaker #0

  Ouch. That really drives the point home.

• Speaker #1

  It does. Carol earns really strong on this. Pilates is a method, a system. It's not just a bunch of exercises you can pick and choose randomly.

• Speaker #0

  You need to understand the principles behind the movement.

• Speaker #1

  Yes. Copying without understanding, without considering your own body, it just undermines the whole point of Pilates. It's intelligence and safety. It's like watching a surgery video and then trying it yourself.

• Speaker #0

  That's a stark analogy, but it makes the point. Okay, so given these five common pitfalls, what's Caroline's core advice for practicing more effectively?

• Speaker #1

  Well, number one is guidance. Get a qualified, certified instructor.

• Speaker #0

  Someone who can watch you, correct you, adapt things for you.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. That personalized feedback is invaluable for safety and progress.

• Speaker #0

  And beyond classes, what else helps deepen the practice?

• Speaker #1

  She really encourages deepening your theoretical understanding.

• Speaker #0

  So learning about Pilates, not just doing it. Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  Understanding which muscles you're meant to be working, the alignment principles, how the springs affect things.

• Speaker #0

  It makes your own practice more conscious, more purposeful.

• Speaker #1

  Absolutely. She calls Pilates somatic education. Understanding the why and how of your movement, not just going through the motions.

• Speaker #0

  Somatic education. I like that.

• Speaker #1

  And finally, maybe the most obvious but crucial, consistency. That's key for real transformation.

• Speaker #0

  Makes perfect sense. Okay, let's quickly recap those five key mistakes Caroline Berger flagged for us.

• Speaker #1

  Sure. Number one, neglecting postural alignment.

• Speaker #0

  Two, incorrect spring resistance too much or too little.

• Speaker #1

  Three, improper breathing, like holding your breath.

• Speaker #0

  4. Moving too quickly and using momentum.

• Speaker #1

  And 5. Copying exercises without understanding the principles or your own body.

• Speaker #0

  Got it. That's a really practical checklist for anyone using a reformer.

• Speaker #1

  It really is. And her main message is clear. The reformer is amazing, powerful, but it demands your attention, care, and engagement.

• Speaker #0

  Avoiding these mistakes makes the practice safer, obviously, but also richer, more effective.

• Speaker #1

  Definitely. More fluid, more transformative in the long run.

• Speaker #0

  Carolina finished by saying her goal is really to empower people with knowledge to practice with more awareness precision and enjoyment Because it's not just exercise right? It's movement education every detail matters every breath is an anchor every move an opportunity to understand your body better yeah,

• Speaker #1

  beautifully put and maybe Building on that, here's something to think about for your next session or really any movement you do. Okay. What if you really treated every single movement, every breath as a chance to learn something deeper about your own body? If you brought that focused awareness and precision Caroline talks about, what kind of richer, maybe more transformative experience could you unlock? It's definitely food for thought.