Pilates Excuses: Five common ones that might be preventing you from doing Pilates

Pilates excuses number 1: I don’t have time

We are all uber busy these days so what is the justification for an hour of Pilates each week?

Well. it is this: What is more important than fitness? We all need to make time!

It is crucial for our health, well being, reducing risk factors for chronic disease (boring but true) and generally managing daily life with greater ease.

I’m calling this one of my Pilates excuses but there is more to it than simply a lack of time.   My own experience, and observing others over the years, suggests that knowing exercise is good for us is not quite enough to make us stick at it.  (Although it is a darn good start). 

It must be established as a habit, in the figurative or actual diary and beyond that, something that just happens like brushing your teeth or eating regular meals.

It is hard to find time if you have a full time job, long commute, caring duties, or simply have a house to maintain, but how long do we spend doom scrolling or watching TV?

All or Nothing Thinking.

Try not to to let the binary thinking of all or nothing bother you too much.   It is simply untrue to think that unless you do a full fancy workout regularly then there is no use in doing anything.

There is a linear scale associating the amount of Exercise, or specifically Pilates you do,  to the benefit you get.      The more you do the better (up to levels of excess but that is a whole other story).    It is not pointless to only do a small amount. In fact, if you go from no exercise to some, then that can deliver the greatest benefits.

A more general take on excuses and habits.

The writer Gretchen Rubin talks about habits a lot and some of her work is summarised here, together with a section on loopholes.  I’m calling them Pilates excuses, Rubin is helpfully generic.

James Clear writes about habits and a summary of his tips on making your habits stick can be found here.

My fitness regime is practically carved in tablets of stone.  People often ask me about how much Pilates I do. Interestingly I used to struggle to stick at it.  Despite having my Reformer to play on, I was always tempted by just answering another email or finding another task to complete.   This was never because I dislike practising.   On the contrary, but I constantly feel the pressure of my to do list.  My solution was a subscription to an online Pilates company that aligns with my Pilates philosophy. I “do as I’m told” by the online instructor, aiming for an hour of practice per week.  It is in the figurative diary but with a changeable time.   I use an hour when someone cancels and I’m unexpectedly free.   That way I can’t say I was supposed to be doing emails. Sometimes I do really write it down in my diary.

Pilates excuses number 2: It is too intimidating

I often say to people “don’t Google Pilates!” because the images of people doing Pilates are not very welcoming or inclusive.

Most of the time the pictures are too female, too thin,  too white, too young, and too perfect.

Of late there is far more representation of people of colour.  This is a move in the right direction, but with the caveat that these pics still have the remaining elements of largely unattainable perfection, thus implying that the people in charge of marketing Pilates still don’t get what real diversity means.  It isn’t just skin deep.

Depending upon what mood I’m in, I can feel both miserable and intimidated when I see images of Pilates instructors.  They make me feel like a Gruffalo with my terrible teeth and terrible claws.

Hmmm that’s all a bit negative, but I wanted to call out the reasons why you might be intimidated. Because you think that “people like me don’t do Pilates” or worse “People like me can’t do Pilates”.

 People like you do do Pilates though.  Here are some of them.

Despite most of the appearances to the contrary, and talk of the celebs who love Pilates, which doesn’t help either, yes you can do Pilates and I have made it my mission to provide a space where all bodies and everybody is welcome.

On the left are some of the regulars at my  Over 60s class.

On the right are some of the regulars at my  Intermediate class.

We look ok don’t we?!

Classical Pilates and super hard looking exercises.

The other thing that makes Pilates seem intimidating is that the original Joseph Pilates Classical exercises are super difficult, super impressive looking and very intimidating.

I am classically trained and understand the classical exercises. After many years of teaching I have tried to honour the work of Joseph Pilates more consistently in my teaching. I talked about this in my last blog which you can read here. 

Unfortunately, the original exercises are in themselves are barrier.  They are hard, which makes them intimidating  and they tend to be the ones in pictures online. Pictured here is Glute Bridge. It can look wildly hard, but here is a more accessible and fantastically beneficial version.

I teach a modified take on the original repertoire so that that most people can have a go.  Always my aim is to be client centred not Pilates centred. The question is “what is the right exercise to enable the client to have a positive movement experience and reach their fitness goals”

 1 to 1 Pilates seems scary.  I will be on my own, exposed and alone!

My teaching space is cosy.  Yes this is a euphemism for small, but on the other hand it actually is.  There are very few mirrors and it has it’s own bathroom. I am quite risk averse in my teaching and select exercises that are doable. If something feels unsafe, we stop or pause and adapt.

Here is my studio entrance with me just visible on one of the Reformers.

I grew up thinking a Boutique is where you went to buy (or more likely look at) trendy clothes.  You bought Ossie Clarke or Biba in a boutique.

Well now it seems, we have Boutique Pilates and Boutique Fitness spaces.    This is both meaningless and yet sounds “other”, posh, expensive, full of women, and quite possibly it feels like it isn’t for you because you are too normal.

You are welcome to bring your normal self to my studio or classes

One last thing: you are very welcome to my classes and my studio if you are fat.  I will not fat shame you or make it an issue and I have talked about this in a previous blog post which you can read here.

Pilates excuses number 3: I’m not fit enough to do Pilates

This really dovetails with the last Pilates excuse.  We have got this so wrong haven’t we. 

I can’t do the exercise to get fitter because I’m not fit enough.

It is a bit like saying you can’t run because you can’t do a Marathon.  Well dear reader, if you enjoy the kind of Marathon is this picture more than running from Leeds to Sheffield, then hop aboard for my Pilates sessions.  Of course you don’t actually have to hop).  Walking is just fine.

In all seriousness, come to Pilates to carefully get stronger.   It isn’t the icing on the fitness cake, Instagram ready, it is the bedrock of strength, mobility and alignment.   When I teach 1:1, the main consideration is how to effectively get my client stronger and more flexible starting from were they are, not from a fantasy place that doesn’t yet exist.

Pilates is great for rehab, from injury, surgery or if you are trying to keep strong despite chronic illness.  I’ve helped people with a huge range of those, for example,  chronic fatigue syndrome, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Long Covid.  I have helped people following microdiscectomy, knee replacement, hip replacement, abdominal surgery, cancer treatment, and other acute injuries and illnesses.

Chair Based Pilates

Yes it exists and I  teach it on a weekly basis in Leeds and occasionally I’m invited to teach to community groups too.

Pilates excuses number 4: It is too Costly

As elephants go, this is rather a big one.

If you have the money for Pilates then we are back to the territory of one of the other Pilates excuses.  But supposing you don’t?

If you don’t have much spare cash then here is what I’d suggest.

With my 1 to 1 clients, some people opt to come on alternate weeks not weekly.

If you are really lucky then you might find a buddy with whom to share Duo Pilates and share the cost.

I have quite deliberately not increased the prices for my community classes for many years, deliberately in order to keep them as affordable as possible. Once you have had your special intro offer they are £8 per class if you can afford the upfront cost of the pre paid card at £40.  Pay and go is £9 / class

If you are really stuck for cash and live in Leeds with time on your hands I teach at Oakwood Lane Medical Practice on a Wednesday afternoon.   The classes are just £3 per person.

Commuting can really add cost and timing, especially if you don’t have a car. Consider 1 to 1 or my live online classes.

Pilates excuses number 5: Not realising the benefits of Pilates

I’ll give you a list of benefits, but in summary:

The wonderful benefit of Pilates is that it full body, mind/body, holistic exercise that makes you stronger, more flexible and improves the way you feel and move.

• It is full body work from your head to your toes. Everything matters and there is no particular hierarchy.
• We can work with integrated full body movements and also niche down to just one body part.  This can be incredibly beneficial.
• Pilates works with the mind/body.  Combining awareness and movement together is inherently mindful.  Add into this a dash of breathwork  and there is another aspect of the workout that can calm the nervous system.
• Regular practice keeps your joints mobile.  Boring but true.  Feet, hands, spine.  Pilates keeps them moving.
• It can be niched down to focus on elements of rehab that you might need.
• Regular Pilates can prevent recurring injuries.  I have seen this most consistently with back issues but also with knee problems, feet issues, and shoulder injury.
• Pilates can be used to model functional movements, that is the kind you need in every day life, and thereby improve them.

Related to not appreciating the benefits

Is not realising the benefits of Pilates are for you.  Yes, You!

Why?  Back to the belief that that “Pilates is not for me because …..” I’m too fat, too old etc etc.   Often the marketing is aimed at slim Gen X types.  Or rather that is the marketing that cuts through with the social media algorithms.  Shall I just blame Mark Zuckerberg for everything?

If you aren’t quite sure which “Gen” you belong to, then you’ll fit right in in my studio. 

Conclusion

Why not have a go? Bodies love movement. The mind/body loves movement. Please make Pilates part of your regular movement practice. What more can I say?