The benefits of footwork on the Pilates Reformer

The benefits of footwork on the Pilates Reformer

There are 29 muscles in each foot, 33 joints, and 26 bones. These all impact the shape of your foot, your gait, your posture and joint function. Having strong muscles helps reduce aches and pains in the feet, as well as in your knees, hips, and lower back! It also helps you stand longer without discomfort.

Reformer Pilates works on balance, body awareness, and full body strength.

Pilates exercises are performed in a low to non- weight bearing position.

If you have foot or calf pain, you can gently work on strength and stretching the feet in a low stress environment. It teaches how to get full movement from the ankle, and hip and knee joints.

Hydrating the fascia in the feet allows them to move more freely which causes a chain reaction into the legs, pelvis, and spine, limiting the occurrence of lower limb injuries and preventing plantar fasciitis.

When you spend so much time in shoes, it limits the mobility of the complex system of bones, muscles and joints. They become underdeveloped and mobilize your ankle.

There are two major foot positions that can potentially cause issues not only in your feet, but in your knees, hips, and back.

Overpronation: this is when your ankle moves too far downward and inward. This leads to excess rotation of the tibia( lower leg bone) which increases your risk of shin splints and knee pain.

Supination: your foot rolls outward as you walk, it places extra stress on the outside of your foot and smaller toes. This increases your risk for:

• ankle injuries

• plantar fasciitis

• achilles tendonitis

• pain in thighs and hips from IT band syndrome