Six Lessons Pilates Taught Me (That Have Nothing to Do With Flat Abs…)

After more than two decades of teaching movement, I’ve learned that Pilates isn’t just a fitness method — it’s a system for living well, aging wisely, and leading with clarity. Below are full-length insights I've shared in response to wellness editorial features, each one reflecting how Pilates continues to shape my approach to teaching, healing, and living a grounded, powerful life.

1. Personalizing Pilates for Pain & Injury

When a client comes in with chronic pain or injury, the first thing I do is listen — really listen. Because the body always tells the truth, but sometimes it whispers.

At The Good Space and Elmwood Place, we personalize Pilates by meeting people where they are. That might mean modifying movement, slowing things down, or spending more time on breathwork and spinal alignment.

But even with injuries, we don’t take away the core benefits — we just reframe the pathway. Strength, stability, and nervous system regulation are still the goals. We just get there with more intention and compassion.

Pilates doesn’t ignore pain. It teaches your body how to move through it — wisely, not forcefully.

2. Most Transformative Pilates Movements

On the mat, it’s the Roll-Up. On the Reformer, the Short Spine Massage. Both are more than exercises — they’re the epitome of the Pilates system.

These movements aren’t isolated drills; they’re part of a progression that mirrors human development — lying down, sitting, kneeling, standing. They teach us how to move through gravity with intention and control.

What makes them so transformative? Spinal articulation. Core engagement. Breath coordination. Together, they stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, inviting the body out of 'fight or flight' and into 'rest and digest.'

These movements are like an internal massage — stretching the back body, challenging the core, releasing tension, and restoring rhythm. Done well? It’s not just exercise. It’s art.

3. The Underrated Power of the Tower

The Pilates Tower — hands down — is one of the most underutilized and undervalued pieces of equipment in the entire method, and yet it’s the one I reach for when a client is stuck.

Whether someone is recovering from injury, battling chronic pain, or simply plateauing in progress, the Tower helps me bring them back to the fundamentals — breath, spinal articulation, and grounded resistance.

The springs provide vertical feedback, and the mat platform creates the perfect environment for alignment without overwhelm. It teaches control, support, and strength — all without fighting gravity the way standing work demands.

I’ve seen clients reconnect to their bodies in profound ways using the Tower — it’s subtle but deeply transformative. Once they feel it? The rest of the system opens up.

4. A Client Success Story: Marion

Marion came to me in her 70s — severely kyphotic, forward head posture, weak abdominal, no glut strength, and chronic upper back tension. She had lost height, confidence, and breath capacity.

I turned to the Tower, specifically the roll-down bar, trapeze, and leg springs. With these tools, we focused on restoring spinal articulation, re-centering the shoulder girdle, and strengthening the thoracic spine — piece by piece. The roll-down bar taught her how to keep her shoulders in the joint. The springs supported her effort while challenging her core and glutes safely.

Today, Marion stands taller, breathes deeper, and — as we say in the studio — she has a true Pilates seat. She’s not just stronger. She’s energized, empowered, and reconnected to her body in a way that’s changed her daily life.

5. The 4 S’s: Why Pilates Isn’t One-Dimensional

Traditional fitness had me looking at the body superficially — isolate the big muscle groups, target them, build strength. But Pilates flipped that completely.

It taught me to see the body structurally, from the inside out. The biggest 'aha' is understanding the powerhouse — the center of gravity, where all true movement begins. That includes the transverse abdominis, diaphragm, pelvic floor, and inner thighs — not just abs, but deep stabilizers that organize the entire system.

Once you learn to teach from that place, you stop chasing muscles and start creating integration. Pilates builds more than strength. It develops the 4 S’s — strength, stretch, stamina, and stability. It’s not one-dimensional. It’s a living system.

6. Movement as Prescription: Life Beyond the Studio

I often say: Pilates is the method, but movement is the prescription.

Outside the studio, I encourage my clients to walk, garden, and swim — activities that ground them, reconnect them to breath, and keep their bodies in motion without strain. I also assign 'homework': daily Roll-Ups, Bridges, and core activations. These simple tools keep the nervous system engaged and the powerhouse activated between sessions.

The goal is integration — not separation. When Pilates becomes the anchor and everyday life becomes the practice, that’s where real transformation happens. We’re not just building strong bodies in the studio — we’re building sustainable movement habits for life.

Connect, Learn, and Retreat

To learn more about my work, explore resources, or join us for a retreat:

🌐 Website: www.elmwoodplacetx.com
📸 Instagram: @thepilatescowgirl | @elmwoodplacetx
🤝 Coaching for Pilates Studio Owners: Available through www.elmwoodplacetx.com/coaching
🐴 Conscious Contact Retreats: Learn more and apply at www.elmwoodplacetx.com/retreats

The Pilates Cowgirl™ is more than a nickname — it’s the iconic symbol of my brand. She represents strength, transformation, and the life-changing lessons I’ve learned by blending movement, mindfulness, and nature. She rides into every story, every session, and every season of this journey.