Why Consistency is Key!

It's surprisingly difficult to resume one's practice after a long hiatus. The hiatus can come for a multitude of reasons. It could be an injury, a vacation, or simply a series of scheduling conflicts that causes one to fall out of their Pilates practice. But regardless of the circumstance, it's always important to understand your limitations, both mental and physical, before jumping back into things.  

The first limitation may be mental. Pilates practice, like all exercise, is momentum-based. When you're in the groove of going multiple times a week, a prolonged break in that schedule can make it challenging to get back into the swing of things. Returning to a studio becomes a mental mountain that one must climb. It's easy to remain inactive as that has become the new status quo during a hiatus, but pushing through that barrier is the first step to returning to where you once were.  

The flip side to this is the physical. After getting over the mental hump of returning to the studio, it's understandable to want to pick up your practice where you left off. But it's not that simple. It requires time to acclimate back into your Pilates body. Practicing Pilates isn’t like going to the gym, where someone can muscle through workouts and try to work themselves back into shape. But that's an easy way to become injured, especially in Pilates, where focus and concentration is more important than force. 

The same rules that apply to practicing in your prime, understanding your limitations and working within your own body, are doubly true when returning from a hiatus. It's almost more dangerous than starting your practice from scratch because there may be a familiar baseline that you want to get back to. But like anything else, nothing happens overnight. Working with your instructor to develop a clear plan to return your body to shape is always most important.