April Estrada

You've probably heard me say this in class before... The part of your body that's moving is only doing half the work. The other half is happening in your torso, keeping everything stable. Think about it. When you're moving your leg, your core is working to keep your pelvis and spine stable. When you're reaching an arm, your torso is working to keep you from tipping or twisting. And when we're in quadruped, on our hands and knees, that becomes really obvious. Lift one arm or leg and suddenly...

One of the coolest things about Pilates is that sometimes you don't realize how much stronger you're getting until something outside the studio feels easier. Maybe you're carrying groceries without thinking twice. Maybe getting up off the floor doesn't feel like such a production anymore. Maybe your back isn't complaining as much. Or maybe you notice that a movement on the reformer that used to kick your ass is suddenly a whole lot easier. That's strength showing up in real life. This month,...

Fancy Pilates word. Very simple explanation: We're getting down on all fours. Quadruped is any position where we're working from our hands and knees, and throughout October you'll see your REBEL teachers playing with all kinds of variations from there. And don't let the starting position fool you. Once we start moving an arm or leg, adding resistance, moving the carriage, or taking away a point of contact, suddenly your core, shoulders, hips and glutes have some serious work to do. That's one...