Why do I say this so often in the class?
- Knee is an extremely important joint in our body and we want to maintain its mobility.
- When leg muscles such as hamstrings and calfs are tight – because of disuse, sedentary lifestyles or poor posture —you’re not able to fully extend your leg and straighten your knee, and your walking (and running) stride may be shortened and less powerful
- Further, inflexible hamstrings have been implicated in chronic low back pain, because they change the tilt of the pelvis
- And for anyone who plays sports or works out, tight muscles may contribute to muscle strains, knee pain, and diminished performance because the muscles aren’t able to fully extend.
Pilates exercises require you to stretch your knees (“extend your knees fully”). If you cannot do it yet, it does not mean you are not fit to do Pilates – what it means is that you have one extra thing to focus on: that is on elongating your hamstrings to be able to finally STRETCH YOUR KNEES.
