Pilates Exercise Dive: Footwork

Footwork

Ahh, the wonders of the Pilates Method!

The genius of Joseph Pilates!

Let’s take one exercise and do it on different pieces of equipment!

(don’t have access to any Pilates equipment? - don’t fret - there’s also a Mat version. You’re welcome)

Let’s do the same exercise on different equipment but change a few things, shall we?

Let’s change:

• the position and orientation of the body
• the range of motion (ROM) of the exercise
• how and where the load of the springs enters the body

I give you…

Footwork!

The first place in the studio that you might encounter Footwork is on the Reformer. Footwork is a beginning Pilates exercise and actually might have been the very first one you were taught.

Why?

Why would this be the very first one?

Well, you begin lying on your back and if you’ve never had the pleasure of gliding out on a Reformer carriage doing so can be a bit weird and discombobulating. Most people agree that the Reformer looks a bit like a torture device so having most of your body in contact with it is def reassuring. 

Whatever you call yourself when you’re on the Reformer, student, client, or practitioner, Footwork allows you a lot of information gathering.

• Footwork is designed as a warmup exercise. Those global quad muscles and strong hips are used to open the springs, getting your body warm.
• You start to connect your breath to your movement: inhaling as you open the carriage and exhaling as you close.
• Your feet are firmly anchored to the footbar and your shoulders are jammed I mean up against the shoulder blocks allowing your spine to sneak on through that tension and lengthen. Decompression anyone?
• You can check in with the body parts connected into the equipment all the way from your feet to your skull trying to even out the pressure side to side and making micro adjustments into your ideal alignment.

Footwork is a goldmine for the practitioner as a self assessment tool:

• “where am I tight?”
• “am I feeling even?”
• “where should I send my breath?”
• “where should I address my attention in this session?”

For the instructor or teacher gazing over that body with their “bird’s eye view” they can check:

• alignment
• quality of movement
• breathing patterns
• structural differences side to side

Footwork is a goldmine for the teacher and is a great way to guide the rest of the session depending on what’s showing up.

In my exercise deep dives I usually explain the “How” of the exercise with loads of detail but since all that detail’s in the accompanying video at the top of the page, today I’ll just lay out the basics

Footwork is a series of exercises with different foot & leg positions where the leg is extended and flexed from the hip.

The Classical Pilates Footwork order is:

• Pilates V, aka, legs in slight external rotation from the hip joints, knees shoulder width when the springs are closed.
• Bird On A Perch, perhaps a bit weird but so good for those feet that hold us up all day. The legs are parallel (neutral rotation) and together.
• Heels On, a bit self explanatory but also parallel, legs together.
• Tendon Stretch, this is the only one performed with straight legs since you keep the carriage open while you lower and lift your heels (please don’t hang out in the back of you knees if you’re a hyperextender like me, even if it feels really good)

Pilates V👇

There are other Footwork variations:  

• legs can be in a wide frog with the feet at the edges of the foot bar, either toes on or heels
• in a wider parallel
• you can perform one legged footwork

There’s all sorts of fabulous choreography that’s tons of fun to do but I’m just letting you know what’s the go with the Classical Footwork sequence.

As stated, the Footwork sequence can be moved through the studio and one of the best places  to experience it is on the Low Chair.

If you’re doing a complete workout on the Low Chair (rather than just a couple of auxiliary exercises) then Footwork will also probably be your initial exercise, remember, it’s a great warmup.

How is Footwork the same on the Low Chair as on the Reformer?

You still perform Pilates V, Bird On A Perch, Heels On, and Tendon Stretch👇

Pilates V👍

my hands doing what your little birdy feet should be feeling👇

Heels On👇

Tendon Stretch, thighs quiet, feet plantarflexing to push pedal down towards floor👇

How is is Footwork on the Chair different from the Reformer?

Well, obviously you’re sitting up so instead of having all of the support from the carriage you have to find the support inside of you. Yay! You have to sit upright, nice and tall, using those deep postural muscles so you don’t get schlumpy.

Sitting up and staying long and tall from the inside fatigues you in a different way that being schlumpy, lol.

You might think when you start your Footwork on the Low Chair, “oh this spring tension feels pretty light” but I can pretty much bet that by the time you’re finished with the whole sequence, V, BOP, Heels, TS, you’ll be very ready to hop off the chair and move on.

Footwork on the Chair is also different because the ROM is much smaller. You simply cannot straighten your legs as you push down to open the springs. Also when you close the spring as much as you can without moving the rest of you, you’re not going to get as much flexion in the hip joint as you would if you were lying down.

And, Tendon Stretch on the Low Chair is almost completely different than on the Reformer. Yes, it’s still about plantarflexion and dorsiflexion in your ankles but for some reason there’s an incredible brain freeze as you try to figure out how to actually move the pedal. First you have to keep the thighs still while you solely use your feet and ankles to open and close the springs and then you have move those feet and ankles keeping the pedal still!

My top tips for Footwork on the Low Chair

• start with lower spring tension than you think you’ll want
• perch at the front edge of the chair
• on the exhale (usually when the pedal is lifting) engage the pelvic floor muscles but please remember that the pelvic floor should contract and release just like any other muscle so don’t over do it.

I love Footwork on the Tower unit (or on the Cadillac). There’s something so satisfying about the downward pressure into the hip joints that feels luscious and supportive at the same time which kindov’ doesn’t make much sense but it’s the best way I can describe it…

You must make sure though, not to do what I call, ‘hang out in your skeleton’, i.e. completely collapse into the weight of the spring.

This can happen easily in Pilates V and is not good for your lumbar spine. Instead find the buoyancy of connecting into the spring, I try to feel like it’s an extension of me.

For example:

here’s me being completely smooshed by the spring tension, you can see how folded in on myself I am? Look at my neck! (sorry it’s not a clearer picture)👇

and here’s me keeping the spring tension in my muscles and not falling into my flexibility or hanging out on my connective tissue👇

The difference of Footwork on the Tower compared to the Reformer are again the ROM but only in the parallel positions. Because you’re snugged underneath the bar your body gets in the way of the spring fully closing and it feels ‘loaded’ the whole time. The sensations, especially in the Tendon Stretch can be quite intense.

Heels On, less fold - my thighs are on on my belly👇

Tendon Stretch (soz for the fuzziness)👇because of the forced dorsiflexion at the ankle the hamstrings & fascia are on a big ole stretch😵‍💫  

Alrighty, there’s Footwork on three different pieces of Pilates equipment for you but if all you have access to is a Mat, there’s still a version of Footwork we can talk about.

On the Mat Footwork closely resembles performing it on the Reformer but with one major difference and that is of course you have to do all the work of holding up your legs all by yourself!!

Pilates V, imagining a foot bar beneath my feet👇

This is the main reason this version of Footwork is an advanced exercise but the other is the placement of it in an advanced Mat class. Footwork on the mat is technically a “pre-Pilates” exercise because, that’s right, it comes before the Hundred🤬

So, if an advanced Mat class starts with Footwork and then goes immediately into the Hundred, you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll be super, duper warm when those two are finished and ready to rock your Matwork!

Look at how relaxed I look in my 100 position - not!👇

Not an advanced practitioner? No worries, you can change up your Footwork with a prop or break the series up into the smaller chunks until you build up the stamina and strength to go all the way through. As I said at the top…

You’re Welcome!!

with the assistance of the resistance band👇🙌

Hmmm, I have no idea why all of my photos are formatted in differing sizes?? But that’s it for me and my deep dive into Footwork, I do hope you found some nuggets and if you haven’t already. make sure to watch the video for tons more information.

Be well,

xBec

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The information contained above is provided for informational purposed only. The contents of this blog are not intended to amount to advice and Rebecca Forde disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this post.

all photos by moi’