To Prop or Not To Prop

To Prop or not to Prop that is the question

Prop(s)… so many meanings!

As a noun:

1. A propeller.
2. Any of the articles other than costumes and scenery used by an actor or performer during a performance on stage or in a film.
3. Someone or something displayed to impress others or provide a false impression.
4. An object placed beneath or against a structure to keep it from falling or shaking; a support.
5. One that serves as a means of support or assistance.
6. A stick, staff, pole, rod, beam, or other rigid thing used to sustain an incumbent weight; that on which anything rests for support; a support; a stay; a fulcrum: usually applied to something not forming a part of the object supported: as, a prop for vines; a prop for an old wall.

 And as a transitive verb

1. To support by placing something beneath or against; shore up.

In this blog we'll focus on definitions 4, 5, & 6 and there might be a slight allusion to definition 3.

In Pilates, the word “prop” usually means a piece of small equipment that's used during a class or session to either

• support the body to make an exercise easier or
• make it more difficult by taxing the body's strength or stability

A couple of months ago, when I finally unpacked all of the studio equipment that had been stored in my garage for two years due to the extended timeline of the shed to schtudio conversion, what did I discover?

I have a s**t ton of props!

My old studio used to fit six people max (it was super cosy) so most of my props are in multiples of six:

• six magic circles
• six sets of toning balls
• six foam rollers not including two which are softer and one that’s older than my 24 year old kid - okay so nine foam rollers.

I also have:

• FitBalls of various sizes
• yoga blocks
• small balls the size of a tennis ball
• smaller balls that are actually cat toys
• bigger balls that are firm
• bigger balls that are squooshy
• hand weights
• spinning discs
• soft blue beams
• broom sticks
• and resistance bands!

(I also have what I call, “magic towels” which are actually just hand towels that seem magic if your low back is tight and you struggle with the Pilates Roll Up)

I think you get the idea

Recently I filmed a class for my On Demand Library and used a resistance band, which most people call a Theraband (think vacuum is to Hoover, or tissue is to Kleenex for the difference there).

I used the band mostly to make the exercises more challenging and to bring some variety to the class, but I also showed how it can be used as a support during certain exercises.

I got creative and was mostly successful in exploring some new ways to incorporate the prop except...

I did have a complete fail with the Rollover because what I saw in my head as a way to do it with the resistance band was actually not even remotely physically possible (there is video evidence that's been edited from the final cut that I will never share but I’ve gotta say it was pretty entertaining to fail so spectacularly😜)

I would classify the class I taught as an Intermediate/Advanced level but could just have easily chosen different ways to use the resistance band to make it a Beginning level class.

 And, this is what I love about props

They can be used in infinitely flexible and malleable ways depending on what's desired

• more or less support?
• more or less challenge?
• more or less stability?
• a balance challenge?
• making an exercise more accessible?

It always goes back to what does the body in front of you need this day, at this particular time, in this particular exercise?

PROP: One That Serves as a Means of SUPPORT or Assistance

Let’s take a very common situation where a prop can be used to literally prop up the body and make an exercise more accessible, i.e. it's used as a support:

Do you maybe have tight hamstrings? What do you feel in Spine Stretch?

• the backs of your legs wanting to snap?
• your hip flexors chatting noisily at you?
• or, your low back feeling saggy and tight at the same time?

By simply sitting up on a yoga block or a rolled up mat, the angle of the leg to the pelvis will be more open, the pressure will be off the hamstrings and the low back will be able to lengthen and with that comes a more successful Spine Stretch.

Yes this is a great thing for people who struggle to sit up (or that think Pilates is only for the stretchy, bendy type of people). However, there are actually a few things we need to think about:

1. Does the body/person/client really need the prop? Yes some bodies def do, but..
2. Is the body relying on the prop? Has it become a crutch? Is it now limiting the progress of the Pilates practice? (I’m not saying that this is a conscious thing for most bodies/people/clients but might be a story they tell themselves)
3. Is the use of the prop temporary? For example, what if the body is coming back from an injury (the hamstrings are tight because they've been strained) at what point do you ask more of the body and less of the prop?

There are some people who will always need the prop! If this is you, make sure you don’t feel bad about ‘needing’ the prop.

Case in point, my hubby had a knee replacement 20+ years ago and the ankle on the same side has also been surgically repaired. His right knee and ankle will never, ever flex very deeply. Those are the facts so when I teach him Pilates he becomes the Prop King! We use everything at hand (also for his extremely tight hamstrings and arthritic wrists) to make his Pilates sessions as supportive and transforming as possible. 

So a prop can be used to make an exercise a bit easier to accomplish but can also be used to make it more challenging...

PROP: One That Serves as a Means of Support or ASSISTANCE

Let's slightly tweak the definition of assistance and decide that the prop's "assist" is in making the exercise harder!

Yippee, I love this incarnation of prop usage because it forces our brain and body out of complacency.

If you've been a Pilates practitioner for many years, you know that you can get stuck in a rut and if you take a lot of classes (especially from the same teacher) then you know that the pace and choreography of the exercises can get a bit repetitive.

Yay for props, they can reinvigorate our practice!

 An example:

Have you ever tried to perform Rolling Like a Ball on a Foam Roller?

It’s fun and humbling all at once. Besides the obvious balance challenge it shakes things up a bit because:

• you get to keep your hands on the ground but that means you have to maintain the shape of the exercise without using the arms!
• the ROM is has to be much smaller
• you quickly discover any imbalances that you have since the surface to roll on has shrunk 
• you especially find out which side of your belly is stronger
• and you understand that overcorrection is a thing.

Yes, it’s fun plus there’s loads of learning inside the challenge.

In the Resistance Band class I recently filmed I used the band in Open Leg Rocker in a way that was new and it showed up some interesting things in my body. My learning inside the challenge was how I don’t use my feet & ankles evenly:

Finally, this is where I'm going to very loosely link definition #3 from the beginning of the blog to my chosen topic. 

PROP: Someone or something displayed to impress others or provide a false impression.

Here's something to take note of when using the prop as a challenge:

The push/pull that I have is, if I pull my creative hat on too tightly and just find crazy arse ways to use a prop am I throwing out all of the Pilates Principles for the sake of the choreography? Is it still Pilates? 

This is my existential question and here’s my answer:

Some of the time, I mean let’s be real, some of the time, it’s just fun to do the craziest thing you can actually think of. But make sure there's some awareness there.

Do you know when you’ve severed the thread and it’s no longer Pilates? What do you actually give up when all you think about is how cool can I make this? Is there an edge where you can still embody the Pilates Principles? (asking for a friend)

There’s no right or wrong here, just some things to ponder.

All righty, if you’d like to see my creativity, make sure to rent the Resistance Band class that I filmed. I had fun doing it and yes, it was the jumping off point for this blog topic.

So go ahead, use those props if you need them and by all means also use them for a bit of fun, challenge, and movement adventure - just be mindful as you do.

Be Well,

xBec

The information contained above is provided for information purposes 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

black & white photo by M Ryan, all others by moi'