I just completed the PhysicalMind Institute 2 day E401 Standing Pilates Workshop held at the Chelsea Studios in New York, NY taught by Yuu Fujita, Institute Lead Teacher. Traditionally, Pilates is practiced on large equipment like the Reformer and Cadillac and is not always accessible to everyone. Mat Pilates is less expensive, does not require a lot of space, and can be followed by video or live streaming. Often Mat Pilates classes will involve small equipment like a ring, bands or balls. Still, performing Pilates exercise standing has been challenging to master.
For this training, we used the NEW Tye4® wearable resistance system from TheMethod Pilates. It’s a harness that fits over the shoulder and connects higher on the chest, or lower depending on comfort. It’s easy to put on and can be adjusted quickly. It has loops that connect to each foot anchoring the single leg bungee and hand loops that anchor the single arm bungee. While standing, the bungees function like a “bar” and gives support to movement that require balance. Because it’s not as stable as an actual bar, it requires the body to work harder to balance. This type of work is great for developing strong stabilizer muscles and a strong core. The bungees can also be used to assist in movement and of course we used them to create resistance in the standing position – up to 40 lbs depending on how the bungees are used! We also worked through Pilates fundamentals and traditional exercises on the mat. In this case, the Tye4 functions like a Reformer by providing assistance and resistance. Mat Pilates is much more effective when using Tye4. It can also be used on different Pilates apparatus – see here