“The Tye4® is resistance training equipment that is worn on the body as a small harness with specially designed thin bungee cords that attach to the arms and feet. Originally developed for standing Pilates exercises, it helps improve balance and posture and has a wide variety of applications.

Balance and Resistance with Tye4®
What is so great about the Tye4® is that the lines of resistance feedback to the core of your body. This is a very Pilates approach to fitness. It’s an effect we get from much of the larger Pilates equipment like the reformer, but getting that direct feedback with something as portable as the Tye4 is unusual. For example, even exercise bands tend to pull oddly at the distant ends of our arms and legs as we use them in resistance training, and we have to use extra focus to make sure we are working from our core. The Tye4® is a more core-direct experience. It is also more stabilizing for the joints this way.This is not super resistance training that we are talking about. We are still in the realm of Pilates where we are more interested in core strength and stability than pumping up our muscles unnecessarily. Therefore, the bungee cords do not need to be very thick and the adjustable lengths are set to give just enough resistance to tone the muscles and activate the core. They can be crossed or held shorter to increase their resistance or stabilizing effect.The feedback the bungee cords provide also help the body figure out where it is in space, and how it needs to organize to maintain balance. There is a whole repertoire of standing Pilates exercises developed for use with the Tye4® to take advantage of the enhanced proprioceptive aspect of it. Dancers and Pilates teachers, of course take to it very naturally, but I can imagine that eventually it will be used to help many people who need extra balance training.”