In a traditional Pilates workout, students will be reminded to wrap the thighs in the first exercise--either the Footwork on the Reformer, or the Hundred on the mat. The action of wrapping is intended to prevent the knees from rolling in (a common postural fault), to activate the buttock muscles and inner thighs and help to release the quadriceps, to encourage good use of the arches of the feet, and to integrate the legs with the torso, completing the famous Pilates "powerhouse".
Pilates Stance
It's easiest to achieve wrapped thighs by starting from a Pilates stance. Simply put, Pilates stance is the position of the feet with heels together and toes slightly apart. The exact position of the toes should vary from person to person, but a general rule is to leave space for a fist between the big toes. Once the feet are in place, the knees should point in the same direction as the second toes. This requires the use of the buttock, or gluteal, muscles in a specific way.
The lowest part of the buttocks, where they curve near the sitz-bones, should gently squeeze, and the thigh-bones should slightly rotate outwards. Some students find that it helps to think of the sitz-bones drawing together, the folds of the buttocks "smiling", the legs spiralling out like a corkscrew, the front of the hips releasing, or the hip joints unlocking.
If the squeeze is too forceful, or too high, it will put pressure on the sacrum and create a grippy, uncomfortable feeling. A correct wrap will feel like it supports the hips, lifts and lengthens the spine, and lets the quads relax a little.
Other Positions
It's also possible to wrap the thighs when the legs are parallel. With legs together, as in the second and third Footwork exercises, the same muscular engagement should stop the knees from rolling in. In sitting on the mat for Spine Stretch Forward or similar exercises, wrapping will lift the body up off the mat a little. In exercises in which one leg is outstretched, wrapping that thigh can help to keep the hips even and avoid distorting the spine.
Many Pilates exercises can be performed with the legs either in Pilates stance or in parallel, but in either case, wrapping the thighs can help to make the exercise more comfortable, and more effective.
Don't
- "Grip" the top of the buttocks forcefully
- Tuck the pelvis or round the lower back (unless the exercise calls for it)
- Force the toes wider than the knees
- Collapse the arches of the feet
Do
- Spiral the legs gently outwards
- Soften the knees
- Lift the arches
- Engage the low buttock muscles
Elisabeth Marshall - Elisabeth Marshall is a certified Pilates instructor with an interest in anatomy and biomechanics, imagery, and bodywork. She taught ...
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