Welcome
If you're flexible, it's likely that you have enjoyed activity that focused on your mobility (I'm looking at you-- yoga).
But over time, people with bendy, tweaky, hypermobile bodies need stability as well as mobility. But it can be hard finding stability when your body is so mobile.
In this class, you’ll learn exercises that build strength and stability with a basic Pilates mat routine. We’ll focus on the particular challenges of hypermobile bodies so that movement can feel safe and fun.
Weekly Links
This class is no longer live. These are the links to the previously recorded videos.
Reflections
Working with your body is a great way to bring up thoughts and emotions, and journaling is a great way to reveal them. Especially when you ready your writing out loud, journaling can unveil thoughts and emotions you didn't even know you had.
After each class, I recommend that you take 10 minutes to journal. When you are done, ready your writing back to yourself. If a blank page stymies you, you can find prompts for each class here: Prompts for class reflections
Contact info
If you have questions, feel free to email me: julia@juliarymut.com
Class Recordings
Tuesday, Nov 30
In this class, you'll start with Ribcage breathing to connect to your upper belly. Using this connection, you'll explore how finding deep, core stability is different from classic strength training. I'll introduce some key exercises and tell you how to modify them if needed.
Thursday, Dec 2
Hypermobile people love to stretch. Your movable joints love going to end-range where you can finally feel something. But for some people, stretching leads to destabilization and pain. How can you develop stability and strength, while still enjoying your movable body?
Tuesday, Dec 7
How do you feel what you can't feel?
Hypermobile bodies tend to have low proprioception--the ability to feel how you're aligned in space. Today we'll work with that question and experiment with some of the tools you can use to check your alignment at home.
- Taking a proprioceptive "snap shot"
- Going to end-range and then finding the middle
- Using a mirror
- Using the feedback from props
- Memorizing a position until it feels right
- Practicing until you can feel more
Thursday, Dec 9
Research shows that hypermobile bodies are particularly prone to stress. In this class, you'll learn techniques to weave stress reduction into your exercise routine. By relaxing your body, your nervous system can reset and relax as well.
Tuesday, Dec 14
Even though your joints are very mobile, often hypermobile people feel tight. Today you'll explore the sensation of tightness. You'll notice when you feel tight and what the source might be. You'll explore relieving the tightness and just letting it be.
Thursday, Dec 16
Often people with hypermobile bodies don't realize that they worked out too hard until two days later, when the pain starts. This means that when you work out, you never know if you should challenge yourself or back off.
Today we'll use a Pilates mat flow to practice staying present in your body. Through flow, you can begin to identify what is healthy exertion and what is your body signaling that you need a rest.