{"id":197996,"date":"2025-10-13T22:06:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T22:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/197996\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T22:06:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T22:06:14","slug":"pilates-instructors-reveal-5-overrated-exercises-they-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/197996\/","title":{"rendered":"Pilates instructors reveal 5 overrated exercises they avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reformer, mat, infrared – the Pilates boom is showing no sign of slowing down, and our enthusiasm for it isn\u2019t waning. It\u2019s also a hugely accessible exercise, with home workouts and online classes available at the touch of a button via some of the best Pilates apps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Everyone has their preferred type of Pilates and moves they enjoy more than others (don\u2019t start me on fire hydrants <\/a>or side planks<\/a>!), but there are some exercises you might feel you need to be superhuman to do. This is why well-trained and experienced instructors adapt founder Joseph Pilates’ exercises to fit with our bodies at different levels, avoiding strain or injury.<\/p>\n

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Pilates instructor and founder of the SDP Method, Sam Deville<\/a>, says her classes blend the “spirit of Joseph’s work with more functional moves”, admitting she leaves a few classes out because they “just don’t fit most bodies I see”.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Other instructors may leave an exercise off their programme simply because they are overrated. Most of us will only manage one or two Pilates classes a week, and we live in a busy time. We want to see results quickly. Some will miss an exercise simply because it’s not worth doing in the time available. Ready to see which ones made the list?<\/p>\n

Overrated Pilates exercisesJackknife<\/p>\n

If there’s a jackknife exercise in your Pilates for beginners<\/a> class, back out of the studio slowly. Deville says she doesn’t teach the jack knife in her classes as “it’s a big inversion that rolls you onto your neck, and even Joe (Joseph Pilates) said you shouldn\u2019t try it until you\u2019ve mastered simpler progressions”.<\/p>\n

The jackknife is an advanced move where you lie on your back with your arms by your sides and palms facing down. With your legs straight at 45 degrees, you inhale and exhale to roll your spine off the mat and bring your legs straight up above you with your heels in line with your eyes.<\/p>\n

After holding your legs up for a few counts, you roll back down slowly and lower your feet to the floor.<\/p>\n

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The alternative <\/p>\n

The jack knife can be \u201cmodified quite easily to reduce strain on the lower back and neck\u201d, says Deville. She takes inspiration from the Reformer Pilates<\/a> exercise, short spring, which is the Jack Knife, but with your feet in straps for more assistance. She also says, \u201crolling down with bent knees takes the pull out of the lower back\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the mat, I adapt this by initially not rolling over as far, which helps avoid neck strain. Once at the top of the inverted shoulder stand, we bend the knees towards the nose and then control the roll back down to the mat,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

2. Pilates flows<\/p>\n

Michelle D\u2019Onofrio<\/a>, Pilates instructor at YATTA Studio<\/a>, says one of the biggest issues she sees in other classes and online is \u201coverly complex \u2018flows\u2019 that string together multiple movements without a clear purpose\u201d.<\/p>\n

She explains that while they might \u201clook impressive on social media, in reality, they compromise alignment and technique\u201d. She has seen instructors \u201ccombining advanced Reformer moves like planks, lunges, and arm work into one continuous sequence\u201d.<\/p>\n

The alternative<\/p>\n

D\u2019Onofrio says she chooses to focus on \u201cintelligent progressions\u201d instead. This means \u201cslowing things down, refining movement patterns and helping clients really connect with their breath and core engagement\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pilates has been around for a long time for good reason, and while we constantly see new trends in workouts, D\u2019Onofrio says it\u2019s still important to focus on \u201csmall, simple movements\u201d. She believes that if these are \u201cdone with precision\u201d, they can be \u201cfar more transformative than flashy, complicated combinations\u201d.<\/p>\n

3. The plank<\/p>\n

I developed a love-hate relationship with this exercise after learning how long to hold a plank for<\/a>. I know it\u2019s great for core strength, but it also hurts my body all over.<\/p>\n

Unlike me, Pilates instructor Natasha Kumar<\/a> loves the plank and all of its variations, but says that unless you know how to do a plank <\/a>properly, “you lose the benefits of core engagement and shift the weight down the spine, which can cause tension in either the shoulders or lower back”.<\/p>\n

The alternative<\/p>\n

There are so many plank alternatives out there, from the bird dog exercise<\/a> to leg raises<\/a>. However, Kumar says she tries to avoid alignment issues in the first place, as the plank is only overrated if you don’t do it with proper form. She tells clients to keep their knees below their hips as “it’s easier to maintain your posture and stabilise the shoulders, while still creating the core connection” this way.<\/p>\n

She then teaches clients to slowly extend their legs into the plank, while keeping their upper body stable. She says this creates better form and ensures the exercise is effective. She explains that this method will \u201callow clients to build strength and improve proprioception to make the exercise really work for them\u201d.<\/p>\n

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\"Woman\n<\/p>\n

The plank is a great full-body Pilates exercise if you do it right, says Kumar. <\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

4. The saw <\/p>\n

The saw is a move Kumar says many people find hard to do with good form, so she leaves it out of her classes. She explains that it\u2019s a traditional seated exercise which \u201cinvolves twisting and flexing the spine while keeping the pelvis still and legs straight\u201d. She says it requires flexibility in your hamstrings, deep core strength and upper back mobility to do it properly.<\/p>\n

Kumar says \u201cthere\u2019s a lot going on in this exercise\u201d and most of her clients don\u2019t have the flexibility to do it. \u201cIf the hamstrings or upper back are tight, people often compensate by twisting from the lower back or rounding the shoulders to reach towards the toes. This can put strain on the lower back and aggravate already tight neck and shoulders,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The alternative<\/p>\n

Kumar says she tries to \u201cbreak the saw down\u201d into other exercises that offer the same benefits but not cause any strain. She often chooses to do a ‘seated waist twist’ or \u2018thread the needle\u2019 to help with upper back mobility and she says she loves \u2018spine stretch forward\u2019 for \u201ctargeting tight hamstrings and improving seated core engagement\u201d.<\/p>\n

5. Hundreds<\/p>\n

Hundreds is one of the most famous mat Pilates exercises. Whether you’ve done a Pilates abs workout<\/a> or a quick 15-minute Pilates<\/a> session, it’ll likely have been in your class.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great core strengthener, but it can also cause pain in your neck if not done properly. Deville says her \u201cclients often feel it in their neck and shoulders due to weak neck extensors or lifting into curl-up through the neck rather than through the breastbone\u201d.<\/p>\n

Much like the plank, getting the form right is key. “Small tweaks can go a long way in turning this one from something uncomfortable into a really effective core exercise,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The alternative<\/p>\n

Deville gives her clients different options when doing the hundreds and likes to build it up so everyone can find the right version for them and either progress or stay where they feel comfortable.<\/p>\n

She says she starts with both feet flat on the mat with arms pulsing by the side of the body for 10 breaths. \u201cThen we’ll add on, roughly every 10 breath cycles,\u201d she explains. \u201cFirst, we’ll float one leg up into tabletop, then a second leg, extend one leg long, then the second leg – all the while beating those arms by our sides.<\/p>\n

“If the lower back starts to arch or the neck feels tired, I always suggest lowering a foot\/feet back to the mat and placing one hand behind the head. The whole point is to warm up the deep abdominals, so I encourage clients to stick with whichever layer lets them breathe smoothly and avoid neck strain.\u201d<\/p>\n

When writing a class plan, Deville says she always makes sure she selects exercises that suit the whole class, but which also offer different levels if people want to practice more advanced options.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

All of the instructors I spoke to agreed that continued professional development as a Pilates instructor is imperative, so when choosing a studio or instructor, take a look at their training.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Onofrio says: “When you\u2019re a newer teacher, it\u2019s easy to be influenced by what you see online and from trending social media posts. Social media can be a brilliant tool for sharing ideas and creativity, but the key is filtering trends through your own understanding of Pilates principles. Over time, you learn to take inspiration from others while staying true to the method\u2019s integrity and what\u2019s best for your clients.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reformer, mat, infrared – the Pilates boom is showing no sign of slowing down, and our enthusiasm for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":197997,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-197996","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/197996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=197996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}