06/18/2026
I intentionally teach "ONLY finger tips" to floor.
Yes, you can do belly-to-thighs and reach past your legs. I can do that also. (Although, that could feel passive and you are allowing gravity to do the work...And that can be purposeful and valuable. Although, Fingertips makes your core turn on and holds your body UP in space.)
Getting people to ROUND their back and engage their abdominals takes a whole different effort. It prepares swimmers to dive, it prepare acrobats to handstand, it teaches water sport athletes how to 360°
It teaches you HOW to use your abdominals AGAINST gravity.
Sure laying on our back and doing ab work can make us stronger, but very rarely are we doing competitive sports laying down. You need your core to jump, to react, and support you through space. You don't only need the flexibility ~ you need your core support ...you SPINE support. I think many people forget that your core involves your multifidi! (the muscles that support your spine)... you need strength in your back.
Which is why adding bent knees and hip hinges can also help support your spine and build strength in your back. (Aka: Goodmornings, variations of deadlifts, and squats) *not pictured...we do those also.
We do these exercises in Pilates...but we teach the WHY and we break it down simply before added hundreds of pounds of weight. We do it with the proper body mechanics so when you do add the weight you use the right muscles and form.
Ps... one of my favorite exercises are single leg deadlifts and goodmornings. 😍
Also, I am NOT saying passive stretches are wrong, they are needed and valuable - I am saying I purposefully teach "only reaching to finger tips" when I want a different result, feeling, and experience that isn't passive in standing stretches.
~I repeat~
***All stretches and strength exercises ARE valuable and necessary. This is a different effort if you are trying to feel something different in your standing hamstring stretches***
..I think I have more to say - but need a Ted Talk...so I am going to stop here🛑 or read captions on the pics
