This can make the movements feel so much harder than they need to be. “When you’re coming up to a full teaser from a lying down position, if you don’t breathe, your performance will not be good,” certified Pilates instructor Nofar Hagag, founder of Nofar Method in New York City and Miami, tells SELF. Stewart explains that when you exhale correctly on a contraction, you’re able to get more muscle engagement in your core. It’s easy to see how this works: “Even just sitting down, if you contract your core and exhale, you’ll see how much more activation you can get instead of just trying to contract,” she says.
What to do instead: The general rule in Pilates is to inhale during the part of the movement when you’re lengthening, then exhale during the contraction, Stewart says. So for example, during the Double Leg Stretch, you’ll breathe in when you extend your arms and legs away from you, then breathe out as you curl them back toward your chest. She acknowledges that a good instructor can be a huge help by cuing the breath effectively (without becoming such a broken record that the room tunes them out). But if you’re relying on yourself, just try to get into the habit of exhaling forcefully during any contractions—once you’ve pushed out that air, your lungs will then automatically suck in more.
3. You chat with your besties mid-class.
Pilates has become übertrendy these days, which means it’s sometimes turned into a social event, with chatty conversations infiltrating the studio. “You’ll get a group coming to class, they go get coffee after, and they’ll start talking,” Stewart says. Carissa Fernandez, a certified master Pilates instructor for Club Pilates in Colorado, tells SELF she sees this happen at least once or twice a week.
While a quick “Woo, girl!” after a tough move can spread good vibes, having a full-on convo can disrupt both the teacher and other students. And if you have enough energy to chat, you’re probably not putting as much effort into class as you could be. (Not to mention, it’s hard to pull off those all-important inhales and exhales when you’re busy yakking.) “You don’t want to spend 45 minutes to an hour half-assing your workout and then be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to go work out again,’” Stewart points out.
What to do instead: Dial in during your workout—you paid good money for it, after all—then catch up with your friends. Find it’s simply too tempting to gab between leg circles? Fernandez suggests setting yourself up on the opposite sides of the room. Or, if you’re just really in need of a good vent sesh, ditch the studio and get your sweat in by going for a walk or run together instead.
4. You bring distractions with you.
We get it: We’re all busy, and the drive to multitask can get the better of us when our devices let us easily connect to work, our families, and all our other obligations. Hagag says she’s seen people leave a voice memo on their watch in the middle of class, and even had clients leave Zoom running on their phones so they can “be” at a meeting remotely (off-camera, of course).