Ubud Pilates

Muscle memory - It's like riding a bike

You’re not imagining it, the first class back after a break can be tough. It feels like you've lost all your conditioning and have to start again from scratch. Don’t worry, your muscle memory will help you bounce back quickly.

So what is muscle memory and how does it work? According to this article on the Cathe Friedrich blog, https://cathe.com/the-science-of-muscle-memory-and-how-it-works-in-your-favor/, there are two factors at play. First, as you exercise, the brain builds connections with your muscles. Through repetition, those connections form pathways that remain even after you've stopped practicing. That's why an adult can still ride a bike, even when they haven’t done so since childhood. The pathways don’t need to be rebuilt, they just need to be turned back on. The key lies in building strong pathways through regular practice.

The second factor occurs at the cellular level. The resistance training we do in Pilates causes your muscle cells to increase their capacity for protein production. Much like a factory that reduces output during quiet periods, your muscle cells can quickly increase their protein production when you resume your practice to restore any muscle mass that you lost during your break.

So don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s normal to struggle for the first couple of sessions after a break. You’ll be feeling strong again in no time.

Going into the holidays, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your ongoing support. To those just passing through, thank you for letting me be a part of your Ubud experience. To those who visit regularly, I love seeing you back in the studio. And to those lucky enough to live in Bali, thank you for showing up come rain, ceremony or sunshine. It's everyone’s commitment, inspiration and support that keeps the studio going.

Classes will resume on Monday 7th January. It can be a busy month, so let me know when you'll be back so I can save a mat for you.

Have a Happy Holidays and a fantastic start to 2019!

This is a great video that shows how our abdominal muscles work in the Chest lift. Notice that past a certain point, the hip flexors take over from the abdominals. It's why we don't come all the way up during the Chest Lift. https://youtu.be/4MeLHSjESlU

How Abdominal Muscles Work How the abdominal muscles work