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Pilates Movement Monday: Using the Pilates Ring for Lower Body Engagement

Writer's picture: Michael KingMichael King

Pilates ring exercise promoting pelvic stability, gentle tension, and mindful movement for core integration
Side-Lying Pilates with a ring, focusing on lower body aligment and adductor engagement

Today’s Pilates Movement Monday focuses on the Pilates ring, an often-underestimated tool that has become a staple in many studios. The Pilates ring, or magic circle, provides an excellent opportunity to explore alignment, awareness, and engagement, particularly in the lower body. While today's rings are light, portable, and user-friendly, it’s worth noting their evolution. The original Pilates ring, found in Joseph Pilates’ studio, was a far heavier piece of equipment. So heavy, in fact, that you could only manage a few repetitions before feeling the fatigue.

The Pilates Ring of today’s are much lighter, offering versatility in both assistance and challenge for your clients. They can be used to help clients feel where movement should be working or to add gentle resistance to exercises. For this blog, we’ll focus on using the Pilates ring between the legs to engage the adductors and, in turn, the pelvic floor—a relationship that is foundational to good movement and posture.


Positioning and Purpose

To begin, place the Pilates ring between the inner thighs in a parallel leg position. The purpose here isn’t to squeeze the ring as hard as possible but to maintain light, constant tension. This teaches the client to create awareness of the adductors without overworking them, allowing the pelvic floor to gently engage.

As Pilates teachers, we know that Pilates is not about isolating a single muscle group but about integrating movements that challenge stability and alignment while keeping the centre active. By incorporating the ring in this way, we are helping clients learn control without unnecessary strain.


Exercise Focus: Side-Lying with the Pilates Ring

  1. Set-Up: Begin in a side-lying position, lengthening the legs so that the thighs are extended away from the pelvis. Place the Pilates ring between the thighs, just above the knees.

  2. Engagement: Instruct the client to maintain gentle tension on the ring, keeping it in place without over-squeezing. The focus is on subtle engagement of the inner thighs and a light activation of the pelvic floor.

  3. Movement: As the client lifts the top leg slightly, the aim is to keep the tension constant. Encourage them to avoid "cheating" by squeezing harder to hold the ring in place. Instead, they should rely on steady control and alignment.

  4. Breath: Cue the client to maintain smooth, even breathing throughout. This ensures the centre remains engaged without creating unnecessary tension in the upper body.

The key to this exercise is not about how many repetitions the client completes but the quality of movement. Encourage them to feel the connection between the adductors, pelvic floor, and centre, while keeping the rest of the body stable and aligned.


Avoid Overusing the Hands

While the Pilates ring is a versatile tool, it’s important to consider how it’s used in different parts of the body. For example, I tend to avoid having clients use the ring in their hands for squeezing. Many clients already present with excessive flexion in their posture due to modern lifestyles, and adding more flexion is rarely beneficial. Instead, focus on movements that support opening and lengthening.


Final Thoughts

Using the Pilates ring as part of your lower-body repertoire is a fantastic way to build awareness and subtle strength in the adductors and pelvic floor. The goal is always to integrate these movements with the principles of Pilates: control, precision, and flow. As with all Pilates exercises, it’s about creating balance and coordination, not battling with the equipment or dominating the movement.

Next time, we’ll explore using the Pilates ring for the upper body in ways that support extension and alignment. For now, enjoy experimenting with these lower-body exercises and see how they enhance your clients' connection to their centre.


Happy teaching!

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