Prop Time: Love/Hate (or is it Hate/Love?) relationship with the Magic Circle

Here we are with the most (un)popular Pilates prop – the Magic Circle! This prop adds resistance to exercises to provide muscular feedback of proximal connections (where your limbs connect to your torso/trunk), and isometric connections (similar to how springs teach this).

There are so many ways you can use the Magic Circle:

To strengthen your neck
To strengthen your back
To strengthen where your arms connect to your back
To strengthen your glutes
To strengthen your inner thighs
To strengthen your abdominal muscles

Ok, enough of what it strengthens. How about stretches, you say?

To stretch your hamstrings
To stretch your glutes
To stretch your inner groin and inner thighs
To stretch your shoulders and open your chest

Now, here’s the thing about props. They can be tools to teach, or crutches to be dependent on. Of course, we only want these as tools. So, try a couple of reps with props, and then a couple more reps without, and see if you can do the exercises with the right connections that you learned from the prop.

These props give your body and mind feedback to see where you are connected or disconnected. I mean, let’s be real – our body parts may not fully know how to engage and stay engaged during an exercise. So, let’s take some help until our body learns how to do this without props. On the flip side of this, if you tell me you’ve got this, then these props can also add a challenge (read: get you stronger!) to your Pilates mat practice.

A final word on props in general. The props allow you to explore, discover, investigate what is missing in your practice, what you need more of or less of in your practice, and to help you find that connection when you don’t have a prop.

One last thing on the Magic Circle. The Pilates mat practice ends with pushups. Ask me how to use the Magic Circle for your pushups! Ready to buy one?

No Magic Circle; no problem! I’ve come up with a home substitute. Home substitute: For some exercises, a Christmas wreath or a shoelace. For other exercises, a rolled up towel or a small pillow.

Don’t wait for IRL workouts. Come out of lockdown/quarantine stronger than ever! Besides, online is so much fun! And it’s so nice we still get to see each other. Remember what you can from our classes together, and you can practice on your own during the rest of the week.

Join me in a Wed mat + prop class. Check the schedule for the next one with a Magic Circle. Come with yours or your home substitutes.