These important muscles need to be both strong and free from stiffness to allow ease of leg movement.
Learning to identify separate groups of muscles, and mastering how to use L- them independently, is an important aspect of Pilates that is known as isolation. Most of us use our bodies without any consciousness of the precise muscles that we are engaging in the course of any movement. We operate on the basis of automatic and habitual patterns of movement that scarcely impinge on our thought processes. And it is often true that the muscles used in our movements are not those that are the most efficient for that action, or that we actually use muscles that are unnecessary and therefore create needless fatigue.
As you become proficient in Pilates, your awareness of the actions of your body will increase and you will learn how to control your movements to bring the muscles you want to use into play for any particular action that you wish to undertake. As a result, your movements will become more economical, harmonious, and graceful. You will also be less prone to injury because your actions will be less haphazard. You will be much more in control of your body and what happens to it as you move around.
Inner thigh and pelvic floor
Among the muscle groups that many of us have lost conscious control over— with the result that they are underused are those of the inner thigh and pelvic floor. When asked to engage them, most of us have a tendency to tense the entire buttock area as well, which counters the spine-lengthening and pelvis-stabilizing benefits of using just the pelvic floor and inner thigh. The exercise on Inner Thigh Squeeze is designed to exercise these often-neglected muscles specifically. Because of the difficulty most people experience in working these muscles, the exercise is also valuable for improving focus, concentration, and body awareness.
The exercise is intended to work the lower part of the girdle of strength. When you are starting Pilates it is easy for strenuous physical effort to create tension in the upper back and shoulders as you attempt to bring your whole body into the exercise—it is important that you learn to relax. Throughout this exercise constantly remind yourself that the upper body, shoulders, and neck should be relaxed and check for signs of tension regularly in your jaw, neck, and shoulders. The groin and fronts of the thighs are other areas where unwanted tension can build up. Check that these areas are relaxed and are kept "soft" throughout the exercise.
Inner thigh squeeze
For this exercise you will need a firm cushion or a rolled towel that you will place between your knees and squeeze. It is important that you start the exercise lying with your pelvis in a neutral position, and your shoulder blades relaxed downward, and that you employ a general sense of lengthening down the entire spine. The exercise itself may seem simple at first, but it takes time and practice to perfect the art of working only the muscles that are required. Recheck your technique at each repetition. There should be no tension in your upper body or buttocks.
Rolled towel
Use a firmly rolled towel for this exercise, if you don't have a suitable cushion.
1 Lie in the neutral position. Place a cushion or rolled towel between your knees.
2 Breathe in. On the out-breath engage the pelvic floor, hollow your tummy, and squeeze the cushion between your knees using only your inner thigh muscles. Aim to hold this squeeze and control your out-breath for a count of ten. Repeat the exercise six times.
Strengthening the Inner Thigh
Isolating the movement
Effort is concentrated in the buttocks and inner thighs, while the upper part of your body is relaxed.
Continuing work with the muscles of the pelvis, buttocks, and thighs, the next exercise, the prone inner thigh squeeze described on the website focuses on isolating the inner thigh and the pelvic floor from the gluteal muscles. These muscles are literally the basis for the girdle of strength. When toned and active they contribute to stability of the entire torso and, in particular, provide a firm anchor for free movement of the legs from the hips. By working the pelvic floor and inner thigh areas separately from the gluteals, you can work the pelvic floor in more depth.
Small but effective
One of the key features of Pilates exercise is that the effectiveness of the movements is in no way dependent on their size. A very tiny change of position, provided that it is carried out with control and precision will, over time, deliver huge benefits in terms of muscle conditioning and overall body appearances. The prone inner thigh squeeze is an excellent example of this. It engages the muscles at the base of the pelvis against the resistance of a small pillow or rolled towel. Through this almost imperceptible movement you will learn what it feels like to use these muscles and understand how to use them under conscious control. Repeated practice of this exercise teaches the body new habits and enables you to bring these muscles into play—in situations where previously you moved in a way that incurred the risk of strain.
Focus on relaxation
One of the things that many newcomers to Pilates find hard is to relax the areas that are not being worked. Often during exercise we are more used to making an effort using all of our muscles. However, in Pilates the relaxation of key areas during an exercise is as important as the engagement of the muscles in other areas. This is because, in many cases, unwanted tension in a muscle can distort the action of another muscle by subtly altering alignment or resisting the intended movement. In the following exercise it is important to relax the lower legs and feet as well as the upper body and shoulders. As you perform the exercise, constantly check your technique to make sure that tension is not creeping into the areas that should be relaxed.
