I took my first Pilates class over ten years ago. It was taught at the Y, and the instructor was an older woman who moved with grace and control. While I admired her movement, I hated the class. I tried it once and never went back. I wasn’t exactly someone who loved slow, deliberate movements.

Most of us can agree that at times during our hectic day, we experience some tension or tightness in our neck and upper shoulders. Although I am always happy to do shoulder rolls and neck stretches, sometimes I just need a little bit more of a stretch.

Try these stretches below to release tension in the neck and upper shoulder blade region.

Relax your shoulders. Soften your ribs. These were regular reminders when I first started Pilates almost twenty years ago. Over time I did learn to keep my shoulders in neutral, but it was hard work and to be honest, I never really knew what neutral should feel like.

Breathing…. Should be easy, right? As it turns out, it is not as easy as one would think. And breathing while exercising? Even harder. Inherently, our bodies know how to do it, but sometimes things get in the way of doing it effectively. Underlying diseases or conditions such as Asthma, COPD; tightness to muscles and joints; and anxiety are some causes I have seen to prevent optimal breathing.

I finished the challenge on June 27th, a warm and bright Sunday. I left Sabrina’s morning class feeling long, lean, and ready to write. But I didn’t write. Instead, over the next 30 days, I volleyed from one major life event to another.

This week had a rough start. The Monday I was supposed to see the difference saw me feeling low energy and frustrated. I was the only person in Sean’s evening class, so I asked if we could take things slow and restoratively.

How is it that I’ve had obliques my entire life but am just now understanding what it feels like for them to activate? Don’t I use them every single day? Don’t they literally function to keep me upright and stable? Thanks to this week, my obliques are now engaged and sore in a way that I never knew was possible.

Last week I mentioned how humbled I was feeling by this experiment. It’s abundantly clear to me that, no matter your level as a devotee or as a teacher, we are all students of Pilates, and it’s our real-time growth that keeps us moving forward.

My lats, they hurt. I only discovered this during a private with Anna where she had me take a stretch on the Cadillac. It was a sore burning that kicked on when I raised my arms and went into a slight back extension—and it let me know I’d been putting in work.

Hello! I’m Cambrey. I’m a professional writer and fitness enthusiast from Detroit. After rolling with the punches of 2020, I decided I would make 2021 a little better by recommitting to my health.