Good pain, bad pain

When exercising, only do what feels comfortable and right for your body. Learn how to tell what pain is right and what's wrong.

Be sensible

It's okay to challenge yourself, but do so sensibly in a way that benefits your body.

A good rule is if you have to fight your body to do a movement, you're not yet ready to do it.
​
If the exercise is too challenging, take a step back and work more gradually towards the challenge point.

You should never feel any sharp, shooting pain

This type of pain is ‘bad’ pain. Pain is the body’s warning sign that tells us to stop when we are doing something wrong. A muscle that is challenged in a controlled, strengthening or stretching exercise usually creates ‘good’ pain.

No pain should be more than '7 out of 10' on a pain scale

Any sensation of pain, whether good or bad, should not exceed ‘7 out of 10’ on the pain scale (0 being no pain and 10 being extreme pain).
​
If you are unsure about the cause or nature of any pain, stop the exercise immediately and ask a qualified Pilates instructor or medical practitioner for guidance.