Pilates can be A LOT to take in. The Mat is easy enough to embrace, and the Reformer is an appreciable gateway to some of the other bigger pieces of apparatus.
But when you become a serious student of Pilates, there comes a moment when your teacher pulls out an accessory that makes you realize that the Pilates method truly leaves no stone unturned. One such device is the Toe Corrector.
One of the “magic squares”, it features a spring inside a metal frame, pulled apart via leather loops on either end of the spring. And, as the name implies, it’s coming for your toes!
The goal of using this small apparatus, however, goes well beyond working the toes. This month, we want to pull one of the core moves into focus: the Toe Pull.
What it is
Sit upright on a Mat or elevated.
Place the loops around your big toes and separate your feet about Toe-Corrector-width apart.
Tone the legs (straight or with a slight bend at the knee) and pull the spring apart by rotating your hips out.
What it does
It relieves aches in sore bunions. It stretches the many joints inside your feet. It fires up a connection from your toes into your hips and beyond (remember that Pilates is always a full-body event). It reminds you that your toes and feet are an incredibly movable and controllable part of your body.
Really, it should be called the “Toe Connector” but either way, it’s a really nifty device that illuminates a very important part of the Pilates practice AND philosophy: it’s fitness from the ground up! A strong and aligned body is only as good as you are able to carry it around and put it to use in the real world, which is why the Pilates method paid special attention to the feet.
Don’t have a Toe Conn… Corrector? Perhaps you have a silicone wristband lying around, or a strong rubber band from the last farmer’s market you visited. If so, wrap it around your phalanges (even better: tie two bands together in a knot, opening a rubber band loop on either side of the knot) and give this simple movement a shot.
Let’s take this month and dedicate ourselves to this movement from the why to the how. If you’re on Instagram and want to share your #toepull with us, please tag us!