Heads Up on Your Body

Farting During Pilates

You knew this post was bound to be written sometime.

I was inspired to write this because someone in class tonight, who shall remain nameless, said this during Rolling Like a Ball, “I feel like I’m going to fart!” This is a very unusual announcement. Everyone laughed, and as the teacher, I felt as though I really needed to respond. So, I said,

“Well, you know what?…. I mean…. we all fart sometimes.”

Chances are, if you practice pilates regularly, you yourself have farted at least once during a class. It is embarrassing, for sure, but please- don’t sweat it. Its really not that big of a deal. As the instructor, I really don’t care if you just farted, (except for reasons I’ll state below) and your fellow students won’t remember that you farted 5 minutes after. They’ll probably just feel bad for you… and they should know that chances are likely that one day, they will fart in class, too!

WHY do you fart in pilates?

If you find that you typically fart during pilates exercises such as Rolling Like a Ball, the Roll Up, or Stomach Series, the way you are contracting your abdominals may be causing you to fart.

It is likely that you’re “bearing down” into your pelvic floor muscles instead of “scooping the abdominals in and up, while lengthening the spine” like you should be.

In all the exercises I listed above, and others like them, there is an initial movement that begins the exercise- an abdominal contraction proceeded by spinal movement. Here are some examples of movement that could cause flatulence, and the proper way to move that avoids flatulence:

-If you sit up on the mat and start to lay back, what direction are you moving in? Down to the mat? No. Instead, you should be scooping back along the mat, away from your pelvis.

-During Rolling Like a Ball, which direction are you headed towards when you roll back? Down to the mat? No. You should be scooping back towards the end of the mat while sending your tailbone up.

-During the Stomach Series, where are you bring your belly button? Into your low back? No. You should be drawing it in and up along your spine, away from your tailbone.

You’ll notice that in all the incorrect ways of moving, the abdominals and pelvis move together, as if they were one solid block. Instead, you should scoop the energy in and up, away from the pelvis, to create length.

I should point out, I’m talking about specifically farting during pilates, not during the rest of the day. If you have a general flatulence problem, you should talk to your doctor. You should also take notice of what foods you eat before coming to pilates. Avoid foods with beans, certain fruits (melons) and vegetables (broccoli), for example.

In the end, farting is embarrassing, but think of it as your body trying to tell you something. Maybe you’re not connecting in properly, or maybe you just had bean salad for lunch. Or maybe you are just trying too hard. Think of it as a rite of passage (no pun intended). You’re learning more about your body, and ultimately advancing in pilates by discovering the most effective way to contract your abs!

It might also help to know what to eat, and not to eat, before a pilates class. Check out my post, “What to Eat Before Pilates”:
http://headsuponyourbody.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-to-eat-before-pilates.html

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