It is becoming hard to scroll through social media without seeing a video about the signs you didn't know were hypermobility. You have probably seen the TikToks or Reels where someone demonstrates touching their thumb to their forearm or overextending their elbows with ease. For many people, these viral checks are the first time they realized their natural flexibility actually has a name.

While social media has made hypermobility more well-known, it often stops at the "cool trick" phase. It doesn't always explain that being naturally bendy can be the cause of mystery aches, clicking joints, or constant fatigue.

At Pilates of San Diego, we work with the unique properties of your specific body to help you find your own path to healing. For hypermobile clients, this means teaching your muscles how to support your joints so you can stop relying on your ligaments for stability. Let's look together at how we help our clients with hypermobility, what the daily challenges look like, and how we build a plan for protective, functional strength.

The Challenge of Joint Hypermobility

Hypermobility occurs when the connective tissues that hold your joints together are more flexible than usual. This means your muscles have to work twice as hard to keep your joints stable. If those muscles are not strong enough, the stress falls directly onto your ligaments.

Many people with hypermobility syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) feel a constant sense of tightness. This is often a trick played by the nervous system. Your muscles are tensing up because they are trying to provide the stability that your ligaments cannot. Stretching that tightness out can actually make the instability worse.

How the Reformer Builds Joint Stability

The Reformer is the best tool for Pilates for hypermobility. Unlike floor exercises where it is easy to overextend your elbows or knees, the Reformer provides "closed-chain" resistance. This means your hands or feet stay in contact with a bar or strap, giving your brain constant feedback on where your body is in space.

At our East Village, Del Mar, and Fairbanks Ranch studios, we focus on three key pillars for hypermobile bodies:

• Mid-Range Control: We teach you to work in the middle of your range of motion where your muscles are most active. This prevents "hanging" on your joints at the end of a movement.
• Proprioception: This is your body's ability to sense its position. Pilates builds this awareness, which is essential for joint protection during daily life.
• Deep Core Support: By strengthening the deep stabilizers around the spine and hips, we take the pressure off your peripheral joints like your shoulders and knees.

Targeted Strength for Women’s Health

Hypermobility is common in women and is often impacted by hormonal changes. During pregnancy or menopause, your joints may feel even more unstable.

Reformer Pilates is an ideal way to manage these shifts. We focus on low-impact strength that builds muscle tone without overstretching the connective tissue. It is about creating a "muscle suit" that supports your frame, helping you stay active and pain-free.

Three Benefits of Pilates for the "Hypermobile" Body

1. Joint Stability: We move the focus away from the large muscle groups and onto the small stabilizers that keep your joints centered. Building strength around the joint is the most effective way to reduce daily pain.
2. Muscle Balance: Hypermobile bodies often over-rely on certain muscles. Pilates ensures every muscle is doing its fair share of the work, preventing burnout and injury.
3. Better Posture: When joints are unstable, posture usually suffers. We help you find a strong, tall alignment that feels natural. Proper alignment helps manage hypermobility symptoms by reducing strain on your ligaments.

Visit Our Studios

Whether you are managing a diagnosed condition like EDS or you just feel a bit too flexible for your own good, we are here to help you find your center. Our instructors are experts at working with the unique needs of every body, ensuring you leave each session feeling more stable than when you walked in.

If you are ready to see how Pilates can heal your body with experts supporting you and your body's own needs, you can view our full class schedule and introductory offers here.

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