How Pilates Can Stabilize and Strengthen Hypermobile Joints
Hypermobile joints can feel like both a blessing and a curse. Many people suffer from joint pain, instability, and even injuries due to the increased flexibility that comes with it. If you’ve ever struggled with hypermobility, you know that it’s not just about being able to bend more — it’s about controlling that flexibility to avoid feeling like your joints might give way or cause discomfort.
For many, Pilates has become a trusted tool to strengthen and stabilize hypermobile joints. Because it focuses on controlled movement, deep core engagement, and a balance of strength and flexibility, making it a perfect match for those looking to manage hypermobility safely. At Carpediem Fitness, we offer Fitness Assessments to help you understand your body's unique needs and develop a tailored approach to managing hypermobility effectively.
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What Exactly Is Hypermobility?
Hypermobile joints go beyond normal ranges of motion, allowing individuals to bend and stretch in ways that might surprise the average person. While that might sound great at first, this excessive movement often lacks the support needed to keep the joint stable. Over time, this can lead to chronic pain, repeated injuries, and a sense of fragility in daily movements.
When your ligaments — the tissues that connect bone to bone — are more lax than usual, your muscles have to pick up the slack. Without the right muscle strength, hypermobility can become more of a hindrance than an asset. This is where Pilates and Hypermobility come in. Pilates provides a structured approach to strengthen and stabilize the muscles around hypermobile joints, helping individuals gain better control over their flexibility and overall movement.
Why Pilates Works for Hypermobile Joints
Pilates isn’t just about flexibility or stretching. It’s about controlled strength, balance, and precision, all of which are crucial for managing hypermobility. By engaging muscles in a mindful way, Pilates helps build the necessary strength around joints, reducing excessive movement and increasing stability. Think of it as giving your body the tools it needs to keep everything in place.​​
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The exercises in Pilates focus on smaller, stabilizing muscles that are often overlooked in traditional workouts. For hypermobile individuals, this is especially important because these muscles play a critical role in keeping joints safe and supported.
Here’s how Pilates helps:
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Core Strength:
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The core is more than just your abs. It’s a network of muscles that supports your spine, pelvis, and all your movements. Strengthening your core with Pilates can provide the support your hypermobile joints need to stay stable, preventing you from overextending or moving beyond safe limits.
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Muscle Balance:
Hypermobile people often rely too much on their flexibility, neglecting muscle strength. Pilates addresses this imbalance by promoting functional movement patterns and ensuring that both flexibility and strength are developed in tandem.
Mindful Movement:
Hypermobility can make you feel like your joints are loose or unstable, and that’s where mindful movement comes into play. Pilates emphasizes control and awareness in every move, helping you retrain your body to move in a way that’s safe, supported, and pain-free.
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Alignment and Posture:
When joints are overly flexible, it’s easy to fall into poor alignment habits that contribute to pain and injury. Pilates teaches you to correct and maintain proper alignment, which can reduce the strain on hypermobile joints over time.
How Pilates Exercises Benefit Hypermobile Joints
Many Pilates exercises are low impact and can be adapted to suit individual needs, making them ideal for people with hypermobility. Key areas targeted in Pilates include the core, hips, shoulders, and spine — all of which play vital roles in maintaining joint stability.
Core Activation and Stabilization
One of the most fundamental elements of Pilates is core activation. For someone with hypermobility, a strong core is non-negotiable. When the muscles around your spine and pelvis are engaged and strong, they provide stability to the rest of the body. Exercises like the Pilates hundred, roll-up, and plank focus on activating deep core muscles that help protect hypermobile joints during movement.
Hip Stability
The hips are another common area where hypermobility shows up. The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint that requires both mobility and stability. Pilates helps to strengthen the muscles around the hips, like the glutes and hip flexors, ensuring that this joint stays well-supported. Exercises such as side leg lifts or clam shells can work wonders for stabilizing the hip joint, reducing the risk of injuries like dislocations or strains.
Shoulder and Upper Body Support
Hypermobile individuals often experience instability in their shoulders, which can lead to discomfort and even injury. Pilates works to build strength in the shoulder girdle — an area often underused in other workout modalities. Movements like the Pilates push-up, swimming, and arm circles focus on shoulder stabilization, helping those with hypermobile shoulders gain control and strength.
Spine and Postural Control
Good posture is crucial for hypermobile individuals. Poor posture can exacerbate joint pain, especially in the spine. Pilates promotes spinal alignment and strengthens the muscles that support the spine, ensuring that hypermobile individuals move in ways that are safe for their joints. Exercises like the spine stretch or the cat-cow help increase spinal mobility without compromising stability.
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Common Issues Hypermobile People Face — And How Pilates Helps
One common issue many people with hypermobile joints face is chronic pain. Because their joints are constantly moving beyond their intended range of motion, this puts extra strain on muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Pilates, with its focus on control and strengthening, reduces this unnecessary strain by teaching the body how to move within its safe range.
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Another issue is the tendency to rely too much on flexibility during everyday movements. Hypermobile people can easily fall into a pattern of compensating for weak muscles by overstretching their joints, which only leads to more instability and pain. Pilates corrects this by reinforcing strength-based movements rather than relying on passive flexibility.
Fatigue is also a frequent complaint among those with hypermobility. Muscles surrounding hypermobile joints have to work extra hard to keep everything stable. This constant effort can be draining, both physically and mentally. Pilates, by promoting efficient, controlled movements, helps reduce the energy demand on these muscles, leaving you feeling stronger and more energized throughout the day.
Personal Experience: The Benefits in Action
Here at Carpe Diem, we’ve seen firsthand how Pilates can transform the way people with hypermobility experience movement. One of our members who struggled with knee and hip pain due to her hypermobile joints shared that she felt immediate relief after incorporating Pilates into her routine. Over time, her pain decreased significantly as she built up the strength to control her joint movements. The best part? She’s now able to participate in other activities that she once thought were off-limits because of her hypermobility.
Pilates: A Lifelong Practice for Joint Health
Consistency is key when it comes to managing hypermobile joints. Pilates offers a sustainable, low-impact way to build strength and stability for the long term. The beauty of Pilates is that it can be adapted as your body changes, offering support as you grow stronger and more in tune with your movement.
If you’ve been frustrated by your hypermobility or have struggled to find a workout that helps more than it hurts, Pilates could be the solution you’ve been waiting for. At Carpe Diem, we believe in helping you seize control of your body’s potential, no matter what challenges you face. Let’s work together to build strength, stability, and confidence in every move you make.
Ready to give it a try? Join one of our Pilates classes today and feel the difference!
