Junk Miles, Proper Form and Intentional Movement

Posted on January 10, 2025 by pilatesnative

In the running world, there’s a concept experienced runners know well: junk miles.

Junk miles are the miles you rack up when you’re just running to hit a number of miles in your training log. Unlike intentional training miles, the ones your run purposefully to build speed, endurance, strength, or clarity, junk miles lack focus or strategy.

In my experience, junk miles were always the ones that lead to fatigue, overuse injuries, and burnout.

On a run a few days ago, the idea of junk miles got me thinking about how we approach movement in Pilates and fitness in general, especially after a recent debate I had with another Pilates instructor.

During the discussion, the other instructor argued that form isn’t particularly important. They claimed there’s no real evidence linking poor form to injuries, pain, or other problems. Their perspective was that movement itself is the point—as long as someone is moving, they’re doing it right.

While I understand the idea and intention behind encouraging people to move, I couldn’t get on board with the idea that form is irrelevant.

Movement Without Intention:

The Pilates Equivalent of Junk Miles

In Pilates, as in running, not all movement is created equal. Simply “doing the reps” without paying attention to alignment, mechanics, or intentional engagement is the Pilates equivalent of ranking up junk miles in a running program. This kind of unchecked movement might not seem harmful in the short term, but over time, it can lead to overuse injuries, imbalances, and compensation patterns.

Here’s the thing. No matter what you believe about movement, the science is clear. Overuse injuries often stem directly from poor mechanics. When you repeatedly load your body in ways that don’t align with its natural mechanics, stress builds up in the wrong places.

A runner who collapses their knees inward with every step may develop knee pain over time.

A Pilates practitioner who doesn’t engage their deep core during a roll-up might strain their lower back instead of strengthening their core.

The body is amazing and it can adapt in some super cool ways, but it’s also prone to compensating. Those compensations can eventually lead to dysfunction and dysfunction can lead to aches, pains and weird injuries.

Proper form ensures that movement serves its intended purpose, whether that’s building strength, improving flexibility, or enhancing mobility.

We’d Never Tell a Weightlifter That Form Doesn’t Matter

Imagine telling a weightlifter that form doesn’t matter—that as long as they’re moving, they’re doing it right.

No way! It hurts to even think about, right?

Everyone knows that in weightlifting, proper form is non-negotiable. Without it, you’re looking at a high risk of acute injury (like a herniated disc or rotator cuff tear) and long-term damage to joints and muscles.

Why, then, would we dismiss form as unimportant in Pilates or other forms of mindful movement? This line of thinking may be rooted in outdated stereotypes that Pilates is “just stretching”, “just for women”, or not “real” exercise.

But anyone who’s ever spent time in a Pilates studio—or worked with an athlete to improve their mechanics—knows this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Pilates and weightlifting actually have a lot in common:

Both prioritize alignment and control to protect the body and build strength.

Both rely on progressive overload to safely challenge and improve.

And both require intentionality to yield the best results.

The idea that movement alone is enough, overlooks the depth and nuance of effective training, whether you’re lifting a barbell, practicing the Pilates Hundred, or running intervals on a track.

Intentional Movement Matters

Intentionality is the cornerstone of Pilates. Every exercise has a purpose, and proper form allows us to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risk of injury. Think of it this way:

In running: Intentional miles are planned with a goal in mind—speed intervals, hill training, or long endurance runs. Each type of run serves a purpose in building a well-rounded runner. (And yes, somedays you’re just running because it’s fun! But with proper form.)

In Pilates: Intentional movement focuses on alignment, breathing, and precision. Each exercise strengthens the body holistically, rather than reinforcing poor movement patterns. The fun in Pilates comes from the flow. And the flow comes from doing the exercises properly.

The argument that “movement is all that matters” just doesn’t cut it. Movement is wonderful, but movement without mindfulness can do more harm than good. Just as junk miles can sideline a runner, careless movement can create a foundation for pain and dysfunction for a Pilates practitioner.

Balancing out Form and Exploration

Not every movement needs to be perfect and we shouldn’t avoid trying new activities for fear of doing them “wrong”, but we need to balance form and exploration, joy and intention, freedom and awareness. There’s a time and place for everything.

Explore with reckless abandon at an intuitive dance class? Yes, absolutely.

Explore with reckless abandon while weight training or on the Reformer? No. Absolutely not.

As instructors, our job is to guide people toward movement that supports their goals and respects their bodies. That means emphasizing quality over quantity, form over mindless repetition, and intentional practice over aimless effort.

Whether you’re running a half marathon, lifting weights, or practicing Pilates, movement isn’t just about doing—it’s about how you do it. So let’s move with purpose, cultivate awareness, and leave the junk miles—on the mat, under the barbell, and on the road—behind.

Good ol’ imposter syndrome

Posted on August 2, 2023 by pilatesnative

I’ve been running for over 25 years.

In sleet, snow, mud, rain, hail, wind, heat advisories and alligator parks.

I’ve run in joy…and in grief.

In panic…and in celebration.

In prayer…and in hope.

I’ve run in love…and in anger.

In solitude…and in community.

In Alaska and Mexico and almost every state in between.

I’ve run road races and trails, sand and mud, rattlesnake territory and sunrise trails.

In bare feet and homemade sandals, in the latest and greatest trainers.

I’ve run with a broken toe, a pulled ab, a torn shoulder.

I’ve even run while 38 weeks pregnant.

And yet…I still get imposter syndrome.  

Baaaad.

There are times when I’ll see another runner doing something that I’m not doing, and I’ll start to panic and doubt myself.  Are they the “real” runner on the trail and should I be doing what they’re doing?

Should I have brought my camelback?  

Should I have left the camelback at home?

Did I get up here too late?  Too early?  

Am I running too fast?  Too slow?  Too far?  Not far enough?  

Usually, my brain will just tell itself to “shut up and run”.  Which normally works.  But last week, I let the old noodle wander and spent some time ruminating on what determines a “real runner”.

Is it mileage?  Dedication?  Time?  Pace?  Weight, height, size, age?  Is it years of experience? Number of PR’s?  The bib collection from 5ks, 10ks, marathons?  Is it ultra marathon status?  

When do I get to call myself a “real” runner?

In the midst of this brain meander, I was researching 14’ers and came across a Facebook post written by a man from the Pacific North West (PWN).  I’m paraphrasing, but in his opinion “Because most Colorado 14’ers have established routes and trails, they’re essentially a walk in the park.”  He continued to opine that folks shouldn’t be nearly as proud of themselves for summiting a 14’er as they were and that “real” mountaineering could only be found in the PNW…at 6,000 feet to 10,000 feet, where bushwhacking and trailblazing was a mandatory part of wayfinding to the summit.  (I have no idea if that’s true or not, btw.)  

My first reaction was that this guy was an uneducated jackass.

While Colorado 14’ers do have established routes, which help protect the extremely fragile tundra ecosystem, they’re hardly “a walk in the park”.  Ask anyone who’s summited and they’ll tell you about the ridiculously early wake up, the long mileage, the gain in elevation, the altitude, the exposure, the solitude, the lack of cell service and emergency access, the wayfinding and the meticulous attention to the clouds rolling in.  

Folks hoping to summit do so knowing they may encounter altitude sickness, lightning, electrical storms, wind, sleet, snow, hail, rain, mud, ice, exposure, and some rock scrambling, all while knowing they are ultimately responsible for their own well being.

14’ers are an entire category of hiking and trail running unlike any other.  Even the “easy” ones can take some serious work.

In one fell sweep, this dude’s comment just completely negated all of the work, training, fitness and mental strength that it takes to summit a 14’er.

Reading through the comments and his replies, I realized 2 things.  

1) This dude was the epitome of gatekeeping.  

Folks couldn’t be real mountaineers or hikers unless they met his standards.  

They shouldn’t feel proud or excited about their accomplishments, which had absolutely nothing to do with him, because they didn’t meet thearbitrary standards that he’d just made up.  LAME.

And

2) This ridiculous illogical gatekeeping is EXACTLY what our brains do to us when they slip into imposter syndrome.  

Our brain goes into douchey gatekeeper mode and tells us that all of the work, training, time, and effort we’ve put into something doesn’t matter, because well…there’s some arbitrary reason why that probably doesn’t even make sense.  

My second reaction, was recognizing that this dude’s behavior was EXACTLY how I was treating my running practice and it made me feel super icky.  

If 25 years and thousands of miles doesn’t make me a runner, then what does?  

What are those arbitrary, bushwhacking, wayfinding markers that I’ve been holding myself to?  And why?  What benefit do they serve?  How do they serve me?  

Are they really just holding me back from a stellar running experience?  

Or like this dude, are my thoughts putting limits on celebrating my awesome experiences and achievements just because they’re not good enough (on a super stupid and arbitrary scale that doesn’t even exist)?

What are those arbitrary, bushwhacking, wayfinding markers that you’ve been holding yourself to?

What benefit do they serve?  How do they serve you?  Are they really just holding you back from a stellar experience in whatever it is that you love to do?  

Or like that annoying gatekeeper dude, are your thoughts putting limits on celebrating your awesome experiences and achievements because they’re not good enough (on a super stupid and arbitrary scale that doesn’t even exist)?

Can we clean up those gatekeeping imposter syndrome thoughts and commit to “I do the thing, therefore I am the thing”?  

Can we commit to celebrating our wins, no matter how small or no matter who’s doing it better?

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!  Shoot me a text, email or let’s talk about it at your next Pilates or Stretch session.

Until next time, my friends.  Have an amazing summer.  Enjoy the sunshine!

-Rubecca

How do I safely increase my running, hiking or cycling mileage?

Posted on July 1, 2023 by pilatesnative

In this quick video, we’ll go over how you can safely increase your running, hiking or cycling mileage. This method is one of the best ways to help prevent injury while increasing training.