Pilates Relevé: Understanding the Movement, Benefits, and Proper Execution

What is Pilates Releve?

Pilates Relevé is a fundamental movement in Pilates that involves a controlled lift of the heels to stand on the balls of the feet, emphasizing balance, ankle stability, calf strength, and core control.

Understanding Relevé in Pilates

The term "Relevé" originates from French, meaning "raised" or "lifted," and is commonly associated with ballet. In Pilates, Relevé shares the core action of rising onto the balls of the feet but distinctively emphasizes the principles of controlled movement, precise alignment, and deep core engagement over achieving maximum height. It is a foundational exercise designed to build strength and stability from the ground up, impacting the entire kinetic chain. Unlike some balletic interpretations that might prioritize a quick, high spring, Pilates Relevé focuses on a deliberate, articulate ascent and descent, fostering a profound connection between the feet, ankles, calves, and the stabilizing muscles of the core and hips.

Anatomy and Biomechanics of Relevé

Performing a Pilates Relevé effectively requires the coordinated action of numerous muscles and a keen awareness of joint alignment.

• Primary Muscles Engaged:

  • Gastrocnemius and Soleus (Calf Muscles): These powerful muscles are the primary movers responsible for plantarflexion of the ankle, which is the action of pointing the toes and lifting the heel.
  • Tibialis Posterior: This deep calf muscle plays a crucial role in supporting the arch of the foot and preventing ankle pronation (rolling inward) during the lift.
  • Peroneals (Fibularis Longus and Brevis): Located on the outside of the lower leg, these muscles help stabilize the ankle and prevent supination (rolling outward).
  • Intrinsic Foot Muscles: These small muscles within the foot are vital for maintaining the foot's arch, providing stability, and articulating the toes.

• Stabilizing Muscles:

  • Core Muscles (Transversus Abdominis, Pelvic Floor, Multifidus): Essential for maintaining spinal stability and providing a strong base from which the leg muscles can operate.
  • Gluteal Muscles (especially Gluteus Medius and Minimus): Contribute to hip stability, ensuring the knees track correctly over the feet and preventing lateral sway.
  • Quadriceps and Hamstrings: Help maintain knee extension and overall leg alignment.

• Joint Actions: The primary joint action is plantarflexion at the talocrural (ankle) joint. Proper biomechanics dictate that the ankle, knee, and hip joints remain in a vertical line throughout the movement, preventing undue stress or misalignment. The weight should be evenly distributed across the metatarsal heads (the balls of the feet), particularly through the first and second toes, rather than gripping the toes or rolling onto the outer edges of the feet.

How to Perform Pilates Relevé

The Pilates Relevé can be performed in various foot positions, with the most common being parallel or the Pilates V (heels together, toes slightly apart).

• Starting Position (Parallel):

  • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, parallel to each other.
  • Ensure your weight is evenly distributed through your feet.
  • Lengthen your spine, engaging your core muscles gently, and relax your shoulders.

• Execution:

  1. Inhale: Prepare by lengthening through the crown of your head.
  2. Exhale: Initiate the movement by gently lifting your heels off the floor, rising onto the balls of your feet.
  3. Focus on Alignment: As you lift, imagine a vertical line passing through your ankle, knee, and hip. Avoid rolling your ankles inward or outward. Keep your heels lifted directly over the balls of your feet.
  4. Engage Your Core: Maintain a strong, stable core throughout the lift to prevent swaying or losing balance.
  5. Lengthen Upwards: Think of growing taller, reaching the crown of your head towards the ceiling, rather than just pushing up.
  6. Inhale: Hold briefly at the top, maintaining control and balance.
  7. Exhale: Slowly and with control, lower your heels back down to the floor, articulating through your feet and ankles. Aim for a smooth, unhurried descent.

• Common Cues:

  • "Lift from your center."
  • "Imagine you are being pulled up by a string from the top of your head."
  • "Articulate your feet like butter."
  • "Keep your ankles stable and stacked over your second toe."

• Variations:

  • Pilates V Relevé: Performed with heels together and toes turned out slightly, emphasizing inner thigh connection.
  • Single-Leg Relevé: Increases the challenge to balance and unilateral strength.
  • Relevé on Equipment: Performed on the Reformer, Cadillac, or Wunda Chair, adding spring resistance for increased challenge or support.

Benefits of Incorporating Relevé into Your Practice

The consistent practice of Pilates Relevé offers a multitude of benefits that extend beyond the immediate exercise.

• Improved Ankle Stability and Strength: Directly strengthens the muscles surrounding the ankle joint, crucial for preventing sprains and enhancing overall lower limb function.
• Enhanced Calf Muscle Development: Tones and strengthens the gastrocnemius and soleus, contributing to powerful push-off for walking, running, and jumping.
• Better Balance and Proprioception: The act of balancing on the balls of the feet significantly improves proprioception (the body's awareness of its position in space) and static balance.
• Strengthened Foot Arches and Intrinsic Foot Muscles: Helps to lift and support the arches of the feet, which can alleviate issues like plantar fasciitis and improve foot mechanics.
• Improved Posture and Spinal Lengthening: The emphasis on vertical alignment and upward lengthening during Relevé encourages better posture throughout the entire body.
• Increased Body Awareness and Control: The precise, controlled nature of the movement cultivates a deeper mind-body connection and enhances neuromuscular control.

Common Mistakes and How to Correct Them

Even seemingly simple movements can be performed incorrectly, diminishing their benefits and potentially leading to strain.

• Rocking onto Little Toes: This indicates uneven weight distribution.
  • Correction: Focus on pressing through the big toe mound and second toe, ensuring weight is distributed evenly across the balls of the feet.
• Gripping Toes: Over-engaging the toes can cause cramping and reduce the work of the calves.
  • Correction: Relax the toes, imagine them spread wide, and initiate the lift from the ankles and calves.
• Collapsing Ankles (Sickling or Winging): Allowing the ankles to roll inward (sickling) or outward (winging) compromises stability and alignment.
  • Correction: Engage the inner and outer calf muscles (Tibialis Posterior, Peroneals) to keep the ankles tracking vertically. Visualize a straight line from knee to ankle to second toe.
• Rising Too High/Fast: Prioritizing height or speed over control.
  • Correction: Focus on the quality of the movement. A smaller, controlled lift with perfect alignment is more beneficial than a high, wobbly one.
• Losing Core Connection: Allowing the pelvis to tuck or arch excessively, or the upper body to sway.
  • Correction: Maintain gentle engagement of the deep abdominal muscles (Transversus Abdominis) and pelvic floor throughout the movement to stabilize the trunk.

Integrating Relevé into Your Pilates Routine

Pilates Relevé is highly versatile and can be incorporated into various parts of a Pilates session. It often features in the standing series of Mat Pilates, either as a warm-up exercise to prepare the feet and ankles or as a core component of standing balance and strength work. On Pilates apparatus like the Reformer, Cadillac, or Wunda Chair, Relevé can be performed with added resistance or assistance, allowing for progressive overload or targeted rehabilitation. It serves as an excellent preparatory exercise for more complex standing movements and enhances proprioceptive feedback for all lower body exercises.

Conclusion

Pilates Relevé is far more than just rising onto your toes; it's a testament to the Pilates philosophy of building strength, control, and awareness from the ground up. By meticulously performing this seemingly simple movement, practitioners cultivate robust foot and ankle strength, improve balance, enhance posture, and deepen their understanding of integrated body mechanics. For anyone seeking to improve their foundational strength, stability, and control, mastering the Pilates Relevé is an invaluable step in their fitness journey.