Scissors
I’m always trying to find the most clear correction that creates the biggest change in the whole body.
I also know from experience that oftentimes, the less I say to a client, the better the results are.
People need space to think, feel, and integrate what I am asking them to do.
If I keep talking, they can’t focus and try it.
A clear correction followed by observation is often far more powerful than constant instruction.
So, I give the correction, step back, and watch how it transforms the way they move through the exercise.
That is exactly what this simple correction is for.
I often say that Pilates corrections are like pieces of clothing. You have to try one on, take a moment to feel how it fits in your body, and then decide whether to keep it or try a different one.
We all know Pilates exercises are complex, and learning them is like peeling an onion—one layer at a time.
So it’s no surprise that Scissors is complex too and can feel strenuous on the neck.
If your neck gets tired during Single Leg Stretch, and starts hurting during Double Leg Stretch, you may be missing the skill of activating your upper abs to hold your head/neck up.
But if the issue is that your upper back is just a bit tighter today...
This simple action, like pressing the leg into your hands, can help you lift the upper back more and take some of the strain out of the neck.
I didn't always teach Scissors this way, but since I started, some of my clients who used to hate this exercises, are actually warming up to it.😊
So how do you make it better for yourself, so you can perform this and other similar exercises with confidence?
Start by learning how to support the weight of your head and neck.
In What Pilates Is: The Essential Skills, I teach you how to develop the body awareness, strength, and organization needed to build this skill, so that you get practice it separately before bringing it into exercises like Scissors.
Scissors Can Easily Become One of Those Exercises That Bothers Your Neck
Neck pain in Scissors is usually not a neck problem—it’s a support problem.
A simple adjustment can change the entire exercise:
Each time your hands connect to the leg, press the leg into your hands. That action helps lift the upper back, deepen the curl, and increase the work of the upper abdominals.
When the upper abdominals stay active throughout the movement, the neck no longer has to carry the load.
Scissors can feel uncomfortable in the neck, but the reason isn’t always the same and it’s important to understand the difference.
This step by step solution assumes that you already have enough strength to support the weight of your head and neck during The Hundred, Single Leg Stretch and Double Leg Stretch.
If that strength isn’t there yet, no adjustment in Scissors will fix it.
In that case, your effort should shift towards building that strength first, using basic mini-exercise like “upper curl” taught with a towel.
That’s where you learn how to properly engage the muscles that hold your head and neck.
Once that foundation is in place, Scissors becomes an opportunity to further develop that strength.
So if your neck is getting tired, ask yourself:
Is it a technique issue… or a strength issue?
Your solution depends on your answer.
Before you try to learn something new, check what you need to let go of first. A tense neck won’t learn anything. In my experience, to strengthen a muscle you must learn how to release tension first.
Scissors is often skipped because of neck discomfort.
But the issue usually isn’t the exercise but it’s the lack of support for the neck when the head is up.
When the upper abs are not activated enough to hold the upper body up, the neck and upper back muscles end up holding the shape.
Pressing the leg into the hands shifts the muscle contraction from the back to the front. It deepens the upper curl which helps recruit the upper abs. Each repetition offers an opportunity to further strengthen your abdominals.
Once the abs take over, you hold your upper body with more ease and the quality of movements improve exponentially.
Have you ever tried pressing the leg into your hands in this one?
Of course, if holding your head up for The Hundred still gives you trouble, Scissors may be too advanced.
In that case practicing the Upper Curl, the mini-exercise that helps to develop the upper abs strength to hold the head up, will be more appropriate first.
Especially when fairly new at practicing Pilates, developing the skill of how to support the neck and head with upper abdominals, takes consistent practice and time.
Finding a neutral pelvis while you are lying still is one thing.
But what happens when you start moving your leg, as you do in Scissors?
How do you know if your pelvis is still in neutral position, or if it has moved with your leg?
First, you need to know the three positions of your pelvis and recognize what each one feels like in your own body.
I teach you this skill in What Pilates Is: The Essential Skills so you can use it in Scissors, and other PIlates exercises.