What Are We Really Celebrating in Movement?

What is your badge of honour in your movement practice? What makes you proud?

It is interesting how differently people answer this question depending on the movement modality, the class environment, and what they believe exercise is supposed to feel like.

Expectations around movement are heavily influenced by trends, fitness culture, and shifting ideas of what it means to be “fit.” What is considered a successful workout today may have been viewed very differently years ago, and likely will again in the future.

Is the Burn the Goal?

The other morning, while waiting to start one of my weekly strength training classes, I briefly observed a fitness-based Reformer session taking place beforehand. The participants were working through pulsing exercises, and the class looked physically demanding.

One of the participants then joined the strength class immediately afterwards. I was impressed; I do not think I could have managed that kind of back-to-back training.

He proudly told our coach how difficult the Reformer class had been. The teacher had apparently kept reminding him to breathe, but he said he could not because he was struggling so much through the leg pulses and feeling such an intense burn.

To him, this was a badge of honour. Proof that he had worked hard. And I have no doubt that he did.

However, I viewed it differently.

As a Classical Pilates teacher and movement educator, my mind immediately questioned the value of this experience. Does the inability to breathe during movement indicate an effective session? Feeling the burn is often associated with effectiveness, despite the fact that muscular burning alone is not an indication of strength gains or improved movement quality.

Somehow, shaking, exhaustion, and “feeling the burn” have become symbols of success. But should the goal be more than simply surviving the exercise? Should the goal be to move well through it?

To me, the most rewarding movement is movement performed with quality, control, and intention.

In my professional approach, if a client cannot breathe during an exercise, I immediately see it as information. Perhaps the movement is too demanding. Perhaps it is beyond the client’s current capacity. Perhaps the coordination is not yet available, or a different approach is needed.

Or perhaps I simply need to remind the client that breathing is also part of the exercise execution; turning purple is not. Ah, ah. 🙂 To be fair, at times, I need that reminder myself too.

Breath is not separate from the exercise. Breath is part of the movement itself.

Joseph Pilates was very clear about this:

“Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.”

One of the things I appreciate most about the Classical Pilates system is that it provides multiple pathways to help clients progress. Through the different apparatus, exercises, orders, and variations, we can support people in developing greater movement capacity while still maintaining quality, control, and breath within a cohesive and well considered system.

Quality Over Trends

When movement training becomes shaped primarily by aesthetics, speed, endless variation, repetition, or social media appeal, the lines can become blurred.

Complexity does not necessarily equal effectiveness.

Movement that looks good is not necessarily movement performed well.

Speed without control is simply speed.

A useful movement series does not need to be complicated. Variety is not always the answer; consistency is.

As far as I am concerned, quality and effectiveness will always matter more than the burn.

One approach teaches valuable lessons about the body and creates movement patterns that support daily life and longevity. The other often creates an immediate reaction with little lasting impact.

Professionally and personally, I will always value longevity over quick results.

Furthermore, movement does not need to feel like punishment to be effective. It can feel good. And good does not mean easy.

Good movement still requires discipline, effort, patience, and commitment. But ideally, those efforts lead us towards greater capacity, better understanding, and a body that continues to serve us well for years to come.

The First Badge of Honour

I believe the first badge of honour should always be movement quality.

Regardless of the chosen movement discipline, the emphasis should be on how well we can organise the body through space with control, awareness, and appropriate range.

Can we effectively combine mobility and stability? Strength with timing and coordination? Does the body have the ability to both produce force and absorb it well?

Understanding this also means recognising that a big sweat response does not automatically lead to improved movement patterns or greater strength. Mind you, I enjoy a good sweat too, and it certainly has benefits, but it should not always be the outcome that defines a successful practice.

Likewise, an aesthetically flexible body is not necessarily a well-supported one. Flexibility is important, but it must coexist with strength, control, and support.

In practice, this approach is often less ego driven. It may not look as dramatic as trend-based workouts, but its value runs much deeper.

To move with proper breath, trunk stability, pelvic and limb control, balance under load, and coordinated strength is to build a body that functions better in daily life, sport, long term ageing, and injury prevention.

Final Thoughts

Current movement trends will continue to evolve, and there will always be people who enjoy feeling the burn. And so what? If it brings them joy, let them burn.

But the fundamentals will always remain. As far as I am concerned, they are what keep me honest and focused on what truly matters, while still challenging both my body and mind.

What I learn through Classical Pilates carries into all of my movement practices, and I am incredibly proud of that. That is one of my greatest badges of honour.

Ultimately, badges of honour are personal, shaped by individual goals, experiences, and what we choose to value in our practice.

But who says we can only have one?

I simply suggest starting with the more modest badges first, then building towards the more impressive ones in a thoughtful and considered way.

And if “the burn” brings you joy, well… keep burning with an open mind and, more importantly, keep breathing!