Spilling the Pilateas – Edition 31 The Myth of Symmetry

One of the most common things I hear in the studio is:

“My right side is stronger.”

“My left hip is tighter.”

“I just want to be even.”

It’s understandable. We often assume our bodies should feel perfectly balanced from side to side. When they don’t, we think something must be wrong.

But what if perfect symmetry isn’t the goal?

Our bodies tell the story of our lives.

We’re right or left-handed. We carry children on one hip. We cross the same leg every time we sit. We sleep on one side, reach for the seatbelt with the same arm, carry groceries the same way, and, if you’re a rider, you probably have one direction that feels more natural than the other.

Every experience leaves its mark.

One thing I often tell my clients is this:

You’ve spent years paying into that imbalance.

Every time you stood a certain way, shifted your weight onto one hip, reached with the same arm, favored one leg, or repeated the same movement, you made another small deposit into that account.

None of those individual deposits seemed significant, but over months and years they added up.

Your body simply became very good at the pattern you practiced most.

If you want your body to move differently, you have to start investing somewhere new.

That’s where Pilates comes in.

Pilates isn’t about forcing your body into perfect symmetry. It’s about becoming aware of the habits you’ve developed and giving your body another option.

Can your weaker side contribute a little more?

Can your dominant side stop taking over every movement?

Can you find a little more balance—not by forcing it, but by practicing it?

At first, those new movement patterns often feel awkward or even wrong. That’s because you’re asking your body to withdraw from an account it’s been contributing to for years while opening a brand-new one.

The good news?

Every mindful repetition is another deposit.

Over time, those small deposits begin to add up, and what once felt unfamiliar starts to feel natural.

The goal isn’t to erase every difference between your right and left sides. Most of us will never be perfectly symmetrical, nor do we need to be.

The real goal is to create a body that has options.

A body that can adapt.

A body that isn’t stuck relying on the same muscles, the same habits, and the same movement patterns every single day.

That’s where better movement begins.

This Week’s Challenge

The next time you notice one side feels stronger, tighter, or more coordinated than the other, resist the urge to label it as “good” or “bad.”

Instead, ask yourself:

“What have I been paying into?”

Then consider one small movement, one small adjustment, or one new habit you can begin investing in today.

Remember, lasting change isn’t made with one big deposit.

It’s built through small, consistent investments over time.