Hi Lucy:

Nice to hear from you. I apologize that it has taken so long for me to get back to you. The pilates “v” position is something that you will find taught in much of the classical pilates work. In fact, most pictures that you see of Joseph Pilates will depict him standing or working with the legs in lateral rotation. So, I think this technique, while effectively firing certain fibers of the adductor group, does not completely work all aspects of that muscle group and does not necessarily make a someone functionally more stable. With all due respect for those that choose to teach strict pilates classical repetoire, It is probably an oversight to assume that working one way over another is really the best. Being functionally strong and supple in all positions is usually important for everyone, and they need the adductor strength that is required in parallel as well as lateral positions.

As far as scientific research, I spoke with Melanie about this part of your question. She explained that there is not a nerve that innervates the pelvic floor as well as the adductors, as many teachers seem to imply. Nevertheless, she mentioned that it can be beneficial to cue people to use their adductors as a tool to feel their pelvic floor/TA firing if they are weak- this is due to the fact that some overflow may occur due to motor neural patterning.

However, she wanted me also mention, functionally, people should be able to fire their pelvic floor, deep fibers of psoas and TA (i.e. core muscles) independent of their adductors. People that can only feel their core working (or think they feel their core working) when using their adductors or using the pilates ‘V’ etc, will still be unstable and might be prone to stress incontinence.

The function of pelvic floor and TA should eventually be automatic (part of brain stem function). So, it is imperative that students learn how to do this without always having to think about it or “do” something in particular (like stand in a particular position) to make their core work.

I hope this helps. Bottom line, there are no quick fixes…people still have to learn how to be stable, respond to movement, and use their core properly regardless of where their limbs are positioned.

Hope this helps.