*This post is about Pilates and also is absolutely not about Pilates*

I want to tell you a story about my special hip. You know the one.

Maybe you too have something “special” in your body! That part that loves to act up, get cranky, maybe even throw a tantrum at the worst possible moments?

Mine is a gift that keeps on giving from years of dancing in 3” heels on raked stages doing the same show eight times a week.

It will sometimes cramp up, grip, feel “off,” and demand the full spa menu: massage, stretching, releasing, foam rolling, the whole bag of tricks to coax it back to “normal.” Usually this all helps.

But last week… it didn’t.

I stretched.
I massaged.
I breathed.
I bribed it.
Nothing moved the needle.

I went to my Sunday morning workout (I lift weights on Sunday) and even a simple single-leg deadlift felt wonky. Deep squats felt unstable. My hip was basically saying, “Nope. F*ck off, Alissa.”

Instead of forcing it or backing off, I did something counterintuitive.

Some may even call it insane.

I increased the resistance.

Not by a little. I picked up a significantly heavier weight.

Heavier enough to give my body no choice but to respond.​
To engage.
To coordinate.
To get its shit together so I could get the job done.

And guess what?​
It was easier.

Not because it was lighter on my body, but because the clear resistance gave my system something to organize around. It removed any wiggle room for funny business. I couldn’t cheat or compensate.

My body demanded integration.

That night I thought, “Huh, my hip feels really good…”
The next morning I was sore, duh, but all the pain, cramping, and “offness” was gone.

And that’s when it clicked…

Resistance is feedback.

Not punishment.
Not failure.
Not a sign something is wrong.

It’s information.

For my hypermobile friends (hi, I see you), this lands even deeper:​
Sometimes you don’t need less, sometimes you need more structure, more load, more clarity for your tissues and nervous system to organize around and calibrate.

For my super-stiff friends:​
Resistance teaches coordination. It gets the right parts talking to each other. It wakes up what’s been offline. It demands movement where there was none before.

For everyone:​
Resistance isn’t the enemy.
It’s a mirror.
It’s your body saying, “Here’s what needs attention. Here’s where we can learn something and grow.”

The work is learning to understand the message your body is sending. Not to avoid it, not to push through it mindlessly, but listen to it and respond with precision and intelligence.

So this week, when you feel resistance, in your movement, your energy, your habits, your healing, your holiday plans…try asking yourself…

“What if this isn’t a stop sign? What if this isn’t a dealbreaker? What if this is necessary information?”

Your body is always communicating.​
Sometimes it whispers.
Sometimes it screams.
And sometimes… it hands you a heavier weight.

With love and resistance,
Alissa

PS If this resonated and you want to hear more about the weight training program I built, Click here and message me “Tell me more.” I’ll send you details personally.

PPS Even though I didn’t end this post with it, I still have your back. Your front. And you’re undercarriage.