The clam is not one of the main exercises that was a part of Joseph Pilates’ original classical Pilates movements, so some instructors that are more classically trained pay a little bit less attention to it. This really is such a shame, because as an exercise, it has so many benefits.

Before we delve too further on with this blog, in case you haven’t done your APPI Pilates training yet, or aren’t too sure what ‘clam’ based exercises are, essentially, they involve being side-lying, and going into some external rotation in the uppermost hip, with the hips and knees bent.

So without further ado, here are a few reasons why we absolutely love the clam:

1. Move it or lose it - the clam based exercise is basically just moving in and out of hip external rotation. Our hip joint is a ball and socket joint, and the goal is to maintain a normal, functional range or mobility in all of our joints, in order to move with ease. The clam helps to maintain hip external rotation, as this is the movement our hip needs to go into in order to complete the exercise.

2. Strong glutes! Which muscles help to move the hip into external rotation…? The glutes of course! Clam based exercises are amazing for strengthening these external rotators of the hip, which in turn help to build strength around the hips.

3. Rotary Stability: strong hips mean more stable hips! Building up gluteal strength into hip external rotation means that we will have more control and stability when we are moving around day to day - whether that’s just walking or particularly with more high impact activities like running. Having improved rotary stability means that the glutes can support our hips and create the most stable base possible from which the legs can move from.

The APPI Pilates method offers three levels of clam based exercises, starting with the more basic and progressing up from there.

View our short clip of the three APPI clam progressions below.

Well, we hope that this has inspired you to do a few more clam based exercises, given that they have so many benefits to offer. Happy clamming :)

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About the author:

Mari Yammas is one of our very talented presenters here at Unite Health. Mari is a qualified physiotherapist, with a passion for wellness through pilates. Marilena was introduced to the APPI method while living in London and went on to work at APPI's Wimbledon clinic. 

She also works as a Pilates guru for Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw's @keepitcleaner 

You can find her at @i_do_pilates_