The thing you’re probably doing wrong in Pilates class

Pilates is more popular than ever before and there's any amount of studios in the country, offering classes for beginners right up to advanced level.

When Pilates goes to plan, better posture, stronger muscles and improved flexibility can all be yours but that said, it's tougher that it looks. It's important to tell your instructor of any underlying injuries and follow their movements closely but of course, it's easy to make mistakes along the way. Note this expert advice from Briana Hamilton, a Californian-based Pilates instructor, which we're going to try and keep in mind for future classes. In conversation with Pop Sugar, Briana explained how she often notices beginners making this specific mistake and to be fair, we have to say it's very easily done.

A post shared by OSLO Health (@oslo_health) on Dec 21, 2016 at 6:19am PST

This Pilates fail applies to Reform Pilates, where you use handles, straps, rollers and other attachments to achieve a wide range of positions. When you've nearing the end of a class and have given it all you can, Briana says it's very common for people to grip tightly onto the handles or straps. This is a bad idea as it's very uncomfortable, putting unnecessary pressure on your body but in some cases, it can actually contribute to "carpal tunnel". Instead, "a light grip is all you need". Deep breaths, a gentle touch, sounds easy in theory but it can get a bit of practice to perfect. Main image via Lululemon/ OSLO Health