The Pedi Pole: The Quiet Teacher That Reawakens Your Posture
Written by Rocío Menéndez
If your shoulders tend to live up by your ears, your neck feels tight, and your posture could use a reset, meet the Pedi Pole, the quiet teacher you didn’t know you needed.
Originally designed by Joseph Pilates, the Ped-O-Pul (as he spelled it) brings the mat and spring principles into a vertical, standing environment. It’s a simple setup, a tall pole, calibrated springs, and gravity yet it teaches profound lessons about lift, alignment, and breath.
History of the Pedi Pole
Thanks to a recently rediscovered chart created by Joseph Pilates himself, we know he used the Ped-O-Pul with clear instructions on exercise order, repetition, and breathing. The name itself, Ped-O-Pul, reflected his creative spirit, some say it referred to “pedaling and pulling,” inspired by an early version that included a small bike seat for seated arm work; others believe ped stood for “foot” and pul for “pulling the springs."
Today, we commonly call it the Pedi Pole, a shorter name that has become fully accepted in the Pilates world.
In Joe’s handwritten notes, there’s even a charming detail: he instructed practitioners to cross their thumbs when the handles reached the midline, “fists together, thumbs crossed.” This X-shape helps release neck tension and organize the shoulder girdle, while gently closing the rib cage against the pole. You can even find archival photos of opera singer Elaine Malbin following these exact directions.
What is the Pedi Pole
The Pedi Pole consists of a long, vertical pole mounted on a wooden base, with a short horizontal crossbar at the top and two light springs with handles. In early designs, you’ll notice a small bike seat attached to the pole, a playful reminder of Joe’s inventive touch.
Interestingly, the pole isn’t completely fixed, so it requires you to find your own stability from the center, a subtle but powerful challenge.
How the Pedi Pole Works
Standing tall at the pole, you move your arms and body against spring resistance while maintaining perfect alignment, feet, pelvis, ribs, and head stacked in one long line. Every tiny movement becomes a lesson in balance, coordination, and control.
What the Pedi Pole Trains
Don’t let its simplicity fool you. The Pedi Pole strengthens the deepest stabilizers in your body:
• Postural lift and spinal decompression
• Scapular stability and healthy shoulder mechanics
• Core and pelvic floor activation
• Breath-driven coordination
• Balance and proprioception
It’s remarkable how quickly these lessons transfer to real life, typing, driving, carrying children, even athletic performance.
In short
• Vertical truth: Standing reveals and corrects compensations that lying down can hide.
• Precision springs: Light, linear resistance teaches timing and control instead of brute strength.
• Breath: Exhalation stabilizes; inhalation elongates.
• Shoulders: Movement begins from the back, not the neck
My Teaching Approach as a Classically Trained Instructor
I love to integrate the Pedi Pole at the end of my sessions. It resets the shoulder rhythm, deepens the breath, and leaves clients grounded, tall, and ready for the world outside the studio.
Common Questions I Get Asked
“I feel wobbly. Am I doing it wrong?”
Not at all. The wobble is feedback, a sign your body is learning to find stability.
“Is it safe for sensitive shoulders?”
Yes, with proper cues, wide collarbones, relaxed neck, soft ribs, most clients find it therapeutic.
“Shoes or barefoot?”
Always barefoot or in grippy socks to awaken foot engagement and balance awareness. A rubber pad can be placed under your feet to prevent slipping and ensure greater stability during your practice.
“How is it different from arm springs on the Tower?”
It’s fully vertical. You can’t hide from gravity, your posture and breath tell the truth.
Pilates Client Love
• “My neck stopped tensing during workdays.”
• “I finally understood what ‘shoulders down’ feels like.”
• “Breathing feels easier and my chest is open again.”
Why I Use the Gratz Pedi Pole
I prefer the Gratz model for its precise measurements, and adherence to the original geometry. That accuracy matters, it keeps feedback clear and lets clients feel exactly what they need to correct, without distractions.
Favorite Exercises on the Pedi Pole
• Chest Expansion
• Arm Circles (standing and sitting)
• Swimming (both directions)
• Breaststroke
• One-Arm Variations
• Knee Bends on One Leg
Try incorporating two or three Pedi Pole sequences into your week. Within a few sessions, you’ll notice your spine elongating, your breath deepening, and your posture holding effortlessly throughout the day.
It’s compact, elegant, and easy to move, the perfect minimalist addition to any classical studio.
About Rocío Menéndez
Rocío Menéndez is a Classical Pilates practitioner and instructor based in Murcia, Spain.
A dancer with over 20 years of professional experience, Rocío graduated from the Conservatorio Superior de Danza de Madrid (CSDMA), specializing in Choreography and Classical Dance Performance. Her journey through movement led her to the Pilates method, where she discovered a discipline that matched the precision and artistry of her dance background.
Certified by the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) and further under Miguel Silva (Uno Pilates,
Portugal) through the Principles of Guidance program, Rocío remains faithful to the original essence of the method. She teaches workshops internationally and shares her passion online to help others move, breathe, and live better.
Connect with Rocio:
Website: www.rociomenendez.com
Instagram: @rociomenendez_pilat3s
Email: info@rociomenendez.com
Reference Video: Joseph Pilates Original Ped-O-Pul aka PediPole featuring Elaine and Sean Gallagher.