Modern Body: Pilates & Movement for Life
It’s your body. You’re in it all the time. But how well do you really understand it? Join Aly DiRoma host of Modern Body as she brings you the truths behind using Pilates and movement as a way to better understand and take care of your body in your modern life for life. Drawing from personal experiences as a Pilates and Movement instructor, expert insights, and the latest research on movement Aly unravels the trends and gives you the facts, so you walk away each week with a practical and realistic approach to movement and taking care of your...
Ep. 133: What Your Hip Flexors Really Want
Hip flexors can give us a lot of discomfort but in this monthly mini episode, Aly argues they're just responding to how we live: hours at a desk, miles of running, long flights, and core classes that park the legs in tabletop. She revisits an early episode where she explains what hip flexors really are and why tightness can signal muscles that are overworked, underworked, or overstretched. Aly shares 4 strategies you can do during Pilates sessions to bring relief to the tension, grippiness, and stress your hip flexors may experience, and she spotlights specific classes inside the Modern Body...
Ep. 132: Understanding Rib Flare: Best of Collection
Rib flare. It's the subtle shift in rib cage position that can surface during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or while your body compensates for an old back injury or ongoing stress. In this replay episode, Aly separates the two distinct types of rib flare: positional and angular. She flags the everyday clues to watch for like a bra band that suddenly rides up, a shallow exhale, or tight shoulders that won't ease. Rather than treating rib flare as permanent, Aly maps out the breathwork, alignment cues, and specific Modern Body classes that start shifting things in weeks, not months. Catch...
Ep. 131: The First Step to Core Strength: Pressure Management
Endless crunches and planks rarely build the strong core people are chasing and in this episode, Aly explains why. The real bottleneck is pressure management: how the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and transverse abdominis coordinate as a system, not isolated parts. She walks through the sequencing that gets these muscles firing in the right order, and explains why alignment between ribcage and pelvis matters more than how hard you're working. And an added benefit is a quieter nervous system. Pulled from a fan-favorite segment on abdominal coning and doming, this episode hands you a five-minute reset you can run through...
Ep. 130: Posture and Pilates: Affecting Change Through Movement, A Compilation
Aly digs back through the Modern Body archives to pull three segments that paint a complete picture of how Pilates reshapes posture over time. In this compilation episode, she breaks down what posture actually is, why gravity and daily habits gradually impact how you stand and move, and why Pilates works from the inside out to help build a more supportive posture. The segments selected feature the pelvis, unpacking neutral versus imprint and why chasing one "correct" position misses the point entirely. Change happens through repetition and awareness, not through overnight fixes or rigid rules, and knowing your own...
Ep. 129: Harness the Power of Fascia Movement, A Conversation with Kath Pent
Aly sits down with fascia movement educator Kath Pent to explore the underestimated importance of facial health. Kath shares what current research reveals about fascia as a body-wide sensory network, why force travels between structures far from where discomfort actually shows up, and why the field keeps outpacing anyone's ability to master it fully. She and Aly dig into where fascia work diverges from muscle-focused practices like Pilates, touching on slings, elasticity, and the gap between training strength and training glide. Kath shares practical, low-lift ways to weave fascia care into everyday movement, including a simple expand-then-soften technique built...
Ep. 128: What’s the Point of A Movement Practice Anyway?
Aly shares a question she keeps circling back to after years in the movement industry: what's the actual point of moving your body? We all answer this question for ourselves, but Aly shares how her response guides the creation of Modern Body content. Her answer treats movement like a recipe using interesting combinations of Pilates, strength work, mobility, fascia, and dance. These ingredients stand fine on their own but they turn into something far more satisfying once combined, and that blend allows the body to move in every direction, without limits. The episode also previews week four of summer...
Ep. 127: Create Multifaceted Strength for Your Multifaceted Life
It’s almost Week 3 of Summer Camp at Modern Body and Aly kicks it off by making a case for strength training that goes beyond lifting heavy. Instead of chasing progressive overload alone, she breaks down how muscle fibers, weight loads, and planes of motion all work together on a spectrum, and why Pilates and heavier lifting complement rather than compete with each other. The week ahead mixes body weight, bands, and everything from light to heavy loads across five classes, all built around the idea that strength isn't one dial set to max, but a range you learn to...
Ep. 126: Conscious Core Continuity: Building a Core That Supports You in Everything You Do
Aly kicks off Week 2 of Summer Camp with Conscious Core Continuity. Inspired by watching her own baby learn how to move, Aly desiged Week 2 to recreate the experiences most humans have in the first year of life: lying still, rolling, sitting, crawling, standing. The core never stops working, conscious or not, and training that connection deliberately on the mat builds strength that will carry you through your life off the mat. Forget stacks of crunches. Aly draws on muscles far beyond the abs, mixing shortening, lengthening, isometric, stabilizing, and mobilizing work so nothing repeats but everything connects. Each day...
Ep. 125: How to Develop Trust and Confidence in Your Body Using Movement as the Medium
Kids don't second-guess a somersault. Adults do. Aly launches Modern Body's Summer Camp series by exploring how we can recapture that child-like confidence and trust in how we move by unveiling Week One's theme, Remembering the Body. She digs into why so many of us have been trained to override bodily signals in favor of data, comparison, and cultural "shoulds." Aly invites listeners to reconnect with themselves through playful movement, inspired by researcher Angela Hanscom and choreographer Ohad Naharin. Expect gross motor work, proprioception drills, and whole-body integration designed to rebuild trust between mind and body, all pulled from...
Ep. 124: The Summer of Remembering: Movement as a Medium for Memory and Reconnection
Aly opens up about a personal reawakening that’s shaping how she approaches movement. After watching a documentary that stirred old memories of dancing, she followed the pull back to the studio to dance simply for the joy of it. She talks about how that experience opened her up to rediscovering other joys she'd long set aside. That spark became the north star for Modern Body’s Summer Camp series in August. The program is built around the idea that the body holds onto everything it's ever learned to do. Aly unpacks the concept of the body as a livi...
Ep. 123: Nutrition, Hormones & Movement: A Holistic Approach to Boost Fertility and Support Reproductive Health with McKenna Garrison
Aly welcomes back holistic nutritionist McKenna Garrison for a deep dive into reproductive health. Together they map the groundwork for improved fertility: tracking your cycle, understanding ovulation windows, and taming chronic inflammation. McKenna breaks down how sleep, movement, and blood sugar tie into hormone health, why thyroid function matters for ovulation, and which nutrients and supplements actually earn a spot in your routine. Even if pregnancy isn't on your radar right now, this episode offers a blueprint for steadier cycles and stronger hormone health at any stage of life.
Get the Modern Mover's Guide Here:
...
Ep. 122: The Underrated Movement Your Body is Secretly Begging For: The Modern Mover’s Guide, Part 3
Get the Modern Mover's Guide Here:
https://modernmoversguide.com/guide
In this Episode
Aly closes out her three-part ingredient series with the piece most people write off entirely: sustain. She breaks down why recovery work, think movement baths, fascial flows, and mobility sessions, isn't a bonus round but the broth that ties every other workout together, and why skipping it eventually turns even great support and strength training into burnout. She walks through what each regenerative practice targets in the body, from nervous system reset to fascia release to joint-specific mobility work.
<...Ep. 121: Pilates Equipment - Recommendations for Your Home Movement Practice (Replay)
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
In this replay episode Aly shares her home Pilates equipment picks, ranking each piece from must-have to optional and she explains exactly why it earns its spot. Aly walks through some staple props to enhance a home...
Ep. 120: The Importance of Multi-layered Strength: The Complete Modern Mover's Guide, Part 2
Get the Modern Mover's Guide Here:
https://modernmoversguide.com/guide
In this Episode
Pilates builds strength, but not all strength, and this week Aly picks up part two of her Modern Mover's Guide series and zeroes in on strength as the second essential ingredient in a well-rounded movement practice. She unpacks the difference between type one and type two muscle fibers and how Modern Body can help you develop the kind of muscle mass and bone density that can carry you through your daily life and beyond. Aly maps out how Pilates and...
Ep. 119: The Complete Modern Mover’s Guide, Part 1: How to Support Your Body from Inside to Feel Strong and Confident in your Movement
Get the Modern Mover's Guide Here:
https://modernmoversguide.com/guide
In This Episode:
Aly kicks off a 3-part mini-series by naming something most movers feel: the wellness world is overwhelming, even for the people inside it. Information about choosing the right workouts can be confusing, and often conflicting, but in this episode Aly offers focus and clarity. She breaks down the first of three essential ingredients her movement system is built on: support. This foundational layer of Pilates-based "Groundwork" classes develops breath mechanics, joint awareness, and core strength from the inside out, without...
Ep. 118: Try Less: The Paradox of How Less Effort Can Increase Consistency and Joy in Your Movement Routine
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Aly introduces her "try less" philosophy that challenges the deeply ingrained cultural message that more effort, more time, and more intensity always lead to better results. She shares how this shift inspired Modern Body’s Coffee Pilates, th...
Ep. 117: Solve Postural Imbalances Without Limiting Your Movement Vocabulary
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Aly challenges the popular notion that correcting postural imbalances means cutting certain movements out of our routine. A recent social media post prompted Aly to counter the message being served in that post: that some movement should...
Ep. 116: Is There A Best Movement Type?
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
There’s a lot of noise on social media in the health and wellness arena. Influencers declare one movement system is superior until new research shows up that launches another cycle of new health concerns. It can fe...
Ep. 115: Break the Cycle - The Recipe for QL & Lower Back Relief
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
That nagging tension in the lower back during a bridge or hip thrust might not be a mystery. It might be because the quadratus lumborum is doing all the work. Aly takes listeners inside one of the...
Ep. 114: Mobility Training - What It Is and Why You Need It (RE-PLAY)
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Movement is not just something the body does: it is something the body needs. In this re-play episode, Aly unpacks what mobility training actually is, how joints move, and why so many people are quietly losing a...
Ep. 113: Why "Good Enough" is the Key to Progress
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Perfectionism has a way of keeping us exactly where they are. We wait for the right time, the right space, the right conditions. And in the meantime, life moves on. Aly gets candid about something she wrestles...
Ep. 112: Periodization - The Strategy For Smart, Sustainable Training
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
There is a smarter way to train, and it starts with understanding how structure creates results. Aly introduces the concept of periodization, the training strategy at the heart of the Modern Body studio programming. She guides listeners...
Ep. 111: Props - The Power Move for Your Practice
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Small pieces of equipment can make a surprisingly significant difference in how we feel movement in our bodies and Aly shares the details about how introducing a simple prop in an exercise can help you tap into...
Ep. 110: Modifications - The Most Powerful Too You Haven't Been Using
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
There is power in knowing how to work with your body rather than against it. In this episode Aly makes the case that modifications are not a fallback for those who cannot keep up. They are one...
Ep. 109: Stop Forcing Your Body to Fit into the Exercise Mold - Understanding Muscular Emphasis to Discover What Your Body Needs
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Every body is different, and so is every body's experience of movement. In this episode, Aly kicks off a new series by exploring one of the most common questions she hears from movers at every level: "Am...
Ep. 108: The Science of Movement - Your Muscles in Action [replay]
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Muscle contractions might sound like gym-class vocabulary, but understanding how they actually work inside the body changes everything about the way movement feels. In this replay episode, Aly breaks down the science of muscle contractions in a...
Ep. 107: A Spring Movement Inventory: The 3-Step Framework to Refresh Your Routine
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Season changes are more than a shift in temperature. They signal a time for pausing, taking stock, and realigning. In this episode Aly guides listeners through a spring movement inventory, a practical and surprisingly clarifying exercise inspired...
Ep. 106: How to Bring More Movement into Your Work Day: A Conversation with Workplace Movement Expert and Pilates Instructor Kerrie-Anne Bradley
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Most of us spend more hours at a desk than we care to admit, and our bodies quietly pay the price. Aly sits down with Kerri-Anne Bradley, a UK-based Pilates instructor, workplace wellbeing expert, and former economist...
Ep. 105: The Use it or Lose it Principle & Reversibility - Maintaining and Regaining Movement Health in Any Season of Life
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode:
Movement skills have a way of quietly fading in the background of busy lives if we don’t keep up a consistent movement practice. In this episode, Aly recounts how a spontaneous return to the dance floor be...
Ep. 104: Biomechanics and Natural Movement - How Form Creates Freedom
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If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Aly dives into the biomechanics of movement: what they are and why they matter. But that’s not the whole story. Drawing on her background in ballet, Pilates, and functional movement, Aly explains why biomechanics is the fo...
Ep. 103: Restore Your Natural Foot Function - A Conversation with Andy Bryant, Clinical Podiatrist and Foot Health Educator
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Most people walk thousands of steps a day without giving a second thought to the structures carrying them through each of those steps. This week, Aly sits down with Andy Bryant, clinical podiatrist and professional educator at...
Ep. 102: Hip Dissociation Explained - A Movement Mechanic for Improved Functionality
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Most people walk, squat, and climb stairs every single day without giving their hips a second thought—but what happens at that joint has a direct line to lower back pain, joint strain, and overall movement quality. Al...
Ep. 101: Movement for Pregnancy, Labor & Birth - Guidance from a Doula, Abby Morris
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Aly sits down with her own doula, Abby Morris of Sleep Child O'Mine, to explore something often overlooked in birth prep: how movement during labor can completely shift the experience. Abby brings real-world wisdom about why staying...
Ep. 100: Pilates and the Pelvic Floor - A Compilation
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Aly draws from multiple past episodes and her Pilates training to spotlight the pelvic floor. She weaves together anatomy, breath mechanics, and real-world application to offer a clear, cohesive look at how this group of muscles actually...
Ep. 99: Movement Making Systems - What They Are and How They Work Together
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
January Recap:
Ep. 95: Write Your Movement Story for 2026
Ep. 96: Pelvic Positioning Empowerment - When, Why, and How to Position Your Pelvis to Support You Through Movement
Ep. 97: Is Pilates Enough?
Ep. 98: Movement Habits & Patterns...
Ep. 98: Movement Habits & Patterns and How They Affect Your Posture
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Our posture isn’t something we set once and forget—it’s something we practice all day long. In this episode Aly explains how posture is a living reflection of our daily movement habits, modern conveniences, and accumu...
Ep. 97: Is Pilates Enough?
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
Referenced Episode
Ep. 67: Are you training all muscle fiber types in your movement practice?
In this Episode
Aly explains why the answer to the question in the title isn’t a simple yes or no. Instead of...
Ep. 96: Pelvic Positioning Empowerment - When, Why, and How to Position Your Pelvis to Support You Through Movement
Follow Modern Body
Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
Referenced Episode
Ep 20: Is Neutral the Best Position to Be in All the Time?
In this Episode
Aly takes on one of the most confusing concepts in Pilates: pelvic positioning. Neutral or imprint? Tilt or don’t...
Ep. 95: Write Your Movement Story for 2026
Follow Modern Body
Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
Aly offers an alternative to New Year’s resolutions—one that trades pressure for perspective. She reframes January as a season for reflection rather than immediate execution. She unpacks how productivity culture and fitness marketing can quietly push...
Ep. 94: What Pilates Is, and Why It Works - A 2025 Compilation
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Stay connected with Aly DiRoma and the Modern Body community: https://link.me/alydiroma
If you aren't already a member of the Modern Body Online Studio , you can experience that too with a free 7-day trial. Explore the full catalog of classes for free for the first 7 days.
In this Episode
In this reflective year-end episode Aly returns to the method that anchors her teaching and personal movement practice: Pilates.
Designed for anyone curious about starting or returning to Pilates, this episode weaves together three conversations...
