What's So Good About Pilates?

I found this video on an integrative health site today. The commentator says in a very short spiel what I tell my students every week. Please enjoy this short clip from an informative and useful health website:

http://www.integrativehealthreview.com/uncategorized/why-pilates-is-great-for-strength-and-balance/

See you in class!

I'll Take My Chances...

I noticed that one of my new, older Pilates students hadn't been back to class, When I saw her in the lobby, I asked her how she was doing and told her that I missed her. She complained that her back and hips hurt. Pilates is the single best way to strengthen back and hips. Urging her to come back and work on strengthening her back and hips, she said she wasn't coming back. When I reminded her that the less you exercise them, the more likely they will freeze up and hurt even more, she politely told me she would take her chances. Her words hung in the air. As we exchanged pleasant goodbyes, I felt stunned. What frame of mind would I have to be in to decide "to take my chances" on getting a frozen, painful back and hips if I knew I had options? Getting older and weaker is part of life but it doesn't mean we can afford the luxury of just sitting down (unless we want to make that chair our home). Even younger people face the same physical challenges as seniors: we are either building up or degenerating.

Helen Mirren is one of the most beautiful and fit women on the Red carpet today. Her body is unbelievable. I can't prove it but she looks "Pilates" strong and svelte to me. Her figure always amazes me. Wonder what she might look, feel, and move like if she had decided to take her chances and not care for her body? Frankly, it is so easy to give in to apathy when you get older. But some of that comes from feeling so physically poor that it starts to affect your mind. I've been there and, so help me God, I won't go back. It isn't as much about vanity but more about self-respect and honoring this God-given body.    I have no problem letting someone care for me if get sick or infirmed. Today I want to be in the solution, not the problem. I'll take my chances with Pilates. I've featured this YouTube video before but I'm putting it up here again to inspire us all to keep on taking good care of ourselves. Enjoy...

Here is a 100 year old woman talking about doing Pilates...
Here is the link in case the video doesn't come up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRP9ZEZ6IlE

Here she is actually doing Pilates:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQZjEbt8_Y&feature=channel&list=UL

Pilates makes P90X Easier

I knew it but this week proved it. Pilates is the athlete's secret weapon.  After making it through Week one of P90X, I have no soreness and more strength. I use the breathing I teach my clients and it really fuels hardworking muscles. At my age, 56, I ought to have bailed out on day two but the extra layer of strength I already had in my small muscle groups powerfully supported me. I feel like a winner. I am so up to this 90 day challenge. I have taught that athletes who take Pilates have an edge over those who don't. They are stronger and much less prone to injury. I'll add that the exercises in P90X can be very hard on the back. Because Pilates strengthens the accessory muscles of the spine on all three planes of movement, I was able to support my spine in a healthy way. A couple of the exercises were too detrimental to  my back so I modified them to take the pressure off my spine. Yoga has captured the national attention but it simply cannot conmpare to the benefits of Pilates. Pilates is intelligent exercise.

Get the Most from Your Pilates Workout

A student asked me yesterday what she could do between Pilates classes to improve her performance in class. I told her to use the 5 point positional protocol we use for the workout. Anyone who goes to a good class knows these. The prototcol consists of breathing in your nose and out your mouth, lifting your ears away from from your shoulders, widening/lowering shoulders, buttoning up the vest of your upper abs, and zipping up your lower abs. These prerequisites do several things while working out: correctly aligns  spine, shapes muscles for strength and beauty, and makes all Pilates movements more efficient. Breathing in your nose gets more oxygen into the lower lobes of the lungs. More oxygen elevates your mood, clears your mind for better focus, and gives you that constant flow of energy that makes the day easier. Lifting your ears away from your shoulders straightens out the cervical spine relieving tension from neck muscles and pain from compressed discs.

Head forward creates pain and tension; notice the forward sloping shoulders in image 3
compared to image 1

Left image ideal alinment; right images poor spinal alignment
both can be correected with Pilates

Widening your shoulders and lowering them (unless otherwise instructed in class) lifts the upper spine back into optimum position for movement and comfort. This adjustment also creates confidence and poise in the same way that sloped shoulders with head jutting out creates a feeling or semi-depression. Yes, your body affects the way you feel and see yourself. Tightening the upper and lower abs lift the entire spine while supporting the back. Few things are more detrimental to the back than weak abs. Strong abs keeps the rib cage and pelvis in optimum alignment with the upper spine. as seen in the left image.  So there you have it. The best way to improve Pilates performance in class is to use the 5 positional protocols all during your day, every day to feel, look and move gracefully and perform well in class.

Always bring your own sunshine with you wherever you go...

Can Pilates Increase My Height?

Yes, this totally true if you suffer from poor posture, back pain, or any spinal condition that causes you to bend over when you could be standing straighter.  There is a lot of talk about calcium deficiency and bone loss but those things tell only half of the story. Weakened muscles that line and support the spine can be strengthened to hold up fragile spinal bones. Of course, strong core muscles are critical as well. As we age, muscles loosen and adapt to our changing bone structure. What if you could cause your bone structure to improve by empowering your muscles? My height has increased. I had lost a half an inch or more and now that I have increased my accessory muscle strength, I stand tall again. Even young people sometimes lose their height to slouching for various reasons. It is cruel to tell someone to stand straight when they don't have the strength to sustain their posture. But with committed Pilates practice, you can regain lost height. One more perk to standing tall: it increases confidence. How we hold our bodies affects our mindset, either postively or negatively.

You Are Only as Young as Your Spine is Flexible

Until our spines are frozen, herniated, or in major pain, we really don't want to talk about spinal health. It's boring. Can't we hear about something more interesting? Take a minute to consider that building strong and pain free spines makes life so much easier. One of my students in her fifties remarked to me the other day that her husband strained his back simply trying to put their grandchild into the car seat. While she felt sory that her husband hurt himself during a simple task, she also noted that she didn't have problems like that because her spine is in good shape from taking Pilates. Pilates builds a strong set of upper, lower, and oblique abdominal muscles to carry the load that many still carry with their weak backs. Additionally, Pilates focuses on spinal flexibility and accesses the smaller spinal muscles to strengthen them. These small muscles protect the spine from all sorts of injury.  Pilates does so many good things for the body especially focused spinal strengthening adds alot more ease and freedom to our lives, regardless of age.