PILATES – A WAY OF LIFE

It’s great that you’ve found time to fit in 1, 2, or 3 Pilates classes per week.

The real test is whether you can apply what you learn in the studio to your everyday life.

Only then will you really start to see and feel the many wonderful benefits of Pilates.

For many, starting Pilates is the first step to changing a lifetime of bad postural habits.

Time spent sitting hunched at a desk, long periods of time standing or carrying a child or heavy bag continually on one side can lead to poor posture.

This places undue stress on our body, movement becomes less efficient and aches and pains start to appear.

Years and years of standing or sitting in a certain way will not change overnight however taking Pilates classes is a great start to achieving better posture therefore reducing the risk of injury.

Once you’ve begun taking classes, try to think about how you’re sitting at work ( for example ).

Apply your knowledge of neutral spine position in your class to sitting in your chair.

Try to maintain the natural curves of your spine rather than hunching over and letting your head hang forward.

If you find it hard to keep reminding yourself, try to allocate a time when you will think about your posture.

For example – every time you take the lift try to stand up against the wall and feel your tailbone, back of the ribs and head touching.

Try to lengthen your spine imagining it’s being pulled in opposite directions from either end.

Think of the muscles you learn to use in your upper back when you glide your shoulder blades down and extend your spine in a Pilates class.

Try to use the same muscles to keep your shoulders wide when standing and walking around. Imagine walking around with a smile painted across the front of your chest.

Make sure the smile is pulling wide whilst your shoulder blades glide in and down your back.

People with good posture look taller, slimmer, more fluid and confident in their movement.

Think about someone like Jennifer Lopez - she’s gorgeous, curvy and by no means skinny but she appears tall, slim and confident because she stands tall.

Imagine what she’d look like if she slouched! Same goes for someone like Pierce Brosnan – he’d lose all his class if he was hunched over like an old man!

So, try to carry your new Pilates posture with you out of the studio rather than leaving it behind !

Not only will you feel so much better from improving your posture but you’ll look better too !

Concentration

- is the key to performing accurate movements. In order to get the most out of Pilates one must be able to establish a connection between the mind and body.

Breathing

- Each Pilates exercise is coordinated with a precise, controlled breathing pattern that assists the movement. Breath is taken in through the nose, expanding the ribs laterally and out through the mouth. The general rule is that you inhale to prepare for the movement and exhale on the action.

Centering

- Joseph Pilates believed that our core muscles are the 'powerhouse' of our body. All Pilates exercises are initiated from the powerhouse, building a strong centre to support and protect the spine.

Control

- All movements in Pilates should be performed with optimum control. The focus is on quality rather than quantity, therefore fewer repetitions of perfectly controlled movements are much more effective than endless repetitions of sloppy ones!

Flowing movement

- All movements in Pilates are continuous, graceful and performed fluidly. There are no static, isolated movements.

Precision

- Every movement in the Pilates method has a purpose. The focus is on precision and perfection of movement.

PILATES : Precise Intelligent Exercise.

Pilates aims to improve posture and increase flexibility through controlled strengthening and stretching exercises.

In particular the exercises work the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor, helping to create a centre of balance for the body, improving core-muscle tone and alignment.

We've all heard of the expression 'no pain no gain' when it comes to exercise - but is this true?

Must we exercise to the point of pain to get results?

Pain is your body's way of telling you that there is something wrong, but not all pain is bad. Many people seek out exercise that gives them the 'good pain factor' as they like to feel that they have worked themselves hard.

How do we distinguish good pain from bad pain?

Here are a couple of pointers...

Good pain feels like a moderate to strong burning sensation in the muscles you are working and should go away within minutes to 2 days after exercise.

Any sharp, shooting or electric like pains in the muscle or swollen, aching or throbbing joints is bad pain.

During a Pilates class many people experience a moderate amount of burning in certain muscle groups and possibly mild to moderate discomfort during stretches ( depending on flexibility ).

Muscular soreness a day or 2 after the class is sometimes felt but will usually ease up with movement or by taking hot shower or bath.

People often say they can feel they've worked there stomach muscles if they laugh or cough the day after a class!

Any 'creaks cracks or crunches' felt during exercises ( although they don't sound too good ) are nothing to worry about as long as they aren't painful.

Pilates helps condition your body without punishing it - there is no bouncing, jarring or stress to your body.

The emphasis is on the quality of the movement and not the number of repetitions.

Pilates is the perfect way to help avoid 'bad pain' during other forms of exercise because you retrain your body to move more efficiently.

I asked a few people how they felt immediately after a Pilates class and here were some of the responses: "taller", "I feel like I've just had a massage", "energised and alert", "I feel like my body has been worked in the right way", "muscles worked and more aware of how I'm standing"

WHY NOT GIVE IT A TRY?

SEE CLASS SCHEDULE

The pelvic floor is a layer of muscle that stretches from your pubic bone in the front to your tailbone at the back, forming the ‘floor’ of the pelvis.

What does it do?

A toned pelvic floor :

*Supports the pelvic organs ( bladder uterus and bowel ).

*Helps close off the bladder and bowel outlets to prevent leakage.

*Contributes to sexual response and orgasm.

Factors contributing to pelvic floor weakness:

• Pregnancy.
• Childbirth.
• Straining to empty the bladder or bowel.
• Constipation.
• Persistent heavy lifting.
• Chronic cough.
• Being over weight.
• Lack of general fitness.

How to strengthen Pelvic floor muscles...

Start by being able to identify the pelvic floor muscles.

As you are reading this, sit comfortably and try contracting the muscles you use when you want to stop the flow of urine.

After contracting them feel them draw up inside you like you are ‘sucking up through a straw’!

This is a simple exercise that you can do at any time any where!

An extremely effective way of strengthening the Pelvic floor muscles is by learning and practicing PILATES.

The slow controlled movements focus on strengthening the body’s core, in particular the pelvic floor.

At the same time with regular practice, the exercises help to achieve a leaner more streamlined body shape!

Greater strength and muscle tone.

Longer, leaner muscles.

Better posture.

Flatter stomach and trimmer waist.

Increased core strength-stability.

Helps prevent injury.

Enhances functional fitness.

Balances strength and flexibility.

Heightens body awareness Increased joint mobility.

Compliments other methods of exercise.

Improves performance technique in sports / dance.

Improves balance, coordination, circulation.

Less incidence of back pain.

Helps reduce stress & tension.

Pilates – it IS a guy’s thing !

Ask the average man what he knows about Pilates and the chances are he will think Pilates is just for women.

Well for a start Joseph Pilates was a man, and many of his early clientele were too !

Pilates has been popular with both male and female elite athletes for many years, but in the mainstream fitness industry the tendency has been that women have significantly outnumbered men.

That trend is changing now as more men are inspired by celebrity sports figures to try Pilates workouts for themselves.

All exercises in the Pilates method originate from the body's powerhouse, or the core.

By strengthening this part of the body, you will have more control and strength over many of your movements.

Most men tend to work their abdominals incorrectly, focusing far more on repetition and increasing range of motion than they do on correct technique.

Pilates focuses on correct placement helping to achieve maximum results.

Men generally have less flexibility and a greater degree of upper body strength than women, due to excess weight training and cardiovascular work.

Pilates provides the perfect balance between strength and flexibility, making it a great additional exercise for men already doing other sports, be it tennis, running, weight lifting or golf.

If you’re a man with an injury,

Pilates offers a safe and logical method of exercising while your body is healing.

Pilates doesn’t aggravate the body; the exercises are always performed with control.

Here is a list of a few of the well known men practicing Pilates: Pete Samprass Tiger Woods John Cleese Hugh Grant Orlando Bloom Patrick Swayze, … and an ever-growing number of famous footballers, rugby players, cricketers and other professional athletes.

OK guys, see you in class!

Practising Pilates regularly can help dramatically improve your golf swing whilst also reducing the risk of injuries commonly associated with this sport.

Golf, requires core stability in order to hold a position long enough to play through a shot rather than allowing the body to buckle or twist.

By targeting the deep postural muscles, Pilates builds up strength from the inside out making it easier to power movements from the body’s core.

During a golf game the player is constantly bending forward and twisting to one side only causing the same muscles to be used over and over again.

This upsets the body’s muscle balance.

Pilates helps to balance out the body against the forces of the swing. It helps to create less torque in the spine because you learn to swing from your center and not from your limbs Pilates re- educates muscles to work more efficiently, restoring balance and natural, normal movement patterns.

Golf, like pilates is about ‘core strength’. In both cases, all movements originating and being powered from the body’s centre or ‘Powerhouse’ as Joseph Pilates himself called it.

Practising Pilates helps to strengthen the body’s key stabilising muscles : The Transverse abdominals and pelvic floor muscles.

Golf, like Pilates requires precision.

A small adjustment of a golfer’s shoulder flexibility can be the difference between a drive from the tee veering onto the rough or going straight onto the green.

Pilates requires focus to achieve precision in each exercise.

Conscious control of movement enhances body awareness. It is one of the preferred exercise regimes of many professional golfers today.

Devotees include Tiger Woods, David Duval, Andrew McGee, Grace Park and Annika Sorenstam, among many others.

Just 2 hours of Pilates a week could make all the difference to your golf technique !

No, I’m not suggesting you perform the hundred, saw and criss cross in bed!

– but to try and sleep in a neutral spine position with the right pillow to support your neck so that you wake fully rested, energised and ready to face the day!

It’s really important to find the best pillow ( according to your physique and sleep position ) which will depress beneath your head and give enough support under your neck so that your spine stays aligned.

So how can we best use pillows to support our back and neck whilst sleeping?

BACK SLEEPERS:

When sleeping on the back, a pillow should support the natural curvature of the cervical spine ( neck area ), with enough support under the head, neck, and shoulders.

The height of the pillow should be lower than when sleeping in a sideways position as you don’t want to create a forward head posture!

Placing a small pillow under the knees helps to reduce the load on the lower back. Some people prefer to have a couple of pillows so that the knees are elevated higher.

This keeps the lumbar spine flatter therefore putting less force on the pain sensitive facet joints of the spine.

SIDE SLEEPERS:

When sleeping on your side, a pillow should support the head and neck so that the spine maintains a straight and natural horizontal line.

Cervical or orthopaedic pillows are contoured to fill the spaces under the head and neck, for maximum support.

Some people find placing a small cushion between bent knees helps to prevent the spine and pelvis from twisting.

When there is no support between the legs, the upper leg rotates downward, pulling the pelvis, and distorting the natural line of the spine.

Weight should be evenly distributed between the head, shoulders, hips and legs.
For women with large hips and a small waist try placing a very small cushion or rolled up towel underneath the waist to prevent slumping down in that area.

( This actually feels really comfortable! )

STOMACH SLEEPERS:

If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, the pillow should be relatively flat, or the head should rest directly on the mattress, so that the head and neck aren’t turned unnaturally to either side. In this position, you can try placing another relatively flat pillow under the stomach to help keep the spine in it’s neutral alignment.

This is not the best position to sleep in as it constantly applies pressure to a rotated cervical spine often encouraging excessive lumbar lordosis ( over arched lower back )

The wrong spinal position during sleep can be the cause of various health problems and generally a bad health condition or even mood.
It’s worth learning how to use pillows correctly to provide adequate neck and back support so that you wake up fully rested, pain free and full of energy!

Learning Pilates helps create an awareness of correct body/spinal alignment which is important for a good night’s rest.

Pilates also helps to keep your mind calm and body balanced which promotes peaceful sleep.

Joseph Pilates always talked about looking after the whole being, for instance, what we eat; what our occupation is and whether we get enough exercise in it; the importance of a good night's sleep and many other factors that promote a healthy lifestyle.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP! ZZZZZzzzzz

Pilates is a series of body conditioning exercises that has been practised since the early 1920s.

JOSEPH H. PILATES, the founder of the technique, used his knowledge of gymnastics, boxing, skiing and diving in addition to studies of yoga, Zen and other Eastern disciplines, to create this unique mind-body exercise technique.

Interned because of his nationality during the First World War, he worked as a nurse and taught his method to fellow internees in a British Prison Camp.

As many of them were war veterans and bedridden from being seriously wounded, he experimented attaching springs to hospital beds which allowed patients to start applying movement and resistance to their muscles which seemed to speed up their recovery time.

Interestingly enough, none of his patients caught the influenza that was sweeping Europe at the time. In 1926 Joseph emigrated to New York where he began teaching his method to elite dancers, actors, gymnasts and other artists, all keen to learn from him.

Some of the first people to learn from him were dancers Martha Graham and George Balanchine.

“People won’t understand the brilliance of my work for 50 years.” That is a quote from Joseph, himself, about 50 years ago.

Today, healthcare professionals are studying and recommending Pilates exercise as part of their treatment programme.

Medical doctors are prescribing 'Pilates' to their patients.

His technique has become increasingly popular in the fitness industry as people are now moving away from the ‘no pain no gain’ way of thinking and towards the 'less is more', safe and effective mind-body exercise.

It is also the preferred exercise of many famous athletes, dancers and movie stars!

Due to the public fascination with Hollywood celebrities, the name Pilates is now a household word.

If Madonna does it, it must work!