Live the Pilates lifestyle » Pilates

3 ways to a consistent workout

karen — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:15:03 +0000

Consistency with exercise is the only way to ensure you get good results and the only way to make those results last. Unfortunately for most of us, consistency is also the hardest thign to maintain wen it comes to exercise. I have certainly struggled with this over time. There are 3 simple tools that I use to help me stay consistent with my workouts.

1. Keep a written record of your workouts!

Do up a sheet of paper where you can write down what what your workout is and record the dates that you workout on. You will be surprised how easy it is to ‘have a break’ for a few days that ends up lasting weeks. When you write it down, it’s easy to keep track of and you will find that it makes you more inclined to NOT MISS a workout today because you can’t pretend to yourself that it hasn’t really been that long since the last one.

2. Find a training partner

This is one of the best ways to help yourself get a better exercise experience. Working out with others is usually more fun. You can do this by booking a session with an instructor or trainer, or simply get together with a friend to workout. If you set a regular time with someone else you will be more likely to do your workout. This is probably one of the major reasons so many people pay personal trainers!

3 Even when you don’t feel like it, DO SOMETHING!

This is probably the most important thing. When you feel awful you don’t feel like exercising. But generally speaking, exercise will make you feel better. This is something that I have experienced many times. When you get tired, stressed or are just feeling down it is really easy to just do nothing. Don’t try and make yourself workout for an hour, just do something. In Pilates I would say just get on the floor and do a set of The Hundred. Something is always better than nothing, even if it’s just one exercise for a few seconds. Keep your body moving and you will always feel better!

These are 3 of the things that I use to help me keep consistent with my own workouts and they have worked really well, especially with a 2 year old daughter.

So have fun and keep at it!

Pilates Breathing

karen — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:45:26 +0000

Breathing is a fundamental of the Pilates Method. Unfortunately, the breathing also seems to be one of the things that many people find the hardest to do well when they workout. Does any of this sound familiar to you?

When you concentrate on the movements you stop breathing
If you think about your breathing you stop moving
You have trouble coordinating your breathing with the exercises
You can’t pull your powerhouse in and breathe

When I start working with people for the first time I tend not to focus too much on their breathing. This is how I was taught, and through experience, I have seen this approach work very well. One reason for this is that you will eventually remember to breathe. I haven’t seen anyone pass out because they were thinking about their powerhouse so much they forgot to breath. I have, however, had people think so much about their breathing that they completely forget about their powerhouse! Another reason is that when you are worried about your breathing you stop thinking about everything else. That is why focusing on the breathe is a tool used in meditation. So if the breathing is one of many things that you are struggling with, drop it in the beginning. Focus on your powerhouse, then pick up your breathing.

When you first start learning to move your body with control and precision, thinking too much about your breathing can get in the way. But once you have started to gain control, using your breathing will lift your workouts to a high level of beautifully balanced, functional control, that will feel free and strong.

When you first start working with the Pilates Method, I highly recommend that you don’t worry too much about your breathing. When you start to get comfortable with the movements you can then start paying attention to what feels natural. You will start to feel a rhythm to the way your body is moving and when it feels right to inhale and exhale throughout the exercises.

The next step you will find useful is to pay attention to the dead spots. Be aware of all the places in your movements where you stop breathing and are holding your breath. Try to get rid of them.

Once you can comfortably be aware of your breathing and keep moving, there are a couple of general principles that will help.

1. Breath in and out through your nose.

A great anecdote I once heard from Romana Kryzanowska was that Joseph Pilates used to say the nose was for breathing and the mouth was for eating and kissing! Your nose is for breathing, and being able to maintain exercise without opening your mouth is an indicator of your fitness level. The better your stamina, the more workload your body can sustain without needing to gasp for air.

2. Inhale at the point of exertion

This can be a tricky one to understand in terms of practical application. Often it may feel like the wrong thing to do. But you will find that as you move through the Pilates Method and your strength, flexibility and control improve, what felt like the point of exertion to begin with will change. This is something that I suggest you play with. Just remember that your breathing should flow with the exercises.

3. Exhale when your chest contracts, inhale when your chest expands.

The movement of the rib cage will effect how much air you can get into, and out of your lungs. The movements of Pilates are designed to assist the functionality of the body, so when you roll forward, exhale, when you lift up tall, inhale. Allow the flow of air in and out of your lungs to correspond with the natural movement of your body.

In your everyday activities, just remember that when you are slouching you can’t breath well. Sitting tall with an open chest allows a good flow of oxygen through your body, and will help with your levels of vitality.

So take a deep breath, smile, and breathe again!

Improve Your Hundred Every Time You Workout

karen — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:10:05 +0000

This exercise is brilliant. It works your abdominal muscles, your breathing, your co-ordination, your back and leg strength and your upper back flexibility. It engages your whole body, and when done correctly is good for your whole body. If you aren’t familiar with The Hundred click here for some pictures and a description on how to perform the exercise.

The ideal position for The Hundred is to start with your body completely flat on the floor, then raise your legs 2 inches off the ground and lift your head so you are looking at your toes, keeping your back flat on the ground

There are a couple of ways to approach The Hundred. In his book, Joseph Pilates says to begin, in the ideal position, with 20 movements and gradually increase this until you can do 100 movements. I was taught to start with the full 100 movements but to modify the position with those who lacked the strength for that ideal position, or carried injuries. I think there is benefit in both approaches, and unless you have an injury it is good to try both. If you are doing a modified version of the exercise it can be very easy to get comfortable with it and not challenge yourself to improve when you should.

Today, the usual approach to The Hundred is to your head up and you legs straight in the air, held at or above a 45 degree angle. If you have any kind of injury, if you lack strength, or if you are very stiff, you may have various modifications. The most common ones are bending the legs bent and/or keeping the head down.

There are many tips that will help you improve your position and I recommend you take a look at the section on The Hundred in my ebook on the Basic Pilates Mat for those. But there is one thing that will help you improve the results you get out of The Hundred every time, regardless of whether you need to modify the exercise or not.

Every single time you perform this exercise, start in the position that is as close to the ideal as you can get. Every single time you do The Hundred find the position that challenges you the most. If you usually have bent legs try holding them straight for as long as you can. If your legs are straight, feel the place where your back arches off the floor and hold your legs just above that point. If you can’t hold your head up for the whole exercise, start with your head off the ground and hold it there as long as you can. Every time you put yourself in The Hundred position, look for the most challenging position. If you stay there for as long as you can and only modify it if you need to you will find your strength improves rapidly.

What’s happened to The Hundred?

karen — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:17:41 +0000

A friend of mine went to a Pilates class at a gym the other day and had the interesting experience of being told, a fair way into the class, that she could ‘attempt the Hundred if she wanted to’. I wanted to write about this because her experience is not uncommon. There seem to be a lot of Pilates Instructors out there, and consequently a lot of their clients, who are under the impression that a person has to build up to being able to do the Hundred. If you are being taught this way, or doing workouts yourself this way, you are being seriously cheated out of the great experience that Pilates can offer.

In the Pilates Method the Hundred is an exercise that is done right out of the gate, you don’t mess around, you get straight into it. In the Mat work it is the first exercise, in the Reformer it is second, right after the footwork series. The Hundred is such a brilliant exercise for helping you get centered and bringing your focus into your body.

You have to concentrate on your breathing, which is fundamental to any good workout, wake up your abdominal muscles, which is fundamental to any good Pilates workout, and co-ordinate your breathing with your body movements, which is fundamental to good health.

A lot of people aren’t strong enough to hold the full position for long, or even at all in the beginning, but that is no reason to not start with it! There are several very simple modifications that you can do which means the Hundred can be done safely but still makes you work. You can even do this exercise with your head and feet on the ground! It has been my experience that most of us underestimate what our bodies are capable of. This doesn’t mean that we should all go out and try doing back flips (I definitely don’t recommend that), but your body has to be challenged if it is going to improve. It’s as simple as that. The Hundred is one of the initial exercises that sets the rhythm for the rest of your workout, so move, breath and enjoy it!

Pilates is about strength and freedom of movement, developing grace, control and true health and fitness. Don’t let yourself miss out on that! So if you are already enjoying the benefits of starting your workouts with the Hundred good for you, and if you aren’t, ask yourself or your teacher why!

Scrub a Dub Dub

karen — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:17:02 +0000

This tip is something I have been doing regularly since I read Joseph Pilates book ‘Your Health’. He mentions briefly in this book that when you are having a bath or shower, it is a good idea to massage your skin. He recommends working up to being able to use a hard bristled brush as this really stimulates the skin, but start with something softer as you get used to the pressure. Massaging the skin this way helps to keep the pores open and clear from sweat, dirt and soap residue. It increases the blood circulation to the surface of the skin which helps to flush away toxins and cleans away dead skin cells. If you use a brush with no handle or a very short handle it also helps you to maintain a certain level of general flexibility as you try to reach all parts of your body (particularly your back). As an added bonus it really helps to minimize ingrown hairs! So find yourself a brush and next time you have a bath or shower get scrubbing!

The Questions You Should Frequently Ask

karen — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:15:08 +0000

I like reading the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ sections on websites and in brochures. When it comes to your health and fitness though, I think that section should be worded differently. I think it should read ‘Questions You Should Frequently Ask’. I say this because it’s your health, your wellbeing and your life. We are confronted with an overwhelming mass of information today telling us how to think, how to feel, how we should look and what we should do. It is much easier to know what information is relevant to you if you regularly make the time to think about your health what you want. So here are some questions that I think we should all frequently ask ourselves. This not only applies to Pilates, but to all aspects of our health and fitness.

What is the current state of my health?
Is your body fit enough to do the tasks you ask of it? The best way to answer this is to pay attention to how you feel at the end of each day and first thing in the morning. Constant aches, pains and exhaustion are a sign that something is out of balance, you are not fit enough for your current level of activity. If you sleep well and wake up enthusiastic then you are probably on the right track. Being aware of your current level of fitness means you are much better equipped to make decisions about what you might want to do next. Don’t let other people make decisions for you about your health. As I said before, it’s your health, so take the time to frequently ask yourself questions and give yourself honest answers.

Has my level of health & fitness changed?
This is especially important if you are exercising regularly and/or attend classes. If you are aware of what your level of health and fitness actually is, and you have made a decision that you want to improve it, then pay attention to whether or not it is actually improving. This sounds obvious enough, but I have met many people who have been taking classes for years and don’t seem to be getting anywhere. Years is too long to not see any results. Remember what it is you want to achieve and seek out the people that can help you achieve it. Even if you are training with a highly qualified instructor, if you aren’t getting results, find someone else.

If you aren’t exercising at all then it is still important to be aware if the level of your health and fitness has changed. Especially as there is a good chance it is getting worse!

What do I really want my body to be able to do?
I always ask my clients what they want to do with their bodies. Some people just want to be able to touch their toes, others want to be able to do the splits and a gazzillion situps, and some people have no idea what they want. It’s important to realise that if you don’t know what you want, then you have no idea if you are heading in the right direction! It doesn’t matter how simple or how complex your health and fitness desires are, having a clarity on WHAT they are will help you enormously when it comes to figuring out how to get there!

Online Pilates Resources Up & Running

karen — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:49:48 +0000

Jason and I now have an online courseware site up and running!

Yesterday I put up our first book. The Pilates Basic Mat is FREE to read online, covers everything you need to start getting into shape right NOW and you can also download a print friendly version.

We are still in the early stages, but this book is the first of a lot more to come. We will be offering courses and publishing books through this site on Pilates, Shaolin Kung Fu and general health and fitness. So be sure to keep checking in with us for the latest.

Author gets excited over Pull Up Achievment!

karen — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:32:33 +0000

I am so excited! It’s official, I can no do The Pull Up on the Wunda Chair with only 2 springs on the bottom!……and do it well….and repeat it consistently! For those of you who know the exercise and the spring strength I am sure you will appreciate my excitement:)

If you aren’t familiar with the exercise here is a photo. In this photo I have the usual spring setting of one top and one bottom. You can’t see it in the photo but the springs attach from the peddle my feet are on to one of the three hooks at the back, you can see the bolts on the outside of the chair. There is one spring on each side of the chair. With the Pull Up, the less spring resistance you have the harder the exercise is as you have to use more of your own strength to pull yourself up. The stronger the spring resistance the more help you get. On the Wunda Chair the spring resistance is strongest when you attach them to the top hooks and lightest when you attach them to the bottom hooks. So my next challenge is to be able to pull up with only one spring attached!

It’s still all about the feet!

karen — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:36:10 +0000

Here are three things you can do to help keep your feet in good shape.

The first one, as I mentioned above, is massage. Do it yourself or get someone else to help you out. A few minutes once a week will make a big difference.

The second one is a follow on from a body tip a couple of issues ago. Stand with your heels together, your toes apart, squeeze your legs together and pull your abdominal muscles strongly to your spine. Place your weight evenly on both feet. Keeping your weight even and your heels together, slowly rise up onto your toes. Only lift as high as you can keep your weight even and your heels together! Repeat this a few times, and try it a couple of times a day.

The third tip you can do standing or sitting. Simply try to seperate all your toes. Spread them all out so that none of them are touching and see if you can move each toe. This one is fun, as you get better at it you will be able to see all the muscles and bones up through your foot move.

Have fun with these and remember to love your feet! , as you get better at it you will be able to see all the muscles and bones up through your foot move.

Have fun with these and remember to love your feet!

Pilates and Your Feet

karen — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:34:19 +0000

Most of us will freely admit that we love shoes, but how many of us love our feet? Before you start thinking that I should be ‘sharing’ not ‘scaring’ let me explain what I mean by love. Loving your feet is appreciating them for what they are and taking care of them so they can do their job, they same way you should love your heart, your lungs and your lower intestine!

Unless you are lucky enough to have a lifestyle that permits it, you spend most of your days with shoes on. If your feet are lucky you wear good shoes, shoes that allow your feet to move and breathe. If your feet are unlucky, you wear high heels most of the time and often cram them into very uncomfortable shoes, even if they are very cute shoes. When you think about exercise, I bet you rarely think about exercising the muscles in your feet. Thoughts of exercise usually involve wearing sneakers anyway.

I have worked with people who have been told that they need to wear shoe inserts because of the condidtion of their feet, but have never been told to exercise the MUSCLES in their feet. After doing some very simple Pilates exercises these same people have been able to thrown their inserts out. Your feet contain muscles just like the rest of your body and they need to be taken care of in order to function well and without pain. I have included a couple of simple exercises for your feet in the Body Tip section below to get you started. Along with exercise, massage is wonderful and if you have someone who is willing to do it for you even better! If not, then find a good massage therapist and make sure they massage your feet and/or give yourself a regular foot massage. Get some massage oil, sit down somewhere warm and comfortable and pay some attention to your feet.