Month of Gratitude: Uncles

November is a month of gratitude.

Today I am thankful for my two favorite fitness uncles, Uncle Joe and Uncle Patanjali.

 

Uncle Joe is Joseph Pilates, visionary creator of the eponymous system.  His determination to create health and “spontaneous zest” in his own life and the lives of others has been transformative.  I am thankful for the training I have had in his methods because it makes me a better mover and teacher.

 

Uncle Patanjali is credited with systematizing the huge complex that is yoga into sutras.  The practice of yoga brings peace to my body and my mind.

 

Who are your fitness heros?

Falling (or not) into Fall

Since we’re into fall now, let’s talk about falling.  As we age, falling can become more and more of a risk.  Unless we work really hard, those of us who are over 30 are losing muscle mass, a process which accelerates as we get older and older.  Our balance may get more precarious.  Our bones get more fragile.  All these things put us at greater risk of falling and of having injuries that are difficult to recover from.

Interestingly, in a small study done on Pilates for people classified as high risk for falls, the greatest predictor of actual falls was fear.  Having positive movement experiences that were not targeted at improving balance or strength or even core control moved people out of the high risk group.  There was no significant correlation between strength and risk in this study.

 

What does that mean?  It means that we are people who need to keep moving.  We need to keep our focus on doing what we can do rather than dwelling on what we can’t do.  We need to take ownership of our experience.  (Yeah, it sounds pretty darn woo-woo to me, too, but it turns out to work.)

 

Don’t know where to start?  Poke me.  I can help.

I Have Answers

Because I do both personal training and Pilates, folks sometimes ask me which they should do.  I have two answers:  it depends and both.  (Yeah, I know.  I’m annoying like that.)

The “it depends” answer springs from the fact that we are all coming to fitness from our own special spots in the universe.  We have individual needs and goals.  For most of us, it will be pretty clear whether the usual outcomes of weight training or Pilates will align better with what we need and want.

 

The “both” part comes from the synergistic nature of weight training and Pilates.  When we do both, we improve our outcomes even more than just by getting the individual benefits of each of those training modes.  The strength we gain in weight training opens up opportunities for us in the Pilates repertoire.  The finesse and balance and alignment we learn in Pilates translate into better form and performance in our weight training.  Our powerful brains benefit from the mindset of both disciplines and from the challenge of switching between them.

 

The good news is that we can start anywhere.  It’s all good.

One at a time

In Pilates, we learn that we can only do so many things at once.  This applies in lots of ways, but the way I’m thinking about right now is about how our spines move.

Our spines move, roughly, along three axes.  We can flex and extend our spines (bending forward and back).  We can side bend left and right.  We can twist.

 

The interesting thing is that we have the greatest range of motion along any of those axes when we are only moving one way.  That is, we can bend forward and back more when we’re not also trying to side bend or twist, or we can twist more when we’re not also bending to the side, etc.

 

So if we are trying to increase our ability to move in a particular direction, we will do best if we work on just that one thing at a time.  We can add the other fancy stuff later, when we’ve achieved our range of motion goals.

The Amazing Stickie and Pilates Twist

The Amazing Stickie knows that many of us don’t do enough work on rotation.  Uncle Joe Pilates to the rescue!  Today she is doing his Twist exercise.

 

Stickie begins in a side plank position, the upper arm raised and her top foot in front of her other foot.  From there, she lifts her hips and pokes her non-weight-bearing arm through the arch she has created with her body.  Then she returns to the start position.

 

She likes to do about five reps on each side. 

The Amazing Stickie and the Pilates Pushup

The Amazing Stickie knows that when Uncle Joe Pilates does a version of an exercise, it’s going to be interesting.  The Pilates pushup is a whole-body experience.

Stickie begins standing with good posture.  Keeping her weight toward her toes to keep her hips from falling back as long as possible, she curls her spine forward until her hands touch the ground.  From there, she walks her hands forward until she is in plank position.  Keeping her elbows close to her body, Stickie lowers and raises her body three times, maintaining a straight line between her head and her heels.  Then she walks her hands back toward her feet, returning to the forward bend position before stacking her spine up again to return to her starting position.  Stickie likes it that each Pilates pushup incorporates three pushups.

The Amazing Stickie and Double Leg Stretch

This week, the Amazing Stickie is working on spinal flexion and abdominal strength by doing Double Leg Stretch.

She begins curled into a ball with her head and upper back off the floor.  From there, she extends her arms and legs up toward the ceiling, maintaining her upper back and head off the floor.  She circles her arms and legs around until she is back in position with arms and legs toward the ceiling and then returns to the starting position.  She thinks it is kind of like doing elementary backstroke in swimming, except that her head and shoulders are lifted.

The Amazing Stickie and Double Leg Kick

The Amazing Stickie is working on extension in her entire body today:  spine, shoulders, and hip flexors!  To do this, she is doing Double Leg Kick.

She begins lying on her belly with her face turned to one side and her hands clasped at her lower back.  From there, she bends her knees, flexes her feet, and pulses her heels toward her behind as if she were trying to kick herself in the butt.  Then she does a whole lot of things at once:  she turns her head back to a neutral position, she lifts her chest off the floor, she lifts her arms away from her back, stretching them toward her legs, and she extends her legs along the floor.  When she lowers back to the starting position, she turns her head to the other side to repeat.  She always does an even number of reps so she can do both sides the same number of times.

The Amazing Stickie and Leg Circles

The Amazing Stickie knows that synovial joints, like the ones in our hips, get their nutrition via motion.  She also knows that a stable pelvis is beneficial for all the things she likes to do in her copious spare time.  These are two reasons why she likes to do leg circles.

She starts lying on her back with one leg long and one leg extended up toward the ceiling.  (How high the leg is raised depends on the flexibility of one’s hamstrings!).  Then, keeping both sides of her pelvis evenly weighted on the ground, she circles the lifted leg across the midline of her body and around to the starting position.  She likes to do five circles in each direction before changing legs and doing the other side.

 

Stickie finds it surprisingly difficult to avoid shifting her pelvis from side to side as she makes the circles.

The Amazing Stickie and Corkscrew

The Amazing Stickie has, of course, amazing articulation of her spine and amazing abdominal strength.  Those of us who do not may opt for a different exercise; those of us with osteoporosis should definitely give this one a pass.

To begin, Stickie lies on her back with her legs toward the ceiling and her arms at her side.  She peels her spine up into the air, ending up in a position where she is looking at her own shins over her face.  From there, keeping her legs together, she circles them around and then peels her spine back down to the floor.  Then she repeats, circling the other direction.

The Amazing Stickie and Criss Cross

This week, the Amazing Stickie is doing a similar exercise to last week.  This one is called Criss Cross.  It also works her oblique abdominals and her spinal flexion.

Today, she begins lying on her back with her hands behind her head and her knees bent so that her feet are flat on the floor.  She twists her torso slightly so that one elbow is touching the ground.  From there, she lifts her head and shoulders off the mat, maintaining the twist, and raises her opposite knee toward the higher elbow.  Her other leg stays long, floating just above the floor.  Then, without lowering her head and shoudlers toward the mat, she switches the position of her legs and twists her body the other direction.

 

Sets of ten are good.

 

Stickie would like to point out that this exercise may look familiar to gym-goers who are not Pilates people.  This exercise is done with more control and usually less speed than the gym version.

The Amazing Stickie and Single Leg Stretch

Today the Amazing Stickie is doing the Pilates exercise Single Leg Stretch.  She begins lying on her back with her knees curled into her chest.  She puts one hand on the inside side of the opposite knee and the other hand on the outside side of the same shin.  On an exhale, she curls her spine up, bringing her head toward her knees while extending the leg she is not holding out parallel to the floor.  Then she switches legs and hand positions to the opposite side.  She finds that a good set is ten repetitions.

Basics: Pilates (2 of 2)

Yesterday we talked about what Pilates is and why we might want to do it.  Today we’ll talk about how.

In general, I believe in DIY, which is why I do my best to provide tools for folks to go out and do their own thing.  However, with Pilates it really is best to start out working with a professional.  Here are the things we want to think about in choosing a Pilates class or trainer.

 

Class or trainer is actually the first question.  Those of us who belong to a gym with Pilates mat classes included may find that to be the easiest way to test it out and see if it is a good fit.  Many studios also offer introductory reformer classes so that clients can try the equipment in a safe environment.  Once we’ve tried a class, we can carry on if it is meeting our needs.

 

Those of us with particular needs, however, may need to cough up for individual sessions.  An instructor facing a classroom full of students will of course offer modifications for various things (bad knee, osteoporosis, etc.), but will not be able to tailor the session for any one person’s health or injury history.

 

Whether we decide on classes or individual sessions, we want to choose an instructor who knows how to be present.  We want someone who tunes in to how the bodies in front of her are moving and who has the knowledge and skill to elicit better movement from them.  What that looks like may vary.  We have different learning styles and so an instructor that is great for one person may not be so great for another.  It also helps if we like the person.

 

Try it out!  (And remember, the first session with me is always free!)

Basics: Pilates (1 of 2)

Next in our workout basics, we are turning our attention to Pilates.   Today we’ll discuss some of the whats and whys of Pilates and tomorrow we’ll talk about how.

Pilates is the creation of Joseph Pilates (I call him “Uncle Joe”) and it is both an exercise system and a philosophy.  In that way, it is similar to yoga, although yoga is more inherently spiritual.  After Uncle Joe died, his students took his work in a variety of directions, which is right and natural.  Different Pilates schools will emphasize different parts of the practice.  However, all kinds of Pilates will share some basic principles.  There are six.

 

First, breathing.  If we don’t breathe, we die.  If we learn to breathe better, we can improve our quality of life.  Breath facilitates motion and movement in turn can facilitate our breath.  This is why, when we go to Pilates, our instructors will tell us about when to breathe.  As we practice Pilates, we find that we do breathe more easily and this has good impacts across our lives.

 

Second, axial elongation and core control.  Think of this as countercultural pressure.  We live in a slouched society.  As we work through our Pilates exercises, we find that we feel taller and more centered, more capable of deep breath and clear thought.  (This is also one of the principles that makes us look good!!!)  This also contributes to good balance.

 

Third, spine articulation.  Our spines are there not only to support us, but also to enable us to move freely.  When our spines get too rigid, the rest of our movements are impaired.

 

Fourth, organization of the head, neck, and shoulders.  As I mentioned in the part about axial elongation, we are slouchy.  We hunch over our desks and phones.  This puts our upper body out of whack and contributes to all kinds of problems, including headaches.

 

Fifthy, alignment and weight bearing of the extremities.  Once we have our spine and our upper body straightened out, we want to propagate that healthy positioning and strength out into our arms and legs.  Here’s where we get practical in the activities of our lives.

 

Finally, movement integration.  Isolated movements in any part of the body can improve local function, but in real life, we rarely use just one body part or muscle group.  The Pilates repertoire helps us learn to coordinate movement using our whole bodies with efficiency and grace.

 

Given the principles, it’s not too hard to see why we might want to do some Pilates.  The practice is both empowering and relaxing.  We tune into that mindbody connection space, which can deeply enrich our lives.  We feel taller.  We move more efficiently, which means we have more energy to do the things we want to do.  Our balance improves, as does our posture.

 

It's good stuff.

The Amazing Stickie and Rolling

Stickie loves to articulate her spine, so she enjoys the Pilates exercise Rolling.  She does not technically have bones and so is not at risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis; those of us who have either of those conditions should avoid this exercise.

To begin, Stickie sits with her weight just behind her sit bones.  She curls her spine in toward her belly and draws her knees up to her chest.  She clasps her hands around her shins to maintain her ball shape and points her toes.  As she inhales, she rolls back on to her shoulders, hips in the air.  She exhales back up, not letting her feet touch the floor.  (Note:  those of us who are not imaginary may want a soft surface underneath us.)  She continues as long as she is having fun.

 

Some of us may find that it is pretty challenging to roll all the way back and forth.  It is all right to begin by rocking and progress to rolling as we get stronger.

 

A variation of this exercise is called Seal.  Instead of clasping the hands around the legs, Stickie holds her heels or ankles with her arms on the inside side of her legs.  She can either put the soles of her feet together or point her toes, whichever feels better.  As in Rolling, she will roll back, but in that position she will clap her feet together a few times before rolling up, where she will clap her feet together a few times more.  (Seal noises are optional.)

 

In both variations of the exercise, it is important not to roll back too far and put pressure on the neck.

The Amazing Stickie and Side Lift

The Amazing Stickie loves all varieties of planks because of their benefits for her core and general strength.  One of her favorites is the Pilates side lift.

To begin, she lies on her side, her body propped up on one elbow placed directly below her shoulder.  Her hand is out in front of her body.  Her other hand is lying along the side of her body that is toward the ceiling.  She inhales to prepare and on an exhale, she presses her elbow into the ground to straighten her body from head to toe by lifting her hips up toward the ceiling.  She balances on the side of her bottom foot and her elbow for as long as she wants and then lowers herself (with control!) back to the starting position.

 

If she wants more challenge, once she is in the side plank position, she can raise her upper arm away from her body and lift the top leg.

 

Stickie also knows that it is possible to do this exercise balancing on an extended arm rather than on an elbow.  She advises trying all the variations until we decide which one we like best.

The Amazing Stickie and Saw

The Amazing Stickie knows that being able to rotate her spine and to bend sideways help keep her mobile.  This is another exercise that involves some spinal flexion, so it is best avoided by people who have osteopenia and osteoporosis.

She begins seated on the floor with her legs extended out in front of her about as far apart as a yoga mat is wide.  She holds her arms out in a wide V at shoulder height.  Stickie inhales to lengthen her spine.  As she exhales, she rotates her torso toward one side, simultaneously bending so that her arm comes across and down toward her opposite ankle, as if it were a saw chopping off her foot (no, I did not make that particular gory image up myself.).  Then she returns to the start position and repeats on the other side.

 

Four or five repetitions to each side are good.

The Amazing Stickie and Swimming

Today the Amazing Stickie is working on all kinds of good things, including spinal extension, core strength, and shoulder mobility.  She is doing all this by doing the Pilates mat exercise Swimming.

She begins lying on her belly on the floor.  Then she extends her arms and legs away from her until they lift up off the floor.  She makes sure that she doesn’t just use her lower back to curve her spine, but also involves her middle back in the work.  From there, she pulses her arms and legs up and down as if she were kicking while swimming and whacking the water with her arms.  As she does this, she pulses her breath as well, breathing out for four counts and in for four.  Eight cycles is enough.

 

She lowers herself back to the floor and takes a rest.

Them Bones

The prophet Ezekiel did not know anything about Pilates when he saw the vision of the valley of dried bones.  But, he did grasp one of the essential underlying themes of Pilates as he watched the bones knit together again:  it’s all connected.  (Sorry about the earworm about the foot bone connecting to the leg bone and all…)

This connection is good news.  It means that when we work on any part of our body, the whole body feels the effects.  Sometimes it means that it’s better to work on a part that is not the part that hurts because what’s causing the pain is not what is happening right there.  We are a holistic system.

 

That said, we often get best results when we begin with the spine.  As we get good alignment along this central part of our body, the extremities can fall into place.  If they don’t, we can work on them more afterward.

 

Go play.

The Amazing Stickie and Single Leg Kick

The Amazing Stickie likes to ensure that she has strong glutes, mobile hamstrings, and healthy knees.  One way she does this is by doing Single Leg Kick when she goes to Pilates.

She begins lying on her belly with her torso propped up on her elbows and her hands pointing straight in front of her.  She bends one knee, flexing that foot, and pulses it toward her behind as if she were trying to kick herself in the butt two times.  Then she points her toe and stretches her leg out long to return to the starting position.

 

Stickie does about five repetitions on each leg.