Are you getting what you expect out of life?
Expectations are an important driver for getting to your goals. Is what you expect to achieve in line with the actions you’re taking to reach your goals?
Latest Posts
Expectations – Are You On Target?
Pilates Side Plank Exercise Variations
How To Add More Challenge to Your Simple Side Plank for an Advanced Pilates Mat Workout
There are many different ways to tweak the Side Plank exercise and provide variety and challenge. BUT the technique of getting into and out of the Side Plank position needs to be the same for any version you do to ensure the shoulders work properly and risk of arm and shoulder injury is eliminated.
In the article, How to Execute a Great Side Plank, I have provided directions to begin practicing a simple Side Plank so you can just focus on holding the position and improving strength and balance. Once you’ve mastered this and are ready to add a bit more of a challenge to your Side Plank Exercise, there are several options to play with to make your Side Plank more difficult and see how well you’re able to maintain control and support!
Continue reading ‘Pilates Side Plank Exercise Variations’ »
Motivational Tip: Setting Expectations To Enjoy Success for Fitness, Business, & Life
Expectations:
Are you getting the results you expect from your fitness program?
Are your expectations realistic, or are you setting yourself up for failure?
Setting expectations is like setting goals.
It’s important that you set realistic expectations, make a plan to reach your goals, and then you’ve got to actually do the work required to get results!
Efficiency and Functional Movement for Whole-Body Health
Efficiency is the art of utilizing a minimum amount of energy to achieve maximum results. For our body, “efficiency” equates to functional movement. When the lever & pulley systems in the body are precisely working and releasing for support, balance, and control the result is easy, effortless, and efficient movement.
Pilates is a wonderful way to develop efficient muscle movement habits that in time can transfer to your walking, running, recreational sport, and daily life activities. Efficient movement can enhance your strength, flexibility, speed, power, balance, control and will help keep you safe and injury-free.
Pay attention to your movements, be efficient, and enjoy optimal whole-body health!
Core Training: Help Me Find My Core!
Getting Started with Functional Fitness
Ever Wonder Which Muscles Really Should Be Working to “Use Your Core” for Improved Functional Fitness?
Discover the true “Core” muscles and begin incorporating more exercises into your workouts to find & strengthen your core. Help reduce back pain, improve posture, strength, mobility, and support to enhance sports performance, and enjoy a healthy, active life.
Continue reading ‘Core Training: Help Me Find My Core!’ »
Barefoot Versus Shod Running: Which is Best?
Running barefoot versus wearing shoes is a HOT topic in the running community. It seems that everyone has an opinion about what is best for the body.
Running faster, running more efficiently, running with fewer injuries, all need to be taken into consideration when determining for YOUR body what is going to be safest to keep you on your feet, and pain & injury-free, to enjoy the time you spend pounding the pavement, or off road on the trails while you’re out for a run.
Here’s an informative article that was recently published in Podiatry Today by Dr. Kevin A. Kirby, “Barefoot Versus Shod Running: Which is Best?”
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Do You Love To Run?
Are you looking for resources to help keep the muscles of your feet strong, fit, and flexible?
Checkout the new Runfit Kit from Centerworks.com!
The Runfit Kit is filled with easy-to-use foot fitness tools and exercise resources to help you train the muscles of your ankles, arches, and toes for fit feet and fewer injuries.
Whether you like to run barefoot or with shoes, the resources in the Runfit Kit can help you keep your feet fit!
In a quick 5-10 minutes before or after a run, you can easily incorporate some Runfit foot-care training into your workout for healthy, happy feet. Keep Your Feet Fit! Get your Runfit Kit NOW!
Are You In Control of your Brain & Body?
Are you a control-freak, or living live completely out-of-control?
Joseph Pilates called his Method of exercise “Contrology.” Contrology is the complete coordination of body, mind, and Spirit.
Purposeful control over your body during exercise will gradually and progressively help you acquire the same natural rhythm, coordination, and control with all subconscious activities.
When mind, body, and Spirit work as one – Control is a powerful ally for achieving success in fitness, business, and life!
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Discover more about the health benefits of Contrology. Get a copy of Return to Life, by Joseph H. Pilates. See, feel, and experience the benefits of using the Pilates Matwork exercises to gain complete control and coordination of your body, mind, and Spirit!
Motivational Thoughts on the Benefits of Breathing
“Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.”
~ Joseph H. Pilates.
We cannot live without breathing, our life depends on it!
Breath oxygenates the blood, improves posture, enhances muscle control, and provides compression/ decompression for a healthy spine.
Practice breathing to fill the lungs from the bottom to the top – lengthening the spine, lifting the ribcage up off the hips, filling the lungs to capacity, and exhaling fully.
Good breathing habits will help you think better, stand taller, and feel better!
Abs vs. Thighs: Maximizing Effective Pilates Ab Work for Core Conditioning – Oblique’s vs. Quads
Part 6 of 6 in the series of articles about Abs vs. Thighs
If you’ve been following the series of articles I’ve written on Abs vs. Thighs for improving Pilates exercise technique and core conditioning, this is the final post in this series of articles on Abs vs. Thighs.
Many people believe their doing effective Ab work, when in fact their legs are really working harder than their Abs! For twisting exercises and Oblique work, not only do the Thighs try to help, but a lot of the time the arms and shoulders are doing most of the pulling to twist (which isn’t very effective for core conditioning.) And if the arms aren’t doing all the work…the hip hikes up to meet the shoulder restricting use of your lower abs and eliminating the anchor point of a stable pelvis to maximize rotation and effective twisting of the spine.
I’ve done quite a bit of prep work in the first 5 articles , and given you exercises to practice to help feel the difference between using your Abs vs. Thighs to curl the head and shoulders up, or Abs vs. Thighs to lift and lower the legs. Now let’s think about Abs vs. Thighs during Rotation of the spine and Oblique work to help you make the most of your core training.
Continue reading ‘Abs vs. Thighs: Maximizing Effective Pilates Ab Work for Core Conditioning – Oblique’s vs. Quads’ »
Spring Shoes & Summer Sandals for Healthy, Pain-Free Feet
It’s that time of year when we’re ready to pack up our winter boots and wool socks and start showing off our feet with sexy spring shoes, strappy sandals, flip-flops, or give up shoes altogether and enjoy running through the grass, or walking on the beach barefoot.
Have you checked out your Spring and Summer shoe collection?
Is what you’re planning to wear going to be helping or hurting your feet?
Here are some tips to help you pick shoes for healthy, pain-free feet.
Continue reading ‘Spring Shoes & Summer Sandals for Healthy, Pain-Free Feet’ »
