Archive for the ‘Pilates-Teaching Tips’ Category

Reduce Neck Pain and Improve Functional Movement: The Benefits of Exercising the Tongue During Pilates Exercises

Have you ever thought about what your tongue is doing during exercise?  Do you realize that what your tongue is doing in your mouth can really make a difference for improving Pilates exercise technique, reducing neck tension and neck pain, and improving functional movement?

If you or your Pilates clients are interested in:  Better breathing habits, reducing neck pain / neck tension, improving the execution of exercises that articulate the spine, freeing up the whole body for flow and ease of functional movement.  Then I recommend that you play with, introduce, and think about what the tongue is doing in your mouth during a workout.

Avoid Knee Pain – Patella Tracking Exercise Tips

I posted a video on the Centerworks YouTube channel: Knee Exercises to Strengthen Muscles Around the Patella to Avoid Knee Pain, and it’s been one of the highest viewed videos on my channel.  Thanks to everyone that’s tuned in for this knee exercise tip!  Today, I received a question from a viewer, but was unable to get my reply to send, so I thought I’d post it in a blog and hopefully the person who asked the Knee cap dance questions below will find this, and if there is anybody else out there looking for help with knee pain issues – I hope this blog post will help you too.

Pilates Exercise Tip: Chest Release for Pain-Free Arms & Shoulders on Overhead Arm Exercises

A Quick & Easy Pilates Exercise Tip for Improving ROM for the Arms & Shoulders

Do you or your Pilates clients ever struggle with shoulder pain or limited range of motion to lift the arms overhead?  Is it a challenge to keep the back or ribs from popping up off the mat when the arms go overhead on exercises like Ribcage Arms, or the Roll Up in Pilates Matwork?  Are you interested in discovering an amazingly simple cue/secret to help reduce shoulder pain and increase your range of motion to more easily lift the arms overhead? 

Pilates Exercise Tips for Functional Movement of the Upper Torso & Spine

Gaining a Deeper Perspective on the Details of Moving the Upper Body for Improved Flexion & Extension – Arms, Shoulders, Ribs, and Spine

I love those days when I’m teaching along and decide to pick just a little bit more on a piece of an exercise.  Seems like once I get rolling, I quickly see the huge value in my clients better understanding the concept, or movement I am tweaking to help them better understand.  Have you ever thought about the difference between the shoulders and arms moving around the ribcage vs. the ribs and spine moving inside the shoulder blades and arms? There IS a difference, and it can dramatically enhance your ability to move the upper back into better flexion for exercises like the Pilates Hundred, as well as improved extension for exercises like the Swan and Swimming.

Pilates Matwork Exercise Tips: Slow Swimming to Improve Hip Extension and Back Strength

Today I want to share some fitness tips on the Pilates Intermediate Matwork Exercise Swimming.  Swimming is a lot of fun in a pool, and a little more of a challenge out of the water on the mat in Pilates class.  But practicing this exercise on the mat can really help improve strength in the back of the whole body from your arms, shoulders, and upper back, through the lower back and into the hips and legs.

Pilates Ladder Barrel Exercise: Runner’s Stretch To Improve Flexibility for Tight Hip Flexors & Hamstrings

Today I want to share with you a  Pilates Ladder Barrel exercise that is excellent to help release tight hip flexors and stretch the hamstrings.  Both of these muscle groups tend to be tight and in need of improved flexibility.  Increasing joint range of motion at the hip will help you walk & run more efficiently with a longer stride, stand up taller with better posture, and avoid back pain, hip pain, and risk of injury.

Improving Abdominal Strength & Spine Articulation – Pilates Fitness Tips

The Benefits of Adding Pulsing to Pilates Exercises

It’s always a challenge to get a better Roll Up, Neck Pull, and Teaser, or Short Box Round on the Reformer with the full backbend and up.  Here are a few tips and thoughts to add a little extra to your Ab work and improve articulation so you can get the most from these and all of your Pilates exercises.

The Benefits of Using Mirrors for Pilates Workouts – Are You Looking In or Looking Out?

I was working with a client this week, and we got off on a discussion about the use of mirrors for Pilates exercise programs. In the 3 different Pilates studio locations I’ve owned – I had mirrors everywhere!  However, right now, I’m teaching in a space with no mirrors…  Well, actually, I’ve got a small, portable full-length mirror that I pull out of the closet occasionally, when we really need it, but I’m finding that I’m having my client’s rely on their eyeballs less, and what they are feeling more – and the result is an enhanced brain-body connection and quicker improvements finding the right stuff to enhance technique for all of their Pilates exercises.

So what’s a positive benefit of having mirrors to watch the body during Pilates exercises?
Continue reading ‘The Benefits of Using Mirrors for Pilates Workouts – Are You Looking In or Looking Out?’ »

Progressing Pilates Programs: Advanced Pilates Exercises or Back to Basics?

I’m always amazed when I take an experienced client back to just the beginner Pilates exercises at how much they connect to the work and get more from their Pilates sessions.  Of course I always do the basics in a more advanced workout, but a beginner Pilates Reformer and Mat with a little fine-tuning gets folks sweating every bit as much as a flippy-skippy upside-down/right-side up advanced workout.

While it’s fun to do the wilder Pilates exercises, my philosophy is to choose exercises in my client workout programs that:

Helpful Tips To Improve Pilates Exercises

Discover helpful tips and strategies for getting the most from your Pilates exercises to improve your ability to bend and articulate every segment of the back smoothly and easily.

I’ve been on a rant the last couple of weeks with my Pilates clients with the goal of helping them to improve their 100’s curl, as well as getting better articulation through the upper back on exercises like the Roll Up, Teaser, and Neck Pull – Three challenging exercises for most beginner Pilates clients..

If you observe participants executing any of the above Pilates exercises, you’ll either notice smooth, sequential articulation of the spine – in which case the exercises are easy!  Or the head leads, then the next place the body bends is almost at the waist!  When this happens, the upper body is moving as a “chunk.”  Instead of the back muscles releasing and breastbone softening to help the front of the body bend forward more effectively.

When the whole upper body is held stiff, it completely restricts smooth movement, and makes it difficult to properly  engage the abdominals for effective core support.

Here are my Ah-Ha revelations, a couple of preparatory exercises , and helpful tips that I’ve found useful  to help my Pilates clients free up their upper body and improve their ability to bend forward with ease for all of their Pilates Exercises.

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