A friend of mine who is an avid belly dancer shared this video with me.  I have to say, gender is irrelevant.  Bagoas know who Bagoas is!  Whether you are male or female…  Can Your Abs do this? 

I am in awe, and inspired to put my Pilates training to practice and take some belly dancing classes.  Know that I’ll be nowhere as amazing as Bagoas.  But holy cow – it’s something to strive for!

Hope you enjoy this as much as I have.  It’s time to watch an amazing display of core conditioning, muscle control with Bagoas the belly dancer.

Enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Viewer Asks: 

“I just watched your “Knee cap dance”  While having my hands on the tops of my knee I felt a slight crunch on the outside of my right knee.   It didn’t hurt but each time I moved my knee cap it crunched.  The reason I watched your video was account of a slight pain in my knee cap.  It is continually getting better with other stretches that I have found on the web.  Here’s my question, do I keep doing the Knee cap dance to “break up any adhesions” or do I stop this particular stretch?   Thank you.”

Aliesa’s Reply:

Thanks for the question about the knee-cap exercise.  Easier for me to make a judgment call when I have a client in front of me, know their full health history, and can see them move.  When in doubt, or if any exercise you are doing is causing pain – I would immediately stop doing the exercise.

Perhaps there are modifications, or other adjustments that need to be made.  But without seeing you – it’s impossible for me to make recommendations on what else to do in this instance.  If you deem it is safe for you to continue this exercise, you might work in a smaller range of motion to move the kneecap to start and see if you can do the exercise and avoid the crunching that you are talking about.  Also, the knee cap should be gliding evenly, straight up the middle.  If the knee cap is gliding in it’s groove – bending and straightening your knees, or lifting your kneecaps should be a quiet experience!  If it’s pulling off to the outside of your leg as it lifts, you may have some muscle imbalance issues that are contributing to the problem and creating the crunching sounds.

Generally speaking,  a lot of people have muscle imbalances between the front of the thigh (quadriceps) and back of the thigh (hamstrings) in combination with the support of inner thighs, outer thighs, and Glutes can cause the kneecap to track incorrectly.

Test Your Knee Cap Tracking:

Sit in a chair and bend your knees,  put one hand on the top of your kneecap and straighten your leg – if you hear some crackling sounds, it’s because your kneecap is not tracking properly in its groove.  Now test the other leg.  Is there a difference in the sounds that your knees make?  Do they both crunch, or is one worse than the other?  Does your noisy knee correlate to any knee pain or problems you have experienced?

Tracking issues unfortunately are common.  Some folks can get away with this misalignment for a lifetime and have relatively few knee problems.  Other folks end up with multiple knee surgeries, and knee replacements because they never took care to improve their posture, strength, flexibility and change bad movement patterns.  Regardless of how old you are, getting the kneecap to track better is possible and the kneecap dance exercise is one of the exercises I teach that is easy for clients to learn & do at home.

Reasons Why You May Experience Knee Cap Pain:

• Sometimes if part of the quadriceps muscle (either inner or outer portion) pulls stronger it can pull the kneecap to either the inside or outside of the thigh, which can cause the grinding and miss-aligned tracking issue.
• If your hips are wider, or your “knock-kneed” the angle from your hip to knee (Q-angle) can make it more of a challenge to maintain good knee alignment.
• Weak inner thighs (adductors), weak outer thighs (abductors), and weak Glutes affect the stability of the knee when standing on one leg or bending and straightening the knees.
• If the knee locks when you are standing or doing any type of exercise, the hamstrings are weak, and locking jams the kneecap against the leg bones in not a good way!
• If you have had serious knee injuries or surgery, scar tissue & adhesions may limit the range of motion for your knee and knee cap.

Recommendations for Strong, Safe, & Healthy Knees

I would recommend that you consider seeing your primary care doctor, a sports medicine physician, or get a referral to a physical therapist to rule out any serious knee issues, and ask them about the exercises you are doing, if they are OK for you, or what other exercises you can be doing to safely improve things.

I’m also a fan of Pilates, since there are so many great exercises you can do in a lesser weight-bearing position on the Pilates Reformer, Cadillac, and Chairs that are excellent for improving functional alignment, strength, and flexibility.  Please keep in mind, if you are having pain or problems with your knees, chances are there’s also a problems at your feet or hips and pelvis that is contributing to the issue.  It’s great to focus on “knee” exercises, but there may be other parts of your body that need to be focused on to ensure your knee pain will completely go away.  If there is a Pilates studio, or well-qualified Pilates teacher in your area – even if you only take a couple of private sessions to have someone help you improve your exercise technique and body awareness for an at-home program it would be a good investment.

Hope this helps you make a wise decision on if the Knee Cap Dance exercise is appropriate for you to help keep your knees safe & healthy!

If you have any other questions about the knee-cap exercise , Pilates, or other health & wellness topics – please let me know.

Have you tried the Knee Cap Dance Exercise yet?   Check it out now!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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? 

I know the video demonstration of this Pec Release concept says I discovered this great tip a couple of weeks ago…but it was actually March – and I’m just now getting around to editing my video footage!  I’ve  been practicing and applying this Pec Release concept to my own workouts as well as with my Pilates Mat class and Personal Training clients for about 7 months.  So far, everyone that has learned to release their Pecs during overhead arm lifting exercises has found this Pilates exercise tip a great asset to their functional shoulder movement and exercise technique.  I can’t wait to hear what you think, and for my fellow Pilates teachers out there – what kind of results your clients achieve by adding this thought for Abs and Back work with Pec release to your arm & shoulder workouts!

Pilates Exercise Tip:
To Help Improve Arm & Shoulder Movement on Overhead Arm Exercises

Click here to view the embedded video.

When lying on your back to lift the arms overhead for the Pilates Mat exercise the Roll Up, (or just a prep exercise like Ribcage Arms) IF the back arches off the mat and the ribs pop out there’s a really good chance that you’re holding your chest muscles too tightly while trying to take the arms overhead.  A tight Pec muscle will hold the arm forward in front of the body – the only way the arm can continue overhead when the chest muscles are engaged is to arch the back, because the relationship angle of the arm to the body isn’t going to change until the Pec releases.

Ribcage Arm Exercise to Practice Pec Release:

• Lay on your back, legs together & straight.
• Begin with the arms by your sides reaching down to your legs
• Inhale and lift the arms to the ceiling
• Exhale, pull the Abs in, Shoulders down, Release the Pecs and move the arms overhead
• ONLY TAKE THE ARMS AS FAR AS YOU CAN GO IN A PAIN-FREE RANGE OF MOTION.
• If you feel the back start to arch off the mat…hold your arms where they’re at, take another inhale, exhale and pull your abs in more to help press the back to the mat, then strive to release the chest even more and feel the back work to lift the upper arms overhead towards the floor.
• Inhale to lift the arms up to the ceiling / Exhale to pull the abs in, shoulders down, and lower the arms back to the starting position along the sides of your legs.
• Repeat 5-10 times, and/or incorporate this into any other exercise that involves lifting the arms overhead.

The Goal:  

To freely move the arms all the way to the floor overhead with the back stabilized on the mat, and return them to the starting position – maintaining core support, using your back to move the arms, and keeping the chest / Pecs more relaxed while moving the arms.

The Benefits of Learning to Release the Pecs When Lifting the Arms Overhead:

• Improves Core Support
• Improves Stability of the Spine & Ribcage
• Frees the Arm & Shoulder for Increased Flexibility
• Enhances Efficient Shoulder Mechanics
• Improves Shoulder Strength
• Reduces Shoulder Pain / Impingement Issues
• Increases Body Awareness for Work & Release of Opposing Muscles (Chest / Upper Back)

Since I discovered how beneficial cueing the Pec release is to my clients on an overhead arm lift, I’ve incorporated this concept into multiple other exercises with great results!

Give this Pec Release cue a little thought the next time you’re doing your Pilates Matwork.  Play with the concept of releasing the Pecs to lift the arms, and let me know what you think.  How does it feel when you do it right vs. holding the chest tight and trying to move the arms? 

If you find this little cue of value to improve your Pilates exercise technique for stronger, freer arms and shoulders please tell a friend – and drop me a comment to share how this has benefited your workout program.  I’m looking forward to hearing how the Pec Release is benefiting YOU!

Here is a very simple (but sometimes tricky) foot fitness exercise to improve foot and ankle alignment.  This seated heel lift foot-care exercise can increase ankle strength, and help you gain body awareness about what your feet, ankles, and legs are doing as you rise on your toes, and lower your heels.

Did You Know…?

• What the foot and ankle are doing when you rise up and lower your heels plays an important part in how well you can maintain balance and body control.
• Rolling your ankles in our out when rising up on your toes can affect your risk for spraining an ankle or torking a knee.
• Keeping the leg from the hip to the knee, knee to the ankle, toes to the heel,  in optimal alignment will strengthen the whole leg from the hip to the sole of the foot.

Develop Stronger Legs, Improve Balance & Body Control,
and Improve your Arch Support!

This correct foot action to lift & lower your heels is practiced during Pilates on the Reformer during many different exercises: Footwork #4, Stomach Massage Round, Stomach Massage Hands Back, Running – just to name a few.  It’s much easier to pay attention to your feet when you’re not having to also think about your balance!  Pilates Reformer, Chair, and Cadillac exercises take balance out of the equation to help you work on this important foot and ankle strengthening skill.

The valuable aspects of good core support (abs, pelvic floor, inner thighs, outer thighs, high hamstrings & glutes) are all required to maintain good posture and safe leg alignment while you are training your feet and ankles to work appropriately as you lift & lower the heels.  You can’t just pay attention to your feet!  You have to pay attention to the WHOLE body, while you’re working your feet!

When Do We Use This Foot and Leg Action of Lifting & Lowering our Heels?

• To rise on our tippy toes and get something off a high shelf.
• Walking – with every step you take a step, there’s a moment when you roll through your foot.
• When you run, to propel yourself forward you have to push through the foot.
• To jump, hop, or skip you have to push off through the leg, ankle, and toes.
• Climbing stairs….to lift up to the next step you should be rising on your toes.

…And I’m sure if you took a moment to think about other activities and exercises you do throughout the day, you’d begin to see how often you need this important this foot and ankle action for health, fitness, and daily life activities.

Why is standing up to work on lifting & lowering your heels more of a challenge?

A)     You’re full weight bearing.

B)      Balance becomes an issue

To make things easier, I like to start in a seated position to practice lifting & lowering the heels.  Sitting in a chair will be easier, seated on a lower box or on the floor can be a different type of challenge.  If you can sit in front of a mirror to watch your feet and ankles stay in good alignment throughout the exercise – that would be optimal.

Here’s a short video for you to watch the Seated Heel Lift Exercise, to see what to look for while you’re practicing this simple foot care exercise at home.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Foot Fitness Exercise:  Seated Heel Lifts

• Sit with tall posture, back lifting abs in.
• Feet parallel with the toes facing straight ahead.
• Legs can either be hip width apart, or zipped together

Breathing :

• Inhale to lift the heels – rising up on the toes
• Exhale to pull the abs in, maintain tall posture, and with control lower the heels to the floor.

What to watch for:

• Be sure the heels stay hidden behind the ball of the foot throughout the exercise.
• Be sure the ankles do not wobble, or roll in or out.
• If you tend to be hyper-mobile only rise up ¾ to your full lift, so the muscles of your feet will have to work to control the movement the entire time.
• If you have stiff, tight ankles – work to lift the heels as high as possible, then lower.
• For most people – the weight should be across your Big Toe, 2^nd and 3^rd  toes (there will be little if any weight on your 4^th or 5^th toe – if there is weight on your little toe – chances are your ankles are rolled outward.)
• Inner thighs squeezing help to keep the weight over the Big Toe so the ankle can maintain good alignment while the heels lift & lower.

Can you do this Seated Heel Lift exercise easily?  If yes, than take it to a standing position.  Hang on to something for balance, and progress to standing on your own two legs without holding on to anything!  For even more of a challenge – Can you do your heel lifts & lowers standing on one leg?

Don’t worry if you’re not able to do this heel lift exercise standing yet!  It’s something to progress to over time…  Best to start seated and really get confident with what it feels like to maintain good support along with proper leg, ankle, and foot alignment!  If you’re ankles are really wobbly seated, or it’s a challenge to keep your heels hidden behind your feet…Stick with the seated version for awhile until it’s easy.  Or do 10-15 reps seated to be sure things are working right first, then try it standing and see how it goes.

Love to hear what you think about this exercise…

Happy Heel Lifts!

Thanks to Todd Kuslikis for compiling these amazing, crazy, and insanely challenging Push-Ups videos.  I’ve seen some cool pushups, and have made good attempts at clapping hands, clapping feet, and clapping hands & feet…

But… Check Out These Push Ups!!!

Walking Jumps, Muy Thai, Triple Clap, 2 Fingers, 2 Fingers in a Handstand, Superman, Aztec  Pushups (OMG- I’m gonna get strong enough to do these wild Aztec Pushups!)  Flying Superman…are you kidding?  Planche…“ look Mom….no legs!”  90 Degree Push-Ups – Planche to Handstand combo, and more.

Follow this link to Todd’s blog at Extreme-Exercises.com to enjoy and be inspired by these 10 Insane You Tube Pushups!

Then…come back and drop me a comment to let me know which ones you’re planning to add to your weekly workouts.

Enjoy!

Check Out the Running Shoe Tying Tips in this Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I can see the benefit of all three tying techniques explained in this video.

My preference is the third one discussed.  I have been encouraging clients and participants in my Fantastic Feet workshops to lace their shoes for better foot support for years.  By leaving a space for the knobby Navicular bone on the top of the foot when you tie your shoes, the arch muscles will stay active and lifted.  If there is any pressure on this knobby bone on the top of the foot when you tie your shoes, it automatically cues the muscles of the arch to relax!  Yikes…not the correct action for the foot muscles to support the body!  Pressure on the Navicular bone (which is usually where shoe companies put the loop on the tongue for you to lace through) flattens the arch and decreases available support to hold the bones of the foot in correct alignment. 

If the foot muscles aren’t working properly to support the body….then there’s a good chance that every joint above may also be out of place.  Foot pain, knee pain, hip pain, back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain…overall poor posture habits, and an increased risk of injury might all be created or aggravated by how you’re lacing your shoes!

Have you been tying your shoes in a way that helps to support your feet?  If you’re interested a few more details about my preferred shoe tying technique, click here for a copy of my free instruction guide: How To Tie Your Tennies for Healthy & Happy Feet!

Step #1 for Improved Foot Care

• Tie your shoes in a way that keeps your arches lifted for more support.

Step #2 for Healthy Feet

• Incorporate specific foot fitness exercises  into your weekly workout routine to stretch and strengthen your feet .

Regardless of how old you are, what shape your feet are currently in, how flat or high your arches are – there are lots of quick and easy exercises you can do to keep your feet healthy and pain free.  Get a copy of the book  Fantastic Feet! Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes for a resource guide filled with exercises to help keep your feet fit!

Are You Up for a Challenge?

Change how you’re tying your shoes to improve arch support.  Re-lace one shoe and put the pair on.  Can you see or feel a difference between your feet?  Now re-lace the other shoe so your feet can be even and well-balanced before you go out for a walk or a run.  If you can seriously feel the difference, please pass this post along, and share this info with a friend, or friends!  Lets help more people  enjoy the benefits of improved arch support.

I’d love to hear from you! 

Drop me a comment and let me know what you think about this helpful shoe tying tip for lifted arches and healthy feet.

All I have ever done is teach…  not sure I’m wired to do anything else.  And as a teacher most of my life – gymnastics, dance, fitness, Pilates…  My “job” has been to inspire myself and others to continue to strive to be the happiest, healthiest person possible!  I am human, and not as perfect of a role model as I would really like to be sometimes, but doesn’t that only help me better relate to my students, clients, and community.  We all have obstacles to overcome, struggles to get through, and the knowledge shared with us along the way allows us the opportunity to make better choices to achieve success!  I know that my own personal challenges have only helped me become an even better teacher.

We can be wrong and not even know it…  Learn from our own mistakes (and make a lot of them!)…  Or stand on the shoulders of a teacher to steer us in a more easily navigated direction with fewer pitfalls, and roadblocks on our path to greater knowledge.

Here’s a really inspiring video clip from poet Taylor Mali, titled “What Teachers Make.”

What Do Teachers Make – A Real Difference!

I would not be who  I am today, if it weren’t for the amazing teachers and mentors I’ve had in my life!  Each has been a gift to me, and the knowledge and insights they have shared I can only hope to pass along to help make a difference in the life of another!  What teachers have you had in your life that have helped mold you, shaped your destiny, and truly made a difference?

Thanks to everyone who has allowed me the privilege to “teach” you what I know.  Watching you grow, become healthier, happier, and achieve successes big and small has been what drives me forward to keep teaching.  Every day I learn something new, which gives me one more thing to share.  It’s so exciting.  I love Teaching and can’t imagine doing anything else!

Hope you enjoyed Taylor Mali’s poem “What Teacher’s Make.” Pass it along, and take a moment to think about, and thank the special teachers in your life!

• What have you become that has been guided by the wise help and support of another?
• What do you have yet to achieve that might need a teacher’s helping hand to see you to success? Is that teacher in your life – or do you need to seek them out to continue moving forward.

Learning doesn’t stop when we get out of school.

We are all teachers.  We are all students.  Get out there and make a difference in somebody’s life! Your life will be forever changed.  Their life will be forever changed.  The strength of one increases the power of the whole.

If you are inspired to be a Teacher, Mentor, or Guide – Congratulations!  And thank you for sharing!

I had a client request exercises for her hands.  These 3 hand & finger fitness exercises are quick and easy to do, and can really help open and stretch tight palms and fingers.  Between hours grasping objects, and typing on our computers, our fingers and curled and rarely do we take the time to stretch them in the other direction.

Opening the palms, and improving the flexibility of the fingers, can help reduce joint pain, improve hand dexterity, increase blood flow and circulation to your fingers, and keep your hands in good health!

Take a couple of minutes during the day to sneak in these simple hand stretches and feel the difference better range of motion makes for healthy & happy hands.

Click here to view the embedded video.

How do these hand and finger exercises feel to you?  Drop me a comment or question and share your thoughts!  Love to hear from ya…

Click here to view the embedded video.

For lots of other great foot fitness exercises, check out my book Fantastic Feet! Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes. Click here to  get your copy of Fantastic Feet! and discover other helpful foot fitness resources from Centerworks.com.

Traditionally, this exercise is done with the arms in an overhead position.  But today, I’m going to share a version with you that keeps the arms low.  This will help keep some of the tension out of the upper neck and shoulders, and assist in training your muscles to fire more correctly to improve gait when you walk and run.  The action of the leg and arm lifting to the back is exactly what happens when you’re walking or running and swinging your arms!  Since most of what we do in life is in front of us, we sometimes lose sight of what’s going on behind us.   Hip extension strength, and the whole-back-of-the-body-strength and awareness are a part of what keeps our body in-balance and injury free.

Even though this is an “easier” version of swimming, I normally don’t teach this to right off the bat (even though it’s a really important part of good walking technique) because if you don’t have enough core strength in the front of the body to support the back, the back may feel worse, instead of better when you start doing extension exercises.   So be careful as you’re getting started with this, and be sure you’ve been regularly doing your basic Pilates Mat exercises before adding this Swimming exercise to your workout routine.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pilates Matwork – Slow Swimming Exercise (arms low)

• Lay on your stomach with your legs together in parallel, arms by your sides, and tip of the nose to the mat.
• Reach the tailbone towards the heels to lengthen the lower back, maintain some low ab support (but not so much that your belly won’t allow your back to arch.  It just needs to be a supported arch!)
• Inhale and reach the right leg and left arm up off the mat.  Exhale and lower them back to the floor.
• Inhale and reach the left leg and right arm up off the mat.  Exhale and lower the arm & leg back to the floor.
• Continue alternating for 5-10 repetitions on each side.

What To Watch For On This Pilates Swimming Exercise

1. Strive to lift the arm & leg an equal distance up off the mat.
2. Keep the pelvis and shoulders level and square to the floor.
3. Spine can be in extension, just be sure it’s the entire back, don’t overdo it with the neck or low back.
4. Use your proper muscle firing pattern to lift the arm & leg. It’s a diagonal line of support from the heel to the opposite shoulder.  (Hamstrings, Glutes, Opposite Side of the Low Back, Same Side as Low Back Lats, & Back of the Upper Arm.
5. Be sure the leg is initiating the lift from the hip joint (thigh bone moving to get to the heel), and the arm is lifting from the shoulder (upper arm bone moving to get to the hand).
6. The leg teeter-totters with the front of the hip bone (ASIS) going down towards the mat, while the whole leg lifts and heel goes up.
7. As the arm lifts to the back, keep it reaching for the heel.  The back of the arm should be working, front of the chest opening and stretching.
8. Feel your Abdominals “catch” the arm and leg as they lower back to the mat with a smooth, controlled motion.

When you practice the Pilates Matwork Slow Swimming Exercise (with the arms low) it’s the same feeling of muscle work you should notice on every step when you take a stride to walk or run.  Can you feel the Giant X of muscle support through the back of the body that alternates sides as you switch from lifting the right leg & left arm, to the left leg & right arm?  Though the front of the body you also have an X of support.  The Oblique Abdominals are working in opposition to your back X to help support the body as the opposite leg and arm is swinging forward.

This happens fast when you’re walking and running, so it’s good to slow things down a bit and focus on finding and feeling the right muscles work to support moving the arm and leg to the back.  Done well, you’re helping to release tight hip flexors and chest muscles by strengthening hip extensors, the upper back, and the back of the arm.

This much needed back-of-the-body strength that you’re developing with the Slow Swimming exercise helps keep your body in balance, for better whole-body health and reduced risk of back pain or injury.

Once you can feel everything working well when you’re practicing your Pilates Matwork, take what you’re feeling back up to a standing position, and incorporate the same muscle firing patterns into your walking and running to reinforce this great new habit of improved X-Support for whole-body health.  Before long, you won’t even have to think about it…everything will just work better, it will be easier to move, and you’ll be getting maximum benefits for better strength and flexibility with every exercise you do!