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? 

I spent some time this weekend reviewing my expectations and desires for living a healthy, happy life.  I evaluated my health goals, financial goals, relationship goals, and career goals.

While it’s helpful to review this information for “New Year’s Resolutions”,  the first of every new year shouldn’t be the only time we take a peek at what we’re doing to see if we’re getting what we expect out of life.

Why spend even one-minute off-course to achieving your goals and meeting your expectations?

Take some time this week to touch base with your expectations for your own healthy, happy life.  Are you on target to achieve success?

What are your Goals for:

• Health – Body, Mind, Spirit
• Finances – Short-term, Long-term, Retirement
• Relationships – Spouse/Significant Other, Children, Parents, Friends, Extended Family
• Career

Are YOU doing things every day,  and every week,  to move you closer to, or farther away from your goals?  Do you have clear expectations to be able to measure your success, or to help you make changes when what you’re doing doesn’t give you the results you were hoping for?

Awareness is power, self-evaluation and self-correction is critical.  Step into your personal power to achieve, receive, and believe in yourself and your ability to get, have, and do, everything in life you desire.

There’s an old saying, “You get what you expect.”  Expect the best from yourself.  Take actions that are in line with your expectations to be successful in getting what you expect to enjoy the healthiest, happiest, best life possible!

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!

3 Side Plank Exercise Variations for an Advanced Pilates Mat Workout:

Variations/Challenge from  Return to Life: (Joe’s version)

1. Lift the non-supporting arm all the way over the head while the hips lift to really create a “side bend.”
2. Lower the body ½ way down and then lift back up to the side bend.  Do 3-5 lift & lowers before lowering all the way down and switching to the other side.
3. Add a head turn.  Right arm supporting – Right Side Plank.  When the right hip is lowered, turn the head to look over the left shoulder.  When lifted in the side plank, turn the head to look straight ahead.

Having the control and shoulder strength to do a good simple Side Plank is the first step in mastering this exercise.  These three Side Plank variations can help add more challenge and variety to your workout.

Once you’ve mastered these 3 more difficult variations…it will be time to add a twist!  Stay tuned for some helpful hints on executing the Pilates Side Plank Twist I & II.  Details coming in an upcoming article soon…

Meanwhile, keep practicing your simple Side Plank, and for a challenge consider adding the 3 variations above, either as individual exercises, pick one version to do during your workout and rotate each workout with a different variation,  or combine ALL three together to create one wonderfully challenging shoulder strengthening Pilates exercise!

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This is the 3^rd article I’ve posted to help tweak your technique and improve shoulder strength, and whole-body support for a great Pilates Side Plank.  If you’ve missed the first two articles and would like to review this info, check out Preparatory Exercises for Side Plank, and How to Execute a Great Side Plank

Want to learn more about the “Classical” versions of the Pilates Matwork Exercises?  Get your copy of Joseph H. Pilates book, “Return to Life with Contrology.”   A great resource for Pilates enthusiasts, and a must-have book for Pilates teachers & health professionals!

 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!

Set yourself up for success by always expecting (and giving) your best effort to the task at hand.   Your mental attitude is every bit as important as the actions you are taking to reach your goals.

Strive to achieve and/or surpass your expectations.  Test, track, modify and repeat the mental & physical activities you know you need to be doing to produce successful results. 

Exceed your expectations and enjoy achieving your goals for success in fitness, business, and life!

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Be Fit, Be Centered, Be Well!

Set your expectations and document your daily workouts to stay on-track with healthy habits to reach your fitness goals.

Track & compare your Wellness Workouts for the next 5 years
of fitness, get a copy of the Be Fit Journal.

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!

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.

Improving posture and body support for healthy movement and “Core Training” becomes the buzz word to get the job done.  So many people are under the false illusion that if they just lay on the mat and crank their head and shoulders off the floor by pulling with their arms, that they are effectively strengthening their abs.  And if the arms aren’t doing all the work, chances are the Quads are kicking in, pelvis is tucking, legs are pushing, Glutes are squeezing tight tilting the pelvis and jamming the hips up closer to the ribcage closing the space needed to really train the core to support the length of the torso and achieve true Core strength.

Core Training Isn’t Just About Ab Work!

The Abdominal muscles are only a piece of the equation!  I continually hear people rant about core training, yet they only work on the Abs, and generally focus on the crunching/curling action of the Rectus Abdominis.  Honestly, this is the very last muscle that needs to get worked, and in my opinion is the least relevant to really improving Core support.  If people spent less time doing “crunches” and more time working ALL the true Core muscles on every exercise they do – there would be a lot more strong, healthy Cores, and much less back pain out there in the world.

Functional Fitness Starts with a Strong and Healthy Core!

The Muscles That ARE Our Core

Think of the Core like a box.  The floor of the Core is the Pelvic Floor.  The top of the Core is the Diaphragm.  In the Front we’ve got the Transverse Abs, Internal & External Obliques, and Rectus Abdominis.  In the back it’s the Erector Spinae muscles, and Multifidus.

ALL of these muscle groups need to be trained for effective Core strengthening.  First to work for support and stabilization of the spine.  Then to work and release as appropriate for functional movement of the spine.

If you’ve ever wondered why your back hurts, and you’ve been doing a million crunches…chances are there are parts of your Core that are not functioning properly during your exercises!  You may not even realize that some of these muscles exist, much less have the ability to fire them at will!

Which Muscles Need to Be Worked To Improve Core Strength?

Exercises for ALL of the Core Muscles should be incorporated into your strength training workouts.  (Pelvic Floor, Diaphragm, Transverse Abs, Internal & External Obliques, Rectus Abdominis, Erector Spinae and Multifidus.) Use of these muscles should also be practiced throughout the day to reinforce maintaining proper core support for sport, recreation, and daily life activities.  Each muscle group can be focused on individually, and most exercises you do will require a combination of multiple Core muscles engaging together to provide and maintain appropriate support to keep you safe and injury-free. 

If you’re not sure how to find, or use all the muscles of your Core, assume that you’re not optimizing your efforts during your workouts – yet, and probably not using enough good Core support throughout the day.  But here’s the good news…it’s never too late!

Becoming more aware of where your Core muscles are, how to use them, and starting to incorporate more Core training exercise time into your workouts can help you strengthen your core support to improve your health, stay safe, and avoid chronic pain, and nagging injuries. 

Start taking positive steps to strengthen ALL the muscles of your Core.  Find your Core and discover how much more you will have the strength, power, and control to achieve for improved fitness and whole-body health.

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Pilates Matwork can be a great way to focus on improved Core Training!

For easy-to-follow Pilates Audio CD/MP3 workouts, checkout the Basic, Beginner-Intermediate, Intermediate, and Magic Circle Pilates Matwork Workouts with Aliesa George & Centerworks®.

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 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!

“Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.”

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!

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.

In a Pilates Mat Class there are many twisting exercises where Obliques vs. Quads can be a factor in how well you are able to safely execute an exercise.

• Criss-Cross in the Series of 5
• Corkscrew
• Saw
• Seated Twist

Moving to twisting exercises on the Pilates Reformer:  Stomach Massage with a Twist, and Short-Box Twist give you two more challenging exercises to practice for rotation.

If the Quads grip to initiate twisting, it lifts the thigh bone to the top of the socket, which hikes a hip up and shoves the pelvis out of the square and stable position needed to find the Oblique’s and begin twisting from the waist up.  When the hip hikes, there is not enough joint space for the Lumbar spine to rotate, so we skip over most of the spine and just crank the shoulders around!

A lot of people think they are using their Oblique’s, when in fact they’ve so over-conditioned their Quads and QL (Quadratus Lumborum – low back muscle) that the Oblique’s are really doing very little work.  One hip will hike up as they twist, rather than true rotation of the spine lifting up away from the pelvis.

Here are a few Pilates exercise tips to help you identify if you’re using your Oblique’s effectively, or relying on your Quads & QL to twist:

Discover how these simple exercise strategies can help change your habits and improve your technique for a terrific twist.

Criss-Cross Abs – Sitz Bones Hug A Ball

Use this exercise to help keep your Hamstrings actively engaged to lengthen the sitting bones towards the heels and avoid the QL engaged hip-hike while you twist.

• Lay on your back, with knees bent and the backs of the calves resting on the ball, hands behind the head.
• Feel the ball held snugly against your sitting bones.
• Think about using your Hamstrings to pull your butt towards the heels to press the Sitz bones into the ball and keep the lower back lengthened.
• Inhale & Exhale to KG Curl the head and shoulders up, keeping the Sitz bones pressing against the ball and lengthening towards the heels.
• Inhale twist from the waist up to the right, Exhale untwist to center.
• Inhale twist to the left, Exhale untwist to center.
• Repeat, alternating sides 8-15 repetitions.

To Twist Right:

• The right Hamstring/Sitz bone reaches to the right heel.
• The right Internal Oblique’s and left External Oblique’s contract to bring the left shoulder towards the right hip.
• Pelvis stays still, back of the legs active, front of the legs relaxed, Abs pull up and away from the legs to rotate the torso.

To Twist Left

• The left Hamstring/Sitz bone reaches to the left heel.
• The left Internal Oblique’s and right External Oblique’s contract to bring the right shoulder towards the left hip.
• Pelvis stays still, back of the legs active, front of the legs relaxed, Abs pull up and away from the legs to rotate the torso.

Tips to Improve Your Exercise Technique for Twisting

• Be sure the Hamstrings stay engaged to keep the butt lengthening to the heels.
• If you start to twist and one hip hikes up your QL took over to pull your hip up to your ribs.  Be sure the pelvis and hips stay flat and squared up on the mat.
• The Hamstring pulling to the heel is the anchor point for the thigh bone so the Oblique’s can lift away from the legs to facilitate functional rotation of the spine.
• Your right Hamstring will work harder to stabilize when twisting Right.
• Your left Hamstring will work harder to stabilize when twisting Left.
• To twist right -feel the Abdominals pull up and in on the right, from the inside on the right side of the pelvis towards the right bottom ribs (keeping the ribs lifting up off the pelvis.
• To untwist and return center – feel the left side of the low Abdominals pull up and in to bring the spine and ribcage back to center.  Now this side is active and ready to keep working to twist you to the left.
• Hold onto, or deepen the curl every time you pass through the center.

This is the feeling you should have when doing any spine rotation exercise whether you are lying down, seated, or standing.  Find it here with the help of the ball, and then apply it to all your other spine twisting exercises.

Discover the difference length with strength makes for improving pelvis stability and maximizing the health of your spine with good use of your Oblique’s to twist.  Feel the difference…  Oblique’s vs. Quads & QL to make the most of twisting exercises during your workouts.

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If you’ve missed the first 5 articles in this Abs vs. Thighs series, here are the links to the previous articles:

1st Article: Abs vs. Thighs: Which Muscles are Really Working to Strengthen Your Core?

2nd Article: Abs vs. Thighs: Preparatory Exercises to Help Find the Abs & Relax the Hip Flexors for Effective Core Strengthening

3rd Article: Abs vs. Thighs: For Effective Core Conditioning – Strengthen the Hamstrings & Glutes

4th Article: Core Conditioning Exercises Tips to Improve Pilates Exercise Technique (Abs vs. Thighs: The Pilates Hundred Exercise with Feet in Straps or Leg Springs)

5th Article: Abs vs. Thighs: Improving Core Strength with Pilates Matwork  – The Pilates Double Leg Lift Exercise with a Partner

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. A client recently shared with me an article in Prevention Magazine by Natalie Gingerich Mackenzie called “Are Your Shoes Making You Fat?”  This article explains some of the things I’ve been telling my clients for years, and demonstrates some very good reasons to make good shoe choices for a healthy body and pain-free feet!

Did you know?

Shoe Choices – What to Wear?

Do you like to wear flip-flops?  Flip-flops and strapless shoes, whether it’s a heel or flat, clog, Birkenstock, or croc… If the shoe is not securely strapped onto your foot and ankle, your gait will be compromised.

Your stride will be short, muscles of the hip & Glutes not working to strengthen the legs and low back.  In fact you’ll probably find yourself walking with your legs in front of the body.  Start looking at people walking when you’re out and about.  Notice if their legs swing more in front of the body, or evenly underneath to have one leg in front, and the other leg behind the body for every step.  Then look at their feet and see what type of shoe they are wearing.

How many people do you know with lower back problems? 

The leg swing on a normal, long stride gets behind the body and helps strengthen the lower back.  If the leg never gets to the back you’re hip flexor muscles and Quadriceps along the front of the thighs can get really tight, the hip extensor muscles that move the leg to the back will get weaker, or stop firing altogether.  This is a bad combination that can almost guarantee back problems!

Aside from the hip and back problems flip-flops and strapless shoes are creating, the muscles of the toes, arch, and ankle aren’t working right either! 

The toes end up curling under with every step clutching to try and keep the shoe from falling off your foot.  Ideally the toes work like a flipper, staying long as you roll through the ball of the foot to a high-heeled shoe position, then pushing off the ground like a flipper to propel you forward.  This “flipper-action” of the toes is what strengthens the sole of the foot to keep the muscles of the arch strong and lifted.

If your spending time in flip-flops and strapless shoes, don’t expect the muscles of the toes, arches, and ankles to automatically switch gears and start working correctly when you put your Tennies on.  Muscles have memory.  They will continue to use the stride length and foot action that is the “norm” for you without conscious effort and action to move with better functional mechanics.

Ladies, how about high heels?

Personally, I’m a fan of heels vs. flats.  The legs look prettier, and I like feeling taller.  But I probably try on at least 10 pairs of heels for every 1 pair I purchase, to be sure it really fits my foot and supports my arch.  And wearing heels for me isn’t  a 9am-5pm daily occurrence, but an occasional event for a couple of hours max.

Walking around on your tippy-toes in high heels shortens the Achilles tendon, tightens the calf muscles to restrict foot & ankle flexibility, and increases stress and strain on the lower back.

Wearing heels all day, then putting your tennis shoes on for a run, Zumba class, or other  moderate to high-impact jumping activity and you’re at an extremely high risk to pull a calf muscle or tear your Achilles tendons.

Not trying to scare you here, but a lot of people don’t realize the importance of their feet and how much shoe choices affect good health or risk of injury.

Flats…

Do you want flat feet?  Fallen arches?  If your feet ache at the end of the day, it may be because you’ve had zero support for your feet and no are using no real muscle support to help maintain good posture thanks to your shoe choice for the day.

And How About the “Toning” Shoes?

Designed with a rocker bottom to improve the muscle work of the legs.  Most have great marketing copy – “burn more calories,” “use more muscles,” “target those trouble areas to trim inches off your hips & thighs!”. While they are effective to help you feel the roll through the foot and free swing of the leg from the hip, it’s NOT the shoe that should be initiating a proper leg swing!  Instead we should be focused on maintaining great core support and learning how to effectively activate our hip and leg muscles to freely swing the leg from the foot, and use the ankle, arch, and toe muscles to push off the ground and propel us forward.  Learn good gait habits and your body can do the work, instead of the shoe!

So now we’re back to that critical question of what shoes to wear to show off our cute little toes and celebrate Spring & Summer?

• Find and buy shoes that really fit your feet and are comfortable to wear.
• Opt-Out of wearing flip-flops and backless, strapless sandals.
• Instead wear sandals and shoes that ALWAYS have a strap to help hold the shoe on your foot.
• Ladies find an appropriate heel height and be sure the shoe isn’t just “cute” but is comfortable.
• Use caution if transitioning from a shoe with a heel to running, jumping, or even Yoga class.  (this applies to both men & women who are wearing dress shoes all day!)
• Feel more comfortable in flats?  Double up on your Fantastic Feet exercises to help keep your foot fit, flexible, and pain-free.
• Like your rocker-bottom “toning” shoes? Wear your “rocker/toning“ shoes sometimes, but not all day, and not for every workout.

To help keep your feet and whole body healthy, good shoe choices can make a huge difference!  Be wise and realize that good health starts from the ground up.

• Do exercises for targeted foot fitness training (ankle, arches, & toes)
• Incorporate activities in your workout program to stretch & strengthen your feet
• Make good shoe choices!

These are three easy things you can do to ensure you enjoy an active healthy lifestyle while lowering your risk of foot injury and avoiding the pitfalls of foot pain.

Is Shopping for New Shoes in Your Future?

Before you go on a shoe shopping spree…evaluate what’s currently sitting in your closet.  Try everything on to see what fits and is safe to wear.  Donate all the shoes you know you’d be better off not wearing to your favorite charity.

Then, keep in mind the tips you’ve learned here and make great new shoe choices to fill your closet with Spring and Summer shoes that will help keep your feet safe, healthy, happy, and pain-free.

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Looking for some help finding great foot fitness exercises to add to your workout routine?  Get a copy of the book Fantastic Feet!  and a Foot Fitness Kit.  Or check out all the great foot-care resources for healthy feet from Centerworks.