According to an article in the Huffington Post, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has ranked the top 20 fitness trends for 2012.  A survey was completed by 2,620 ACSM certified fitness professionals.  While some things have remained the same, Pilates is off the list for the second year in a row.  But let’s take a look at the list…  Then help decide if you think Pilates should still be considered a player in the top 20 trends.

ACSM’s Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2012

OK, Pilates teachers & students…what do you think about this list?

As I look at it – and think about what I do when working with my clients to improve their whole-body health with Pilates, I see Pilates as a key fitness player in at least the following categories:

Patient Referrals – many doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists are referring their patients to Pilates.

Sport-Specific Training – I know that I’m working with runners, tri-athletes, dancers, equestrians, football players, soccer players, swimmers, cyclists, and other athletes who are using Pilates to help them stay safe, injury-free, and improve their sports performance.

Functional Fitness – Pilates is the tool I use to help my clients understand how their body is designed to move.  Everything in Pilates IS functional fitness!

Group Personal Training – Yes, we teach Pilates as a group personal training experience with duets, trios, quartets…

Core Training – Pilates is primarily thought of as a “core training” experience.  Of course it’s much more, but with every exercise we are working the core.

Personal Training – In my opinion, the very best way to start as a Pilates student is with one-on-one Pilates personal training.  Pilates teachers ARE in the Personal Training business.

Fitness Programs for Older Adults – What is “older” anyway?  Isn’t 60 the new 30?  I find that many “older” adults are embracing Pilates because it is a life-time fitness activity that is much gentler on their bodies, and provides great benefits without the additional stress or strain from activities they enjoyed in their youth.

Strength Training – Pilates IS a combination of strength and flexibility with every exercise.  Pilates is strength with length, a great combination for a sleek physique.

Certified & Educated Fitness Professionals – Well to be a Pilates Teacher requires a great education!  A well-qualified Pilates Teacher has put in the time to develop their professional skills, has completed a comprehensive Pilates Teacher-Training program, and has the opportunity to sit for a nationally recognized Pilates Teacher Certification Exam through the Pilates Method Alliance.

So by my count….out of the top 20 fitness trends for 2012 – at least NINE of them can be achieved through Pilates!

Who says Pilates isn’t still on trend?  Perhaps now Pilates has moved beyond “trendy” and into the mainstream consciousness of intelligent people looking for an efficient and effective way to improve their fitness and whole-body health.

Let’s bust this fitness “trend” list
and show the world how many benefits Pilates has to offer!

• What was your reason to start enjoying the benefits of Pilates?
• What has Pilates done for you?
• If you are a Pilates Teacher, How many of your clients use Pilates as their primary method of exercise for fitness & wellness?

Do you agree with the ACSM’s Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2012, or do you think Pilates should still be on this list?

Voice your opinion, and let’s keep Pilates relevant in the fitness industry as one of most participated activities for strength, flexibility, and a healthy mind, body, and Spirit.

The ever important pelvic floor muscles are key to executing Pilates exercises correctly. 

Becoming more aware of where your pelvic floor is, how to contract these important little muscles, and practicing using them during your Pilates workouts – in time will carry over into your daily life & sex life.

Whether your postpartum, post 50, or any age younger or older, Pilates can benefit YOU!  (And improving your sex life is a BONUS to enjoy better health!)

Read more in the Huffington Post article -  Pilates: Sex And Health Benefits For Midlife by Debra Ollivier.

Wonderful questions I received this week about Joseph Pilates book Return to Life, and other Pilates Matwork book & DVD resources for Pilates teachers and students

THE QUESTIONS:

Dear Aliesa,

On your website you have a copy of RETURN TO LIFE and a product with a man who demonstrates all the MAT EXERCISES. I have two questions for you:

1. I have a copy of the MILLENNIUM Edition of the book and I am disappointed with quality and limited number of photo-images, plus, the description of how to perform the exercises is not good really. Is the book you sell any better please? Would be nice to have one of the originals that Sean Gallagher owns, but, the cost is far beyond my means!
2. May I ask you what is difference between the Mat DVD demonstrated by Peter Fiasca’s  www.classicalpilates.com, Your DVD demonstration of Pilates Matwork,  and old archival footage as seen on the internet?

I look forward to your reply with much anticipation.

MY COMMENTS & REPLY:

Hi, Thanks for your questions about Return to Life & Pilates Matwork DVD’s.  Seems like I have multiple copies of Return to Life and Joe’s other book, Your Health somewhere in my library.  At the moment, they’ve acquired legs – so I’m writing this from my experience, not having my books sitting in front of me to compare.

Return to Life by Joseph H. Pilates

I do agree that the quality of the photos is poor in my Joseph Pilates books published by Presentation Dynamics. The photos could have been lightened a bit, but when you’re working with historical footage it’s never going to be as clear and crisp as the HD photos we’re taking today.

The version of Return to Life that is for sale on my website was published by the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA).  I don’t think the text is any different between the different republished versions of this book.  I’ve never actually sat down with my two different copies of Return to Life and compared the text.  Because this is the actual book that Joseph Pilates wrote, the descriptions for the exercises in this book were written by Joe!  If you’re disappointed with the amount of detail in these descriptions, it’s not the publishers fault…this is what Joe felt was important for you to know to execute the Matwork exercises.

It seems to me that the photos in the PMA’s republished version of Return to Life are of a better quality.  But they are still historical photos of Joe executing the exercises – so don’t expect a HD photo!

I agree, it would be wonderful to own an original copy of Return to Life!  But the information contained in the original, the Millennium edition you own, and the PMA’s edition is the exactly the same.  So from a content standpoint, you’ve got the information that Joseph Pilates intended you to have to be able to read, understand, and execute the exercises.

Centerworks Pilates Matwork Resources:

You also mentioned a man who’s demonstrating  the Mat exercises in products on my site.  I believe the products you’re referencing are two of my Pilates Matwork Audio CD/MP3 workouts.  Beginer-intermediate Pilates Matwork with Flow – 23 exercises, and Intermediate Pilates Matwork -35 exercises.  These are actual Mat workouts, but are AUDIO recordings I have created for people who are familiar with the exercises to use and listen to for their at-home Pilates workouts.  Because these are audio products, there are no pictures or descriptions of the exercises (as in books or videos).  The man on the cover of these CD’s  was a client in my studio – and I wanted  men and women to know they can participate in Pilates!  Thought a male cover model might help encourage men to purchase this workout!  Real Men Do Pilates too!

I believe that every vendor for Pilates Teacher-Training Programs has some sort of reference materials for the repertoire of Pilates exercises in their program.  For the Centerworks program, my reference materials are in book form.  For Pilates Matwork, Centerworks has 3 separate training manuals basic, intermediate, and advanced.  Again – these were created before the slick HD cameras were available, so picture quality is OK, but not HD!

• The Centerworks Basic Mat manual includes the beginner Pilates Mat exercises and a 4 week outline with guidelines for teaching/progressing  through the exercises.
• The Centerworks Intermediate Mat manual has photos & descriptions for all the basic and intermediate Pilates Mat exercises.
• The Centerworks Advanced manual only contains photos & descriptions for the advanced exercises – you need to be familiar with the intermediate Matwork, so you can follow the outline for layering  and progressing to the Advanced level.

 On a side note:  People who participate in my workshops, Pilates Teacher-Training Program, workshops, classes, and private training learn much more info, details, variations, and valuable insights for every exercise.  I believe this should be true for any and every Pilates teacher you work with.  Since I am learning new things daily – I feel obliged to pass it on!

Pilates  DVD’s , Videos, and App’s

• The Peter Fiasca Classical Pilates DVD’s are excellent videos of the full New York, Romana lineage, classical Pilates repertoire.  These DVD’s follow a basic, intermediate, and advanced format so you can see the exercises that are designed to be executed at each level.  Repetitions, and tips for execution are included for each exercise.   I believe these are valuable resources if you already know the exercises and have been working with a classically trained instructor.  But there may be numerous exercises (especially when you get to equipment exercises in this DVD series) that are either historical, or advanced beyond what is reasonably safe and beneficial for an average client.  The DVD’s do a pretty good job of pointing some of these exercises out.  I would not encourage someone to purchase these DVD’s  and just begin to follow along for a workout, as there may be some exercises that are unsafe or inappropriate based on personal health history.  The opportunity to modify, break things down to work at an appropriate level, and possibly progress into some of the more intermediate and advanced exercises over time is a part of the benefit of working with a well-qualified Pilates teacher to help you along.
• One of my favorite archival Pilates videos is available from Pilates Elder – Mary Bowen, she usually has copies with her if you’re lucky enough to see her at the PMA conference or other workshop or event.  Otherwise – I recommend contacting Mary directly to order.  Everyone should see this it’s wonderful footage of Joe!
• Michele Larsson has several wonderful videos of Eve Gentry.  One is a workshop with Eve, the other is a documentary, “Eve Gentry and the Power of Pilates” that contains historical footage of Joseph Pilates working with her.  –You’ll find both of these videos on the Core Dynamics Pilates website. 
• Michael Miller is another very good Pilates teacher with resources available on his website. He has also recently created an app for Pilates – “the Michael Miller Pilates Library” available in the iTunes store.
• And I recently saw ads for Pilates Interactive, which for a monthly fee, you can subscribe to resources from the BASI Pilates and Polestar Pilates programs.  I have not become a subscriber for this so cannot give you an opinion on content, but it’s one more in the growing list of available options for Pilates resources.

 Please keep in mind… 

You will never get ALL the information and details you need to learn Pilates from a book or video! 

Books and videos are great reference materials to help remember the exercises, but nothing compares to having an actual teacher looking at your body to give you personal cues for body awareness and improvement.  And keep in mind that different teachers, with different backgrounds, and different levels of experience & expertise can help you see and feel different things to improve your health, fitness, and execution of your Pilates exercises.

I am almost eighteen years into my Pilates teaching career and personal Pilates practice, and I am amazed that I continue to learn new things about each exercise and how the body works DAILY!!!  It’s possible to spend a lifetime continuing to dig into the details of each exercise, and we still probably won’t know all there is to know.  I don’t think there will ever be a single resource on the planet that can comprehensively tell you everything you need to know about Pilates!  It’s a nice thought…but I believe, quite an impossible task.

I feel blessed to be a “Classically” trained Pilates teacher.  AND, I am also conscious of the fact that I have learned tons of non-classical information that has added wonderful layers and depth to my experience & expertise.  At this point in my career – I probably know at least 3-5 different versions of each exercise, plus versions with props, multiple versions to modify each exercise, multiple versions to make exercises more challenging, multiple transitions, many different breath patterns, and lots of options to change the rhythm and dynamics of each exercise.  And this knowledge base continues to grow….  All choices, based on the needs and goals of my clients.

There aren’t “right” and “wrong” versions of the Pilates exercises

– Just “Different” versions. 

Different versions for each Pilates exercise may be
better/worse, safer/more dangerous, help you improve more quickly/ slower.
All of this depends on who you are, your level of fitness, and health history.

You can’t put ALL of this in one book or video – it would only confuse people.  It’s best to have a BASE version that is your primary way to execute each exercise.  Then be aware that there are lots of ways to tweak things to help deepen your body awareness, and body mechanics for better execution, strength, flexibility, and flow.  Different books, and videos from different teachers with different backgrounds, from different lines of Pilates lineages can help layer in some of this information to your knowledge base and expertise.

Hope I’ve provided you with a few new resources, and perhaps some food for thought when analyzing the different choices available to continue growing your Pilates knowledge.

May we all continue to evolve and grow in our depth of understanding for whole-body health, wellness, and personal development – Mind, Body, and Spirit,  for our own bodies and to share with EVERY Body else!  If you have additional resources you feel have been of great benefit to you, don’t keep it a secret – please share!

Have a Fit & Fabulous Day.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The focus for the exercises I’ve shared lately  is Hip Extension.  However, anytime you start analyzing any Pilates exercise, there’s always the realization that you’re always working the whole body, not just one part or piece!  There’s always so much to think about!

I could probably do at least 20 different videos and blog posts on this (and every exercise) to detail ALL of the things to pay attention to.  Our “theme” today with the Double Leg Kick  is the hips and hamstrings – so we’ll put most of the focus and emphasis on what the lower body is doing. But that’s not a license to completely forget about your head, neck, shoulders, and upper spine!

Prep Positioning for the Pilates Double Leg Kick Matwork Exercise:

1. Begin lying on your stomach with the tip of the nose on the mat.
2. Legs together, parallel with the inner thighs squeezing.
3. Lengthen the tailbone to the heels, zip the low belly up to support the back, and squeeze the Glutes to stabilize the lengthened lower back and pelvis.
4. If you have good shoulders, the hands grab behind the back, bend the elbows to bring the hands up as high as possible between the shoulder blades, and then drop the elbows out towards the floor to stretch the shoulders & arms.

I think one of the most challenging things to do when working on hamstring strength is to stabilize the pelvis and keep the work in the hamstrings and out of the lower back!

Getting the right muscles engaged to prep the pelvis position is a great start.  Then they have to stay engaged while you bend the knees.

Strive to keep the front of the pubic bone and front tops of the thighs pressing firmly against the mat while you do a triple kick with both legs.  If your back arches and there’s space under the front of your hips when your knees bend, you’re using your back muscles more than your hamstrings.  The goal for me is a strong, stable back and pelvis, with all the movement from the knee joint.

Done well…  the triple kick will strengthen the hamstrings along the back of the thighs, and stretch the quads along the front of the legs.

A Hint for Improving Hamstring Strength & Improving Motion at the Knee Joint:

There are 3 aspects to the Hamstring muscle – outer, medial, and inner muscles.  The outer aspect is generally the strongest, so you’ll find it easier to triple kick with your knees apart rather than together.

Keeping your inner thighs squeezing to keep the legs together will help you strengthen the weaker inner portion of the hamstrings.  For many people the hamstrings are weak and tight which is a bad combination for knee health!  And if the outer portion of the hamstrings are strong, and inner portion weak, it affects our ability to bend at the knee joint with proper mechanics and alignment.  Strengthening the whole back of the leg is critical to avoid knee pain.  And this is a great exercise to incorporate into your workout program to help stabilize your pelvis and strengthen your Hamstrings.

Hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about the Double Leg Kick with today’s Pilates Exercise Tip!  If you have any questions or suggestions for topics you’d like to know more about – drop me a comment here on my blog, or visit me on my Facebook fan page at http://www.Facebook.com/Centerworks/

Enjoy healthy hips, happy knees, and a wonderful chest opening, back strengthening moment by adding the Double Leg Kick exercise into your Pilates Mat workouts!

More soon…  Have a Great Day!

Have you ever sprained your ankle?  Did it turn into a nagging chronic injury?

I recently came across a synopsis of a study that was published in the June online edition of the AJSM (American Journal of Sports Medicine) that shows a correlation between ankle alignment and ankle sprains.    Ankle sprains are the most common sports-related injury, and many people develop chronic instability and repetitive ankle injuries.

Now they’re planning to do research to determine if targeted interventions can influence how people walk and run, and perhaps even treat or prevent ankle sprains.

From my own experience, I have to say that improving foot and ankle strength, flexibility, and mobility can definitely make a huge difference in helping to keep the feet and ankles injury-free.  I have seen many Pilates clients over the years who have completely changed their gait and improved the alignment of their ankles.  In high school was sidelined from my sport due to ankle pain.  It hurt to walk as a teenager, and I thought as an adult I’d probably be in a wheelchair!  But thanks to some great foot and ankle exercises that I have continued to do throughout my lifetime – I’m happy to say my feet and ankles are healthier than ever – and running my first 1/2 marathon in May is proof that my continuing efforts to take care of my feet and ankles are paying off.

As with any injury, there are muscle memory patterns established in our system.  We might limp around on a sore ankle for a couple of weeks, and that limping muscle pattern gets ingrained in our muscle memory.  We are reinforcing the limping pattern with every step we take.  At some point the ankle feels better and we start to walk more nomally, but the limping muscle pattern is still in our system – Unless we do enough re-strengthening, and re-balancing to remove that muscle imbalance from our body.  This is one of the reasons why it’s so much easier to injure something again and again, and chronic ankle problems can develop.  But limping on a sore ankle doesn’t just affect the feet! Whole-body posture and the alignment of everything from the feet up and is affected and changed by a foot or ankle injury.

The likelihood of repetitive injury doesn’t just apply to the ankles.  Any part of the body that suffers pain and injury has the potential to develop chronic instability and be plagued with repetitive injury.  I love Pilates because the work helps to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and muscle imbalances and then a good teacher can help create a Pilates program to re-balance the body for optimal wellness and whole-body health.

If you’re a runner or walker and are interested in being pro-active to take care of your ankles and feet, there are lots of wonderful things you can do to help maintain the strength and flexibility of your feet.  Two of my favorite foot fitness products are the Centerworks Super-Ankles Foot Fitness Board, and Yamuna Foot Savers.

The Foot Fitness Board is a superior way to strengthen the ankle for medial / lateral movement which is key for reducing the risk of an ankle sprain!  And there are other great exercises on this ankle board that can help train the foot and ankle for better motion for improved gait.  This is a great tool to use before and/or after a walk or run to keep your ankles strong and flexible so if you happen to step off a curb funny, or land in a pothole, you won’t suffer the pain of an ankle sprain (or worse!)

The Yamuna Foot Savers are excellent for helping reduce the risk of Plantar Fasciitis – another very common foot problem for runners and walkers.  If you experience pain, or extreme tightness along the sole of your foot, the Yamuna Foot Savers help to release the unnecessary tension in the muscles and fascia on the bottom of the feet.  My Foot Savers travel with me everywhere, and are also lovely end of the day treat for gals who spend lots of time wearing high-heeled shoes!

In addition to these two easy to use foot-care products, there are lots of simple foot stretching and strengthening exercises you can incorporate into your training program to help keep your feet and ankles healthy.  Most people don’t realize that even a short 3-5 minutes of focused foot fitness exercises can make a huge impact on helping you avoid foot pain and foot injuries. 

• If you are interested in cross-training with Pilates, there are many wonderful exercises to work/stretch the legs, feet, and ankles on the Reformer, Cadillac, and Chairs, and it can be helpful to have the expert eye of a well-trained Pilates Teacher help tweak your body alignment, and find the right muscles to get the most from your workouts.  Everything you learn about using your body correctly with Pilates should, in time, transfer back to walking, running, and every other activity you do.
• If you’re looking for some quick and easy exercises to do at home before or after a walk or run, grab a copy of Fantastic Feet!  Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes.  This book is filled with lots of great foot-care exercises that you can easily do on your own.

Have you ever suffered an ankle sprain?  Did it turn into a chronic foot problem?  What tips do you have to help improve the strength, flexibility, and mobility of your ankles and feet?  Here’s a link to the article that started my thoughts for this post about improving the health of your feet and ankles: Foot positioning during walking and running may influence ankle sprains.

Our feet are the most used, least cared for part of the body.  I encourage you to take a little time before and/or after your workout, walk, or run to specifically treat your feet, ankles, and toes to some stretching and strengthening exercises.  Be proactive to help maintain great alignment, keep things moving properly, and ensure that you can avoid chronic ankle injuries and enjoy pain-free feet!

Your life depends on learning to listen to your body and NOT overdoing it in the heat!

Did you know that between 1979 – 2003 excessive heat exposure caused more deaths in the US than hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined!  Heat related injuries and deaths are preventable…  Stay safe and be smart when exercising in extreme temperatures.

Heat Stroke is a medical emergency that is fatal if not treated properly AND immediately.

Heat stroke is a form of hyperthemia – elevated body temperature.  Normally the body dissipates heat through evaporation of sweat, but in extreme heat, high humidity, or physical exertion outdoors in the sun, the body may not be able to keep effectively regulate temperature.  Extreme dehydration also reduces the ability of the body to sweat  to dissipate heat and this can also cause body temperature to rise.  Heat stoke can mimic the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, and it’s possible to progress from heat exhaustion into heat stroke.

Become familiar with the warning signs for heat exhaustion and heat stroke so you can stay safe, healthy, and avoid illness or death while you’re enjoying your summer exercising in the great outdoors.

Here is some great information about Extreme Heat, Heat Exhaustion, and Heat Stroke from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

And here’s a great guide from the CDC for everything from heat stroke, to heat cramps, an sunburn.  “Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety.”

Enjoy whole-body health and participate in safe and  appropriate activities when exercising in extreme heat or other weather conditions.  Stay cool, stay healthy, and enjoy exercising indoors and out!  Just be careful when temperatures rise.  Listen to your body, exert less, or take your fitness program indoors (Pilates is always a great choice!)

Thought some of you might enjoy reading the blog post Marilyn wrote after interviewing me about Pilates and the Pelvic Floor. Here’s the link if you’re interested in the article & interview:  LBL from a Pilates Teacher’s Perspective

An Extra Couple of Comments From Aliesa:

From my understanding the front to back muscle contraction with the muscles between the pubic bone and tail bone (front to back of the Pelvic floor) is the more important part that needs strengthening to help reduce LBL and incontinence issues. As a Pilates teacher, I help clients identify the difference between contracting the front to back walls of the Pelvic Floor, vs. side to side contraction, vs. engaging the whole Pelvic Floor.  Along with education as to the difference between contracting the muscles of the Pelvic Floor for better posture support and movement vs. doing a Kegel.  There is a difference in benefits depending on how and what you’re doing with your Pelvic Floor!

I’m not sure that everyone that teaches Pilates, Fitness, or Pelvic Floor Exercises breaks things down like I do…but if you can find someone with a good understanding of what you need to do – the difference in core support and freedom of movement (as well as helping to eliminate LBL issues) will be dramatically noticeable with just a little bit of practice with new pelvic floor habits.

Are you challenged with LBL issues?  Has Pilates helped you?

I know this isn’t a topic that gets talked about – but look at the large number of people affected!  Isn’t it great to know that there IS something you can do to improve things!

I encourage you not to keep all your health and body issues hidden in the closet…  Ask your doctor, and other health care professionals if there’s anything you can do.  Chances are, regardless of the issue,  if you’re willing to put forth a little effort, there’s probably something that you can do to be proactive for improved whole-body health!  Keep asking, and keep trying until you find the right things that work for you, so you can enjoy optimal health & wellness.

I had a discussion at the end of a session with a very loyal and long-standing Pilates client this week.  After the many, many years of consistent Pilates this person was feeling frustrated that they weren’t super flexible yet!  “After all this time, why aren’t I any better?  Seems like by now I should be like Gumby!”

This got me to thinking how interesting our perspectives are about our own health.  By my opinion, this client has made HUGE improvements in flexibility, strength, body awareness, and mechanics.  And where I used to have to put ALL my body weight into spotting things and trying to help get things bend better, now I can lightly put a hand here or there and things start moving!

If we spend 2-4 hours a week doing Pilates, we then have 20-22 hours of time to forget (or time to reinforce other habits. (Some of which might be good, and others probably aren’t helping our body mechanics and movement.)

For Example:

If you sit for work 8-10 hours a day, and you ride a bike for cardio, your legs are always in a flexed forward position at the hip, so the hip flexors and quadriceps are probably going to stay short and tight.  Great to be doing Pilates Mat and the Side Leg Series especially…  But other exercises and activities that get your legs swinging behind the body are necessary to undo some of the restricted mobility.  Walking would be great, swimming and a flutter kick, Cross-country Skiing (or a ski machine) are just a few examples of other cardio exercises that might be a good choice to improve hip extension and mobiltiy.

OR – if you’re feet hurt, and you spend time wearing flip-flops and backless shoes…  Yes,  a couple of hours of Pilates a week will help stretch and strengthen your feet,  but when you stick those crappy shoes back on your feet and walk around with a shortened stride and bad mechanics all day – which habit is being reinforced the most?  The good one, or the bad one?

Now if you’ve been living in your body for 50 years, and doing Pilates 2-3 days a week for 10 years…  You  have 40 years of habits accumulated in your system to undo and reinforce with new behaviors.  And you’ve had less than a ¼ of the time practicing good new “Pilates” habits!

Logic would stand that it might take as many hours practicing a new behavior and you spent with an old one to replace the habit.  Yes, perhaps some things change a little faster than this – and that helps keep us motivated.  But give me at least as many years with new habits as you had with the old ones and then tell me how you feel.

So as Pilates clients, we’ve got to be patient with the process, and continue reinforcing the right behaviors and muscle use until we don’t have to think about it anymore and the right things just happen when me move.

As Pilates Teachers, we have to help our clients remember where they came from.

• What exercises could a client not do at all when they started.
• What injuries, or limitations did they used to have that don’t bother them anymore?
• What things can they do now that they weren’t able to do when they started?
• What were their original fitness goals?
• What are their goals now?

All of this is relevant to remember your journey and track your progress.

We’re now living in a fast-paced, point & click society, but our body does not change with a point and a click! Pilates is not an instant gratification sport, (although I did have a new client last week who after 1 lesson had her back pain go away!) Nice when it works like that…and now I’ve got to help her learn how to keep it this way.   Pilates is a process of getting in touch with your body and training the mind to control movement.  Learning to trust the work and release that has to happen to develop optimal strength, flexibility and core support is vital for good health.

Maintaining good health, means a daily practice of the right habits
to reinforce your healthy behaviors.

Here are a few ways you can keep track of your journey and document your progress:

• Take photos and video to document your posture and movement abilities
• Keep a record of your Pilates program, equipment, exercises, springs, repetitions
• Keep a record of your weight training workouts, exercises, and the amounts of weight you are lifting.
• Track your heart-rate for cardio, to be aware of the fitness level of this very important muscle.
• Use a tape measure to track your inches – neck, arms, chest, waist, hips, thighs, calves
• Start a food diary – write down everything you eat, to see if your intake is in your highest good to stay healthy.
• Journal – Write down your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and what’s going on in your life to become more aware of your mind-body connection, and how what you’re thinking influences what you do.

Be patient, persistent, dedicated, driven, joyful, enthusiastic, and happy, happy, happy, that regardless of where you “think” you should be, you are taking active steps daily to do good things for your body, mind, and spirit.  The results will catch up with your efforts when the time is right!

A few years ago, I was working with one of my Pilates students, who had been training with me for quite a while, but never seemed to remember anything that we were doing.  He had a routine, but I had to  tell him every little detail, from the name of the exercise to how to do it, breath patterns, and equipment set up.  Every workout felt like we were starting from scratch – he acted like he’d never seen the exercises before – and this had been happening on EVERY exercise for years!

While I usually am very patient with my students, one day I had a moment of utter frustration…  and blurted out, “You know that Pilates is a mind-body exercise program, and using your mind means that you should know your exercises and the order you do them in for  your Pilates workout program!”

He looked at me and said, “But I’ve always exercised so that I don’t have to think.” (As was obvious by our “Groundhog Day” experience during our Pilates sessions)

But think about how many people  you see walking, running, swimming, lifting weights, or other fitness activities with their headphones on tuned into their music or favorite TV show with no awareness of body mechanics, support, or efficient movement technique.

And then something miraculous happened…

He came to his next Pilates session with a notebook in hand.  It took us 3-4 training sessions to write out his program.  He would do an exercise, then stop and take notes – the name of the exercise, repetitions, any particulars that he needed to pay attention to, and spring/equipment set up.  Writing things down, helped him pay attention.  He went home and typed his notes into the computer, and I think he may have actually studied his list in-between sessions!  In no time, we were progressing much faster- because he actually recognized exercises and we could move more quickly through the basics for a warm-up, and focus our attention on new exercises and new goals.

I was so proud the day he started participation in our Open Gym program.  Safe and confident to participate in solo workouts with his Pilates exercise list in hand, further assisted the learning curve for conscious awareness during Pilates.  And this awareness began to creep into his running, swimming, and other workouts.  Yippee!!!  When you pay attention to what the body is doing, you have the opportunity to improve your technique.

If I think back to my first Pilates lesson.  The exercises looked easy, but once I started, the realization of how much I had to think and strive to coordinate, breath and body movement, and I became consciously aware that I wasn’t quite as strong or flexible as I thought I was!  It seems that most of my clients have a similar experience, in noticing how much they don’t notice when standing still, breathing, or doing other fitness activities.

I firmly believe that Pilates training is a springboard for increasing conscious awareness in all aspects of Life!

What we notice about our body, brain, and habits during Pilates, gives us an opportunity to improve these same habits during other moments of life, whether it’s at work, driving the car, doing chores around the house, or during sport activities, and other non-Pilates workouts.

Pay attention and make conscious decisions for everything you do.

See how quickly you’ll reap the rewards of your thoughtful conscious awareness to reach your goals and enjoy the benefits of  living  life to the fullest!

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Drop me a comment!  What areas of your life do you want to improve your consciousness?  What steps are you going to take to help make it happen?

I was working with a client this week, and we got off on a discussion about the use of mirrors for Pilates exercise programs.

So what’s a positive benefit of having mirrors to watch the body during Pilates exercises?

1. You can get a quick form check, and see body alignment do’s and don’ts.
2. If you (or your clients) don’t have the body awareness to “feel” where they are at in space, a mirror can help them “see” what they are doing.

And the not-so-great benefits of using mirrors for Pilates:

1. If people have a negative body image – every time they look in the mirror, they may be mentally beating themselves up for how they look, which is emotionally counter-productive to using the mirror for positive corrections in technique.
2. People tend to over rely on mirror to get feedback on form and posture, instead of “feeling” where their body is in space and making adjustments from there.
3. Once the head turns to check out what’s happening in the mirror, correct muscle use and alignment changes,  and this may not be optimal for the exercise.
4. Mirrors may not be on both sides of the body, so if the head turns to take a peek at your body position – it may be turning the same direction every time you check things out in the mirror.  This means we may actually be developing muscle imbalances when the goal of Pilates training is balanced muscle development!

We are a visual society, and our eyes are helpful in improving technique.  But Pilates is about deepening the mind-body connection to improve whole-body health.  If you have to always “see” what you’re doing – only one of your senses is being developed. If you have to rely on your Pilates teacher to always “see” what you’re doing, you are relying on somebody else’s eyeballs to bring things to your conscious awareness, and over time, you may begin to feel somewhat co-dependent on your Pilates trainer.

But if YOU can feel it, YOU can fix it!

And developing this body awareness will carry through from your Pilates exercises out of the studio and back to daily life!  When this happens, everything you do for exercise and movement can be done with the principles of Pilates in mind, and the results will be amazing!

So if you’re a constant head-turning, mirror watching, Pilates student (or teacher!)  – I want to challenge you to make it all the way through a workout without taking a peek at your posture in the mirror!  Feel what you’re doing and enjoy the challenge of Looking IN instead of Out to help deepen your body awareness and maximize the benefits from your Pilates workouts.

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Love to hear what you think about Mirrors vs. No Mirrors for Pilates Workouts:

• If you’re a Pilates teacher….what are your thoughts on using mirrors with your Pilates students? Are they more of a help or hindrance to you?
• If you’re a Pilates student…on average – how many times during a workout do you normally take a peek at your posture in the mirror?