Flexibility Articles

Pilates footwork: simple yet powerful, it is typically the first exercise taught on the reformer. Called the “Pilates fortuneteller” by Amy Taylor Alpers from the Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado, footwork reveals postural patterns and muscle imbalances of the hips, legs and feet and is an effective exercise for correcting them.newsletter_teaser: Pilates footwork: simple yet powerful, it is typically the first exercise taught on the reformer. Footwork reveals postural patterns and muscle imbalances of the hips, legs and feet and is an effective exercise for correcting them.

Excessive thoracic kyphosis is a disproportionate forward rounding or curvature of the middle and upper back, also known as the thoracic spine (Kendall, McCreary & Provance 2005). ETK is an extremely common musculoskeletal imbalance brought on by prolonged time in some postural positions; exercise and/or activity choices; environmental factors; myofascial dysfunction; intolerances to food and/or other allergic reactions; and psychological stress.newsletter_teaser: Excessive thoracic kyphosis is a disproportionate forward rounding or curvature of the middle and upper back. This musculoskeletal imbalance is extremely common.

Many clients come to you with low-back pain, a condition that affects 80% of Americans. In contrast, chronic low-back pain—defined as persistent pain and disability lasting longer than 3 months—affects approximately 2%-8% of Americans. newsletter_teaser: Many clients come to you with low-back pain, a condition that affects 80% of Americans. In contrast, chronic low-back pain—defined as persistent pain and disability lasting longer than 3 months—affects approximately 2%-8% of Americans.

A person’s ability to get up from the floor may be a predictor of mortality, according to researchers from Clinimex Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro. The study, published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention (2012; doi: 10.1177/2047487312471759), examined information from 2,000 adults, aged 51–80, from 1997 to 2011. Participants were asked to perform what researchers termed the sitting-rising test, a useful assessment of musculoskeletal fitness. Anyone currently playing sports or presenting with musculoskeletal limitations was excluded.

Using the stability ball for cool-down stretches provides many benefits over traditional stretching. The ball’s reactive properties make stretching more dynamic, since balance, coordination and body awareness depend on certain muscles stabilizing while others stretch. Participants can modify moves by simply rolling deeper into the stretches or pulling back from them.

While the psoas major muscle affects many fitness activities, there is widespread confusion about its actual role in the body. What does this muscle do, and why is it shortened in so many people? Anatomy of the Psoasnewsletter_teaser: While the psoas major muscle affects many fitness activities, there is widespread confusion about its actual role in the body. What does this muscle do?

Do you want to enhance your workouts and activities of daily living? Then improve your flexibility through stretching! To help you understand how to stretch in a safe, effective manner, Len Kravitz, PhD, program coordinator of exercise science and a researcher at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, shares guidelines and strategies for stretching.

If a client is hypermobile, it means he or she has a greater-than-normal range of joint movement, thought to be due to lax connective tissues. While flexibility is usually deemed a positive physical attribute enjoyed by a lucky few, many Pilates instructors don’t realize that hypermobility is more common than one might think and can be a root cause of chronic pain and postural issues.newsletter_teaser: If a client is hypermobile, it means he or she has a greater-than-normal range of joint movement, thought to be due to lax connective tissues. Many Pilates instructors don’t realize that hypermobility is more common than one might think.

When it comes to the Big Three of exercise--cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training--it’s pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring. However, as the population ages, more of us ar...

Many Pilates clients fight to increase their flexibility. Some struggle to touch their toes, for instance, while others work hard to stretch their shoulders and some are barely able to sit cross-legged. But how do you handle the ones who are as pliable as Play-Doh and fight just to hold themselves in place? newsletter_teaser: Many Pilates clients fight to increase their flexibility. Some struggle to touch their toes, for instance, while others work hard to stretch their shoulders and some are barely able to sit cross-legged. But how do you handle the ones who are as pliable as Play-Doh and fight just to hold themselves in place?