PJ O'Clair
PJ O'Clair
Article Archive
When it comes to integrated stretching, the TRX® Suspension Trainer™ is a helpful tool. Stretching can often feel somewhat passive; however, the game changes when you hold straps or attach them to your feet. Our bodies move in patterns, not in isolation, so why not enhance that concept and include this equipment in your cooldowns?
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When it comes to integrated stretching, the TRX® Suspension Trainer™ is a helpful tool. Stretching can often feel somewhat passive; however, the game changes when you hold straps or attach them to your feet. Our bodies move in patterns, not in isolation, so why not enhance that concept and include this equipment in your cooldowns?
Read More
With 8.6 million participants, Pilates is the fastest-growing exercise activity in the United States, according to a recent report from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (Rovell 2010). The 2010 IDEA Fitness Programs & Equipment Trends report found that 90% of facilities represented in the survey offer Pilates, up from 63% in 2002 (Schroeder 2010). What’s more, many facilities provide both group and private training, as well as fusion formats (e.g., Pilates-yoga). So it’s not surprising that Pilates instructors today have many career options.
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As you begin this third part of our phase-one programming for breast cancer survivors, it’s critical to acknowledge the importance of parts one and two of the program; to adhere to the goals of each part; and to honor your client’s readiness to progress. There is no definite time frame allotted for each part—it truly depends on the client’s success and comfort level.
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In the second part of phase-one programming for breast cancer survivors, the goal is to continue to introduce some very basic biomechanical principles commonly used in Pilates. These principles focus on restoring joint mobility with gentle range-of-motion exercises intended to break down residual scar tissue from surgery and various treatments. The work of increasing overall body awareness with slow, controlled, concentrated movements also persists.
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Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It is about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year (American Cancer Society 2023).
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From its earliest beginnings, the Pilates Method used a rich variety of equipment—the reformer, the wunda or stability chair, the trap table or cadillac, and so on. Joseph Pilates himself was known as an innovator, and his approach to movement was quite playful; he gave exercises names like cat, monkey, elephant, swan, grasshopper and flying…
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First created and named by Joseph Pilates himself, the “magic circle” remains a versatile and highly effective tool for today’s Pilates practitioners. Space-efficient and transportable, it is an ideal small-equipment option for personal trainers and group instructors alike. By thinking imaginatively, you can use it successfully with any of your clients, from injured Baby Boomers…
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Fashion designer and breast cancer
survivor Sigrid Olsen began a Pilates program with me just months after her
surgery. “I had no physical strength in my upper body,” she says. “I had lost
the endurance to hold myself up straight. The Pilates program got me feeling my
body again and gave me the strength to keep my shoulders back and down. I had a
sense of self again…