Pilates
Pilates and Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most meaningful and remarkable experiences in a woman’s life. Physical radiance, the surge of endorphins, and excitement about becoming a mother for the first time or again are among the most enjoyable benefits. However, pregnancy is also a physically and emotionally taxing experience because of the pain and discomfort that can go hand in hand with anatomical changes.
Pilates and Pregnancy
Pregnancy is one of the most meaningful and remarkable experiences in a woman’s life. Physical radiance, the surge of endorphins, and excitement about becoming a mother for the first time or again are among the most enjoyable benefits. However, pregnancy is also a physically and emotionally taxing experience because of the pain and discomfort that can go hand in hand with anatomical changes.
Survey Finds Personal Training on Top; Aerobics on Decline
SAN DIEGO-Personal training still is the most successful program for retaining newcomers, according to a survey by IDEA Health & Fitness Association.The survey showed a growing trend toward putting people first before choosing the mode of exercise, which is reinforced by the variety of programs now available to meet a wide range of consumer needs regardless of age or physical condition, say…
Wet workout
When you think of using the pool for fitness, you probably imagine swimmers doing laps. Although swimming is a fantastic workout, it's time to rethink the pool as another frontier of fitness, a liquid athletic training ground, if you will.So say goodbye to aqua aerobics, and make way for a new generation of water-based classes.This summer, instructors across the country have been exp…
Twist the day away with Gyrotonic
Sabrina Aspesi straddles a wood and metal exercise machine that resembles a reincarnation of a medieval torture rack – complete with pulleys, chains and weight plates. Her torso bends forward and back, arms and hands pushing and pulling two large knobs in fluid, sweeping, circular movements – as if stirring a giant vat of milk.This is the Gyrotonic workout, a regimen that some fitness-in…
Yoga and Pilates More Popular on Their Own
Although those who offer classes that
fuse yoga or Pilates with other
modalities expect these types
of sessions to grow, so far
they have not taken off.
Pilates and yoga remain
independent activities.
This section of the article is still in the process of conversion to the web….
The Ground-Floor Guru
Subject: Bruno Bosardi
Company: The Body Alchemist
Heal Thyself. Bruno Bosardi, Pilates and Gyrotonic® exercise trainer in San Diego, happened upon these two training methodologies just as many other instructors and practitioners do: once a professional dancer, Bosardi began to experience chronic back problems that eventually ended …
Pilates Meets Belly Dance in BellyCore
Melissa Michalak, a dancer and fitness professional based in New York City, has created BellyCore, a combination of Middle Eastern dance and Pilates exercises. Michalak’s program, offered
in a Cardio Bellydance DVD, starts with a Pilates-based warm-up and then incorporates belly dance moves to provide a cardio workout. The goal is to enjoy the flexibility and spinal mobi…
Pilates Useful for Those With Parkinson’s
What specialty body-mind-spirit programs, if any, do you or your facility offer to help people with chronic conditions such as arthritis, Parkinson’s
disease or fibromyalgia? Alternatively, do you or your facility offer specialty body-mind skills programs for older adults or other special populations to provide support on multiple levels (e.g., social…
Pilates-Based Exercises for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Are your clients complaining of back pain, or do they describe themselves as having a “bad back?” If so, their complaints are not uncommon. The Mayo Clinic recently reported that 4 out of 5 adults experience at least one bout of back pain at some point during their lifetime. Considering these statistics, the likelihood of your encountering clients with back problems is quite high.
Presence: The Power of Intention
Every person attending a yoga or Pilates class does so with an intention in mind. Quite simply, an intention is a commitment to achieve some specific purpose. The intention of an exerciser might relate directly to improving health or enhancing physical appearance ? or it might be limited to making social contacts.
Central Moves
The core holds the body in alignment and allows the extremities to move in a more efficient and effective manner. Pilates helps increase core strength and stabilization by creating simultaneous demands for strength and flexibility. The result:
enhanced movement quality. The body moves the way it was designed to move. The following exercises move progressively from one movement pattern t…
Pilates Effective for Low-Back Pain
Low-back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability in the United States, accourding to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Among neurological ailments, only headache is more prevalent. As a body-mind exercise professional, you no doubt encounter numerous clients with varing degrees of low-back discomfort.
Music in Pilates Classes?
Typically, music isn’t a component in Pilates classes. The reasoning: It’s already hard enough to make the initial body-mind connection without the added distraction. When people are new to Pilates classes, they need to hear and understand the directives and explanations. The focus is on breath control, alignment, stability and maintaining a neutral spine, not on rhythm and lyrics.
Body Knowledge: Modifying Pilates for Clients With Osteoporosis
One in every 2 women and 1 in every 4 men aged 50 or older will suffer an osteoporosis-related hip, spine or wrist fracture during their lives (National Osteoporosis Foundation [NOF] 2005). Among women over 50, 1 in every 2 who walk into your classes has low bone density and is at risk for fracture (NOF 2005).
Feedback from the Field: Pilates Exercises
In the last issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review, we asked “What Pilates move do you find yourself practicing most often in daily life and why? Here’s what you had to say. “I find myself practicing ’navel to spine’ more often than any other exercise.
Case Report: Pilates Training Helps Runner
If you have a client who loves to run but is stymied by hip or pelvis problems,
Pilates might help.
A functionally based Pilates intervention program that focused on restoring
correct lower-extremity alignment returned running ability to an experienced
high-level female runner. In the case study, health professionals at the University
of Connecticut School of Allied Health…
Reader Feedback – Pilates Mat Exercises
In the September issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review, we asked the question “When teaching mat Pilates, what is the most difficult exercise or concept for new clients to master? What methods do you use to help them grasp the move?” …
Body Knowledge: Successful Cuing for Pilates
How often have you given a cue and had a client respond, “Oh, now it makes sense!” or “Wow, that feels totally different!” or of course my favorite, “No one has ever told me that!” A well-directed cue that hits the mark can bring about a change immediately …
Pilates Modifications for Men
Some popular Pilates exercises can put strain on the low back in men with typical postural imbalances. However, when modified with male bodies in mind, these exercises can be safe and helpful …