Pilates for an Empowered Life

Tight Hips? Here’s the Fix

By

It’s not news that sitting for prolonged periods of time can reek havoc on your body. Lack of movement can cause bad posture, nagging lower back pain, and neck strain – but did you know that sitting is also the primary cause of hip tightness? Sitting all day means rarely extending your hip flexors which in turn, makes them shorter. This shortening can create an unwanted domino effect on the alignment of your pelvis, lower back and lower body. Sitting all day also means you’re not engaging your glutes, making them harder to do their necessary firing in everyday movement or your workout which can create knee strain. In short, your hips don’t lie – actually they’re pretty much compulsive truth tellers. So let’s hit the play button and get down to the business of hips that need a fix!

Workouts like the Pilates method will aid in full body alignment by lengthening the spine, stabilize the pelvis & working to bring your pelvis into a neutral position. But even if you are a regular Pilates practitioner, if your hips are extremely tight, you may benefit from doing these 5 extra stretches on a daily basis!

1. Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie on your back and gently pull one knee into your chest while keeping the other leg straight. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

2. Figure Four Stretch

Lie on your back and cross your right leg over your left quad. Hold the back of your right leg and gently pull towards you. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

3. Reclining Angle Bound Pose

Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together. Let your knees open and relax towards the floor. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

4. Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch

Kneel on your left knee and place your right foot on the floor in front of you. Gently lean forward, stretching the front of your left leg. Engage your glutes for a deeper stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

5. Pretzel Stretch

Lie on one side and rest your head on your hand. Bend your top leg up as far as it will go and place on the floor. Bend your bottom leg back and grab hold of your foot. Hold for 30 seconds and switch sides.

We’ll see you at the studio!

 

What’s a Pilates Apprentice & Why You Should Snag Sessions With Them While You Can

By

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was Joseph Pilates’ method! So why should it be taught in a day or a weekend course?  At The Pilates Project we believe in teaching Pilates as it was created. We teach the Pilates legacy through Alycea Ungaro’s REAL Pilates teacher training program. All of our Pilates apprentices undertake a 600 comprehensive training course. During the 30 week course, teachers in training learn the original work of Joseph Pilates, all the original exercises and variations on all the pieces of apparatus. They also learn how to teach for all levels of fitness and how to challenge and inspire their students. You should snag your sessions with them while you can and here’s why…

  1. They LOVE Pilates. Our apprentices loved practicing Pilates so much that they committed to becoming Pilates instructors in an extremely intensive and demanding training program. Taking a session with someone who has an abundance of passion and focus is inspiring at the very least and hey – it might even motivate you to take a chance on something new yourself.
  2. They’ve had their “AH-HAH” moment. There’s a moment in a Pilates practice where you finally connect your mind to your body and all the exercises in the system make sense. The moment that makes you go “Oh, now I get it!!” Our apprentices have all had that moment and they can’t wait to share it with you! Ask them what helped them make their connection and what made them go “ah-hah!”
  3. Sessions are usually offered at a CHEAPER rate. Pilates is a commitment both physically and financially. Why not take advantage of adding another session a week at a discounted rate? Ask us about our apprentice session rate to pump up your Pilates practice! 

Get to know some of our apprentices in our Apprentice Spotlight. We hope they inspire you as much as they inspire us!

Pushing Past the Plateau – 3 Easy Ways to Go From Plateau to Progress in Pilates

By

 

We all love instant gratification. We love seeing results fast, especially when it comes to improvements in the way we look and feel. Starting a new workout or weight loss program is prime real estate for those revered and quick results. However, over time you might start to see the effects slow down which might make you question what you’re doing. Don’t. This phenomenon is called the Plateau Effect. It’s nature’s law that if you do something over time, the direct results will begin to diminish. The good thing is that we’re all on a level playing field – it’s our normal biological response to get used to things. You are not doing anything wrong if you feel like you’re not seeing those stunning results you once did. It’s not your fault, it’s just human nature. Here’s a little secret – we can actually trick our bodies into harnessing back that potential for results. It’s possible to push past the plateau and get that progress we all want just by switching things up. Here’s how…

  1. Redesign Your Workout – Sometimes just moving the couch in the living room to the other wall is enough to make people think it’s brand new. The same is true of our bodies. Make a point to change the primary apparatus you use. Normally stick to the Tower? Try scheduling a Reformer class or rev it up in a fast moving Mat. Usually take classes? Try a private instead. Your body will perceive the change as a new workout and you’ll jumpstart your results!
  1. New Voice New Focus – Try switching up your regular instructor for at least one session a week. Although each instructor teaches the same system, everyone has their own unique teaching personality. You might see yourself focusing more on form with one teacher and flow with another. Shifting focus will help to recharge your body and your mind!
  1. Three Times a Charm – Only been taking one or two sessions a week? Try committing to one month of doing 3 sessions of your choice per week. Joseph Pilates himself recommended that the best results would be seen when practicing Pilates 3 times per week. When all else fails – do what Joe would do!

Let us know if you are feeling like you’ve hit a plateau and we’ll help you make the changes we all need. Remember, sometimes the smallest change can make the biggest difference!

Where Should I Be Feeling This?

By

As a Pilates teacher, one of the most common questions I get while teaching is, “where should I be feeling this?” I love this question. It’s a great question and there is only one answer — your Powerhouse. The Powerhouse is a name given to describe a group of many muscles including abs, glutes, thighs, and back muscles. Because there are so many muscles involved in your powerhouse it can be hard (especially for a beginner), to isolate where to feel something – but here are some starting points. 

First, let’s talk about where you shouldn’t be feeling this. You should not feel it in your joints – the knees, ankles, elbows, wrists and even neck. Joints like to take over when the muscles that surround them are weak or out of alignment. For instance, when you are working your thighs in your leg springs you should not feel your knees. If you are doing arm springs you shouldn’t feel your elbow or wrists. If you feel your neck in your ab series, you need to strengthen your upper abs and lats and not recruit the neck muscles to do the movement.

The non-negotiable in all exercises is that you should always feel your deep abdominals. Centering is one of the main pilates principles and you should always feel that you initiate your movements from there. Your abs should work before any extremities and it must be in that order. For example, when performing the stomach massage – the stomach must pull in deeply before your legs move. Once you get those deep abs to work you can work on engaging your thighs and glutes in all of these exercises and then work on engaging your upper back muscles as well to include the whole Powerhouse.

My next tip is to bring your brain to the muscle. Listen to your instructor’s cues and focus your brainpower on the muscle that you need to work. Knowing where to work can shift your attention to that muscle and make it work harder.

Lastly, this SHOULD feel like it is challenging. Plates is a workout and you should feel like you are working! If you don’t – engage your muscles a little harder.

See you at the studio!
– Sandi

MELTing the Pain Away, One Class at a Time

By

(MELT creator Sue Hitzmann, courtesy of www.themeltmethod.com)

If you haven’t  yet heard of The MELT Method®, it’s simple self-treatment technique that reduces chronic pain and helps you live a healthier, more youthful, active life.  Utilizing specialized techniques, along with a soft body roller and four different small balls, MELT rehydrates the connective tissue, rebalances the nervous system, and restores space to compressed joints.

“Connective tissue is like the scaffolding of a building”, says MELT Method instructor Janine Bigos. “If the scaffolding starts to break down, the building breaks down.  It is the same for our bodies – when the connective tissue is dehydrated, it begins to break down, which begins by causing stiffness when you wake up that eventually leads to pain and if not treated, can become chronic.”

MELT Method instructor, Janine Bigos, teaches weekly classes at The Pilates Project.

Why did you start MELTing?
I was introduced to The MELT Method while in Massage Therapy school.  My knee had been bothering me for quite a while from running, but had gotten progressively worse.  One night in school, I came hobbling and limping up the steps.  One of my fellow students asked me what happened and when I explained she asked if I had ever MELTed.  I hadn’t and so she proceeded to take me through a sequence.  When complete I wouldn’t say I felt like running 10 miles but I certainly saw a significant difference and I was not hobbling and limping the way I had when I came in.  I began to take her classes and then eventually saw the value and thought I could help lots of people if I completed the MELT Method training course and so I did.

How did it help you?
In addition to seeing a difference in my knee, I also saw a difference in my posture and the way I stood.  My legs no longer bowed back.  My sleep and digestion improved.  Additionally my workouts improved along with my recovery.  I had then been diagnosed with Chronic Lyme and while many Lyme patients suffer from joint pain, it is one symptom I have never had.  I am a true believer that its because of my MELT practice that I haven’t had that.  It has helped me so much with my Lyme symptoms.

What are the most common benefits your clients have told you they experienced?
I have had so many clients have so many different things improve.  Sleep is probably the most common change i have heard.  I have had clients that haven’t been able to sleep through the night in years, they take a MELT class or MELT at home and they sleep through the night.  Clients that have improved pain from plantar fasciitis, back, neck, knee, shin splints and shoulder pain.  Posture improvements by some (with no intention of changing that), so much so that family members noticed and didn’t even know they had been taking classes.  In addition to helping those that need to heal their bodies, I have worked with teams of athletes that have stayed injury free and improved their games.

Visit https://www.meltmethod.com for more info about the method. If you are interested in MELTing with us please contact studio@thepilatesproject.net for class times.

The Pilates Project Mailing List

Sign up to get The Pilates Project news and updates delivered to your inbox.
Join Our Mailing List