Beach Body Pilates Results

Hello Pilates Friends, 

I just had to share this with you. One of my clients was smart enough to take pictures before she started her beach body Pilates programme. She did a group apparatus class 3 times a week combined with cardio and a good diet. The pictures show off her month of hard work! 

Well done! 

Real life people, getting real results!

     Before           After                   Before          After

From the Floor to the Core: 4 "Steps" For a Better Back

You probably know someone that has it.  You might even be suffering with it yourself.  Chances are back pain is an unfortunate, but familiar occurrence that is serious enough to interfere with your everyday life.  And it is more common than you might think.  The statistics are staggering.  It is estimated that approximately 85% of Americans will incur an episode of back pain in their lifetime.  But did you know that the most conspicuous culprit is not actually your back, but your feet?

The feet are the foundation for our entire body.  With approximately 7,000 proprietors, they are the most densely innervated part of the body (the second is the spine).  There are locations in the structures of the foot that "communicate" directly with segments of the spine and pelvis and vice versa.  So, for every portion of the foot that does not have a healthy link to the floor, there is a corresponding weakness in the back.  These shortcomings are very likely to create a compromised postural habit or improper compensation that will cause pain in the body.

The feet are the first station of our body's coordination and dance with gravity.  The energy drawn up from the floor through our feet is like a recoil (think suction cup) that filters it's way through the pelvic floor, transverse abdominals, and diaphragm. When these structures are optimally aligned, stacked like building blocks, our spine and pelvis are able to achieve a natural flexibility and strength to ensure correct posture.  A healthy arch in the foot enables the postural muscles of the body (pelvic floor, transverse abdominals, diaphragm, and multifidus) to work well.  The kinetic energy drawn up from the floor through the feet allow the skeletal structures (pelvis and spine) to properly bear weight and create a dynamic rhythm of the bones thereby improving posture and gait.

So if our feet are so vitally important, why is it that we often overlook them?  Think about your daily routine.  You probably roll out of bed in the morning, take a shower, brush your teeth.  You then dress for the day and get into your car.  You drive to work, sit in a chair for 8 hours, drive home, eat and then collapse into a heap onto your couch. How much time out of your day was spent getting up from a position where your hips were lower than your knees?  Probably very little. The body requires hundreds of muscles to perform this task.  And working this way reinforces the importance of the foot's relationship to the spine.  As a "civilized" society, we spend very little time on the ground or rising from the floor so we've lost our ability to strengthen the biomechanics of our feet.  Our feet have become de-conditioned and weak and therefore, so has our spine.

Want to work your feet more effectively?  Here are 4 easy "steps" that we can all do everyday to improve the health of our feet...

1.  Get on the floor
Spend some time sitting on the floor on your knees.  Practice this by either sitting on your heels, with either the toes curled underneath you or top of the arch of your foot on the floor.  If you have difficulty doing this because of knee or hip issues, place a pillow or two underneath your seat on your heels.  You should sit in this posture for as long as you can, increasing the amount of time everyday.  This position encourages flexibility through the hips and lubricates the joints.  Sitting on your toes also provides the required strength for push off in an efficient gait pattern.

2.  Take off your shoes! (and socks)
For most of us, our feet are stuffed into cramped shoes for too long during the day, desensitizing us to the floor. Socks can act in the same way.  Think of the socks on your feet like gloves for your hands.  How difficult would it be to button your shirt with mittens on?   When was the last time you really felt the floor?  Walking on uneven surfaces with bare feet, such as rocks or a sandy beach, directly stimulates the firing patterns of segments of the multifidus, a major core muscle in the spine.  Additionally, if adequate glide in the ankle does not exist, the hips and back have the potential to lock up as well.  The gliding action of the ankle bone as it negotiates an irregular surface stimulates movement of the hip bones and the pelvis since the heels and sitz bones mirror each other.  Freedom in the ankle creates the potential for a more released spine. 

3.  Take the stairs
The next time you're tempted to hop into an elevator, use the long way.  The secret is that you need to get your whole foot on the stairs.  Ascending stairs with only the forefoot engages the quads and calves.  Overuse of these muscles can lock up the ankles and therefore the pelvis.  Walking up stairs by pressing through the heel strengthens the whole back line of the body, primarily the hamstrings and glutes.  Proper engagement of these muscles encourage the disassociation of the thigh from the pelvis and spine, so that you can move your leg without affecting the back.  Often people with back problems walk by swinging their leg and pelvis together as they step forward.  This faulty pattern of movement causes extraneous weight to be shifted directly onto the back when walking.

4.  Have a ball
One of the most inexpensive and simple tools for strengthening and stretching your feet is a tennis ball.  Work your feet by standing on the ground with one foot on the ball.  Roll your foot on the ball with both feet in parallel.  Focus on the inside, middle and outside of your foot.  Make sure to apply adequate pressure onto the ball.  For some this can be uncomfortable as you are loosening the plantar fascia, or connective tissue, underneath your foot.  It also conditions the bottom of your foot.  The fascia underneath the foot must be supple enough to conform to the surface off the floor, but also strong enough to negotiate and rebound from it.  

As you can see, we can all take simple to dramatically improve the integrity of our spine and feet. Vitality and well being are never more than 4 "steps" away. 

Guest Post by Angelique, PMA-Certified Pilates TeacherAngelique is a native of Southern California and a graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in English.  She began ballet at age 5 and continued to dance and teach professionally for more than 20 years. Introduced to pilates after a hip injury while still in her teens, she became fascinated with the intricacies and complexities of movement. She pursued her first Pilates certification through The PhysicalMind Institute in New York in 2003 where she trained with Master Teacher Elizabeth Gillies. Profoundly influenced by Ms. Gillies dedication to rehabilitation and innovation, Angelique strives to instill a clarity and deep understanding of the work to her diverse clientele such as those with back pain, fibromyalgia, hip replacement, osteoporosis, ACL replacement and scoliosis. Through intuitive cueing and a meticulous eye for form and proper body mechanics, she provides a unique experience for each client and their personal needs and goals.  Angelique has also trained extensively in Pilates protocols for pre and post natal clients and is certified in BalleCore BARRE Mat Pilates.  She earned her second Pilates certification in 2008 by completing the BASI Comprehensive Teacher Training Program.  In 2011 she graduated from Long Beach Dance Conditioning's Core Intelligence Course taught by Master Teacher, Marie Jose Blom-Lawrence.  Additionally, she is certified by the Pilates Method Alliance.  Angelique finds inspiration from her many amazing and devoted clients at Bella Forma.

The First Generation of Pilates Instructors

Ever wish that you could turn back the clock and be in a specific place and time to actually experience what it must have been like to be at a place and time. Well we all know that we have iPads but no such machine has been invented for good reasons I think. The best we can do is gather history clips and formulate our own picture of what it must have been like.  I have wondered what it must have been like to be once of those people that Joseph taught and then the process they went through to be instructors and studio owners come mentors. Here is a brief outline of those first Pilates people under the work of the inventor Joseph Pilates, Many people now trace back their lineage to these instructors. 

 There was Clara Pilates the wife of Joseph Pilates. She obviously worked so closely with Joseph and continued the work when he had passed on.  A close student of Joe was Romana Kryzanowska who became the director at the studio when he passed away. She is one of the most well known keepers of the classical Pilates tradition. Mary Bowen took a different career path but still continues to tach Pilates.  Robert Fitzgerald opened his own studio in New York City Ron Fletcher was a dancer with the Martha Graham dance company. He opened a studio in Los Angeles and developed his own style of Pilates called Fletcher Work which he continues to teach. Eve Gentry was a dancer who, like Ron Fletcher, brought her dance training into her work as a Pilates teacher thereby expanding the Pilates teachings. In 1991 she was one of the founders of the Institute for the Pilates Method. Kathy Grant was one of only two students who was actually certified to teach Pilates by Joseph Pilates himself, Kathy Grant taught Pilates at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York City, holding a faculty position there since 1988. She passed away May, 27, 2010. Jay Grimes was another dancer, he studied extensively with Joseph Pilates and with Clara Pilates after Joe's death. He also studied with Romana Kryzanowska and eventually taught with her. He continues to teach Pilates. Bruce King was a member of the Merce Cunningham dance company. He opened a Pilates studio in New York City. Lolita San Miguel was certified to teach Pilates by Joseph Pilates and taught for many years. She founded Pilates Y Mas Inc. She continues to teach Pilates. Carola Trier was the first person to open her own Pilates studio with Joseph Pilates personal blessing. 


Now you can have fun going down the internet rabbit hole with all these pilates history makers, enjoy! 

Get the Ball Rolling --Demystifying the "C Curve"

Is your "open leg rocker" more like "open leg dropper?"  Does your "teaser" leave you tense? 

If you're in class asking yourself, "Why can't I do this?'  You are not alone. 
Rolling exercises habitually invoke a collective sense of frustration from many pilates clients, regardless of their skill level or abdominal strength.   

The inability to roll on your spine smoothly and with control can be incredibly humbling.  And there are plenty of exercises in the Pilates repertoire that involve this skill: rolling like a ball, roll up, roll over, neck pull, just to name a few. 

So what is it about these particular exercises that causes such difficulty?    The answer lies literally in the shape of your spine.  Often people with certain posture types (tendencies in position of the spine and pelvis) have a much tougher time with these types of movements.  Quite simply, certain posture types curve more readily than others. 

Our spines have two naturally occurring curves, one at our upper back (thoracic curve) and the other in the small of our back (lumbar curve).  One of the many things these curves do is act as shock absorbers for dispersing the torque and forces that we incur throughout our everyday lives.

An exaggerated lumbar curve (lower back) is called lordosis.  People with lordotic spines typically have tighter hamstrings and hip flexors.  They also tend to have a lower back that is tight and short and somewhat inflexible because the pelvis biases towards an anteriorly tilted position (hipbones spilling forward to the toes, tail bone pointing to the ceiling). 

The ability to create a "C curve" is essential in the success of mastering most rolling exercises.  Mimicking the shape of a "C" this curve occurs when the upper back and pelvis are flexed forward (hipbones tipping backward, tail bone pulling forward to the nose, nose to the tail bone).   It is can described as a scooping or hollowing sensation and the abdominals work beautifully in this position to protect the lower back, activate the core and allow the spine to roll. 

People with lordosis can have a fairly difficult time placing their hips in neutral pelvis (hip bones on the same plane with the pubic bone).  To then ask the pelvis to tilt into a "C curve" puts an even greater demand on the already tight lower back and hamstrings since it is the exact opposite of the naturally occurring preferred position of their pelvis.  It is no wonder that for these people, "rolling like a ball" quite literally leaves them flat.  Therefore, it is rare that a client's ability to roll is solely a question of their strength, experience or even effort.  Posture type definitely plays a huge hand in one's ability to roll. 

So if you think you have a lordotic spine or just seem to have a tough time creating an effective "C curve" try these tips.  

1.  Give yourself a few extra repetitions of an exercise.  Sometimes your back needs a few repetitions before it fully releases / lengthens appropriately. 

2.  Use a prop.  Balls, bands, bars, straps often will provide the right leverage in assisting your pelvis to tilt properly.  Try sitting up against a rolled towel for the roll up.  It works wonders. 

3.  Use a modified version of the exercise first to get you to the full version later.  Placing your hands on the back of your thighs verses on your ankles for "rolling like a ball" is a great modification to lessen the tension and tightness of the back. 

Give it a try.  You'll be rockin' and rollin' in no time. 


Thanks to Angelique for this article.


Angelique, PMA-Certified Pilates Teacher
Angelique is a native of Southern California and a graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in English.  She began ballet at age 5 and continued to dance and teach professionally for more than 20 years. Introduced to pilates after a hip injury while still in her teens, she became fascinated with the intricacies and complexities of movement. She pursued her first Pilates certification through The PhysicalMind Institute in New York in 2003 where she trained with Master Teacher Elizabeth Gillies. Profoundly influenced by Ms. Gillies dedication to rehabilitation and innovation, Angelique strives to instill a clarity and deep understanding of the work to her diverse clientele such as those with back pain, fibromyalgia, hip replacement, osteoporosis, ACL replacement and scoliosis. Through intuitive cueing and a meticulous eye for form and proper body mechanics, she provides a unique experience for each client and their personal needs and goals.  Angelique has also trained extensively in Pilates protocols for pre and post natal clients and is certified in BalleCore BARRE Mat Pilates.  She earned her second Pilates certification in 2008 by completing the BASI Comprehensive Teacher Training Program.  In 2011 she graduated from Long Beach Dance Conditioning's Core Intelligence Course taught by Master Teacher, Marie Jose Blom-Lawrence.  Additionally, she is certified by the Pilates Method Alliance.  Angelique finds inspiration from her many amazing and devoted clients at Bella Forma.

"LESS is more"

In pilates you'll often gain optimal results from an exercise when you make your movements smaller rather than larger.  As with most things in life, "less is more." That's right. You read it.  In a world were we shop for 45 rolls of toilet paper at a time, drink from coffee cups large enough to fill our gas tanks and eat muffins capable of feeding a family of four....Bigger is not always better.

It is common practice to go to extreme ranges of motion during an exercise because it makes us "feel" like we are working harder, but are we really?  The opposite is most likely true.  Next time you have a moment like this ask yourself, "What am I really feeling?"  Understanding where a movement comes from and what muscles should be used to initiate it is the essence of the work of pilates.  And arguably, at times it can be even more important than the actual movement itself.  Exercises where there is very little or even no movement incurred can literally produce a brow-full of sweat and a mountain of shaking muscles which is so much more effective than moving in an exaggerated way, just for the sake of creating motion.

Sometimes the names of exercises can be somewhat misleading / deceptive in that the mind shifts the focus to the particular body part named--leg circles, arm circles--just to name a few.  The objective of these particular exercises is not to create the biggest circle possible, but instead to be exceptionally steady and solid in the trunk and core despite the circular action of the limb.  Try shifting your mentality.  Instead of wondering if your movement is big enough, evaluate to see if you're making a connection to your core during the exercise. And if you're not, the question should then be why and what can I do to make one.  One strategy may be to limit your range of motion. Frequently moving your extremities beyond a certain point actually makes it harder to stabilize your core. For example, when your arms move behind your shoulders during an arm circle, the muscles required to stabilize your shoulder girdle and trunk are simply not accessible.  And even worse, other muscles--the dreaded "traps"--are very likely to take over. You may not be feeling any core muscles because they simply can't engage due to the position you are in. So don't be afraid to be conservative and employ restraint.  It is absolutely okay if you aren't moving as high, wide or far as the person next to you.

It can be difficult to employ this technique, especially if you have a tendency to hyper-extend your joints (knees, elbows, etc.) as most of us do.  However, just because you can move your body to an extreme position, doesn't necessarily mean that you should.  And as with any habit it takes mindful practice to create new muscle memory.  Be patient.  Give yourself time to work in this different way.  Changes such as these won't happen overnight, but when they do will dramatically transform your posture and the way you move.

Try thinking about creating length and depth throughout your body during your movement.  Imagine someone gently pulling on your limb right before you lift or move it. Visualize moving the biggest part of the extremity first.  In the case of lifting the leg to your side, rather than thinking of raising your foot off the ground, focus on reaching the thigh bone away from your trunk as you raise the leg instead.  These techniques will not only help you to establish the proper range of motion and form for each exercise, but also create a wonderfully deep connection to your core as well.

So remember, the next time you're in the studio taking a lesson or class, tell yourself..."Go big or go PILATES!"


Special thanks to Angelique Christensen for this guest post.

Angelique, PMA-Certified Pilates Teacher
Angelique is a native of Southern California and a graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in English. She began ballet at age 5 and continued to dance and teach professionally for more than 20 years. Introduced to pilates after a hip injury while still in her teens, she became fascinated with the intricacies and complexities of movement. She pursued her first Pilates certification through The PhysicalMind Institute in New York in 2003 where she trained with Master Teacher Elizabeth Gillies. Profoundly influenced by Ms. Gillies dedication to rehabilitation and innovation, Angelique strives to instill a clarity and deep understanding of the work to her diverse clientele such as those with back pain, fibromyalgia, hip replacement, osteoporosis, ACL replacement and scoliosis. Through intuitive cueing and a meticulous eye for form and proper body mechanics, she provides a unique experience for each client and their personal needs and goals. Angelique has also trained extensively in Pilates protocols for pre and post natal clients and is certified in BalleCore BARRE Mat Pilates. She earned her second Pilates certification in 2008 by completing the BASI Comprehensive Teacher Training Program. In 2011 she graduated from Long Beach Dance Conditioning's Core Intelligence Course taught by Master Teacher, Marie Jose Blom-Lawrence. Additionally, she is certified by the Pilates Method Alliance. Angelique finds inspiration from her many amazing and devoted clients at Bella Forma.

Pilates Anytime | Workshop - Interview with Madeline Black - Madeline Black - 03/09/2011

Pilates Anytime | Workshop - Interview with Madeline Black - Madeline Black - 03/09/2011

A really interesting personal history of  the many paths of Pilates

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