The Weight of the World...

Is resting on your shoulders. Or at least that's what it often feels like, doesn't it? Who hasn't experienced tight, cramped, knotted muscles in the neck and shoulders after a long, stressful day. Muscle strain in this area of the body can contribute to rounded shoulders, poor posture and even tension headaches. Overly active shoulder muscles reflect the tension and anxiety we carry with us throughout the course of the day.

Unfortunately, relieving this strain is not as easy as simply telling yourself to relax your shoulders. Because more than likely, five minutes later, your shoulders are back in the same position they were before. If you don't engage the appropriate muscles to properly stabilize the shoulder blades, keeping them in place, it won't matter how much you try to relax your muscles.

Most people don't realize that the shoulder blades, those flat triangular bones that sit on the back, are capable of quite a bit of movement. They can go up and down, towards and away from the spine, and even turn slightly. The ideal position of the shoulder blades is a slight, constant downwards (towards the hips) directional pull. Muscles in the back and trunk (mid to lower trapezius, serratus anterior) are responsible for this depression of the shoulder blades, rather than the muscles in the neck or shoulders themselves. These muscles ultimately become strained and overworked as they were not designed to be used this way and are highly inefficient at this task.

One of the best ways to understand this concept is to think of stabilization of the shoulder blades like the workings of a pulley system. If you were to raise your arm straight up towards your your head, the shoulder blades must draw downwards. Just like a pulley, the higher you lift your arm, the more depression you need in the shoulder blades. Additionally, after a certain degree of lift of the arm, the shoulder blades not only pull downwards but turn, like fans rotating in opposite directions. All of this occurs to create adequate space for the upper arm bone, enable the back and trunk to get stronger and encourage the muscles in the neck and shoulders to relax.

Essentially, the harder you work--the more relaxed you'll be. The next time you're feeling tense and overwhelmed, focus on engaging the muscles in your back and trunk as well as softening your shoulders. So just because you carry the world on your back, doesn't mean that you have to look like you do.

Special thanks to Angelique Christensen for this guest post.

About

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.

Understanding the Importance of the Pelvic Floor

Let's face it, your pelvic floor is probably not a regular topic of
conversation. Yet it is estimated that anywhere from 12 to 15 million people in
the US suffer from incontinence, of which 85% are women. And while there may be
inherited genetic conditions or various disorders and diseases that may
contribute to this unpleasant occurrence, there is no doubt that strong pelvic
floor muscles are crucial for everyone.

Thankfully for most of us the inner workings of our pelvic girdle is intact and
healthy. This system is something that we probably take for granted, unless
problems arise. However, it is a common misconception that incontinence is a
necessary condition of aging or even childbirth.

When thinking of the pelvic floor, first one must understand the basic shape of
the bottom of the pelvis itself. The two prominent bones that you sit on are
called the sitz bones. They are literally the bottom of the pelvis. In the
front of the sitz bones you have your pubic bone and in the back is your
tailbone. Imagine these four bones as a diamond shape.

Now visualize this pelvic diamond like a frame. There are intricate workings of
muscles in this area, but for our sake, think of the muscles between
these four points like a canvas that is being pulled across this frame.
To find your pelvic floor, sit on a chair or stability ball. Inhale and try to
relax the canvas slightly, allowing the muscles to sag. Upon exhalation, pull/lift up (towards the top of the head) this canvas away from the frame. Imagine the muscles pulling away from all four points of your pelvic diamond. Try not to tighten these muscles intensely, but rather apply a subtle contraction to lift the muscles instead. You may have difficulty even finding these muscles at first, however it just takes a little bit of practice. And just like any other
group of muscles in your body they need to be both strong and flexible.

The job of this area of our pelvic diamond is to create a structure of support
for our pelvic organs and resist the effects of gravity. Just like the bottom
of a cardboard box, the pelvic floor needs to be strong to hold the contents of
the pelvis and lower trunk.

As an added bonus, when you engage your pelvic floor you may notice an
involuntary, complimentary engagement of the lower abdominals as well, like a
seat belt tightening across the hips. The intra-abdominal pressure that is
created during correct use of the pelvic floor acts as a brace or splint for the
abdominals and muscles in the back. It is during this exhalation that the core is most effectively engaged to provide stability and reinforcement for the movements of the limbs and body.

The pelvic floor is a dynamic group of muscles capable of amazing power and
support for the whole body. Therefore, take care of your pelvic floor and it will be sure to take care of you too...Do more pilates!

Special thanks to Angelique Christensen for this guest post.

About

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 is not for Sissies!!!

Being the real nerd that I am, I have summarized the number of "by the book" exercises there are in the particular certification that I have to get my head and body around. They sum up to 283 which comprises of mat work, caddillac, reformer, wunda chair, pole, ped-a-pul, magic circle, ladder barrel and step barrel. So being a conscientious student, I decided to devise an action plan for test day and this is what it looks like:

283 (exercises) x 5 mins per exercise x 3 (the number of time I would like to practice each exercise before the test) /60(get the number of hours I am looking at commitment wise) and then scheduling that into my busy days.

Here's to 94 hours of training!!!

A Class With Joseph Pilates

Ever wondered what it must have been like to be in a class with Joesph Pilates? This article so wonderfully gives you a taste of what this must have been. You can almost hear him and want to correct everything as you sit and read this article. Oh the power of the written word!

Turning Exercise on It's Head

Photo by Eric Sanford, courtesy Jacob's Pillow c/o Dance Magazine.

Welcome to Pilates in the City [Chicago]

Welcome to Pilates in the City [Chicago]! This is a place where Pilates Instructors and enthusiasts can find information that will help them in their Pilates pursuit. This is a friendly forum where you can get the latest scoop, tips, comments, ask questions and feel at home as if we were in the studio chatting.

Today I wanted to share this awesome video on Pilates for Amputees that I found. This is a completely unique population to work with. This is a Balanced Body clip that was so fascinating, enjoy!

Pilates and Amputees

Live well & beautifully with Pilates!

Gene