WHAT DOES “MIND-BODY” HAVE TO DO WITH PILATES?

By Kathryn Russell

There is a lot of talk about “mind-body” these days and generally that conjures up thoughts of meditation and yoga.  But Pilates should be added to that list as well.   Pilates is an exercise program that develops strength, flexibility, endurance and core strength, all of which is delivered through a mind-body connection.  When you take a Pilates class your instructor will guide you to move from a certain area in your body (foot work – use your hamstrings to move from your hips as you stabilize your pelvis) but often we (me included!!) are thinking of the email we need to write or the shopping list that is forming in our mind.  Believe me, I know how hard it is to leave the “outside” world at the door and dedicate an hour to yourself!  But when you are able to do just that  the results are profound and will inspire you to do it every time you enter the studio.   Concentrating on the movement of your own body while you work deepens the work, making it more intense and giving you a sense of power that comes from working from the “inside out”.

  

Try this exercise with and without mind – body awareness.

Leg Changes without mind-body connection

Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat. 

Lift your legs into table top. 

Lower one leg and then lift it back to table top.  

Repeat with the other leg.

Leg Changes with mind body connection

Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat.  Feel your shoulder blades flatten on the mat beneath you and your shoulders relax away from your ears.  

Inhale to fill up your back and your sides; exhale to press out all of the air as your ribcage softens and settles comfortably onto the mat. Inhale to prepare.   

Exhale, flatten your abdominal wall and lift one leg into table top.  Inhale. 

Exhale, flatten your abdominal wall and lift the other leg into table top. 

Inhale and, moving from the hip,  lower one leg towards the floor.  Exhale, flatten your abdominal wall and lift back to table top making sure that your ribcage stays comfortably settled on the mat. 

Repeat. 

Different, no?  During your next Pilates session try to focus only on your movment and breath and see what a gift you have given yourself. 

Will Doing Pilates Help Me Lose Weight?
                  by Paul Meripol

Practicing Pilates, especially as a beginner, is not a particularly cardiovascular activity, and so, not a huge calorie burning activity.  Of course, any movement is good movement, and doing Pilates is certainly a lot better than just sitting on the couch watching television!

But time and time again, I see clients who have been doing Pilates for a while losing weight and losing sizes.  There is a magic moment that I have talked about with other teachers, and they all recognize it and have seen it too.  A client comes to me for the first time, and it’s clear she isn’t comfortable with her body. She comes to the studio in loose fitting tee shirts and sweat pants.  For some period of months or maybe even longer she continues to dress like that.  Then, the magic day comes...  She comes in the door wearing chic and snug workout gear.  She has been shopping!

Pilates for many serves as a gateway into a new way of perceiving themselves and their bodies, and passing through that gateway can be profound.  Little changes start accumulating, and taken together they are huge.  We make some changes in our diets or we start another exercise program, because Pilates has shown us just how good exercise can feel.  Because we feel stronger, fitter, happier; we respect our selves in new way, and the weight loss seems almost a byproduct of that.

Is it really that easy?  Well, maybe not.  But, I have seen it time and time again, and I know it happens.

Something else happens too.  The further you progress in your Pilates practice and the deeper your understanding of the practice is, the more cardiovascular and heart-pumping the workout becomes.  There is no workout any more difficult and sweat-inducing than a really excellent, advanced, mat workout that leaves you trembling at the end.  Then, Pilates really is a weigh-loss exercise routine.

So does Pilates help you lose weight?  I say yes!

Does Pilates Make You Taller?

 by Paul Meripol

Our client Julie was commenting the other day that she feels she has grown taller when she compares herself to her Mother, and credits Pilates.  I have noticed the same thing with one of my sons.  When he graduated high school we were exactly the same height.  Now when I stand by him I am just a little bit taller.  It drives him crazy!  So the question is, has Pilates caused me to grow taller?

Well no, we stop growing in our adolescence.   But….Pilates has trained my body to make complete use of all my potential when I stand.  My posture is much improved over years ago.  So, when I stand next to my son now, or Julie stands next to her Mom, we notice that we seem taller.

I think also, that as we progress on our practice, we stand, sit, and move in such a way that those around us notice a certain grace, and power, and integration that may not have been there previously.  We inhabit our bodies, and our space, in a way that engenders a perception of length.

So does Pilates make you grow taller?  No.  Does it train you to find all the length you possess?  Most definitely.  Does it create a perception that you are taller?  I believe so.

Mind, Body, and Baby….Do Pilates and Pregnancy Go Together?

by Marilyn Koval

Pilates is ideal for pregnancy.  As part of a healthy 9 months, Pilates will prepare you for labor and delivery as well as help you to return to your pre-pregnant body after baby arrives.  Working with a qualified and well-trained instructor, you will learn how to feel your best while experiencing the many changes occuring in your body.   With a focus on connecting breath, body, and flowing movements, Pilates encourages relaxation and calm during this most memorable time in a woman’s life. 

Before beginning any exercise program, always consult with your medical doctor.

Try the following as a little introduction to the many exercises a personalized pregnancy program can offer.  This movement allows you to maintain good posture with upper back strength and shoulder stretch.

Chest Expansion

Perform this exercise standing, kneeling or sitting with good posture.  A 2 lb. weight held in each hand is optional.

1.     With arms lengthened and held by your side, inhale to reach arms behind your torso. 

2.     On the same inhale, look right as the arms remain back.

3.     Exhale, return arms to sides and look forward.

4.     Repeat movement and look in the opposite direction.

Repeat 4 to 6 times.