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. 

  

    Is Pilates Good for Seniors?

          By Kathryn Russell

Pilates is a great exercise choice for seniors because it addresses many of the issues associated with aging such as loss of balance, decreased flexibility and stooped posture.  Pilates exercises strengthen the core and increase stability in the joints, which improves balance.   

There are many Pilates exercises that are designed to increase scapular mobilization which minimizes the rounding of the upper back.  Your Pilates instructor can guide you safely through spinal articulation exercises that not only feel wonderful but can help minimize compression in the spine and increase your flexibility.

Here is a warm up exercises to try at home:

Pelvic Mobility warm up

     Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.  Have your heels in line with your sitting bones.   Flatten your shoulder blades onto the floor (you may need a pillow under your head ) and notice how your ribcage feels heavy and comfortable on the floor.

Imagine that your pelvis is a soup bowl with the pubic bone being one edge of the bowl and your belly button the other.  Bring your “soup bowl” into a neutral position and breathe without tipping your bowl.  Now tilt your bowl toward your feet (your back with arch slightly) and now tilt it toward your chest (your low back will flatten onto the floor).  Do this several times with control.  Doesn’t that feel great?

Does Pilates Improve Your Posture?

Does Pilates Improve Your Posture?

by Paul Meripol

I have been thinking about something my client Joe told me a while back.  Joe said that when he squeegees his shower door in the mornings, he moves from his core now.  He doesn’t just pull the squeegee down with his hand and arm, he pulls it from his center.  It’s the same thing when I reach up to close the windows in the studio - the effort originates from my center.  Pilates teaches us a new way to inhabit our bodies.  We stand taller, we sit straighter, and we bend and reach more efficiently and safely.  And those postural changes have profound effects.

Here’s something I want you to try right now.  I learned it from Dr. Brent Anderson of Polestar Pilates.  Sit back in your chair and slump down.  Round your shoulders and back, look down at your lap – sit like a teenage boy about to get called into the Principal’s office.  Now smile.  How does it feel?  Now lift up your chest and sit tall and balanced on your sit bones with your spine long, your shoulders balanced over your hips, and your head lifted over your shoulders.  Smile again.  Does it feel different?  Amazing!