Inspiration of the Month

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anne

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start? I have only been practicing Pilates since November 2013.  I had tried fitness classes and different types of yoga but never really found my niche.  An avid runner and self-described “gym-rat,” I really wanted something that would complement my usual work outs.  Pilates forced me to slow down and to balance my mental AND physical needs.

What benefits have you seen by committing to a regular Pilates practice? It’s surprising how many times I consider Pilates each day.  From my posture while sitting at my desk in the office, to feeling more strength in my legs and core on my long runs, and even just remembering to breathe, Pilates is really improving all aspects of my life.

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
My absolute favorite piece of equipment is the Chair. It’s small but packs a mighty work out!

What would you say to someone thinking about starting Pilates? It’s funny because I probably sound like a broken record to my friends and family because I’ve been recommending Pilates to everyone since I started.  It’s a great addition to your traditional cardio and weight training programs- the perfect combination of core work and mindfulness.  I even got my husband (a personal trainer up in Cedar Rapids) to come with me to a recent Saturday morning class. He loved the class  (and our classmates) and is definitely coming back!

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 38: The Home Stretch

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Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog! We are 38 weeks along and baby is still about the length of a watermelon – 18 to 22 inches. I had a doctor’s appointment this week and my physician said that baby’s head has dropped even further and boy can I tell! Not only does my belly feel lower, but it almost feels like I pulled a muscle at the lowest part of my baby bump. My guess is that those muscles have been stretched so far that any additional pressure from baby just tugs at them.

Other than feeling large and the occasional low back pain and foot/ankle/calf swelling, I really do feel quite well. Strangers at the grocery store smile at me and ask when I’m due. There’s something about a visibly pregnant woman that just makes people happy.

This week Carey and I focused again on stretching and gentle movements. We started seated on the big Pilates ball and did some side bending and small hip movements – side to side, tucking and extending, and circles each direction. We then moved to the mat and used the half barrel to prop me up into a semi-seated position. Carey placed a small ball under my head to support my head and neck. She then handed me a two-pound weight for each hand. We did arm circles in each direction and a straight arm open and close where my hands started above my chest and then opened out to the side and back. These arm movements really helped to stretch across my chest and it felt good to move my shoulders.

We then used the Tower for two traditional and unmodified Pilates exercises: chest expansion and thigh stretch. I wasn’t able to stretch as far back in thigh stretch as I could before becoming pregnant, but the stretch still felt great across my thighs and lower abdomen.

Week38

We finished with a standing shoulder stretch using the foam roller (see photo to the right). Generally we teach this stretch with the client lying on the mat with the foam roller under her shoulder blades. She then presses her feet into the mat to lift her hips and rolls front to back across her upper back and shoulder blades.

I can still lie flat on my back, but it’s considerably more work to lift my hips and move my body front to back than it was a few months ago. As a modification, Carey had me place the foam roller against the wall, and then get the stretch by straightening and bending my legs. This version felt great and is a gentle way to sneak in a few extra squats!

Thanks for sharing this experience with me! I’ll be back next week (unless baby comes first).

-Cassie

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 37: Preparing for Delivery and Post-Pregnancy Recovery

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Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog! According to my app, this week the baby is the length of a watermelon – about 19-22 inches. My app also says that he should be around 6.5 pounds, but we know from my last ultrasound that he blew past that landmark weeks ago! We’ll guess that he’s somewhere in the 8-9 pound range.

I’ve noticed this week that I am slowing down – big time. I have mastered the pregnant lady waddle and am not only slow moving, but slow to get up and down. This affects our Pilates lessons, as we’re able to fit fewer exercises into our 50 minutes together, but they are still fabulous nonetheless.

This week our workout focused on stretching and releasing muscle tension. Carey and I talked a little bit about delivery and the importance of learning to let go. We also started looking ahead to post-pregnancy recovery. As a mother of three and movement enthusiast, Carey shared some of the little movements she started doing after her children were born. These movements include Kegels, gently engaging her abdominal muscles, walking short distances, and arm circles in bed.

Note: the amount of exercise that you do post-pregnancy should be a decision that’s made between you and your healthcare provider.

So, with the focus on delivery and reducing muscle tightness, Carey had me start standing, holding on to the red rope. The red rope, which comes from the Ron Fletcher school of Pilates, is essentially three six-foot-long strips of terrycloth that are braided together. Because the rope is made of terrycloth it has a little bit of give. Carey had me hold the rope taut in front of my body with my hands near the ends. On an inhale, I slowly lifted the rope up over my head and then exhaled and brought the rope behind my body. We then reversed the movement, bringing the rope back in front of my body. This movement is great for opening up the shoulders and chest.

Next we worked on stretching the side waist and chest with some half barrel exercises. To begin, Carey had me lie on my side with the left side of my torso resting on the half barrel, my left arm reaching long to the mat, and my legs comfortably resting on the mat. Working to lengthen through my right side waist, Carey had me take a big inhale as I reached my right fingertips toward my left hand and then exhale as I brought the hand back down by my side (essentially a modified version of Mermaid).

Then, Carey had me start in the same position, except with both hands overhead. From there, I reached back with my right hand and rolled slightly onto my back, opening my chest in a very nice stretch. We repeated that move 5-8 times (see photos).

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See you next week (unless baby arrives first)!

-Cassie

 

Pilates and Pregnancy – Weeks 35 and 36: Big Baby on Board!

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Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog! It has been quite the eventful couple of weeks around here. We moved to a brand new, larger studio. It’s beautiful and allows us to offer more classes – including new Barre classes and expanded yoga and Pilates options. Life was a little crazy during the transition and so Carey and I weren’t able to sneak my private in, but we’re back on track now and excited to share news from my last ultrasound.

My doctor thought that the baby might be measuring ahead and so we scheduled an ultrasound for 35 weeks and 3 days. I could tell right away that something was up because baby measured in at least the 97th percentile for every measurement the ultrasound technician took! Baby is completely fine and healthy – but he’s big! He was measuring 8 lbs. 3 oz. with four and a half weeks to go. My doctor isn’t worried about gestational diabetes (I was tested and passed) and said that it just might be that we’ll have a big baby. The news isn’t completely a surprise. The men in my life were big babies too: my husband was 9 lbs. 13 oz.; my dad was 9 lbs. 12 oz.; and my 15-month old nephew was 9 lb. 13 oz.

So with the news of a big baby, Carey and I jumped into our private lesson at 36 weeks pregnant. Although I shouldn’t be surprised at all, I was excited about how good it felt to move! I move much slower now that I did during the first and second trimesters. My low back is tight, my feet and ankles are often swollen, and my outer hips hurt if I stand too long or do too many strenuous movements. Taking everything into account, Carey tailored a perfect Pilates session that was gentle and therapeutic while still challenging.

We started with standing stretches: rolling my shoulders front and back, twisting gently side to side through the spine, and rolling my neck in easy circles. Just those simple movements loosened up the tension I didn’t even realize I was holding. We then moved to the Chair and warmed up a little more with Footwork and a Piriformis stretch.

Our new space has a designated Barre/yoga room and so Carey and I used the barre to do two ballet-inspired moves next. To begin, Carey had me place one hand on the barre and stand about an arms-length away with my legs in a wide turnout. We did two sets of squats. During the first set, I kept my feet flat on the floor and during the second (which was more challenging) we did the squats with our heels lifted. Both versions felt nice. I was able to get a deeper hip stretch with my feet flat on the floor, but the extra work through my quads to squat with my heels lifted felt good too.

The second ballet-inspired move was a big kick back. Carey had me face the barre and hold on with both hands. Keeping one leg bent, we kicked the leg back and then drew it forward in a big arc front to back (see photo below). The movement helped to stretch out my low belly and front of my hip while simultaneously working my glutes and standing leg.

36 weeks pregnant

If baby stays put, we’ll be back with another installment next week! Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

-Cassie

 

The Best and Cheapest Pilates Prop Ever!

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carey's fav propOne of the things I love most about the Pilates method of exercise is that you can workout just about anywhere.

The Pilates mat work is so versatile. There are so many different options, there is really no excuse not to do a little something as long as you have a comfortable carpet or mat you can use.

I love to be able to mix up my mat work and add in some fun props(or toys as I often call them).  Props can add variety to your workouts and help you engage and work just a little bit more.  There are a lot of great props designed for Pilates and they can range $1.50 to $200+ depending on what they are.

By far one of my favorite and cheapest Pilates prop ever is the  playground ball. 

I just picked up a few small ones today for $1.50 per ball!  The medium sized playground balls were $2.50 per ball!  Check out the video below for a quick mini-workout that would work great with either a medium or small playground ball!

 

 

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 34: Safe Stretches and Standing Leg Work

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Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog! I am 34 weeks along and baby is roughly the size of a pineapple. He is likely between 19 and 22 inches long and at least 4.9 pounds.

I have been feeling pretty well although my heels occasionally hurt when I’ve been on my feet too long. I searched the internet to find out why my heels might be hurting and the answer was pretty simple. Basically, as my stomach grows my body shifts posture to accommodate the extra weight up front and I end up leaning back for balance, thus shifting weight into my heels. As a remedy, I’ve been soaking my feet, applying foot lotion, and wearing socks to bed.

Another side effect of my growing belly is that muscles get tight that otherwise would work in balance with my other muscles. In particular, my outer hips and inner thighs. To combat the tightness, Carey had me focus on both exercising and stretching those muscles. We started with standing side leg kicks using the high barrel for balance. The side leg kick series is a traditional series of leg movements performed while lying on your side on the mat. That version is good for pregnant women too, but the work to stand while doing side leg kicks adds a level of difficulty to the movement.

Standing with one hand on the high barrel for balance, we did 3-5 of each of the following leg movements on each leg:

  1. Side leg lifts – extending your leg straight out at your side and lowering it back down
  2. Bent leg kick backs – keeping your knee bent and foot flexed, kick your leg behind you to open the front of your hip and lower it back down
  3. Développé – a classic ballet-inspired Pilates move where you start with your leg externally rotated at hip height and then pull the toes in to drag along the standing leg, bending the knee as the toes slide up the leg, and then straightening the leg back to its starting position (and then the reverse)
  4. Rond de jambe – another ballet-inspired Pilates move where you sweep one leg forward and then lift it out to your side and behind you in a half-circle movement (and then the reverse)

After working the legs, we did a nice stretch called Scooter on the Reformer. Scooter is a modified version of front splits that gives a great stretch without having to worry about balancing in a standing position on the Reformer – or, in my case – trying to bend down over my big belly to reach the footbar. (See photo to the right.)

Week 34 Scooter

To start, Carey had me line my right toes up with the front of the Reformer while placing my left knee on the carriage and bracing my left foot up against the shoulder block for stability. I held on to the footbar for support. To stretch, I inhaled as I pushed back with both legs until I felt a stretch in the back of my standing leg and the front of my kneeling hip. I repeated this movement 4-5 times on each side, each time trying to gently stretch a tiny bit further. The stretches felt great!

Check back next week for ultrasound updates!

-Cassie