Adults need recess too!!

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playRecess in school is something that most of us would not question.  We know that kids need to move and wear off some energy in able to sit still and get their learning time in.  Can you imagine trying to make a 7 year old sit at a desk for 3 hours or 4 hours at a time without being able to get up?  Do you think they would learn very much or get very much study time in?

Why does this theory of needing movement time and even fresh air and outside time change as we get older and enter adulthood?  Who made the rule that you should be able to sit for long periods of time and get all kinds of work done when you reach a certain age?

There are some adults who have careers and jobs with built in movement time and that is amazing.  I’m guessing many of these people don’t even realize how helpful it is as far as their body’s health to be able to naturally move throughout their day and not have to sit in one spot. They probably don’t realize how movement and even outdoor time can help them be more productive, happy and healthy.

deskIf you are one of those people who has a career that involves sitting anywhere for long periods of time I’m guessing you know how hard it can be on your body. You probably have felt the achy back, sore neck and shoulders and just sluggishness we feel when we don’t move on a regular basis.  So what do you do about it?  How about some planned recess time?  Recess time as an adult could be just about anything like:

  • Walking down the hall to get a drink of water
  • 2 or 3 minutes of stretching or movement at your desk
  • Desk Push Ups
  • a walk outside on your break or lunch time

Need some more ideas on how to add movement time into your life?  Check out our Office Pilates Series designed to give you ideas on how you can incorporate more movement into your daily life even if you are sitting at a desk!!

Pilates is not only an exercise method, it’s a language!

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Book-15There are days when I’m teaching a new client, I say something and they just look at me as if I were speaking a different language.  And then I realize…I am speaking a different language.  As a Pilates instructor, the language and phrases I use to describe movement and to get people to do and feel what I want in their body, are not typical phrases you hear in day to day conversation.  If you are new to the Pilates language I thought I would create a list of some of the most common types of phrases I use  and explain them in normal English!

pilatescuesArticulate
Pilates is very spine focused and we often are trying to “articulate through our spine”.  What does this mean?  Instead of just landing on the mat in one big chunk, you are going to slowly roll down bending through your spine and between each vertabrae in your spine.

Belly to Spine
This cue is often used to remind a student to engage their transverse abdominus.  A common cue in Pilates is to imagine pulling your belly button toward your spine to find the engagement of our deepest layer of abdominal muscles.

Melt through your spine
This is another imagery cue.  When you are rolling down I often use this cue to encourage clients to slowly and with control articulate their back to the mat (instead of just quickly crashing down).

Tuck your tail
Maybe you didn’t know you had a tail?  I often talk about tucking your tail or sticking your tail out behind you in attempts to get clients to move their pelvis into either a posterior or anterior tilt.  Of course you have to pretend like you have a tail to make this one effective!

Big expansive inhale
 This one is pretty descriptive and is kind of what is sounds like. I’m usually asking you to slowly inhale so much that you can feel your rib cage expands in all directions.

Create length in your low back
I often make statements like create length in your back, or your leg, or even your neck.  The Pilates method focuses on learning to use your muscles to decompress your spine and even your limbs so that can move with more ease and efficiency. These cues are used to encourage you to think about what you are trying to create in your body and figure out what muscles you need to engage to do it.

Are there other terms that you have heard in Pilates that you think are part of the Pilates language?

 

 

 

Appreciate the body you have!!!

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As a Pilates teacher I get to work with lots of different bodies that have lots of different things going on and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  There is nothing I love more than being able to help some one figure out how to use movement to empower their body and to truly inspire their life.  I love the challenge of putting myself in my client’s body and then giving them suggestions on how they might move to most benefit their body.

One of the biggest benefits of my teaching time is truly the inspiration and insight I get from working with clients whose bodies don’t feel great.  When I say don’t feel great, I’m not talking about having a tight back or a just not feeling your most energetic self on any given day.  I’m talking about being in constant chronic pain 24/7.  Can you even imagine?   I can tell you that if I get a slight headache or a kink in my back- I am irritated, whiny and just plain unhappy.  I can’t imagine putting on a happy face and living life with chronic pain.  Many of my clients actually do Pilates to minimize chronic pain. The clients come in, grateful for the opportunity to practice Pilates, and appreciative of their bodies, regardless of the pain.

My thoughts?   I want everyone (who is not in pain)  to know how lucky and amazing it is to have a body that can move and bend and twist without pain.  I want to tell everyone to quit worrying about the weight on the scale, the size of your clothes and just start moving your body.   The benefits of movement are so much more than burning calories.

I hope you’ll take a little time to appreciate the amazing body you have!  Take some time to truly appreciate all the wonderful things you can do with it and give yourself a break when it comes to criticizing yourself!