Efficiency in movement is one of the key principles when doing Pilates. Efficient movement will translate into balance as well as focus the movement to the desired muscles. I often talk with my clients about the compensation in movement and how it will cause poor movement patterns, negative feedback to the body and even possible injury. So when you are doing your exercises think of the quality of the work and don’t accept anything less than the purest the movement has to offer

Pilates is a great activity for Cross Training. As an instructor I get bombarded by offers for workshops that include mostly Pilates for Golf - but also, Pilates for Tennis, Pilates for Soccer etc, but the bottom line in all these activities is that Pilates is for Cross Training.

Pilates does not take the place of another activity - rather it will enhance your performance. I have worked with Cyclists, Runners, Triathletes, Swimmers, Weight Lifters, Yoga Teachers and the list goes on and everyone has mentioned that Pilates has improved their performance. 

Why? - Because Pilates teaches the correct mechanics of movement. Through more efficient movement they are able to keep their focus on their sport. By awareness of where they are in space they are able to be in better control.

So whether you want to get your golf score down - or just have a better gym workout - Pilates may be the answer for you.

It must be Wednesday as I am thinking of what recipe to put up. I am trying to stay seasonal so tomatoes are out and I have some great recipes using the tomatoes that friends gave me in the fall. You will have to wait on them.

One of my favorite ways to prepare chicken seems like a great option, and here measures aren’t really important. Here is what you will need

Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil
Butter
Flour
Salt
Fresh Rosemary
1/4 cup Orange Juice or Lemon

Cut the chicken breasts into fingers. I like about 1/4 inch slices
In a small dish or bowl mix the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Even better, place the flour mixture into a plastic bag - this will be like shake and bake when we were kids. Place the Chicken Fingers into the bag and shake until the chicken is coated with the mixture.
In a skillet melt about a little butter combined with Olive Oil
Once it is hot place the chicken into the skillet and cook through - about 2 - 4 minutes a side. Once well browned add the rosemary and deglaze the pan with the orange juice or the juice of one lemon. The juice will thicken with the chicken fingers. 

Serve - either over a potato, or with a salad. You will be surprised how easy this is as well as how tasty

Enjoy

No one would ever say that they love doing ab work - and sit ups are the worst. In an effort to create the perfect abdominal curl - or crunch or what ever you chose to call it - there are countless machines designed to assist in doing the exercise perfectly. At one point in time I have even seen electrical stimulation used to tone the abs. A friend actually tried it and come swim suit season his only comment was - “damn, it didn’t work”.

Now I am not going to claim to have the solution here as you will still have to work at your abs, but done correctly you will find this exercise efficient, you will find little strain on the neck and you will be well prepared for the exercises that follow.

To begin lightly interlace the fingers behind the head, as we are going to work on the core abdominals we need to cue the muscles that segue to the abs. Reach the elbows wide so that the shoulder blades reach around to the rib cage. I even like to think of dimpling under the arm pits. The development of this reach will actually engage a serrated muscle in the shoulder girdle called the Serratus Anterior.

Once the shoulder girdle is engaged you have to release the neck. Lengthen out the back of the head like you are nodding “yes” and the area above the atoms apple should actually come in and up toward the back of the head. This will create a sense of lengthening in the neck. Make sure the eyes remain still in the head neither staring at the ceiling or staring at a wall. 

Next start to bring the ribs down into the floor (or table) pinching the floating ribs down and visualize the chest lifting from the floor while maintaining the long neck. I like to refer to this as the Chest Lift - Head Float - the head lifting only as a result of following the chest. The actual lifting of the chest is done on an exhale. 

As you accomplish your maximum lift do not deliberatly tuck the pelvis, but allow the lower back to relax into the floor. In the upper position the neck should actually be relaxed and you should feel the engagement of the entire abdominal region. 

When you are lifted inhale into the rib cage, then gently lower yourself all the way to the floor. 

Repeat the exercise five times which should be plenty for a warm up. 

My new clients are all surprised at how difficult this exercise is and my clients never get bored with it as over time you just seem to perform the exercise better.

I hope this was a good explanation - maybe there will be a podcast at some point.

The other day I was talking with one of the clients in the studio as he was stretching before his session. Apparently he is very prone to cramps and finds that if he does some active stretching before his session he is less likely to cramp during the session. So this sent me to the web to see what articles I could find on Stretching to Prevent Cramps - there is a lot out there but much of it seem inconclusive. So based on experience I would like to make the following suggestions.

1. It is always a good idea to warm up before exercising. I recommend a light warm-up before running, as well as a warm up which we do in the studio before you start the main part of your pilates routine. The warm up is intense enough to make you work - but should not wear you out.

2. To the warm - up you can also add some stretching, preferable after your initial exercises when the blood is flowing through the body. Suggests stretches might include
     Hamstrings - either with a sit and reach, or use a strap or a rope to get an active stretch.
     Thigh Stretch
     Calf - or Runners Stretch.

Ask your trainer about specific ways to stretch these muscles and see if over time this will alleviate cramping within your pilates sessions.

After all - as much as we all cramp in Pilates, it is really not a lot of fun.

So you have made a New Years resolution to add jogging to your life, maybe with a goal of a 10K, a 1/2 marathon or even a marathon. This is no small task and the commitment to such an activity is huge. To get there you need to take baby steps and reward yourself for each step along the way. If you take too large a step you might find yourself stepping back again, and too many steps back and your goal only seems far off in the distance or unattainable. Remember - even a worm will give up if it keeps falling.

So if you take these steps in a sequence, before you can run you need to learn to jog, before you can jog you need to learn to walk, before you can walk you need to learn to crawl. Might sound tedious, but as a trainer this makes sense. Before you start to run you need to buy shoes - then you need to start an active walking program - eventually adding intervals of Jogging.

Throughout all of this you also need to be aware of correct technique. You need to be aware of your posture and correct breathing patters. Joggers tend to hold a lot of tension in the neck and shoulders, and neglect stretching of the hamstrings and calves. By working with a qualified Pilates Instructor these areas can be addressed. 

In addition Pilates will help to increase core strength - the muscles that support the torso, hips and shoulders. This will eventually lead to a huge difference in posture, technique, balance and stability. It will also lower the incidence of injury. The Pilates exercises will create an awareness from the runners head to toe.

So before you get to far into your routine consult a physician and seek a qualified trainer who can help you with the baby steps necessary to realize your goals.

Happy Trails

 Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe

This month I wish to share a recipe for Brussels Sprouts - call me crazy but I am one of the few people that actually like Brussels Sprouts and I like to try and sneak it into dinner when I have company. Before they know what they are eating they usually comment on how good they are. This is a simple recipe for raw Brussels Sprouts - shredded and finished (I like the way waiters talk in fancy restaurants) with hazelnuts, a sharp aged cheese and a light dressing of olive oil and fresh lemon juice. For this salad only use very fresh bright green Brussels Sprouts.

1 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, freshest you can find

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup fresh chives, minced

2-3 big pinches of salt

1 1/3 cups hazelnuts (also known as Filberts), smashed just a bit and toasted

2 ounces hard, salty, aged cheese, shaved (pecorino, dry aged jack, Parmesan, etc)

Shred the brussels sprouts with a mandolin or a knife. Shortly before serving place the shredded sprouts in a salad bowl and toss gently with olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, chives, salt and hazelnuts. Season to taste but keep in mind the cheese will add a salty element to the salad. Add cheese and toss.

Serves 4.

The Pelvic Curl or Bridge is one of my favorite exercises. Often I do this as one of the first exercises in a session. I find it wakes up the spine as well as creating a mental focus to the body. By doing this exercise early in a session you are truly creating a Mind - to - Body connection.

To begin the Pelvic Curl lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. I like to place the feet about hip width apart, but there are some clients that I have place the feet wider, and some who I have place the feet together. Speak to your instructor about the best position for you,

To initiate the exercise I want you to simply feel like you are pulling up a zipper, starting at the pubic bone. This should create a hollowing feel in the lower abs. Focus your inhale into your ribs, as you exhale pull up the zipper and rock the hips back - another cue here is to tuck the pelvis - pressing your lower back into the mat then continue to lift your bottom from the mat. Continue to articulate your spine off the floor until you are on the upper back - in between the shoulders. When you are at the top of your bridge take an inhale - as you exhale articulate back down through the spine one vertebrae at a time, through the lower back and eventually back into a neutral pelvis. Repeat the exercise 5 times.

While you are doing the exercise focus on the feet being planted firmly on the floor. Think about the legs rotating inward - toward one another, this will help you to relax your buttocks. Focus on doing the exercise with the abdominals and the hamstrings (the back of the legs). One of the things key for me when teaching the exercise is to get the buttocks to relax so there is not a lot of tension in the lower back.

If you have been diagnosed with osteoperosis check with your doctor before doing this or any other exercise. Also be careful if you have any disc issues in your spine. If you don’t know if this exercise is good for you - ASK!!!

Recently I have noticed that as the “young at heart” / “weekend warriors” are getting on that the activities they are participating in seem to be causing chronic problems in their bodies. I am seeing more and more men over 45 with degenerated discs. I am no doctor, but the one thing that these gentlemen seem to have in common is a love of working out. I can only think that over the years the lifting of heavy weights accompanied by poor form has resulted in these spinal injuries. Injuries which in some cases result in complete and total bed rest.

Isn’t his what we are trying to avoid by exercising regularly? Can’t this be avoided?

By finding a well qualified trainer this can be avoided, and more and more people are finding their way to Pilates in order to release the tension in their backs.

Through the Pilates the client is led through exercises encouraging correct alignment as well as safe and effective movements. These movements can then be integrated into their daily lives allowing them to be pain free from the conditions that begin to happen in their backs.

Also many of the exercises encourage strengthening right at the back giving the feeling of a lengthened spine. This is where the Pilates may actually give the client the feeling that they are taller - or they may actually regain lost height. In my opinion this will decrease the pressure on the back so that the person will have a healthier spine.

So if you are feeling back pain, it is worth having this looked into and know that Pilates might be one way to restore a Healthy Back

At The Center Studio this is part of the warm up and it may also be assigned to you for homework - so this is a good exercise to discuss as well as practice. Other names that may be used to describe this exercise are Wind-Shield Wipers, Knees Side to Side.

The Setup: Laying on your back with the arms out to the side. Fold your knees over the hips making sure to stay out of your hip flexors. The legs are then in a table top position. Make sure the movement comes from the waist and not the hips - 

Inhale - Rotate from the waist to one side insuring that the legs stay together
Exhale - draw the legs back to center
Inhale - Rotate from the waist to the other side
Exhale - draw the legs back to center

Be sure that you initiate the movement back to center with the exhale and don’t just let the legs flop around.

The Muscle Focus for the exercise is the Abdominal Obliques.

Things to remember - Don’t “scoop” the belly, you do want to cue navel to spine, but by scooping you will pull the pelvis into a tuck and for this exercise that should be avoided.

Why is this a good exercise? It teaches you how to stabilize your hips. You may also find that on one side you will be more challenged in the correct execution of the exercise.