Biotensegrity

In case you are still thinking of your body as a mechanical system with levers, pulleys, and springs much like a mechanical system...that paradigm has long gone out the window.

The new way of addressing the living body is as a three dimensional model that needs balanced tension throughout our soft tissue to function effectively.  Soft tissue equals muscles, tendons, ligaments, bone and fascia. It’s got a name:  biotensegrity.... You can read more about it here: http://www.biotensegrity.com

Shari Berkowitz says: “it is an inner web of 3-dimensional support that connects all parts of our bodies:  A completely reactive and adaptive system of soft-tissue tension. Through this we move, think, digest…everything.”

The thing is: how we think about our movement, ultimately effects how we move, so obviously this is ground breaking stuff.

More to come on how we can use this new thinking to help move better.

Willingness to Change – (off topic post)

During my (very) extended recovery time with all it’s bumps and hurdles I have come to realize many things that go against my previous conceptions.  ARGH!  Not only am I rewiring my entire body; I have to change the way I think about my body and my recovery.  So hard.

What I want to share today is how it is sometimes very important to do activities you either don’t like or don’t want to do to get the results you need.

What does this go against for me?  I have long supported the concept that you need to do an activity you like or love to get results.  Why?  Because that is the activity that you will be the most likely do regularly and with continuity.

Now I see that in order to develop the strength I need to recover and maintain my recovery I need to be doing sooo many more repetitions of basic movements than I want to do.

As soon as my foot and weight bearing started improving, I threw my repetitions out the door and began moving:  beginners Pilates classes, bike riding, and small walks.  Why?  Because I hate performing simple movements over and over again! I’d rather watch paint dry.  Within 2 weeks my hips and injured foot and leg became highly unstable and I was back in the weeds.  I thought I had been so cautious, but I had thrown out the keystone to my recovery:  all those repetitions for my local stabilizers!

I don’t think this situation is specific to rehabilitation though.  People tend to do what they are good at and not what they need to get good.  Me:  case in point

My PT and I joked a lot about how the people doing Pilates and Yoga should be doing strength training and vice-versa.  That would be interesting!  I'd have a whole different clientele to teach.

Cueing

I write about cueing over and over again, because it is so important.  As an instructor I am always looking for new ways to express the same idea, because different words work for different people.  Or maybe it's not a word at all, but simply an image.  The right word, image or feeling can not only help you find engagement, it can completely transform your quality of movement.

How we learn is always so fascinating to me.  I can watch something a thousand times and never figure out how to do it.  I am a kinesthetic learner.  If you know what kind of learner you are, share that with your instructor so that they can interact with you in more helpful ways.

Here is a cue that is really working for me right now, maybe it will work for you as well:

When standing or lying prone: 
Imagine your inner thigh lifting up to the ceiling while you press your hips lightly down.
This cue puts me right in my center with access to my pelvic floor and Pilates lift.  I love it!

To Lift the Head Neck and Shoulders When on Your Back....or NOT?

To lift the head or not is often a point of contention in a Pilates class.  I remember when I first started doing Pilates  I routinely had a very sore neck.   And yet, I just kept trying to lift my head up.  I thought if I could just figure out how to do it correctly my neck would stop hurting.  So I tried and tried and my neck went right on hurting.

Now I know the thing I kept doing wrong was trying to lift my head up when I couldn't recruit the right muscles!   I would have been doing myself a much better favor if I had just kept my head down and worked deeply into my muscles, gradually strengthening them so that I would eventually be able to use them efficiently.    At the time I was simply unable to stop doing an action that wasn't supporting my workout because I loved the burn from my rectus abdominus when I lifted my head.  Without that burn I felt that I wasn't doing enough work and that I was too easy on myself.  Since I was taking group classes, I probably looked like I was doing the exercises correctly, even though I was actually in a lot of pain.

My stance on lifting the head currently is this:  If you can do it without pain, go for it!  This will really work out the front of the body, especially the upper abs and the rectus.  If not, work up to lifting your head.  Bring it up and down as needed, or use one hand to support the neck. Keeping the head down will work the back body more.  You are still working, but the emphasis is different. The most important thing is not to be in a position that is painful, that causes the neck and shoulders to continuously contract and shorten, as this will not get you where you want to be.  

Be kind to your body and listen to what it is telling you.  Try not to force it to do what it is not ready to do.  It will all come with patience, time, and acceptance.   Lifting the head when you are unable to support that activity will only reinforce existing muscle imbalances.  You absolutely want to feel your muscles being challenged, but that is different from pain.  If you are in pain when you exercise you are not doing your body a service.

Finding Your Posture From the Bottom or From the Top

I  spend a little time finding my posture  most days.  My usual method is to start from the ground up.  I start with my feet, feeling weight under all 4 corners of the foot:  under the big and little toes and the outside and inside of the heel.  From there I usually squeeze the balls of my feet and heels toward one another isometrically, waking up the arch of my foot.  With the arch of my foot doming up, I find my pelvic floor and engage.  Now I have two arcs doming up, my foot arch and my pelvic floor. I line them up. Now I go to my solar plexus, the top of my diaphragm and add that to the mix.  The final dome is the roof of my mouth, or the top of my spine.  When I have all my domes lined up and lifting I am usually in a solid posture:  strong, active, connected and vibrant with energy reaching up through the crown of my head and supported by my legs and feet.  I learned this technique from Wendy Leblanc-Arbuckle.

Today I tried a different technique.  I closed my eyes imagined myself suspended from the ceiling.  My body drifted around for a little while.  I thought about my organs and where they were in my body.  My body stilled and I found myself in alignment.  It felt completely different than the first technique, much floatier, more spacious and quite effortless.

I like both techniques and can see how on any given day I might prefer one to the other.  It's great stuff to play with and find out which technique works best for you, or if you are like me you might find them both useful.

Giving 100%

You know how when you are really committed to something you want to give it your all and more?  Most people think that if it is worth doing it is worth over-doing.  My position is slightly different.

I ask all my clients to effort only as much as 70% in their sessions, even less if they can.  Why?  I want them to have the energetic room to sense their bodies, to be able to feel what is going on.

Think about it.  If you are putting every ounce of your energy and attention into efforting, there is no room left to feel what you are actually doing.

Personally, I have found that by putting less energy into trying so hard to perfect my movement experience and instead going inside, being present, and feeling what I am doing, my ability to move forward in my practice has grown exponentially.

This also usually means, not moving quite so fast, which can be a hard one for a lot of people.

Working Hard and Fast

Even though I've been doing Pilates for over a decade now, I tend to enjoy a level 2 class the best.  Today I decided to try a hard and fast class to find out if I could do it, and how I would feel afterwards.

I took a level 3 Classic Pilates class and we really moved fast through a lot of material.  Although I kept up with the class and held on to my form,  I definitely missed the deep work that I find available to me when working at a slower pace.  Afterwards I felt like I still needed another class to give me that satisfying and energized feeling I expect to get from a good class.  Huh. 

Something to think about...

Small Group Classes Starting in January

I haven't posted anything for the longest time!  I found out that I am actually not a daily blogger.  But today I have something to say!  I am finally adding some new classes to Pilates by Violet.  I love teaching one-on-one and firmly believe that this is the way to start your Pilates journey.  It's expensive though, and it dissuades a lot of people from learning this wonderful method.

I honestly don't know any better way to support yourself in wellness than learning to do Pilates correctly.  To be able to put your body in alignment and work your body safely and efficiently is simply the best gift you can give to yourself.  I want to share Pilates with everyone so I have decided that the best route to go is small group classes.

Starting in January I will be teaching a Fundamental Mat Class of 3-5 people.  This class will go over an introduction to Pilates principles and all the key ingrediants that give you a strong base for continuing into more advanced classes.  Great for beginners, but also a terrific review for those that have been doing Pilates for a long time.

I am also introducing a special small group class for tennis players which will focus on re-balancing muscular work, grounding, and core engagement.  Class size will be 3-5

Dates are still to be decided depending on interest.

Looking forward to Pilates in 2014

The Dangers of Pilates

The other day I read an article online regarding a British analysis of using Pilates for the relief of low back pain.  The article stated that not only was Pilates contra-indicated as a program to improve back pain, but that, additionally, it was dangerous and could make your back problems worse. 

While I continued reading the article I found that what they were actually saying was that individuals who were not doing Pilates correctly were having issues with their back and aggravating their back problems.

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of not book-marking the article on my computer and now I can’t find it for reference.   The article does bring up a concern that I rarely see mentioned regarding Pilates…this is an exercise system that is easily and frequently done incorrectly.

I may have the entire Pilates community chasing me with pitchforks for my belief that the mat classes (and group classes on the reformer and chair) are so easily misinterpreted.  I took mat classes for 2 years with no one-on-one instruction only to find that I was completely relying on my hip flexors to do all my ab work!  Yet, from looking at me, I presented as though I was doing the exercise correctly.   After 2 years I had significantly shortened my hip flexors and I had an even bigger lordotic curve.  My back started killing me, my hip flexors felt like they were on fire.  That is no longer the case now that I’m doing Pilates as it should be done due to regular one-on-one training.

Today, I regularly take mat classes where I observe many of the students incorrectly performing the exercises.  There is nothing wrong with the methods of the person training the class.  She/he is giving accurate explanation of the exercises and guiding the class well.  The problem is that the student is frequently working above their abilities or hasn’t really absorbed the information in their body.  They may be ‘concentrating’, but they really aren’t getting it.  Instead they are using their old muscular patterns and creating worse ones.

Yes, individual Pilates classes are expensive, but they are worth it.  I am sure a few gifted individuals are out there who can take in the information and accurately absorb it, but honestly these individuals are few.  Due to the faltering economy, I see the Pilates business paradigm shifting more and more into group- based classes. 

I am sincerely concerned about whether this trend can help people find their alignment, balance their bodies and locate their deep postural muscles so that they can enjoy the true benefits Pilates has to offer.

Very open to discussion on this one…

OT: Mack's Earplugs

Ok.  Admittedly this post has little to do with Pilates per se, but anyone who has tried exercising (or doing anything important) after a sleepless night caused by too much noise (your partner snoring, the cat yowling, the trash pick-up, the ungodly sound of the lawn blower at the crack of dawn…you get the picture) will really appreciate this post.

I have recently been turned on to the best earplugs ever!  You can get them anywhere and they aren’t expensive.  They are called Mack’s Earplugs.  Don’t be cheap and get the generic version; go for the real deal.

Some tips about Mack's Earplugs:

1. take one plug and split it in 2.  place ½ plug in each ear.  DO NOT be tempted to cut corners and put ¼ in each ear; you will be sorry.  Your ear will suck down that little earplug and then you will have to go to the ear doctor and have a big bill.
2. you can use the earplugs more than once, but only if you wrap it in something like saran-wrap, otherwise it will collect dust and dirt and your ear will get messed up….another ear doctor visit will blight your calender.

These earplugs are made of silicone, are super comfortable, and nestle into my ear.   They allow me to sleep while my cat screams outside my door for no reason.  I am now feeling well rested and my body is happy.

Plus, for those of you who want to loose weight…aren’t they always saying that getting a good nights rest is key?

Check out Mack"s Earplugs.

Pilates and Sports

Maybe you are an athlete who is has reached a plateau or there are certain moves in your sport that you just can’t do.  Practicing doesn’t help because you have internalized a movement pattern that prevents you from going forward.  You might want to give Pilates a shot.

Here are some ways Pilates might help you improve in the sport of your choice:

The Rollup:

The massaging action of the Rollup helps promote the essential mind/body connection.  The rollup promotes shoulder integration, abdominal strength and spinal flexibility.

Re Sports:  the mat roll up will benefit any activity where you reach up over your head because the exercise develops range of motion and strength.

With improved stability and agility you can access your core power to enable more effective swings in games like tennis, volleyball and golf.

Leg Circles:

Promotes improved range and efficiency of movement in the hip joints, strong legs and hips and a strong/stable low back.  Additionally, you will develop balanced muscular use and strength of legs, hips and shoulders

Re Sports:  good for: walkers, runners, climbers and dancers

Rolling like a Ball

Develops healthy Pilates breathing and massages the spine, promotes balance

Re Sports:  good for: gymnasts, speed skaters, and mountain bikers…all of whom need balance, coordination, spinal flexibility, ab strength and hip and shoulder power.

Single Leg Stretch:

Increases range of motion and helps strengthen the hips, legs and abs for deep squatting

Re: Sports:

Helps you identify and eliminate imbalances in dancing, running, bicycling, rock climbing.  Helps deepen your squat when lifting weights

Double leg stretch

Builds on the freedom of movement and stability of the shoulders and the arm and extends the range of motion of your hip and shoulder joints.  Helps provide strength, endurance and stability

Re Sports:  good for over-head sports such as basketball, volleyball, pitching

Spine Stretch

Develops spinal flexibility, ab control and shoulder integration

Re Sports:  Pretty much helps with everything

Saw

Stretches the back and hamstrings.  Helps create pelvic stability and cross-patterning dynamic between the front shoulder and opposite hip.

Re Sports:  For tennis and golf, swimming, pitching or any activity that involves torso rotation and hip stability

Swan

Creates back strength and a strong ‘sandwich system’, shoulder strength and stability and chest opening.

Re Sports:  Gymnastics, diving, climbing, pitchers, golfers, tennis players and fly fishermen

Sidekicks

Creates strong well-balanced movements and coordination. Works the strength and balance of the pelvis

Re Sports:  Good for runners, hurdlers, dancers, gymnasts, skateboarders

Seal

Creates a flexible spine, powerful core, good balance and steady coordination

Re Sports: For skateboarders, gymnasts, divers

Footwork

In Pilates one of the most fundamental exercises are the footwork sequences done on either the Reformer, Trap table or Wunda chair.  By observing the feet when we perform these exercises your teacher/trainer can figure out a lot about your body’s predispositions:  which side is dominant, do you pronate or supinate, do you have leg length discrepancy, do you have a tendency to grip your thighs, can you keep your hips still while you move your legs, …the list goes on and on.

Because Pilates is a functional exercise system it is a great way to address imbalances in movements we perform every day, such as walking.

Walking is getting a lot of buzz in the fitness industry lately.  Certainly it is a great to have a fitness option that can be done anywhere, anytime for the cost of a good pair of shoes.

Unfortunately, the majority of people assume that that walking correctly comes to us automatically.  Guess what?  It doesn’t.

There is a standard of walking and most of us deviate from it in many ways.  Once your weight bearing joints or you spine become twisted or compromised, your entire body will shift to accommodate that change and you won’t even notice it.  In the meantime, your joints often become over-loaded, and your muscles are forced to take on jobs they weren’t meant to.  To make matters worse, a weight- bearing joint that is out of balance will not show even an ache until it topples over.  This could happen as a result of strenuous exercise or just as easily from bending over to tie your shoe.  When a joint is at its limit, that’s it.

The aesthetic look of our bodies develops in response to the way we use our muscles.  Using our muscles incorrectly can result in potbellies, saddlebags, and loose butts even though we are working out. 

Working out in a class that uses weights that are too heavy for you or moves too fast for you to work in form are pretty much a recipe for disaster.  Perfect your form! 

Tomorrow:  more on walking and how Pilates can help transform your gait.

The Mystery of the Pelvic Floor

Ok, I admit I never got it.  When I first started doing Pilates I would routinely be instructed to engage my pelvic floor, and I was just…what????

My instructors mentioned using my ‘pee muscles’ and doing a kegel.  Well, every woman who has ever had a baby knows a lot about ‘the kegel’.  But I wondered… what about the guys?  Here are 2 links that give good instructions for performing the kegel, one for men and one for women.  These links also supply more information as to the importance of having a strong pelvic floor.

Girls go to:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kegel-exercises/WO00119

Guys go to: http://www.pelvicfloorexercise.com.au/formen.htm

Still, the kegel was not enough for me, or maybe it was too much for me.  Who knows?  It just wasn’t working.  Then I learned about doming and it all pulled together for me.

Tomorrow…more about doming and finding what works for you.

Conscious Breathing

With Pilates taking on so many variations these days, I think it’s important to remember that it’s pretty hard to access your core Pilates-style without focusing on conscious breathing.  Even after practicing Pilates for so many years I still catch myself breathing incorrectly, especially on the ‘in’ breath.

How to perform conscious breathing?

This type of breathing can be performed seated, standing or lying down, but if you are just starting out….

1. Lie down on a firm supported surface and bend your knees so that your feet are flat, pointing straight ahead 3-4 inches apart, find neutral spine with your hip and pubic bones on the same plane and your tail heavy.
2. Just breathe a couple of times to allow your limbs and torso to sink into your supporting surface
3. You are going to be breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
4. On your ‘in’ breath:  feel your ribs expanding laterally (like an accordion).  You should feel your upper back expanding into the surface beneath you.
5. On your ‘exhale’ engage your pelvic floor, scoop from hip to hip and pull in and up.

Here are some tips for accomplishing this breathing technique.

1. Be patient.  Some people know how to send their breath around their body, others don’t.  I had one client who took 3 years to learn this breathing technique.  Others can do it in a couple of sessions. 
2. Don’t put 100% of effort into it, save some room for sensation.  When you put 100% of effort into an endeavor your movement ends up tight and tense.  Your breath should feel more like a massage.
3. Place one hand on your rib cage and one hand on your stomach.  The hand on your ribs should move outward when you inhale, the hand on your stomach should not!
4. If you don’t know how to engage your pelvic floor…that will be in the next post!