
Summer Update Email:
Dear Pilates Friends,
I hope this Summer Update finds you strong, healthy, and energized. There are simple strategies we can implement everyday to make Pilates principles part of our daily habits. For instance, practicing a variety of breathing strategies in the car, at a game, or during your weight lifting will stretch the intercostal muscles, strengthen the core breathing musculature, and improve mental focus by accessing the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest vs. fight or flight). Whether you consider the principle of center/core when on a walk or reduce social media content in order to heighten concentration and focus, you are practicing Pilates! Pilates was never meant to be a program of “fixing” ourselves but rather a system of movement diversity, strength training in all planes, and mental awareness. Through this practice we often “rethink” our daily habits and positions and introduce alternative movements into our exercise and movement repertoire. Along these lines, I highly recommend the recent podcast by prolific author and biomechanist, Katy Bowman. Her most recent book is Rethink Your Position: Reshape Your Exercise, Yoga, and Everyday Movement, One Part at a Time. https://themodelhealthshow.com/upgrading-everyday-movements/ (Katy has about 8 podcasts with Shawn Stevenson, so if you enjoy this, make sure you search for more!)
We are wrapping up our spring session with class on Tuesday, May 30th at 8:30a.m. and Monday June 5th at 5:15p.m. Our Summer Session officially begins Monday, June 12th @ 5:15pm and Tuesday, June 13th @ 8:30a.m. A few spaces remain in these classes. The 8 week session is $80, pro-rate as needed. To reserve your space, cash, venmo, or check is accepted. My venmo is @tiffany-larson-32.
To meet the request for additional mat class options, I will plan to offer some pop-up classes routinely during this session as well. Please check social media (especially on rainy days) to note these classes. Pop-up classes will be $12.
A few weeks ago a mat client asked me how to manage hypermobility during Pilates practice. My response was to concentrate and control; put the brakes on a movement before you are in hyperextension. Hypermobility may be due to a variety of circumstances but it can put individuals at increased risk of injury during daily life. What I should have added, in addition to awareness and control, is strength training. By strengthening the muscles that surround the joints we gain better control of movement patterns. Whether you are hyper or hypo mobile or somewhere in between, strength training and muscle development is important for everyone as it makes it easier to do our daily living activities. We lose lean tissue as well as bone density starting in our 30’s, thus muscle strengthening preserves muscle mass which is important for bone and joint health. In addition, metabolic health is improved, reducing risk for diabetes and heart disease. Mat class provides some strength training, however the best benefits come from adding a “load,” beyond our body weight, whether in the form of weights, resistance bands, or spring-loaded Pilates equipment. This Pilates instructor, Colleen, shares interesting info on her journey with hypermobility and how she recovered from injury. https://www.instagram.com/p/CsWAVJfghzN/
Finally, one other resource that has been useful for me comes from Precision Movement and restoring our “Hip Pocket.” An orthopedic surgeon partnered with a kinesiologist to provide strategies and exercises to address common ailments. One that I have experienced occasionally over the years, and I also hear from friends, is sciatica. Dr. Boynton states, “Ideally, the top of your femur (femoral head) rests in a certain point in your hip, called the acetabulum aka the "hip pocket". The problem is after years of sitting or slouching, your muscles decide to take some time off and the femoral head doesn't sit centered in the hip pocket when you move. This might not cause pain at first, but it increases the wear and tear on your cartilage and other soft tissues. Eventually the wear and tear becomes hip pain, sometimes knee pain, and sometimes lower back pain.”
As always, there is never a one size fits all protocol but perhaps the clear videos and explanations bring understanding to your movement mechanics. Developing our tool box to strengthen, stretch, balance and mobilize the body is a personal, life-long endeavor. https://mixedmartial.media/.../hip-pocket-routine-vip.../ You will note, that as I often cue in Pilates, there is emphasis on maintaining the natural curves of the spine during these strength training/mobility exercises. Additional programs can be found here: https://www.precisionmovement.coach/blog/
Well, this is the longest update ever and my own hips demand that I get up and move! As always, none of the above is medical advice but simply my own experience from being a movement enthusiast! Thank you for being a part of Home Training and I hope to see you soon for personal training and mat class.
In Good Health,
Tiffany Larson, MHS, OTR, Power Pilates Instructor and 200 hour RYT
https://www.facebook.com/hometrainingllc
https://www.instagram.com/hometrainingllc/
https://www.hometrainingllc.com/
“Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking, nor outright purchase.”
Joseph Pilates
Dear Pilates Friends,
I hope this Summer Update finds you strong, healthy, and energized. There are simple strategies we can implement everyday to make Pilates principles part of our daily habits. For instance, practicing a variety of breathing strategies in the car, at a game, or during your weight lifting will stretch the intercostal muscles, strengthen the core breathing musculature, and improve mental focus by accessing the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest vs. fight or flight). Whether you consider the principle of center/core when on a walk or reduce social media content in order to heighten concentration and focus, you are practicing Pilates! Pilates was never meant to be a program of “fixing” ourselves but rather a system of movement diversity, strength training in all planes, and mental awareness. Through this practice we often “rethink” our daily habits and positions and introduce alternative movements into our exercise and movement repertoire. Along these lines, I highly recommend the recent podcast by prolific author and biomechanist, Katy Bowman. Her most recent book is Rethink Your Position: Reshape Your Exercise, Yoga, and Everyday Movement, One Part at a Time. https://themodelhealthshow.com/upgrading-everyday-movements/ (Katy has about 8 podcasts with Shawn Stevenson, so if you enjoy this, make sure you search for more!)
We are wrapping up our spring session with class on Tuesday, May 30th at 8:30a.m. and Monday June 5th at 5:15p.m. Our Summer Session officially begins Monday, June 12th @ 5:15pm and Tuesday, June 13th @ 8:30a.m. A few spaces remain in these classes. The 8 week session is $80, pro-rate as needed. To reserve your space, cash, venmo, or check is accepted. My venmo is @tiffany-larson-32.
To meet the request for additional mat class options, I will plan to offer some pop-up classes routinely during this session as well. Please check social media (especially on rainy days) to note these classes. Pop-up classes will be $12.
A few weeks ago a mat client asked me how to manage hypermobility during Pilates practice. My response was to concentrate and control; put the brakes on a movement before you are in hyperextension. Hypermobility may be due to a variety of circumstances but it can put individuals at increased risk of injury during daily life. What I should have added, in addition to awareness and control, is strength training. By strengthening the muscles that surround the joints we gain better control of movement patterns. Whether you are hyper or hypo mobile or somewhere in between, strength training and muscle development is important for everyone as it makes it easier to do our daily living activities. We lose lean tissue as well as bone density starting in our 30’s, thus muscle strengthening preserves muscle mass which is important for bone and joint health. In addition, metabolic health is improved, reducing risk for diabetes and heart disease. Mat class provides some strength training, however the best benefits come from adding a “load,” beyond our body weight, whether in the form of weights, resistance bands, or spring-loaded Pilates equipment. This Pilates instructor, Colleen, shares interesting info on her journey with hypermobility and how she recovered from injury. https://www.instagram.com/p/CsWAVJfghzN/
Finally, one other resource that has been useful for me comes from Precision Movement and restoring our “Hip Pocket.” An orthopedic surgeon partnered with a kinesiologist to provide strategies and exercises to address common ailments. One that I have experienced occasionally over the years, and I also hear from friends, is sciatica. Dr. Boynton states, “Ideally, the top of your femur (femoral head) rests in a certain point in your hip, called the acetabulum aka the "hip pocket". The problem is after years of sitting or slouching, your muscles decide to take some time off and the femoral head doesn't sit centered in the hip pocket when you move. This might not cause pain at first, but it increases the wear and tear on your cartilage and other soft tissues. Eventually the wear and tear becomes hip pain, sometimes knee pain, and sometimes lower back pain.”
As always, there is never a one size fits all protocol but perhaps the clear videos and explanations bring understanding to your movement mechanics. Developing our tool box to strengthen, stretch, balance and mobilize the body is a personal, life-long endeavor. https://mixedmartial.media/.../hip-pocket-routine-vip.../ You will note, that as I often cue in Pilates, there is emphasis on maintaining the natural curves of the spine during these strength training/mobility exercises. Additional programs can be found here: https://www.precisionmovement.coach/blog/
Well, this is the longest update ever and my own hips demand that I get up and move! As always, none of the above is medical advice but simply my own experience from being a movement enthusiast! Thank you for being a part of Home Training and I hope to see you soon for personal training and mat class.
In Good Health,
Tiffany Larson, MHS, OTR, Power Pilates Instructor and 200 hour RYT
https://www.facebook.com/hometrainingllc
https://www.instagram.com/hometrainingllc/
https://www.hometrainingllc.com/
“Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking, nor outright purchase.”
Joseph Pilates