We all have varied learning styles. Some of us are visual learners...we can see an illustration or example and repeat it. Some of us need to hear instructions repeated in a variety of ways...auditory learners. Some of us need to hear it, see it, physically do it, and take written notes to remember the process. I am all of the above!
Typically when I participate in Pilates continuing education I perform the exercises then pause and write a few notes regarding the instructor's verbal cues and directions. Sometimes hearing things a different way makes for the sudden "aha" moment. I admittedly have a closet full of manuals, notebooks, videos, and scratch papers related to thousands of "aha" moments. The problem is remembering them--which is why writing about my experience via this blog is beneficial. Maybe you will find these notes helpful in regards to your daily life, athletic pursuits, or Pilates practice.
Yesterday, The Art and Science of Pilates by Bridget Hagood, focused on Pilates mat work. Bridget guided us through a basic (which means safe...not easy) Pilates matwork. She uses a pleasant yet disciplined voice (military background), clear directions, and makes extensive eye contact with her participants.
A few Pilates pointers regarding her personal practice and experience:
1) A new client said to her, "Wow, you never stop talking...all I can focus on is your voice and the exercises. I feel so refreshed at the end of class." Which of course is the point of Pilates. For 1 hour you are given a mental vacation from marriage, parenting, work, pets and instructed to listen and perform. Your mind has a rest!
2) Bridget was a former professional body builder. She could lift enormous amounts of weight and had dense strong global muscles. A friend insisted she attend a Pilates class with her, finally picking her up from her house on the 3rd attempt, and Bridget realized that although she was globally strong her supportive, stabilizing muscles were quite weak. Not to mention her flexibility was poor. After 1 year of dedicating herself to Pilates training in NYC, Atlanta, Chicago she returned home. Her friends could not believe the change in her physique...lean and limber and as one friend said, "You grew a neck!"
3) Joseph Pilates was known for his youthfulness, his love for women, and his pride for his physique! Probably not the most positive traits but he believed his method called "Contrology," The Art of Control, allowed for youthful vigor and vitality. It gave people the ability to move and to stay young. Being that Bridget began doing gymnastics and aerial acrobatics around the age of 50 is testament to this fact. A balanced body, able to perform all the demands of daily life, with ease is the goal of the Pilates system. Essentially to move as if we are 5 years old.
4) Pilates is about GAIN, not Pain. Bridget makes it exceptionally clear that you should stop doing something if it is uncomfortable. There are plenty of ways to modify exercises and so many in the method that the goals can always be accomplished in alternate positions.
5) Joseph Pilates loved the study of geometry and his exercises reflect his understanding of angles, lines, and balance. We are out of balance today because of many factors including sedentary jobs, lengthy commutes, over training in one sport, etc. Bridget is a genius at body analysis and one element she observes frequently are "quad" walkers. Rather than crossing the street smoothly from the muscles of the back of the leg we tend to walk stiffly picking up our legs from the quadriceps because the muscles at the back of the legs are weak. Quad walking is hard on the hips, knees and ankles. Many exercises in Pilates emphasize motion initiated from the back of the legs (and of course always from the core)...this takes a mental approach to motion rather than habitual. Changing brain pathways to work less from dominant global musculature.
6) We all need to learn to draw our abdominal muscles in and lift them up. The "lifting" of these muscles makes space between vertebrae. Discs are made from watery substances. If we get lazy as we age and choose to slump rather than sit tall these discs experience compression and we lose height. In addition, dehydration can affect a loss of the gel-like fluid between vertebrae leading to compression as well. Drink lots of water! Dehydration also leads to an increase in blood pressure.
7) People often hold their legs too low during core work which means you are hanging off your rectus abdominus rather than working from your transverse and obliques, deeper stabilizing muscles. Once you bring your legs up a bit you experience the work in your low belly. Low to the ground does not mean harder work for your core...typically it mean more strain to your back and tightness in your body.
8) When you walk, try to scan in front of you as 80% of our balance is on the horizon. If we look at our feet we are more prone to falling plus it brings us out of optimal alignment. If you need to look down, stop, scan the horizon, then resume walking focused on straight ahead. Practice this up and down stairs as well.
9) Flexibility equals strength but strength does not equal flexibility. As a professional weight lifter Bridget was incredibly strong but she realized she could not even sit up straight. Her erector spinae muscles were overpowered by more global musculature. Strength is easier to obtain--everyday we build strength with daily living activities but we often compromise creating flexibility. We keep items in mid range so we don't have to reach overhead, we walk with short strides, we exercise but neglect stretching afterward etc. Sitting up tall is one way to develop strength and muscle balance.
Ironically, Bridget lived blocks away from me in the 1980's in Homestead, Florida! Both her daughters graduated from South Dade High School and are friends with my brother on facebook! They are a couple of years younger, incredibly talented and successful in their own right. One daughter fly's B-52 bombers and the other is a financial analyst in New York! A complete ironic "coincidence," although we know, "Nothing Just Happens!." I am thrilled to be in Wisconsin working with an esteemed instructor from South Florida.
Please keep in mind these are just notes and ideas--this is not intended to substitute for medical advice or to contradict what you might already be doing with your own Pilates instructor. There are always variations to a theme but the guiding principles of Control, Center, Precision, Fluidity, Breath, and Concentration stay consistent--not only in Pilates but ideally throughout life.
Special thanks to Ronda Arndorfer at the Movement Center of Pewaukee for inviting me to attend this instructor workshop.
Thank you all for reading!
Typically when I participate in Pilates continuing education I perform the exercises then pause and write a few notes regarding the instructor's verbal cues and directions. Sometimes hearing things a different way makes for the sudden "aha" moment. I admittedly have a closet full of manuals, notebooks, videos, and scratch papers related to thousands of "aha" moments. The problem is remembering them--which is why writing about my experience via this blog is beneficial. Maybe you will find these notes helpful in regards to your daily life, athletic pursuits, or Pilates practice.
Yesterday, The Art and Science of Pilates by Bridget Hagood, focused on Pilates mat work. Bridget guided us through a basic (which means safe...not easy) Pilates matwork. She uses a pleasant yet disciplined voice (military background), clear directions, and makes extensive eye contact with her participants.
A few Pilates pointers regarding her personal practice and experience:
1) A new client said to her, "Wow, you never stop talking...all I can focus on is your voice and the exercises. I feel so refreshed at the end of class." Which of course is the point of Pilates. For 1 hour you are given a mental vacation from marriage, parenting, work, pets and instructed to listen and perform. Your mind has a rest!
2) Bridget was a former professional body builder. She could lift enormous amounts of weight and had dense strong global muscles. A friend insisted she attend a Pilates class with her, finally picking her up from her house on the 3rd attempt, and Bridget realized that although she was globally strong her supportive, stabilizing muscles were quite weak. Not to mention her flexibility was poor. After 1 year of dedicating herself to Pilates training in NYC, Atlanta, Chicago she returned home. Her friends could not believe the change in her physique...lean and limber and as one friend said, "You grew a neck!"
3) Joseph Pilates was known for his youthfulness, his love for women, and his pride for his physique! Probably not the most positive traits but he believed his method called "Contrology," The Art of Control, allowed for youthful vigor and vitality. It gave people the ability to move and to stay young. Being that Bridget began doing gymnastics and aerial acrobatics around the age of 50 is testament to this fact. A balanced body, able to perform all the demands of daily life, with ease is the goal of the Pilates system. Essentially to move as if we are 5 years old.
4) Pilates is about GAIN, not Pain. Bridget makes it exceptionally clear that you should stop doing something if it is uncomfortable. There are plenty of ways to modify exercises and so many in the method that the goals can always be accomplished in alternate positions.
5) Joseph Pilates loved the study of geometry and his exercises reflect his understanding of angles, lines, and balance. We are out of balance today because of many factors including sedentary jobs, lengthy commutes, over training in one sport, etc. Bridget is a genius at body analysis and one element she observes frequently are "quad" walkers. Rather than crossing the street smoothly from the muscles of the back of the leg we tend to walk stiffly picking up our legs from the quadriceps because the muscles at the back of the legs are weak. Quad walking is hard on the hips, knees and ankles. Many exercises in Pilates emphasize motion initiated from the back of the legs (and of course always from the core)...this takes a mental approach to motion rather than habitual. Changing brain pathways to work less from dominant global musculature.
6) We all need to learn to draw our abdominal muscles in and lift them up. The "lifting" of these muscles makes space between vertebrae. Discs are made from watery substances. If we get lazy as we age and choose to slump rather than sit tall these discs experience compression and we lose height. In addition, dehydration can affect a loss of the gel-like fluid between vertebrae leading to compression as well. Drink lots of water! Dehydration also leads to an increase in blood pressure.
7) People often hold their legs too low during core work which means you are hanging off your rectus abdominus rather than working from your transverse and obliques, deeper stabilizing muscles. Once you bring your legs up a bit you experience the work in your low belly. Low to the ground does not mean harder work for your core...typically it mean more strain to your back and tightness in your body.
8) When you walk, try to scan in front of you as 80% of our balance is on the horizon. If we look at our feet we are more prone to falling plus it brings us out of optimal alignment. If you need to look down, stop, scan the horizon, then resume walking focused on straight ahead. Practice this up and down stairs as well.
9) Flexibility equals strength but strength does not equal flexibility. As a professional weight lifter Bridget was incredibly strong but she realized she could not even sit up straight. Her erector spinae muscles were overpowered by more global musculature. Strength is easier to obtain--everyday we build strength with daily living activities but we often compromise creating flexibility. We keep items in mid range so we don't have to reach overhead, we walk with short strides, we exercise but neglect stretching afterward etc. Sitting up tall is one way to develop strength and muscle balance.
Ironically, Bridget lived blocks away from me in the 1980's in Homestead, Florida! Both her daughters graduated from South Dade High School and are friends with my brother on facebook! They are a couple of years younger, incredibly talented and successful in their own right. One daughter fly's B-52 bombers and the other is a financial analyst in New York! A complete ironic "coincidence," although we know, "Nothing Just Happens!." I am thrilled to be in Wisconsin working with an esteemed instructor from South Florida.
Please keep in mind these are just notes and ideas--this is not intended to substitute for medical advice or to contradict what you might already be doing with your own Pilates instructor. There are always variations to a theme but the guiding principles of Control, Center, Precision, Fluidity, Breath, and Concentration stay consistent--not only in Pilates but ideally throughout life.
Special thanks to Ronda Arndorfer at the Movement Center of Pewaukee for inviting me to attend this instructor workshop.
Thank you all for reading!
RSS Feed