Pilates For Posture

 Though stereotypes are dissolving with each generation, there are some that persist – in part, because they are based on real differences between men and women.

While some women can and do achieve the upper body strength of some (even very fit) men, the overwhelming majority of males have a natural advantage in this area. Male aesthetic values, the source of which isn’t clear, reinforce this and so they tend to work on upper body more than some other areas, relative to women’s efforts.

Women, in part out of a desire to be seen as attractive, will focus exercises more on buttocks and legs. But here they also have a slight natural advantage for some exercises. A woman’s pelvis tilts at a different angle than a man’s. This affects the style and efficiency of squats, for example. Women will benefit by tilting the feet outward with legs further apart, while not needing to squat so low.

Overall, (most) women have less muscle mass than men (though they have additional layers in the stomach) and a higher percentage of body fat on average. As a result, a well-designed female routine focuses less on bulking up, than toning and achieving flexibility. Women are more likely to incur injuries by lifting too much, too soon as they build up.

Men are somewhat less flexible on average, partly due to natural differences in joints, partly owing to attitude. Men tend more often than women to short change their warm-up routines, including essential stretching exercises.

All these differences (and many more) are a matter of degree, of course. Both men and women can benefit by adapting some aspects of the routines of the opposite sex.

Women are more likely to be more open to trying something new or different, such as yoga or Pilates. These focus more on being aware of different body parts, in order to maximize flexibility and overall fitness. They focus very little on achieving strength, though this is often (in part) a consequence of a good yoga or Pilates routine.

For example, several yoga routines focus on balance. But balance is optimized when all the muscles help support the joints and skeleton at correct angles in a dynamic way. That is both the cause and consequence of improved strength in the muscles that help achieve that balance.

Pilates, in particular, is a coordinated system for achieving better strength and posture and breathing by using one to aid the other. It concentrates more on controlling muscle groups than building them.

Both yoga and Pilates and many other systems popularized in the West in the last 20 years or so focus on the integration of mind and body, one helping the other. Both systems are helpful as therapy for certain spine and joint problems.

While men and women will continue to lay more importance on some exercise values – and hence routines – than on others, both can benefit by peeking over the fence to see how the other half-lives.

Not everyone is made for high-level exercising. But you can become fit without bouncing around in a leotard, battering your joints. Forget all the huffing, puffing, lugging, lifting, and straining. Movement therapy is a gentle – yet effective – group of sports that include yoga, tai chi, and Pilates. Just don’t be fooled by their mild manner. These activities can whip you into shape without breaking a sweat.

All three have ancient Eastern roots and are merely different interpretations of the same principle: keeping your body and mind in harmony naturally leads to better health.

It wasn’t until recently that modern science confirmed the many physical benefits of yoga, tai chi, and Pilates. With them, you can improve your balance, flexibility, and strength – no matter what your age, weight, or fitness level.No Pain – but great gain

Yoga, tai chi, and Pilates are gentle enough for anyone to try. If you consider yourself in bad health or disabled in some way, you’re a perfect candidate for these movement therapies. You can ease into the programs slowly and set your own pace. It’s easy to stick with them and you’ll see improvement quickly.

Here are just some of the benefits you will get from these soothing approaches to fitness.

• When you were a child, tripping and falling meant just another minor scrape. But as you get older, taking a tumble can have serious and crippling effects. If your sense of balance is as bad as Humpty Dumpty’s,these are the safest forms of exercise for you.

Just like the trick to growing tomatoes is to keep the main stalk strong, the trick to great balance is to keep your core muscles strong. The bands of muscle in your abdomen, lower back, and buttocks are the center of strength and control for the rest of your body.

All three examples of movement therapy are relatively stationary,but because they strengthen your core muscles, your balance will improve quickly – preventing falls – and you’ll develop greater flexibility and strength. Soon you will be moving with confidence again.

• Tai chi and yoga are especially recommended for people with arthritis.Gentle yoga can improve arthritis in your hands, for example, and tai chi’s precise, flowing movements help keep your joints limber, relieve your pain, and keep you active.

• The dance-like stretches, poses, and maneuvers within each of these movement therapies will gently strengthen and tone your body. Pilates is especially good as a strength-training workout.

• Add yoga or Pilates to your exercise regimen if you need to improve your heart health.

• In today’s hectic world, it may be hard to squeeze an extra 30 minutes of exercise into your schedule – at least without feeling even more stress. The beautiful thing about movement therapy is that it combines stress relief with exercise, so you kill two birds with one stone.

All the activities – tai chi, yoga, and Pilates – are done slowly, with intense focus on proper breathing and posture. They all relax your body and calm your mind.

As you can see, you can boost your overall health with these joyful, health-giving movements.Things to know before you give it a go

Just to be safe, make sure that you take these precautions before starting any new exercise program.

• Get your doctor’s approval on your fitness plan, especially if you’ve badly injured your back, neck, knees,or shoulders in the past.

• The stretches, poses, and movements of these therapies should not hurt. If you feel pain, stop and check your technique before continuing.

• Pilates is the most intense of the three exercise forms. You may want to try one of the less strenuous programs first if you are out of shape.

• Be forewarned, you might get addicted to these calming sports.

Every year golfers spend thousands of dollars to buy their new golf gears, but many forget the most important element of their golf game – their body. It doesn’t matter if the clubs and balls are the latest technology if your muscles are tight and weak and your joints don’t have enough range of motion.

The golf pros make their swing and game seem so easy and effortless, but actually golf swing is a very complex movement and requires a lot from your body. Many of your body muscles and joints are involved during an optimal golf swing – unfortunately, however, only the one side of the body. One-sided sport leads to problems of your muscle balance by pulling your joints and spine out of their natural alignments. Optimal and powerful golf swing needs good muscle balance and a proper posture.

A good golf conditioning program helps improve your muscle flexibility, joint mobility and muscle stability and strength. All those components can be developed and strengthened with Pilates. It’s not coincidence that Pilates has been regular part of the conditioning training program for Tiger Woods, Camilo Villegas, Annika Sorenstam and other leading golf players. Stretching and strengthening with Pilates is a great functional training and help the golfers use their body more efficiently thus improving their performance.

But Pilates is more than just a physical fitness. Pilates is a comprehensive mind and body exercise method, and the principles of Pilates are breathing, concentration, control, center, precision, efficiency, flow and harmony. Many of these components are essential also in a successful golf game. If your mind is not in your game, your body is not following either and result is an inefficient and powerless swing. Golf is body and mind sport. You only get the best results when both your body and mind are synchronized, working together.

Many golfers have found Pilates as essential part of their golf conditioning and realized how much they really can improve their game – and the best part – enjoy their golf game without pain and soreness. Pilates is proved to prevent injuries and release lower back pain which is very common for golfers.

There are still golfers who put their faith on better golf clubs and balls. Remember, however, that the way you are swinging the club and how your body works means even more to your handicap.

 I have helped many clients over the years with the exciting and rewarding exercise program called “Pilates”. Through this program clients have seen great improvement with their body alignment, posture, strength, flexibility and core stability.

I’ve also seen many people try group Pilates classes on their own only to be frustrated by its unique terminology and set of exercises.

Pilates is a low impact high result workout. It constantly uses your core muscles (abdominals, pelvic floor, transverse muscles, obliques, lats and muscles supporting the back & spine) by focusing first on your intrinsic, smaller stabilizing muscles, then building outward to the superficial, more surface muscles.

Pilates is really about “total wellness”; feeling great both mind and body. While there are many benefits to Pilates the one I’m most excited about is the feeling of better body awareness and increased energy. You literally feel lighter on your feet as your spine lengthens and your body opens.

The key to a successful Pilates program is to learn the fundamentals BEFORE you get too far involved in group classes. The problem is, if you start off with the wrong basics you will have limited results, may experience discomfort in areas that are not meant to, and even risk real injury. Not to mention, its much more difficult to re-learn correct technique once you’ve practiced it the wrong way. 

Here’s a quick test to see if you’re ready to take full advantage of your next Pilates class: are you able to demonstrate correct form (or at least know what it is) on techniques such as correct breathing, neutral spine, pelvic floor lifts, head floats, pelvic stability… etc. If not, you probably should get some individual help in understanding these crucial terms and techniques to get you back on the right track. A couple of private sessions from a certified Pilates instructor would be a great place to start.

Once you’ve learned the fundamentals you’ll be able to pick up much more easily many of the over 300 exercises that Joseph Pilates (founder of Pilates exercises) has put together. 

I put together 6 short videos which teach the Fundementals of Pilates. You can view them free on my website: www.NadiaEllis.com.

Over the last decade Pilates has become increasingly popular among dancers, athletes, models and celebs.  Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liz Hurley, even John Cleese.  These are just a few of the big names who swear by Pilates and have helped to fuel the ever growing popularity of this “wonder workout”.  But what is Pilates, what are the benefits, and how do you choose a Pilates instructor? 

What exactly is Pilates?

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates during the First World War to help rehabilitate returning war veterans.  He recommended a few, precise movements emphasizing control and form that help to strengthen, stretch, and stabilize key muscle groups.  These movements focus particularly on what he called the “powerhouse” – the abdomen, lower back, hips and bum.  Fitness professionals call this part of the body “the core”, and as any Pilates instructor or personal trainer will tell you, it is the starting point of all strength, balance and posture.

Unlike gym workouts that focus on repetition, Pilates exercises focus on fluidity of motion as you perform each pose with slow, graceful movements, starting from the mid-section and moving outward.  Breathing, concentration, muscle control and precision of movement are central principles of the Pilates method, making it slower and less aerobic than other fitness classes.  For this reason Pilates is suitable for people of all ages and abilities, and is recommended for those suffering from osteoporosis, as well as those who are overweight. 

What are the benefits of Pilates?

Muscle Toning- the flowing and controlled movements of Pilates help to firm up and lengthen the muscles, resulting in a sleeker shape and more toned look to the body. 

Body Control – the emphasis on precision of movement helps to improve your mind-muscle connection, which means better control over your body in day to day life.

Core Stability- by targeting the mid-section Pilates helps to strengthen the core muscles, which not only improves balance, but also flattens and tones your waistline.

Injury Rehabilitation- the low impact nature of Pilates helps to develop strength and flexibility without straining the muscles, making it ideal for rehabilitation.

Improved Posture- by correcting muscle imbalances and strengthening the back and spine, Pilates improves posture and lessens the risk of back injury and neck pain.

Increase Wellbeing – In a similar way to yoga, Pilates is a balanced, holistic approach that relieves stress and anxiety by working on the mind as well as the body. 

Getting started…

Before starting a Pilates class it’s a good idea to book a home or studio session with a private Pilates instructor.  Ideally look for a REPS Level 3 Pilates Instructor, or one who is registered with The Body Control Pilates Association.  A one-to-one Pilates session will give you an idea of what a Pilates class feels like, but with a lot more personal focus.  Your Pilates instructor will be able to show you where your body’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and give you some exercises you can try at home.  If you enjoy and feel the benefits of the exercises then you might want to join a local Pilates class, or combine a class with one-to-one sessions.