Humpty Dumpty sat at a desk...

You've heard it before, either from your grandmother: "Sit Up Straight!" or from your elementry school teacher "Straight and tall, no leaning at all" or from your Pilates instructor: "Shoulders down, belly in!"

How about your neck? Do you think a one hour massage would be the greatest gift in world right now? Or even a five minute neck rub?

Let's talk about your neck and shoulders for a minute. If you sit at a desk or drive a car for any significant portion of your day, you are at serious risk for having slumped shoulders and a sore neck. Most people, when sitting in their cars or office chairs, have a tendency to lean over the desk (or steering wheel) with their head sticking out and their shoulders so close to their ears they could double as earrings. Pregnant women and nursing moms have it even worse, as the weight from their newly humongous chest literally pulls them forward. And, although a massage would be great, who has the time (or the money) to get one every day? Here is a quick, easy solution: the mid and lower trap squeeze:

Quick anatomy lesson- the trapezius muscle is a group of three muscles that covers most of your back. The upper traps are the muscles right on the top of your shoulders up to your neck, they are responsible for lifting your shoulders up when you shrug (or slouch). The mid and lower traps are below these, and they are responsible for anchoring your shoulder blades down and drawing your shoulders back, thereby opening up your chest. To relax your shoulders, you need to engage the mid and lower traps and shut the upper traps off. To do this, sit on the edge of your chair with your back as straight and tall as you can make it. Try to pull your shoulders as far away from your ears as possible, and stack them right over your hips. Now, with your arms straight, press your palms behind you, like you are pushing water away. The movement should be coming from your mid and lower traps, and you should feel your shoulder blades drawing together. If you feel tension elsewhere, try to imagine that you are trying to undo your bra clasp with just the muscles in your back. Feel your tension magically melt away and your chest open up.

Whenever you catch yourself hunched over your desk, your steering wheel, or your baby, straighten up and squeeze those mid and lower traps together for a few seconds. It will make a huge difference!

Who's Writing This Blog Anyway?

I thought it would be appropriate to use my first blog post to introduce myself. First, I’m going to post my professional bio, but then I’m going to tell you a bit more…

“Amanda began taking Pilates classes at the Y and immediately fell in love. She began going to classes twice a week and designing her own program at home. Her Pilates practice motivated her to change diet and add other exercises, and over the course of the next year she lost fifty pounds and four pants sizes. Her desire to help others achieve their fitness goals brought her to Simply Pilates' Teacher Training program.

After learning she was pregnant, she made the decision to leave her job in the music industry to pursue a career as a Pilates instructor. In addition to completing the Simply Pilates Teacher Training Program and passing the Pilates Method Alliance certification exam, she is in the process of finishing her certification through Balanced Body University. She has also attended specialized trainings in working with men and pre & post pregnant women.

Amanda holds a Bachelor's of Business Administration from Belmont University. She lives with her husband, daughter, 2 cats and dog in Inglewood where she enjoys photography, reading, writing, and playing outside.”

So, there you have it- I started taking Pilates because I was too big and exercising was hard. Not that Pilates wasn’t, but I’ve always been fairly strong, and my body was adapting to the Pilates faster than it seemed to be adapting to the miles I was attempting to run. Plus, it got me out of the office and away from the four boys I worked with for an hour each day. Pilates made me feel svelt- I never have had (nor will I ever have) the super skinny body that our society seems to idolize, but that doesn’t matter, because there were plenty of super skinny people in class whom were not as strong as me. And that was confidence I needed at the time.

I have a passion for working with women like myself- women who will always struggle with there weight. We are not the people who can down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s because we are depressed and brush it off the next morning. For us, that pint goes directly to our thighs, where we will spend the next two weeks working it off.

I also have a passion for working with mothers, new and veteran. Being pregnant and giving birth does a number on your body, but so does being a mother. You no longer sleep or eat regularly, let alone find time to exercise.

That’s me. I’m a mother in my mid-twenties, working hard to keep my family and myself healthy, and I hope that this blog can help you and your family also.

Thanks for visiting!