Can Pilates be Bad for You? Part 1

My first article is up on examiner.com, it's my reaction to the recent NYtimes.com blog post that hints that ab work might be bad for you. Let me know what you think!

Upcoming articles

Great news! I found out yesterday that my application to examiner.com
was accepted and I will be the Nashville Pilates Examiner! I'm quite
excited and looking forward to this step in both my writing and
Pilates career. Stay tuned for links to my articles!

Amanda Moon

Flow

Finally concluding the series on Pilates principles this week, I'm going to talk about Flow.

Flow is where classical Pilates beats modern Pilates hands down. There is something graceful and dance like when you perform an entire Mat class in the classical order. That said, modern, non-classical styles can flow very well also. This is the one place where I feel like successfully executing the principal is 90% up to the teacher and only 10% up to the student.

Flow is simply the flowing from one exercise to the next. The body is in continuous, purposeful, controlled and mindful movement. Your Pilates experience should be like a dance.

Flow happens when the other principals happen. You cannot truly have it if any of the other pieces are missing. If you are not a dancer (I'm not) achieving flow is one of the most satisfying parts of Pilates because you feel elegant while you exercise.

Jennifer Gianni Re-Post #3

Speaking as a women currently in her 3rd trimester of pregnancy, all of these exercises are incredibly effective and feel great. And, they require no energy, so they can be done even on those days when you really really really don't want to do anything.

http://www.healthnews.com/blogs/jennifer-gianni/family-health/pregnancy-childbirth-parenting/exercising-in-third-trimester-your-pregna

Exercising In the Third Trimester of Your Pregnancy

By: Jennifer Gianni
Published: Tuesday, 16 June 2009

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This final trimester is when many women feel their extra weight to be unbearable. Gentle exercise is highly important in this stage, especially in reducing edema and correcting postural imbalances caused by the extra weight of the breasts and baby. Edema is when the hands, feet, and ankles swell up with excess fluid. You can reduce edema with exercises designed to bring mobility to specific areas and in turn reduce water retention in those areas.

In the third trimester the digestive system has reduced space and tends to slow down, causing constipation and heartburn. Drinking plenty of water and exercising every day (even just a short walk) will help.

As in the second trimester, there should be no lying on the back during the third trimester. One of the best positions in late pregnancy for both exercising and relaxing is on all fours (either hands and knees or forearms and knees) as it takes the weight of the baby and uterus off the spine. (See exercise below.) Using specific relaxation and breathing techniques will allow you to experience a profound rest that is hard to come by in the third trimester. (See exercise below.)

A big focus in late pregnancy is preparing the pelvic floor muscles for all the stretching, opening and letting go that they will need to do during labor and delivery. Hopefully in your first two trimesters you were consistently doing your Kegel exercises. Remember that we must work the pelvic floor muscles just like any other muscle in our body, finding both the strength and flexibility. Most people tend to focus on just the concentric movement (tightening) while doing the exercises. Try to think of both of the lengthening and shortening of the muscles while you work them. (See exercise below.) These muscles, after all, have the big challenge of totally opening during delivery and contracting back tightly right after. Imagine as you work that your pelvic floor muscles are a trampoline.

Exercise: Cat/Camel (see image at right)
This pose is excellent throughout pregnancy but especially in the third trimester and during labor. During labor this pose creates circulation and can be used to turn a baby to its ideal position for birth.

In pregnancy wrist sensitivity and carpal tunnel syndrome are common because of the release of hormones. If you are experiencing this wrist sensitivity or pain while on all fours here are some things you can try. Roll up your mat a couple of times and place the heel of your hand on the mat with the fingers hanging off. This will lessen the bend of the wrist and may give you some relief. You can also try going onto your knuckles. Some find this a hard balance position but takes any pressure off the wrists. You can also try lacing your fingers and bringing your forearms onto the mat.

• Start on your mat on all fours. The shoulders are right above the wrists and hips above the knees.
• Inhale and lengthen the spine.
• Feel the sternum pull away from the tail.
• As you stretch remember to pull the deep abdominals in to support the lumbar curve.
• Exhale and from the tailbone start to curl and round the spine coming into the scared cat back position.
• Inhale and from the tail start to lengthen the spine.
• Exhale and from the tail start to curl.
• Slowly do 4 to 6 sets and then sit back into Child's pose to rest.

Exercise: Side-Lying Relaxation
Tension is released through this focused relaxation exercise. By quieting the mind and directing attention to specific areas of the body, tension will melt away. This relaxation exercise is especially helpful during the first stage of labor (when the cervix is opening) Tight areas can be identified and relaxed between contractions. This will save energy for the active second stage of labor (the pushing stage) and birth itself.

• Side-lie on stacked mats and/or blankets so you are comfortable.
• Put your head on a pillow with your bottom arm folded underneath.
• Put a big pillow between the legs. Make sure it supports the inner thighs, ankles and feet.
• Close your eyes and start to scan the body for tension.
• As you go from the toes to the top of the head take deep breaths. Take a little more time with any areas that feel particularly tight. Send the breath into that tight area and on the exhale try to melt the tension away.
• As you scan the body ask each part to relax or to melt away.
• This will give you (especially if you are in the third trimester) a profound sense of rest that is hard to come by.

Exercise: Pelvic Floor Lifting
Imagine your pelvic floor as a Chinese lantern that reaches all sides of the pelvic bowl. So, not just the center but reaches and lifts from all the side-walls. ON every exhale this lantern gets a little taller. You can try this exercise in a number of positions—on all fours, sitting, side-lying

• Visualize the bony landmarks at the bottom of the pelvic floor...pubic bone, tail bone and two sitting bones.
• Visualize the muscles that connect to these four points. This is your pelvic floor lantern.
• On the first two breath cycles focus on just stretching the pelvic floor.
• Inhale and stretch through all four points.
• Exhale and again stretch through all four points.
• Do one more breath cycle only thinking about stretching and lengthening the muscles.
• As you do this lengthening also think about the pelvic organs adding their weight and dilating the muscles even more.
• Now add the lifting and contraction of the pelvic floor muscles..
• Inhale and again feel the muscles lengthening.
• Now on your exhale feel the muscle fibers slide together so the lantern shape becomes a bit smaller and starts to lift .
• On your next Inhale hold the lift of the pelvic floor.
• On the next Exhale try to lift it a bit more.
• Try 2 or 3 more breath cycles keeping the pelvic floor lifted on every Inhale and trying to find a bit more lift on every Exhale.
• When you are ready to release the floor do it on a slow exhale.
• Rest a least 2 or 3 minutes before you do another set.

Join us next time for some movements and postures that will help you during labor!

Jennifer Gianni Re-Post #2

http://www.healthnews.com/blogs/jennifer-gianni/fitness-exercise/exercising-first-trimester-pregnancy-3229.html

Exercising in the First Trimester of Pregnancy

By: Jennifer Gianni
Published: Tuesday, 2 June 2009

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The first trimester describes the first three months of pregnancy. During the first trimester it is best to keep strenuous exercise to a minimum, as this is the period when the risk for miscarriage is highest. It is also a time when many women feel unbelievably tired, nauseous, and in no mood for exercise. However, gentle exercise is exactly what they need.

Early pregnancy is the time to focus on posture. Making sure you get this right from the start will ensure a more comfortable pregnancy and post-pregnancy experience. Bad posture during pregnancy can cause a variety of physical problems and pain during pregnancy and after, as well as hindering the labor and birth process.

The pelvic floor is another area that should be focused on during the first trimester. You should do pelvic floor exercises (see below) as often as you can, especially in the first and second trimesters. Since the pelvic floor works hand in hand with our other core muscles in the hip/lower back area it is also beneficial to become aware of the other important core muscles like the Transverse abdominals. This abdominal muscle (aka TA muscle) is our deepest abdominal muscle and acts as a very important stabilizer for our skeleton. It is also the only abdominal muscle in pregnancy that we want to continue strengthening.

The TA muscle is a horizontal abdominal muscle and acts like a corset. It creates stability and will help greatly in labor because it contracts into the uterus to help push the baby out. If that isn't enough reason to keep the TA well trained, if kept toned and connected, it will also help return you to your pre pregnant stomach and body much faster! Look below for safe and effective TA exercises you can perform during your pregnancy.

Breath work is also very important to focus on in early pregnancy. Learning to expand your breath will not only help you relax during pregnancy, but will help you in labor. We need to learn to not strain or grip when we inhale and exhale. Not only can this create stress physically and psychologically, but can greatly hinder the delivery process. The more relaxed your breathing is, the more relaxed your pregnancy, labor, and delivery will be.

Gentle stretching is also very important in early pregnancy. As always, never force a stretch. It is much better to understretch than overstretch, especially during pregnancy. During the latter stages of pregnancy a hormone called relaxin is working to make all the ligaments very loose for the upcoming labor. During that time the pregnant woman will feel extra limber and it is very important to not go too deeply into a stretch because it can lead to injury and imbalance in the body. Use the stretches to relax and open, and always err on the conservative side.

If you are up to it in the first trimester, strength poses are fine to do and should be done if tolerable. Do challenging (but appropriate) poses or exercises as part of your first trimester regime, but it should be sprinkled throughout the workout and there shouldn't be a high concentration of difficult work or too much of one thing.

Here are some more beginning exercises that will help you in the 1st trimester and throughout pregnancy.

Exercise: Pelvic Floor Lift
It is so important to strengthen the pelvic floor in our first trimester of pregnancy. Try to lift up from the inside without squeezing or gripping the outer musculature like the glutes, stomach, or thighs. Ideally, the outer musculature should be relaxed and you should feel a lifting up from the inside.

• Start seated in a chair or on the floor. (Later you can try the exercises in all positions; seated, standing, on all fours, on the back or on an incline.)
• In an upward movement towards the uterus, slowly contract the pelvic floor muscles on a long, steady Exhale.
• Keep the buttocks and abdominals relaxed as you breath and lift the pelvic floor.
• Inhale and hold.
• Exhale and slowly release the pelvic floor.
• Throughout, the sternum should stay over the pubic bone.
• Do 2-4 sets.

ADD ON

• Hold the pelvic floor up cycling the breath (working up to 10 breath cycles) and then slowly release.

Exercise: TA Strengthening/Hovering Knees
The key to TA work is that it be on a "dimmer switch." The exhale must take its time. The exhale is in charge of first pulling the TA in and then movement happens.

• Start on the mat on all fours.
• Wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
• If there is wrist sensitivity, roll up a mat to lessen the angle of the wrist or make a fist and go onto the knuckles or prop the forearms on a box.
• Inhale and stretch the crown of the head away from the tailbone.
• On the exhale, first sink and stretch the tissue of the deep belly (pull the transverse in) and then (on the dimmer switch) hover the knees a few inches off the floor.
• Make sure the bones of the spine have stayed the same and the shoulders are staying connected into the mid back.
• Hold at the top.
• Inhale to lengthen the spine.
• On the exhale, slowly lower the knees to the floor.
• Do 6-8 reps and rest in child's pose.