Pilates for Golfers - from GolfDigest.com

Pilates is a great cross-training technique that can help athletes build strength, stamina, flexibility and balance. 

Knees Off on Reformer

We're linking to a GolfDigest.com article published today, Fitness Friday: How A Pilates Reformer Can Help Your Golf Game," by Ron Kapriske. The post includes a video with an example exercise for Reformer, and a suggestion for the same exercise if one doesn't have access to a Reformer (since all Pilates exercises on apparatus are related to Pilates Mat exercises). 

Sometimes, it isn't about the work out...

While most clients are looking for a work out, some clients have bigger issues to solve. Pilates can be a means to an end.

One of my clients fell in April and again in June this year while walking outdoors. She incurred fairly serious injuries (not to mention the damage to her pride and sense of independence) both times. I had expressed concern about the alignment of her legs, from hips to feet, but she didn't understand and bought new shoes. After the second fall, an orthopedist and a physical therapist expressed the same concerns I had, and she began to understand. After doing a little PT along with Pilates, she decided to focus on Pilates as the means to make changes.

We modified exercises to focus on the alignment between her hips, knees and feet. We also worked on her overall posture, shoulders and lengthening the back of her neck to improve her overall spinal alignment and balance. We have worked on her alignment while lying down, sitting and standing. Working only on the Mat, twice per week, her progress from July to September is amazing. 

July 2015 (left) - September 2015 (right)

From Health & Fitness Cheat Sheet: 5 Reasons Why Men Should Do Pilates

We're linking to an article by Amanda Lauren on Health & Fitness Cheat Sheet: "5 Reasons Why Men Should Do Pilates"

(Besides Joseph Pilates looking so great and being able to do such difficult exercises!)

Study Finds Pilates Effective at Improving Balance and Reducing Pain in Older Women

A small Spanish study published in August 2015 evaluated the effects of six weeks of Pilates on functional balance, fear of falling and chronic low-back pain in women over age 65.

Although Pilates is widely recommended by many physicians for older adults due to its positive effects on chronic low-back pain, balance, and fall prevention, until recently there have been few studies evaluating the effects of Pilates on this population. The objective of this study was to analyze the short term effects of Pilates and physical therapy on factors such as: fear of falling, functional balance, and lumbar pain in women older than 65 with chronic low-back pain. 

A single blind controlled randomized trial of six weeks of Pilates in addition to physiotherapy vs. physiotherapy treatment only was conducted on 97 women with chronic low-back pain. Both groups received the same physiotherapy two times per week for six weeks, while the Pilates group also received two sessions per week of Pilates (one hour per session). Patients were excluded from the study if they missed more than three sessions during the six-weeks. Patients were evaluated at baseline and again after six weeks of treatment.

Joseph Pilates at age 59

Researchers concluded that the Pilates group showed improvement in fear of falling and functional mobility and balance after treatment, and also had better results in pain reduction than the physiotherapy-only group.

"In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference. 

In 20, you will see the difference. 

And in 30, you will be on your way to having a whole new body..." 

-- Joseph Pilates

After 12 Pilates sessions, this group of older women living with chronic low-back pain showed improvement in fear of falling, functional mobility and balance, as well as reduced pain compared to patients who only received physiotherapy. Imagine what 10 Pilates sessions can do for you?

Workshop: Postural Alignment to Reduce Daily Aches & Pains

We've had a request to teach a workshop on postural alignment to reduce daily aches and pains. 

Do you wake up with at stiff neck? Ever wonder why your knees or hips hurt especially on one side? Do you find yourself slouching in your chair or while driving? Do you round your shoulders while working or driving? Do you experience low back or sciatic pain after sitting?

We'll help you feel and see how your body should be aligned and give you some tips to help keep it that way, along with stretches for when muscles get tight.

Postural Alignment to 
Reduce Daily Aches & Pains

Sat, May 16, 10:30AM

Any Body's Pilates Studio

845-1B Savannah Highway 

(Entrance on Daniel Street)
Call 843.732.3228 for more information or to register

From Stack.com, "Why These 7 NFL Wide Receivers Do Pilates"

For anyone who thinks Pilates is only for women, or just for stretching, take a look at this video of Antonio Brown doing Pilates (on High Chair, Reformer and Ladder Barrel), then read the article about 6 other NFL Wide Receivers who do Pilates. From an article on Stack.com by Maddy Lucier, dated April 17, 2015.

Dr Araújo Provides More Info on SRT

Last month, I wrote a blog, "Pilates and Sitting-Rising Life Expectancy Test." The lead researcher, Dr Claudio Gil Araújo, from Clinimex, Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, kindly wrote to provide more information on another ref by his research group that was published in the Am J Phys Med & Rehab, "Does flexibility influence the ability to sit and rise from the floor?"

The purpose of this study was to establish whether flexibility influences the ability to sit and rise from the floor. Subjects aged 6-92 yrs performed the Sitting-Rising Test (SRT) and the Flexitest on the same laboratory visit. The SRT evaluates components of musculoskeletal function by assessing the subject's ability to sit and rise from the floor, which was scored from 0 to 5, with 1 point being subtracted from 5 for each support used (hand/knee). The subject's final SRT score, varying from 0 to 10, was obtained by adding the sitting and rising scores. The Flexitest evaluates the maximum passive range of motion of 20 body joint movements. For each one of the movements, there are five possible scores, 0-4, in a crescent mobility order. Adding the results of the 20 movements provides an overall flexibility score called the Flexindex (FLX).

Dr. Araújo's team concluded: Although seemingly simple tasks, the actions of sitting and rising from the floor are also partially dependent on flexibility in male and female subjects of a wide age range. Future studies should explore the potential benefit of regular flexibility exercises for these actions.

Dr. Araújo said the SRT has been used in several other clinical and sports scenarios on about 7,000 people ranging from 5 to 90 years of age in the last 15 years. It is also been utilized in US and Brazilian Army in order to easily identify those with some limitations in non-aerobic physical fitness (those unable to score a perfect 10 at 18-25 years of age). If you need the age and gender norms (pediatric to geriatric populations), Dr. Araújo has offered to provide -- you may contact Any Body's Pilates and we will put you in touch.

Thank you to Dr. Araújo for the follow-on message and information on additional studies. 

Mat Pilates Aids in Blood Pressure Control

While physical exercise has been used in treating hypertension, aka high blood pressure, few methods have proven beneficial in research settings. Researchers at Universidade Federal de Sao Paolo, in Brazil, wanted to evaluate whether Mat Pilates would offer reductions in blood pressure, as do some other resistance exercises. 

Scissors

In a research study published in International Journal of Cardiology (2015; 179, 262-68), researchers enrolled 44 hypertensive, middle-aged women being treated with medication for blood pressure. They were divided into a training group and a control group. The training group performed 60-minute mat pilates sessions twice a week for 16 weeks. The control group  maintained daily activities without exercise training.

The training group showed statistically significant improvements for the systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure in all moments evaluated (clinical, 24 hour, awake and asleep). The training group also showed improvements in height, waist and hip circumferences, flexibility, right and left hand strengths. There were no significant changes

Single Leg Kick

in the control group. Researchers concluded that hypertensive women using antihypertensive medications can benefit from mat pilates to reduce clinical and ambulatory blood pressure, supporting the recommendation of mat Pilates as a non-drug treatment for hypertension.

Take a Mat class with Any Body's Pilates and see the difference Pilates, small classes and individualized instruction can make in your workout, your body and your life. 

Pilates and Sitting-Rising Life Expectancy Test

A study published in Dec 2012 recently made headlines because it's a simple screening test that has proved remarkably predictive of mortality. A study of more than 2000 middle-aged and older men and women, performed in Brazil by Dr Claudio Gil Araújo and colleagues at the Clinimex -- Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, was reported December 13, 2012 in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention.The test was a simple assessment of the subjects' ability to sit and then rise unaided from the floor. Before starting the test, subjects were told: "Without worrying about the speed of movement, try to sit and then to rise from the floor, using the minimum support that you believe is needed."Each of the two basic movements were assessed and scored out of 5, with one point being subtracted from 5 for each support used (hand or knee, for example). A film of the sitting-rising test can be seen here, or an English-version here.

Offering an explanation for the close correlation between the test scores and survival, Dr Araújo said: "It is well known that aerobic fitness is strongly related to survival, but our study also shows that maintaining high levels of body flexibility, muscle strength, power-to-body weight ratio and co-ordination are not only good for performing daily activities but have a favourable influence on life expectancy."    

In Classical Pilates, we teach clients to sit on the Reformer without any support, and it is surprising how many people who cannot move to a seated position without using their hands for support. As they progress in Mat exercises, we teach clients to start class standing and move to a seated position (without support), and to end class by moving from seated to standing (without support). For many clients, this presents major challenges that require practice to acquire the necessary strength, confidence, and body alignment. Joseph Pilates famously said, "The body is as old as the spine is young," summarizing Dr Araújo's conclusion that flexibility, strength and coordination are important to long-term health and life expectancy. 

Any Body's Pilates Offers March Matness!

Come play March Matness with Any Body's Pilates! 

We are offering a promotion for the month of March -- 10 Mat Classes for $125! Clients may purchase the series at any time, but all 10 classes must be completed between March 1-31, 2015 (any remaining sessions will be forfeited April 1). If you already have a regularly priced Mat Series with us, you may pause it to participate in Mat Matness and resume at the end of March. 

At Any Body's Pilates we offer Mat classes focused on personalized instruction. There are NO yoga mats on the floor -- all clients are on raised, leather upholstery Mats.  Our classes are Mon through Sat with a variety of times -- early, late and midday, to fit various schedules. We add classes to the schedule as needed, so if our schedule doesn't fit yours, please tell us what would and we may be able to add more.

 Since we limit our Mat Classes to a maximum of 4 clients, we strongly recommend registering for class in advance to reserve your space. Registration can be made online, via our FREE mobile app ("MindBody Connect"), Email, text or calling the studio (843.732.3228). 

Why Take Mat Class at a Pilates Studio?

Joseph Pilates designed his exercises for the Mat - it is THE original Pilates apparatus. to help WWI veterans and others who had difficulty with the mat exercises, he began developing Pilates apparatus to create resistance using springs and pulleys. While exercises may seem different with Pilates equipment, they are all related, and all relate back to the Mat exercises.

Mat classes are accessible to all -- at home, while traveling, outdoors, at the gym or in a

Pilates studio. Mat exercises are challenging -- clients use their body weight and gravity for resistance and have nothing to hold onto or guide them. One can appear to be doing an exercise correctly, but still be missing the Pilates goal.

It can be difficult to learn Pilates from a DVD or TV show. Watching a screen while doing the exercise almost guarantees your body is out of alignment and it can be difficult to follow along in time. Many don't provide enough modifications. There is no instructor to correct your form, provide a modification just for you, or assist you in understanding the goal of the exercise, which can lead to frustration, unnecessary soreness, or potential injury.

Classes at a gym may be taught by a group fitness instructor who may not have much training in Pilates. Often, these instructors perform the exercises with the class which creates the same difficulties as trying to learn Pilates while watching a DVD. 

In a Pilates studio, you should receive personalized attention in the form of specific verbal and touch cues, form correction, assistance in understanding and achieving a particular skill or exercise, as well as modifications specific to your needs. Once you've mastered the principles and form, taking class at the gym or following a DVD is a great way to reinforce and practice more often, because you'll be able to follow the verbal instructions. 

Try taking a Mat class at a studio and see what a difference it can make to your workout and understanding of the exercises and Pilates principles.

Pilates Can Help with Lower Back Pain

A research study published in Clinical Rehabilitation focused on people with chronic lower back pain and concluded that improvements in pain, function and quality of life were improved in a 90 day period compared to those who did no exercises.

Researchers from Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo in Sao Paolo, conducted a study with 60 patients who suffered from chronic, non-specific lower back pain. The researchers split the patients into an experimental and a control group. The experimental group practiced Pilates twice per week for 50 minutes over a 90 day period. Both groups continued with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Results showed that Pilates participants improved in pain, function and quality of life and used less pain medication. 

The researchers' conclusion:
"The pilates method can be used by patients with lower back pain (LBP) to improve pain, function and aspects related to quality of life (functional capacity, pain and vitality). Moreover, this method has no harmful effects on such patients."

From Greatist: See How Much the "Perfect" Female Body Has Changed in 100 Years (It's Crazy!)

Maria Hart in a Jan 15, 2015 posting on Greatist, provides an overview (by decade) starting in 1910 of the "perfect" female body. The shifts in "perfection" are huge and unrealistic for most women.

For example, 'The Supermodel' was the "perfect" female body when I was in high school and college and likely one of the reasons that to this day, I feel "short" at 5' 4", although studies show that is average height for most women.  

Scroll to the bottom of her article to see a slideshow of each of the "perfect" figures. And make note of Maria's final sentence:

"The media’s idea of beauty is subjective and changes, but confidence is always in style."

-- Maria Hart, Greatist.com, Jan 15, 2015

MUSC, Medical Research and "Pilates Power"

My good friends, internal medicine doctors at MUSC, forwarded an Email from MUSC's Safety Physician about an article in MUSC's publication "Safely Speaking," entitled Pilates Power:

The article discusses a recent study published on PubMed on the effect Pilates has on older adults and preventing falls. While more research is needed, there does seem to be a correlation between Pilates, improved balance, and reduced falls. 

As a reminder, the benefits of Pilates are: strength, stamina, stretch/flexibility, and stabilization -- this improves balance, but also evens the two sides of the body. Pilates is

all about controlling the body with the mind, while using all the muscles at once, in concert with breathing. Using body weight and spring tension, one can successfully complete a weight-bearing exercise program while seated or lying down (on sofa-height equipment). Individuals with vertigo or other balance issues, obese clients, older adults or anyone who has issues with getting up and down off the floor usually find this much safer and more appealing. 

At Any Body's Pilates, we believe Fitness is for ANY Body! We enjoy working with older adults, and those who have difficulty working out. Our equipment is sofa height (there are NO Yoga Mats on the floor), and we believe in personalized instruction, even in a Mat class environment. For more information, see our web site or contact us. 

Happy New Year's Resolutions!

Most people make resolutions, most fail by the end of the year. Some set unrealistic goals, some focus on the negative, some use improper measurements (or don't measure progress correctly), some try to do too much too fast -- and the result is discouragement and eventually abandoning the goal.

If your goal is focused on health and wellness, any progress is positive, so how you set and measure the goals really is key.

Here are a few tips for making achievable resolutions:

• Make realistic goals
• Focus on the positive
• Make small changes progressively (not all at once)
• Measure (and reward) your progress
• Don't be discouraged by setbacks 

Make sure the goal and the measurement accurately reflect what you're trying to achieve as your higher level goal. 

If you'd like help in setting realistic and achievable goals, developing a plan to achieve them, coaching and support, assistance with establishing proper measurements and measuring them over time, Any Body's Pilates can help. We offer Health Coaching, Personal Training, Health/Wellness Education Workshops, in addition to Pilates. 

Happy New Year and good luck with your 2015 Resolutions!