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

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. 

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.

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!

Resolutions: Obesity is a Global Issue with $2 Trillion Annual Impact!

A new report from McKinsey Global Institute, entitled "How the world could better fight obesity," names obesity as one of the three most critical global issues -- 

#1: smoking, 

#2: armed violence, war, and terrorism 

#3: Obesity 

Obesity affects 2.1 billion people (two and half times the number of people who are undernourished), has a global impact of $2 billion per year and results in 5% of all deaths worldwide each year. If this trend continues at its current rate, nearly half the world's adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030. 

In our reality TV, celebrity focused culture, we tend to get caught up in how our bodies look, rather than in how well they feel, how well they work, or the underlying health of the components. As we become more accustomed to instant gratification, people search for an instantaneous solution to what is obviously a more serious problem. 

Take a moment to consider how your body feels, how able you are to function daily, and how healthy you are overall -- weight, muscle tone, joints, cardiovascular, aches and pains, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, etc. 

Since we're at the time of year where people start making resolutions, rather than making an unrealistic New Year's resolution to lose XX pounds, why not make a resolution to gain health and wellness in 2015? Make one change each month to improve your health.

Examples: January - give up sugary drinks. February - go for a walk each day. March - eat a healthy breakfast every day. Add one healthy activity per month. Something simple, something do-able, something that will contribute to your overall health. 

For New Year's look for an upcoming blog on how to set yourself up for success by making achievable resolutions.

Join Us! Prevention-Palooza - Sat, Nov 1 8:30A-12:30P at Citadel Holliday Alumni Center

Any Body's Pilates will be exhibiting at the Food a& Fitness Fair and presenting brief Pilates Mat workshops at Prevention-Palooza, hosted by Dragon Boat Charleston. 

Citadel Campus, Holliday Alumni Center 
69 Hagood (across from Citadel Football Stadium)
November 1, 2014 
8:30A-12:30P

Join us for a light breakfast and peruse the Food & Fitness Fair. At 9am Dr. Ann Kulze, renowned author and motivational speaker will deliver her Just Say Whoa to Cancer program. At 11A there will be a series of exercise demonstrations including Pilates on the Patio with Any Body's Pilates!

Bring a yoga mat, come in your work out clothes, bring your friends and enjoy a day of information and inspiration! Click here to buy tickets for $10 (will be $15 at the door).

DBC has been paddling hard since 2003 with the mission of promoting physical and mental wellness among cancer survivors and their community. 

Control the Body with the Mind - Contrology

My first fitness love is group fitness classes. I loved the music, the people, and the fact that I couldn't think about my to-do list or anything else, unless I wanted to bump into other people or look like an idiot. That's how I got hooked on gyms and gym memberships, and it's how I got started as a fitness professional (part-time, while working a career corporate job). One of the most difficult aspects of learning to be a group fitness instructor was learning to give instructions, while doing the workout, and synchronizing with the music, while helping the attendees by giving specific cues. 

Leg Springs - Tower

When I went to a Pilates studio, there was no music. The instructor was not demonstrating the exercises. It seemed strange, and strangely quiet. Soon, I was too busy following instructions to notice. 

Bingo! I was too busy following instructions to notice there was no music. I was too focused on what I was doing to have been able to see (or follow) a demonstration by the instructor. And my mind had been quiet -- I'd only been thinking about each exercise.

That's a large part of the mind-body connection in Pilates. Clients focus on the instructions, how the movement feels in their bodies, and controlling the body with the mind. No distractions. That's why Joseph Pilates called it "Contrology."  Control the body with the mind. 

US Waistlines Growing - Especially Women's

According to HealthDay News, a new CDC report published September 17 in Journal of the American Medical Association, found that in 2012 the average US woman's waistline was 38.8 inches (up from an average of 37.6 inches in 1999).  For women, anything above 35 inches (for men, 40 inches) is considered abdominal obesity and an indicator of increased risk factors for heart disease and other issues. Based on that data, 54% of Americans were abdominally obese in 2012, up from 46% in 1999. 

In my opinion, this is more than a weight loss or weight gain issue. In my experience, many clients focus solely on their weight, not their health, then seek a "silver bullet" solution, rather than a healthy one. Health requires awareness, attention and effort. 

Nutrition is the single most important component. One cannot view food as the 'enemy' or to 'blame' for weight gain -- food is fuel for your body and your brain. No one, thin or obese, can survive without food. However, the better the quality of food, the better the quality of the results. Good nutrition requires knowledge, planning, preparation and effort. 

Strength training (which includes more options than weight training) is also helpful, as it builds lean muscle mass. Strength training has the same calorie "burn" - during and after exercise - as cardio training and can be easier on the body, while building muscle and bone density (especially important for women). 

Pilates is a great strength training/calorie burning option. Our clients report significant improvements in their muscle gain, substantial fat/weight loss, improved posture, major strength gains, and better self-esteem. 

If you're interested in more information on nutrition, healthy weight loss, strength training programs, or Pilates, Any Body's Pilates would be happy to help. We have Pilates Instructors as well as Personal Trainers on staff to provide Nutrition Counseling and Exercise Programming. We specialize in working with those who have special needs or difficulty with exercise and our services are available to individuals or small groups. Contact us today for more information. 

Why Are There are "Flavors" of Pilates?

Joseph Pilates Teaching

Joseph Pilates called his exercise "Contrology." After Joseph and Clara Pilates' deaths, the Method became known as "Pilates," but there were disagreements among those teaching/marketing it. In an unsuccessful law suit (U.S. District Court – Southern District of NY, Opinion 96 civ. 43 (MGC) October 2000) bid to trademark Pilates, a U.S. federal court ruled the term “Pilates” generic and free for unrestricted use. Now, you can call anything you like "Pilates" -- which is how "Piyo," "Yogilates," "Piloxing," "Aqualates" and the like got started. As a result, there are many brands or flavors of Pilates.

Anyone can start a Pilates Instructor training program. Anyone can teach a class and call it Pilates...so what's the difference? Many programs claim to have "evolved" beyond Joseph Pilates. Equipment has been "improved" with additional features and functions. 

Joseph Pilates with a Client

If you're looking for a studio/instructor who teaches closely to the original, look for a "Classical" studio. Ask the instructor about his/her training and for his/her lineage -- how close his/her instructor is to Joseph Pilates and "The Elders" -- the teachers that he and Clara Pilates personally trained. The closer they are, similar to genealogy, the closer their teaching methods should be.

No matter whether you choose Classical or a more modern approach, be sure your instructor is well-qualified and the studio is reputable. It's a relationship -- you should feel safe, supported, and be able to communicate openly with your instructor. If not, keep looking. 

Training Tip: Head Up with Gaze to Navel

Many newcomers to Pilates complain their neck "hurts." The question is, does it hurt, or is it just sore, as many other muscles that have not been used or stretched become sore? 

CAUTION: If it is shooting pain or pain like fire -- lower your head and tell your instructor immediately! Do not attempt to "work through" acute pain -- your instructor should provide a modification for you. 

However, if the "hurt" is not acute, it is probably muscle pain and part of the strengthening process. For many people, lifting their head with their gaze to the navel stretches the muscles in the back of the neck in a way those muscles have not been stretched in a long time, while challenging their abdominal muscles to hold up the head. Straining to do so, the client may clench the muscles around his/her neck, jaw and chin, causing fatigue and slight muscle pain. Relaxing the mouth, neck and chin will help, as will lifting the head to the correct position, then lowering for a brief rest. 

Hundred on the Reformer

When one considers how many bones are in the skull, how much brain and other matter are within the skull, how heavy the head is and how slight the neck is in comparison -- the physics makes sense. Many beginners lift their head so the gaze is to the ceiling, but that puts all the weight of the skull on the neck. By lifting the head so the gaze is to the navel, the skull is lifted over the shoulders and chest, so the abdominals are supporting the weight of the skull. In order to do correctly, a client must have strength in the abdominals and flexibility in the neck and shoulder muscles. 

Developing strength and flexibility may take practice and time. Clients should endeavor to hold their heads up in the correct position for as long as possible, lowering for a brief rest, then raising again. Not raising to the correct position may cause more pain and less positive results than lifting to the correct position, resting and resuming. 

Do You Know - What Is Pilates?

Most people have heard, read about, or talked about Pilates, but many have no idea what it is. A unique system of exercise created by Joseph Pilates, he called his exercise "Contrology," and opened a studio in New York City with his wife, Clara, in 1926. 

Joseph Pilates - Age 59

After his death in 1967, the technique became known as “The Pilates Method.” A court decision in the 1980s determined no one can own the trademark or copyright to "Pilates." That resulted in a free-for-all in which anything can be called "Pilates" and hence, we now have Aquilates, Boxilates, Pi-yo, Yogilates, etc.

Traditional, aka Classical, Pilates focuses on improving flexibility, strength, and balance for the whole body…without building bulk. Pilates has been embraced by dancers, athletes, celebrities and the general public for its unique approach, accessibility, and comprehensive, but dramatic, results.

Pilates utilizes continuous movement (with minimum repetitions), using the whole body for each exercise. Similar to personal training, Pilates traditionally has an instructor who provides instruction, correction and encouragement, but does not perform the exercises with clients. The mind-body component of Pilates involves client(s) listening to instructions and adapting his/her body in response, requiring a great deal of concentration and coordination.

Joseph Pilates teaching in his NY studio

During his career, Mr. Pilates published books with photos and recorded film of his exercises, but there was no manual or formal teaching program. The instructors with whom he worked directly are known as "Elders." Most Classical instructors can trace their teaching lineage to an Elder and the fewer the hops, the more traditional the teaching style.

Any Body's Pilates is a Classical Pilates studio and our lineage traces 1 hop to Elder Romana Kryzanowska, who studied directly with Mr. Pilates. Search YouTube for videos of Mr. Pilates performing his exercises and stop by to see us if you'd like to learn more.