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). 

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!)

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

Antonio Brown of Pittsburgh Steelers Cross-Trains with Pilates

Antonio Brown
WR, Pittsburg Steelers

The Stack (in association with Yahoo Sports) named Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, its "NFL Beast of the Week," for an amazing catch in the Steelers' Week 15 NFL Game win against the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday. 

Brown credits his amazing footwork and ball handling skills to cross-training with -- you guessed it -- Pilates. 

Watch the video -- to see Antonio's amazing catch, and watch him do Going Up Side on the High Chair. 

Anyone, even professional athletes, can benefit from Pilates. At Any Body's Pilates, we believe fitness is for ANY body!

Progress

Common questions we hear about Pilates:
 Q1. "Where will I feel it?"
 Q2. "Where will I see a difference?"
 Q3. "How soon will I see a difference?"
 Q4. "Can I lose weight?"

The answers can vary based on individual circumstances, but in general:
 A1. Pilates uses the whole body on every exercise, so clients feel the work everywhere
 A2. Clients see changes in posture, abs, and shoulders...but some also see big changes in legs, arms, and/or glutes
 A3. Some clients feel it immediately, others take longer. I like the Joseph Pilates quote:

"10 Sessions until you FEEL a difference, 

20 Sessions until you SEE a difference, 

30 Sessions until you're on your way to a whole new body..." 

Most clients see results before 20 Sessions -- other people will notice after 20!
 A4. Yes clients can lose weight doing Pilates - see these earlier posts: 
          US Waistlines Growing - Especially Women's
          The Beauty of the Power House Challenge - Weight Loss
          Pilates for Weight Loss - Part 1
          Pilates for Weight Loss - Part 2

Would you rather see photographic evidence of the changes that are possible?

Photos taken from May 1-Oct 2, 2014   These photos were taken May 1 2014, June 10 2014, July 19 2014, October 2 2014. She was not dieting, took 2-3 Pilates Mat Classes per week (shhh...don't tell - she's over 65). Notice how much straighter her spine is, how much more relaxed her shoulders are, and how much more shapely she's become -- in just 5 months! We took her measurements today - since July 1 she's lost over 9 INCHES, including 1 inch off each of her upper arms and 3 inches off her hips!

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.