Get Off Your Chair!

Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA hosted a conference on the "Science of Sedentary Behavior" also known as "inactive physiology."  No one would be surprised that sedentary behavior has a strong relationship with metabolic functions. What might be a surprise is that even people who exercise everyday are impacted, if they spend the majority of their day (primarily their workday) seated, along with the severity of the impact.

Preliminary research shows long-term sedentary behavior -- desk jobs, driving and watching TV -- can lead to obesity, diabetes and even some kinds of cancer. The average adult spends a stunning 9.3 hours — 63% of their waking hours — sitting, mostly at work.

For your health's sake -- get off your chair! In addition to regular exercise, instead of Emailing a co-worker, walk over for a quick chat. Stand up while talking on the phone (also a tip for keeping conversations shorter). Schedule frequent breaks to get up and walk around. The Stanford conference offered physio balls and kneeling desks as alternatives to chairs, and established at the beginning that attendees were welcome to stand or walk around during the meeting. Making movement socially acceptable in the workplace is key.

For companies truly committed to the health of its employees, there is the Walkstation, an office desk with treadmill, although it costs nearly $4600. If you prefer biking, the same company also has a desk with a stationary bike.

Plan more breaks and opportunities to get out of your chair -- keep moving throughout the day and improve your health.

US Army Incorporates Pilates into Basic Training

In a recent New York Times article, James Dao covered fitness-related changes to Army basic training at Fort Jackson, SC.

Due to poor eating habits, video games, and fewer PE classes, America's youth is gaining weight. The top reason the US Army rejects potential recruits is excessive weight. Still, overweight and unfit new recruits remain a pressing issue for the Army, as more recruits failed fit tests and were injured during basic training.

As a result, the Army has instituted a new basic training fitness manual and changes to the mess hall at Fort Jackson.

 Photo by Ann McQuary

The new training is more closely related to the skills required of soldiers in the field and incorporates exercises that would be familiar to Pilates and Yoga devotees to strengthen the core and back.

In the mess hall, there are more leafy greens, a color-coded system to encourage recruits to eat healthier foods, and soda has been replaced with milk.

There is even talk about changing the Army fit test to exclude sit ups and include other types of exercises.

As one platoon leader said, “It’s more whole body. “No one who has done this routine says we’ve made it easier.”

Pilates for Weight Loss?

Our Front Door

As clients know, my studio is in a group of buildings with several small businesses, including a couple of salons. I was outside the other day and a salon client flagged me down. She had an "apple" body shape -- most of her weight in her torso, and yes, overweight. She asked, "Will Pilates help with weight loss?" We started talking, but the questions she asked were along the lines of, "Will Pilates magically melt the fat off my body?" Did I mention she was outside smoking a cigarette?

 Many clients and prospects are looking for a silver bullet or magic wand -- show up for an hour a week, and in a month, lo and behold, back to the svelte figure they remember having in high school. While I don't want to discourage anyone, there is no silver bullet, and I don't know any fairy godmothers. Clients still have to do the work, and make no mistake, Pilates is a work out. (If you don't feel like it's a work out, you're probably not doing it right.) Working out one or two hours per week will help, but not changing any other habits most likely will not result in a dramatic transformation.

Front Support - Mat

"Physical fitness can neither be acquired by wishful thinking nor by outright purchase."
   -- Joseph Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology

Can Pilates help with weight loss? Yes, definitely. But so can walking, swimming, yoga, strength training, eating a healthy and balanced diet, and controlling portion sizes. With a comprehensive plan that includes cardio, strength training, and a healthy diet (based on the correct caloric intake), weight loss is almost guaranteed. The key is finding something that works for you, start there, and then build on it. And be prepared for a gradual transformation. Chances are, it took years to get where you are now, so it will take time for your body to change and time to change the lifestyle that brought you to this point.

How can Pilates help with weight loss? While it's not cardio like cycling, running or swimming, your heart rate is elevated and all the muscles work, so there is a caloric burn. (For clients that don't like being all sweaty, however, Pilates won't leave you dripping the way cycling or running will.) Clients use their body weight and/or equipment spring tension to build lean muscle mass, like strength training. Will you look like Arnold Schwarznegger? No. Will you develop long, lean muscles throughout the body with better definition and tone? Definitely. Pilates works all muscles groups, including very small muscles that most strength training programs never reach, which is one of the reasons why it's so different. Because all exercises can be modified for anyone, and there's no impact, any client -- no matter their age, size or current physical shape -- can do Pilates. It's a great way to start an exercise program after a long hiatus. Our studio features raised, platform equipment (NO Yoga mats on the floor), so even clients who have difficulty getting up and down are able to get on/off the equipment safely and easily. Pilates focuses on developing a strong and stable core, which is important for good posture, protecting your back, and improved balance.

Shoulder Bridge - Tower

"Contrology [aka Pilates] develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit."
   -- Joseph Pilates, Return to Life Through Contrology 

If you'd like help with a comprehensive fitness plan, Any Body's Pilates' instructors are also certified personal trainers and we'd be happy to help you with that. Clients can completely change their bodies (and their lives) with Pilates, but it's the ones who do the work and stick with it who achieve the transformation, not the ones who wait to be struck by a silver bullet.

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Coach Pitches Pilates to Trinity Baseball Team

Trinity University is my undergrad alma mater. I was excited last spring to learn that the baseball team (Division III - no scholarships) had started Pilates as a method of cross-training and credited Pilates with their winning season.

The San Antonio Express-News reports that the current team has already started off-season Pilates training. The team still does traditional workouts, and even some yoga. But Pitching Coach David Smith was attracted to the competitive nature of a formal Pilates class.

Senior Noah Solomon said he'd been looking forward to Pilates after being introduced to it last year. He said it helped him as a pitcher.

"Everything we do applies to pitching," he explains. "It builds your core strength, teaches you how to transfer energy from your back and shoulders to your arm and increases the power of your legs."

The players believe the workouts helped them reduce injuries and improve concentration. Last year, Trinity posted a 32-9 record and made it to the West Regional Tournament. More impressively, last year's pitching staff suffered no significant injuries throughout the season.

San Antonio Express News

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Pilates for Strength Training

There are four primary benefits of Pilates: stamina, stretch, stability, and strength. Yes, Pilates can and does build strength. This is an eye-opening surprise to many new clients.

Teaser on Tower

Most clients come from a gym background and believe the only way to build strength is to lift weights, and the heavier, the better and more challenging. During Mat Pilates, clients build strength by lifting the weight of their body. Anyone who has done push-ups, pull-ups, tricep dips, chin-ups or any other difficult exercise requiring the individual to lift their body weight, knows how challenging this can be. With a good instructor, the client will also learn proper form and balance within the body (so one side isn't doing more work than the other). No more push-ups with a sagging belly, or tricep dips with hunched shoulders, or downward-dog-style (i.e. booty in the air) planks -- the client develops the strength to perform the exercises properly.

Front Suppo

 With Pilates equipment, in addition to the weight of the client's body, spring tension is added. (On the Reformer, the client lifts his/her body weight, plus spring tension, plus the additional weight of the carriage.) The spring tension is similar to a weight, or exercise band, in that the client must use muscle strength to create tension on the springs and engage muscle strength to release the tension. In Pilates, the release is more important than the pull, as the release requires more control. The exercises must be done with proper form and alignment, which requires concentration and muscle strength in the core and other parts of the body to stabilize for the working muscles. This requires strength in the major muscle groups usually addressed with weight training, as well as much smaller muscles that are normally ignored in most weight training programs.

Twist on Wunda Chair

Pilates is designed with exercises in lying, sitting and standing positions. At times, the client has the help of gravity, at times less help, and at other times, in addition to lifting the client's weight, plus added spring tension (resistance), the client is also defying gravity. This requires a great deal of strength, balance (stability), concentration and control.

So, before assuming that Pilates is only for stretching, try a Mat class or an equipment session. Not only is Pilates great for strength training, it's much gentler on the joints and spine than traditional weight training and is accessible to those who are out of shape or uncomfortable with weight machines or free weights. It's a fun and challenging way to develop muscle strength, using a different form of resistance training.