 Muscle Focus: Abdominals and Hamstrings.
Aims: Spinal Articulation and to encourage awareness of lateral breathing. Start Position....
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 I’ve always had problems with my hips. I was actually born with both my hips dislocated (the head of the femur is completely out of the socket) which is quite uncommon to have both.
From birth until I was around 6 months I had to wear a plastic brace over my nappy to keep my legs laterally rotated outwards. My hips have always felt tight and particularly uncomfortable when I exercised - until I found Pilates ! My hips were fine rotating outwards and this is the position my hips spent most of their time, although I struggled with internal rotation.  Pain in the neck! (video included)
If you have experienced neck pain, you will know how disabling it can be. We know that two thirds of us will experience neck pain at some point in our lives. Did you know neck pain will affect women more than men, and is most common in middle age. Signs and symptoms can include....  If you spend most of your day in front of your computer then you, like the millions of others may be suffering with poor posture caused by an excessively rounded upper back.
A rounder spine also has negative affects on your health. Rounding your back puts pressure on the rib cage and organs. Why is this a problem? (free video included)  Why do we do side lying exercises so much in our Pilates Classes.?
When lying on your side in Pilates, lifting your leg is fighting gravity, so in terms of "weight lifting", you're actually lifting the weight of your leg with your hip muscles. These muscles are particularly weak, and often tight, on most individuals....and you'll know if that's you because you'll feel it working.! It's really important to keep these muscles strong for stability and balance (they help you stand on one leg), and also for stability in your low back and spine. Just as important as it is to strengthen those muscles, you want to stretch them too. A great stretch is sometimes called "figure 4". This is an excellent stretch for sciatica. Follow the link below to see this stretch...  Did you know that Yoga offers amazing physical and mental benefits, with a key focus on flexibility, stretching and strength...
FREE VIDEO INCLUDED...  Many people are working from home and the ergonomics of working in a home situation can contribute to shoulder issues.
The shoulder is a very mobile area of the body – actually its one of the most mobile joints we have. It can move in multiple directions including up, down, back, forward and various forms of rotation. You will notice we cover all these movements in our sessions....  We are only a few weeks into the year, and lockdown life is upon us again, we may find we have good days and bad days.
So many of us are carrying stress and tension in our bodies without even realise the decrementing effects that it can be having on our health. The good news is that one of the greatest ways to reduce the negative effects of stress is to move our bodies.!!.... And yes I can help here! - FREE WORKOUT INCLUDED...  Your spine is made up of small bones, called vertebrae, which are stacked on top of one another and create the natural curves of your back....
 January 2021 and already this year has been hard on us all, both mentally and physically.
We all know that doing some form of movement is an easy way to boost both your mental and physical health. Although we sometimes struggle with the motivation to do what we need to do. Free workout included....  Whether Yoga or Pilates is the better choice for you will depend on what you're trying to achieve
Both practices offer amazing physical and mental benefits, with a key focus on flexibility, stretching and strength. Unlike other high-intensity workouts like cardio, boot camps or boxing, Yoga and Pilates are less intense and lower impact, but are still very effective in improving your muscle strength, tone and endurance. The comparison....  Eight out of ten adults suffer with back pain. Did you know that more than 80% of the adult population suffer from low back pain at some time in their life. Do you fall under these statistics. It is one of the most common reasons why people take time off work, and may be distressing and frustrating as quality of life often suffers. Yet gentle, effective exercise, delivered by a properly trained exercise professional, can often help with the prevention and management of low back pain. Pilates exercises are designed to help the back to recover from strain or injury. Regular Pilates sessions have been proven to reduce aching and to stop back pain. At Pilates and Yoga Studio we teach the Body Control Pilates method. The main focus of Body Control Pilates is the principle of encouraging natural movement. This is the vital foundation for avoiding injury and maintaining fitness regardless of age or ability. Body Control Pilates is remarkably effective - and medically-approved. Your instructor Emma is a member of the Body Control Pilates Association – one of the largest Pilates organisation in Europe. Emma will have to undergo continuous professional development throughout the years to retain her prestigious membership, and to make sure that she is up to date with all the latest information that is continuously released. We run "healthy back" pilates courses on zoom and in our Whickham Studio click the link below for available dates and times.... SIMPLE EXERCISES TO IMPROVE LOWER BACK PAIN.......
 Why not try this easy to make soup. It includes four of your 5-a-day too.
Ingredients
STEP 1 : Empty all of the ingredients into a large pan. Pour over 1½ litres boiling water, then stir well. STEP 2 : Cover and leave to simmer for 30 mins until the vegetables and lentils are tender. STEP 3 :Serve into bowls and eat straightaway, or if you like a really thick texture, blitz a third of the soup with a hand blender or in a food processor.  Foot and leg cramps are fairly common when doing Pilates, they can be quite annoying when you’re trying to keep up with the movements can't they!
The truth is, there isn’t much conclusive research as to why the feet cramp.! So what is Cramp? A cramp (www.nhs.uk) happens when a muscles suddenly shortens and becomes tight and spasms, although the reasons are not clear. Most cramps don’t last long and can be relieved by massage & stretching it out. Causes
So what can we do?..  A good nights rest is important for our bodies. During sleep our body repairs itself.
This is especially important if our bodies are injured as the damaged tissue needs time to heal. Problems with sleeping will increase stress responses in the body and increase muscle spasm.  Lets get outdoors
When life seems busy, stressful or uncertain, the harder it is to make time for the things we love to do — the things that will lift our spirits and make us feel happy and content. I find that I spend my days washing, ironing, cleaning, cooking, getting the kids sorted for school / work (yes he's 18 but I still run around for him ha! ) and thats before I teach my Pilates classes and over 50s Strength and balance classes and everything else that goes on in the background! (not forgetting my own 10-minute Pilates routine) … just trying to fit in all the tasks that are part of daily life. Can you Relate?.....  Breathing helps ingest oxygen to be transported all over the body through the bloodstream and it helps in the elimination of waste products.
Breathing correctly will also help purify the blood, create an uplift in energy and will relax your body and mind......  Improve your Body Awareness and Posture
It will first and foremost, make you much more aware of your body! You will start to notice your own postural habits including the way you stand, sit, walk, sleep. Having this awareness of your posture means that you are more likely to self-correct your own posture and begin the process of repairing any damage that poor posture has caused on your body. Regular and consistent Pilates can then help to balance out your posture by strengthening the postural muscles in your body that are weak and stretching out the postural muscles in your body that are tight..... |
AuthorEmma Louise McGlen Free Guide
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