The Eight Principles of Pilate – No 8: Stamina December 8, 2008

STAMINA

 

 

 

So, finally we want to build up endurance in the muscles.  This will happen with time, the stronger the core muscles become the more we will be able to do.  We are using the mind to get the body to adapt to better ways of moving, the correct way of moving.  We will no longer be wasting energy holding on to unnecessary tension or moving inefficiently.  Once these ‘muscle memories’ are in place we can focus on endurance.

 

There are many factors that make the body tired; not using it correctly is the main one.  Pilates will give you more awareness of what is happening in your body for you thus helping you to overcome your barriers.  You can open up the lungs improving your breathing, flushing out toxins and calming the mind, stand taller and for longer, sit comfortably and create a bank of knowledge on how to heal your body through correct movement.

 

It is good to practice Pilates in your every day life; it is not just for the mat.

 

1. Stand with your spine in neutral at the bus; extend through the crown of the head

 

1. When sitting at your desk, let your shoulders fall away from your ears, try not to cross your legs, feet evenly weighted on the ground.

 

 

1. When the children / husband / wife are testing your patience, take a few deep breaths and calm the mind down, you will be surprised at how it can change your responses.

 

1. In the gym or swimming, think about your alignment and correct use of the body.  It would be silly to undo all your hard work by pulling yourself out of line whilst walking on the treadmill.

 

I hope you have enjoyed the eight principles of Pilates and can use the information to balance yourself.

 

Sending you positive energies from India and looking forward to sharing my light with you on my return.

Safe journeys (physical and spiritual), wherever they may take you over the festive season.

Eat well, sleep well, and do some exercise!!

 

I will upload some basic routines that you can try at home to keep you busy, keep posted.

The Eight Principles of Pilates – No 7: Flowing Movements November 28, 2008

FLOWING MOVEMENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 In Pilates we make natural movements but concentrate on performing them correctly. 

 

The movements are graceful (Men – don’t be afraid to be graceful!).  The postures are performed slowly, lengthening away from the strong centre so we can concentrate on control, strength and correct alignment.

 

We DO NOT twist into awkward positions or strain, If you feel that you do in some postures please do the alternatives I offer (maybe dropping down a level), we should never feel stressed during a class.  If the alternative still causes you problems just stop and rest, we should all move at our own pace in the class, listening to the timing of our own breath.

 

So next time you are practicing enjoy the flow of the movement, visualise the shapes your bodies are making, point the toes, straighten the legs and take pride in your graceful bodies (men included!).

The Eight Principles of Pilates – No 6: Co-ordination November 14, 2008

CO-ORDINATION

 

 

This is where it gets complicated!!  We have mastered lateral breathing; we have aligned ourselves correctly and created a strong centre.  Now we need to learn how to add movement while keeping a strong centre.

 

This is not easy at the start, but persevere.  The more you practice the body will remember what to do, it becomes part of your ‘muscle memory’.  The brain remembers sequences of movements so we need to keep ourselves aligned to use the body correctly.

 

Practicing how to keep a strong centre whilst moving is great for mental and physical training – kind of like rubbing your tummy whilst patting your head!

 

We normally start with smaller movements and build up to more complicated ones.  We use the legs and arms as resistance and load (instead of weights).

 

Repeating good patterns of movements will aid us change the way we move for the better.

 

The Eight Principles of Pilates – No 5: Centring November 6, 2008

CENTRING

 

 

 

 

 

By hollowing the stomach – bringing the navel towards the spine – we activate the central core muscles, namely: transverse abdominals (TA), Multifidus (deep back muscle) and the Pelvic Floor.  When these muscles engage they form a natural corset if you like, together they make a strong centre by which we are able to move safely and keep the back protected.

 

The action of ‘navel to spine’ starts with the pelvic floor and then the lower abdominals engage.

 

The best way to do this is:

 

1. As you breathe out, draw up the muscles of the pelvic floor and hollow the lower abdominals back to the spine.

 

1. Sometimes described as ‘Zip up and hollow’.  Imagine you are wearing tight jeans, use the inner core muscles to pull the tummy back so you can do the jeans up!

 

It is important not to grip the muscles too tightly as this will cause tension, try to ‘hollow’ the abdomen instead of gripping.

 

As a general rule these stabilising core muscles should only be held at 30% of their maximum.  A good way to visualise this is to imagine you have a lift inside you, you can bring the lift (pelvic floor) right up to the 10^th floor and then lower it down to about the third floor (inside of you!) and this is 30% contraction of the core muscles.

 

Once you have a strong centre you can add movements like extension, rotation (twisting) and flexion (bending forwards).

 

The core of the body is not only our stability centre; it is also our energy (chi) centre.  So a strong centre is good for our whole wellbeing and vitality.

Eight Principles of Pilates – No 4: Breathing October 29, 2008

BREATHING

So, by now we should be relaxed, focussed and aligned. Next follows the breath.

It is good to stand in front of a mirror and observe the way you are breathing. Take a big breath and see what happens, do your shoulders rise up round your ears accompanied by a heaving chest? This is an inefficient way of breathing.

We want to breath wide and full into our back and sides, this is called ‘lateral breathing’. Our lungs are situated in the ribcage so by expanding the ribcage we can increase the volume of the cavity, which also increases the capacity for oxygen intake. Also by breathing laterally we can maximise use of the lower part of the lungs. Lateral breathing works the muscles between the ribs, this helps make the body more flexible, it also enables us to stay centred (balanced) as we move.

The lower part of the ribcage expands wide as you breathe in and closes down as you breath out.

How to practice lateral breathing at home:

1. Sitting or standing, wrap a scarf or towel round your ribs, crossing it over at the front.

2. Hold the ends of the scarf or towel. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your elbows open. Pull it tight gently, breathe in wide and allow your ribs to expand the material.

3. As you breath out allow the breastbone to soften. You can gently pull the scarf or towel in to help you empty your lungs and relax the ribcage.

4. Repeat up to ten times

Watch points

1. Keep your shoulders down
2. Do not lift the breastbone too high
3. Take natural easy breaths
4. Stop if you become dizzy

The timing of the breath is also important in Pilates exercises. The movements can be helped or hindered depending on if you breathe in or out. Having said this, please don’t worry too much about the breath, the pattern of breathing will come in time, keep focussed on correct alignment and movement first.

All Pilates exercises are designed to recruit the correct muscles by using the breath. Most people find the breathing difficult at first, especially if you are used to different styles of breathing within different exercise disciplines.

To make it a little easier as a general rule we:

1. Breathe in to prepare for movements
2. Breathe out, pull navel to spine, then move
3. Breathe in to recover

Moving on the exhalation allows us to relax into the postures and helps us release tension. Breathing out gives us strength during the hardest part of the movement, it stops us from holding our breath, which stresses the heart.

I hope you can all breath a little easier now!

The Eight Principles of Pilates – No 3: Alignment October 26, 2008

ALIGNMENT

 

 

 

So, now that we have relaxed, arrived on the mat, focussed our concentration ready for the practice.  The next step is to bring the body into good postural alignment.

 

 

In the practice of Pilates we constantly remind the body of how it should be standing, sitting or lying.  When we move correctly in the correct posture we can gradually bring the body into better alignment.  This is essential if we are going to restore proper muscle balance.

 

 

If you exercise without thinking about the correct position of your joints, you risk stressing the joint and building imbalances into the surrounding muscles.

 

 

It is not just the area we are working that needs to be in good alignment it is the whole body e.g. it is good to focus on the leg movement in the hip socket when performing a leg lower, but if while doing this we tense up our neck and shoulders we will be stressing them and pulling them out of alignment.

 

 

You must have your bones in the right place to get the right muscles working, in that way we build the muscles so that they will support the joint not stress it.

 

 

Follow this checklist to help you align your body correctly:

 

1.  Extend through the crown of the head, tucking your chin in a little

2.  Allow your neck to relax

3.  Keep your shoulder blades down into your back, shoulders away from your ears

4.  Keep your breastbone soft

5.  Lengthen up through the spine

6.  Elbows open (also helps aid energy flow)

7.  Pelvis in neutral (not tilting forward were you would stick your bum out or tilting backwards were you would collapse your chest and shoulders inwards) 

8.  When you bend your knees they should bend directly over the centre of your foot 

9.  Feet hip width apart, legs parallel 

10.  Keep the weight even on both feet; do not allow them to roll in or out

 

Nearly all exercises (sitting, lying or standing) are performed from the neutral position, so it is very important to get it right.

 

 

I hope you are all walking a little taller and straighter now, still don’t forget the first principle – relaxation, otherwise we will look like we have left the coat hanger in our clothes!

 

 

Number four of the Eight Principles is breathing, I know you all can’t wait for it, but please remember to breathe until then!

 

 

Best wishes, stand strong

Eight Principles of Pilates – No 2: Concentration October 21, 2008

CONCENTRATION

 

I hope you enjoyed the relaxation, now that your body is relaxed you are ready to begin the practice.  Relaxing the body will help you to focus.  It is at this point that we need to remember that it is the mind itself that builds the body.  Pilates is a mentally conditioning programme as well as physical. 

 

 

Pilates requires us to be constantly aware of how we are moving, it requires us to focus our minds on each and every movement that we make.  It develops the body’s sensory feedback, in simple terms that means we know how our bodies sit in the space and what we are doing with every part of our bodies – body awareness / spatial awareness. 

 

 

When you practice Pilates often or get used to certain postures you may find the movements becoming automatic, if this is the case, try concentrating a little more because there are always higher levels of awareness to reach. 

 

 

Remember principle number one – Relaxation.  I will be walking round to smooth out any concentration-lined brows!! 

Eight Principles of Pilates – No 1: RELAXATION October 17, 2008

RELAXATION

 

Relaxation is the key to Pilates, unlike other exercise routines in Pilates we start with relaxation.  Relaxing enables us to start fresh with the practice, leaving behind any of the stresses from your day (if practicing in the evening) or preparing ourselves for the day ahead with a calm and aware mind (if practicing in the morning).

 

By recognising areas of tension in your own body and learning how to release them you will start to activate the correct muscles to do the exercises.  If we do Pilates when holding tension in the body we will use the wrong muscles and never break the cycle of using the body badly and hurting ourselves.

 

Most of us hold our tension in the back, neck and shoulders, also in the hips if we sit down a lot.

 

So, the aim of Pilates is to enable us to become more aware of our tension and learn how to release it.  Using the breath is the most effective method of doing this.  With every inhalation we can breathe light and kindness to the areas that need it and with every exhalation we can breathe out the tightness, aches, pains and tension, sending them down through the base of the body (feet or sitting bones) and away into the mat.

 

Take yourself on a journey through the body and slowly release each area of tension.

Smooth the brow, soften the face, loosen the jaw, and rest the tongue on the roof of the mouth.

Drop the shoulders away from the ears, feel the weight of the arms, loosen the hands.

Release the grip in the thighs, rest the knees, and soften the ankles.

Melt the body down into the mat, think of body as water pouring into the mat.

 

If you spend a couple of minutes everyday doing a few deep breathes and visualising this softness and smoothing down of the body, we can release a lot of tension and become stress free individuals!!

 

Happy relaxation – ENJOY!!

 

Posture in detail August 13, 2008

 

 

Shoulder Bridge

Aim

 

To learn how to move the spine, vertebra-by-vertebra, achieving simultaneous control, using the stabilising muscles all around the core.  To work the adductors (inner thigh muscles) and hamstrings (backs of the legs).

The ability to move the spine bone by bone is an important aspect of body control.  Too many of us tend to become locked in one area of the spine and move it in one piece, which can cause damage.

 

Starting Position

 

• Lie face up on the floor with your spine in neutral, checking that your feet are in parallel, slightly apart and about 30 centimetres from your buttocks.
• Your arms are relaxed down by your side, palms down.

 

Action

 

1. Breathe in to prepare.
2. Breathe out, hollow the stomach, and curl the tailbone off the floor just a little.
3. Breathe in and breathe out, hollow the stomach and slowly curl back down lengthening out the spine.
4. Breathe out, hollow the stomach and peel a more of the spine off the floor.
5. Breathe in and then breathe out as you place the spine back down, bone by bone.
6. Continue to curl more of the spine off the floor each time you go up on the exhalation.  Inhale while you are raised and then exhale as you role the spine, vertebra by vertebra, back down to the floor.  Aim to lengthen the spine as you role back down.  The deep abdominal and pelvic floor stay engaged throughout.

 

Watch points

 

• You must not arch the back.  Keep in your mind the image of a dog who has just been scolded, his tail (your tailbone) curled between his legs!
• Keep the weight even on both feet and try not to let the feet roll in or out.
• Keep your neck long and soft.

 

 

Posture in detail August 10, 2008

Rolling down

 

Aim

 

To release tension in the spine, the shoulders and the upper body.  To mobilise the spine, creating flexibility and strength and achieving segmental control. To teach correct use of the stabilizing abdominal muscles when bending.

 

Please take advice if you have a back problem especially if disc related.

 

Starting Position

 

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart in parallel, your weight evenly balanced on both feet.  Check that you are not rolling your feet in or out.  Soften your knees.
• Find you neutral pelvis position but keep the tailbone lengthening down.

 

Action

 

1. Breathe in to prepare and lengthen up through the spine, release the head and neck.
2. Breathe out to hollow the stomach, drop your chin onto your chest and allow the weight of your head to make you roll forward slowly, head released, arms hanging, centre strong, knees soft.
3. Breathe in as you hang, really letting your head and arms hang.
4. Breathe out, firmly hollowed through the stomach, as you drop your tailbone down.  Directing your pubic bone forward, rotate your pelvis backwards as you slowly come up to standing tall, rolling through the spine bone by bone.
5. Repeat six times.

 

Watch points

 

• You may like to take an extra breath during the exercise.  This is fine but please try to breathe out as you move the spine.
• Make sure that you go down centrally and do not sway over to one side.  When you are down, check where your hands are in relation to your feet.
• Do not roll the feet in or out.  Keep the weight evenly balanced and try not to lean forward onto the front of your feet or back onto the heels.