Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Pilates”
Years before I became a Pilates teacher, I found myself in fitness classes that claimed Pilates to be the bedrock of its workouts but was nothing more than creative takes of dance routines with a few core exercises sprinkled in. Pulsing, crunching, and bopping around to “feel the burn” is not Pilates, though I enjoyed the novelty of it all. …
Is it just me, or do you feel like you’ve aged 100 years since shelter-in-place began a few months ago? It seems like every day is the same except there are more obstacles, more stress, – and likely more crying – going on than ever before. To top it all off, you’re likely feeling more stiffness, more aches, and holding …
Strengthening your back for lifting and living is pretty obvious to many. It’s a pretty simple line of reasoning: The more you lift weights, the stronger your [back] muscles get, and the stronger your muscles are, the easier/better life becomes. The flip side to this coin is that lifting can also lead to back discomfort and pain. Or more specifically, …
Make no mistake…the Pilates abdominal series is a real core burner. No matter how strong those abdominals get, these five exercises seem to always cause a few groans whenever I teach them. Unlike your basic ab crunch or sit-up, the Pilates ab series of five can do a lot more than just give you a nice six-pack. They offer up …
Are you using your feet right? Can you ignite the back side of your body when you stand, lift, or move? Chances are, the answer is no. I don’t blame you for this. Fitness culture is obsessed with the front side of the body: how it looks, how it moves, how to engage this or that big muscle. It’s …
There are three things in this world that I like to binge on: Netflix’s Narcos (all seasons, thankyouverymuch) Almond butter Podcasts The third one in particular, is where I get to geek out on a variety of topics, so I was honored when my good friend Steph Gaudreau (formerly of Stupid Easy Paleo), brought me in to speak on her podcast …
I remember looking in the mirror trying to figure out how to change the shape of my thighs. I didn’t necessarily want them small (I have thick Brazilian legs), but I wanted them longer and leaner. Friends told me to try barre classes. Others suggested I run marathons. Popular magazines confirmed Pilates was the secret sauce. I had no idea …
You know squats are good for you, and you certainly know that stretching is good for you and your squats. But what kind of stretches should you do? There is a lot of conflicting information nowadays about when to stretch, how to do it, which ones to do, or for how long. Might just be easier to skip it altogether, …
To explore Pilates is to piece together a never-ending puzzle that heightens the awareness of your body and mind. When I began my Pilates practice at 24-years-old, all I felt and understood was how deeply connected I was to my core (a.k.a. “The Powerhouse) – a small but important piece of a much bigger puzzle I had yet to discover. Years …
Anyone who has spent significant time under a barbell knows a thing or two about low back pain. There are the occasional aches and pains that tend to heal itself on its own, and there are others that become more chronic and disruptive to everyday activities. My low back pain started “normal” enough – nothing a little foam rolling, rest, …
