Pilates and Breast Cancer (Infographic)

How to prepare for your first Pilates class (Infographic)

Pilates and weight loss (Infographic)

Benefits of Pilates (Infographic)

Doing Pilates 4 times a week for 3 months (or twice a week for 6 months) can have many benefits. Some of them are listed here:

Pilates and Back Pain (Infographic)

Do you know exactly HOW Pilates can help back pain? Here are some of the ways:

Video - Day 4 Shoulder Stretch Dumb Waiter

Shoulder Stretches - Day 4 Dumb Waiter

• Start this exercise standing tall, navel to spine and shoulder slid down your back
• Your neck is straight and your gaze is locked onto the horizon (i.e. level)
• Mouth closed (not as in the pic below)
• Glue your elbows to your ribcage
• Turn your palms up as if you're balancing a winter cocktail in each palm
• (ideas here for "winter cocktails" please.....Dumb Waiter.....geddit?)
• Inhale, pull navel into spine some more
• Exhale as you serve the "winter cocktail" to people either side of you
• Keep shoulders down and point armpits to your hips
• Inhale as you bring hands back to starting position
• Don't use too much effort and STOP if you feel (un grateful) pain

Video - Shoulder Stretch Day 3 Wall Crawl

Shoulder Stretches - Day 3 Wall Crawls

• Start by standing tall facing the wall, shoulder blades slid down your back, and navel pulled to spine
• Soften your knees, bending one (start on right side), and extending the other one behind you (pushing that heel into/toward the floor)
• Place your right hand on the wall, elbow level with shoulder then slowly finger walk up the wall until you feel a mild to moderate stretch, then down again
• Additionally, and alternately, spread fingers, push your palm into the wall. then release pressure
• Repeat 5 to 10 times but STOP if you feel (un grateful) pain!
• Repeat using left side and left leg etc 

• Turn sideways with right hip at the wall
• Step left foot back so you're on the ball of your foot
• feet should be hip distance apart
• right knee should be over right ankle
• slowly lunge/push forward into the right leg keep hips facing forward
• to increase stretch, finger walk arm away from body so it ends up horizontal to the floor and the palm is facing the wall
• repeat 3 times each side but STOP if you feel (un grateful) pain!

Video - Shoulder stretch Day 2 pendulum

Shoulder stretches - Day 2 Pendulums

• Start by leaning forward with your forearm supported by a table or a bench. 
• Pull your navel into your spine to support your back and keep your back straight
• Slide your shoulder blades down your back so shoulders aren't crunched up near your ears
• Gently circle your arm clockwise about 10 times so you feel a mild to moderate stretch
• Repeat counter - clockwise 
• STOP if you have (un grateful) pain!

Pics and videos are of right side - don't be lob-sided....do your left side too!

Shoulder Stretches - Day 1 Blade squeeze video

Shoulder Stretch series - Day 1 Blade Squeezes

Happy New Year!

(When/what day do we actually stop saying that?)

Last week in class, someone asked me for shoulder stretches, so this week I'm going to post 1 (more or less) a day for you.

Words and pics in the morning and videos in the afternoon.

• Start either sitting or standing tall with your back straight, shoulders down, shoulder blades "slid down into your back pockets as if in a V shape, and navel pulled into spine. 
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together until you feel a mild to moderate stretch - STOP if you have any (ungrateful) pain!
• Hold the stretch for 5 seconds and release