Monday, October 26, 2020

Monday Motivation!! OMG Stay standing in October SNOW and ICE! Pilates Clam Series 🦪

 

Pilates Clam Series 🦪💗
It's early in the year for this much snow and ice in Minnesota, but hey, it's 2020 and we're rolling with the punches!
Gaining strength and flexibility in the hip stabilizers will help to keep us standing, walking and safe on icy sidewalks!
 
The hip stabilizer muscles include the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, piriformis and deep core muscles (the transversus abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor).
The side lying Pilates Clam Series is one heck of an exercise series to aid in strengthening the gluteus medius, which lays on the outer edge of the buttocks and is responsible for stabilizing your pelvis! So think about when you're trying to stay upright while walking on a slippery surface, besides your core strength helping to maintain balance it's your hip stabilizers that will help to keep your feet from flying out from underneath you!
 
The clam series is said to be one of the best for strengthening the hips, glutes, and pelvis. The pilates clam can also help to prevent injury and ease lower back tension as well aid in physical therapy to help sciatica, reducing pain by strengthening the core and lower back muscles.
 
To set up, make sure your head is comfortably supported with your bottom arm, neck should be in neutral with stacked shoulders. Maintain a neutral ribcage and pelvis, the knees are bent at approximately a right angle with the heels in line with the tailbone.
 
It's important to maintain torso stability (shoulders, ribcage and pelvis) to get the most out of this series. Avoid letting the top hip roll forward or backwards as the legs move, avoid going too fast or straining in the shoulders or neck. REMEMBER TO BREATHE your Pilates breath, use your exhale to aid in your stability. If you're doing it correctly you will feel your core working as well as the legs!
Make sure to do both sides 😁😹

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#MondayMotivation💪 Pilates Clam Series 🦪❤ It's early in the year for this much snow and ice in Minnesota, but hey, it's 2020 and we're rolling with the punches ! Gaining strength and flexibility in the hip stabilizers will help to keep us standing, walking and safe on icy sidewalks ! The hip stabilizer muscles include the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, piriformis and deep core muscles (the transversus abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor) . The side lying #pilatesclamseries is one heck of an exercise series to aid in strengthening the gluteus medius, which lays on the outer edge of the buttocks and is responsible for stabilizing your pelvis! So think about when you're trying to stay upright while walking on a slippery surface, besides your core strength helping to maintain balance it's your hip stabilizers that will help to keep your feet from flying out from underneath you ! The clam series is said to be one of the best for strengthening the hips, glutes, and pelvis. The pilates clam can also help to prevent injury and ease lower back tension as well aid in physical therapy to help sciatica, reducing pain by strengthening the core and lower back muscles . To set up, make sure your head is comfortably supported with your bottom arm, neck should be in neutral. Maintain a neutral ribcage and pelvis, the knees are bent at approximately a right angle with the heels in line with the tailbone . It's important to maintain torso stability (shoulders, ribcage and pelvis) to get the most out of this series. Avoid letting the top hip roll forward or backwards as the legs move, avoid going too fast or straining in the shoulders or neck. REMEMBER TO BREATHE your Pilates breath, use your exhale to aid in your stability. If you're doing it correctly you will feel your core working as well as the legs ! Make sure to do both sides 😁😹 #MondayMotivation #pilatesclam #clamshell #dopilates #dopilatesyoullfeelbetter #dopilatesanywhere Also we're still in the middle of a pandemic so make sure to always #wearyourmask and #sociallydistance in public but if you can #StayHome as much as possible ! #StayHealthy #StayPositive #StaySafe

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Monday, October 12, 2020

Monday Motivation!! The Pilates Magic Circle!

 Two Videos using the incredible Magic Circle!

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#MondayMotivation💪 Magic Circle day!!! TWO videos! The Magic Circle is a tool or prop created by #JosephPilates intended to help people practicing #Pilates boost their practice, add resistance and find their deeper centers . Also referred to as the Pilates Circle or Pilates, exercise, or fitness Ring; this tool is made of flexible metal (or more commonly today) rubber, about 13 inches in diameter with pads on either side. The Magic Circle is a traditional, inexpensive, light weight pilates resistance prop that can easily be integrated into mat Pilates at home as well as with Pilates machines such as the Reformer . Using resistance props, utilizing ones own body weight, in your Pilates workout will help to build muscle tone, allows one to target multiple areas of the body, adds to stability, improves balance and enhances many mat Pilates exercises! Another amazing benefit is being able to imitate, to a certain extent, larger resistance equipment that not everyone is able to have at home, the Reformer, Cadillac, or Chair . In my first #MondayMotivation video I incorporate the circle into a common mat exercise, the Hip Roll + leg lift increasing the intensity of the hip roll and demanding stabilization of shoulders, ribcage and pelvis to maintain the straight line of the body during the roll up, leg lift, especially since the ring is flexible, and roll down. In my second video I mimic the Monkey footwork and stretch, a Cadillac exercise, transitioning into the Teaser combined again with the Monkey footwork to increase the demand for balance and sequencing . Enjoy!! #dopilates #dopilatesyoullfeelbetter #dopilatesanywhere #pilatesmagiccircle #pilatesring #pilatescircle #pilateshiprolls #pilatesmonkey #pilatesteaser #StayHome #StayHealthy #StayPositive #StaySafe

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Monday, October 5, 2020

Motivation Monday in THREE PARTS with the Big Ball!!

Many people have a big ball laying around but it may be stuffed in a corner or a closet, it may be thrown off to the side of a desk having been briefly used as a chair, maybe it's covered with discarded clothing. So let's get it out and USE it!
The first video integrates the Pilates Teaser prep with the big ball enhancing focus, coordination, sequencing and balance.

The second video goes over Hip/Pelvic release & mobilization, this is especially important for runners and dedicated athletes, but everyone will benefit from mobilizing!

Ramping it up a bit in the third video, I demonstrate using the big ball, side plank, plank, declined push-up and pike!! Challenge yourself and do not forget to BREATH and use your ALIGNMENT PRINCIPLES!!

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#MondayMotivation💪 Part 1 . Here we are still stuck in a pandemic, trying to make the most of it. From my side, finding my own motivation has been tough, when everything feels heavy it takes extra strength just to get going. I KNOW for me, when the going gets tough I HAVE to keep on moving, it is the only way out of the perpetual cycle of sadness and anxiety. I've missed a couple of #MondayMotivation (s) working on myself so that I could give more to others . Thinking about continuing to move even when we are stuck at home can be hard so today I am going to post a 3 part #motivationmonday utilizing the large stability ball in 3 different ways. Many people have a big ball laying around but it may be stuffed in a corner or a closet, it may be thrown off to the side of a desk having been briefly used as a chair, maybe it's covered with discarded clothing. So let's get it out and USE it! My first video today integrates the Pilates Teaser prep with the big ball enhancing focus, coordination, sequencing and balance. The #PilatesTeaser takes the full range of body engagement including breath targeting the transverse abdominis, deep pelvic floor, scapular stabilizers as well as the rectus abdominis and obliques concentrically and eccentrically rolling up and rolling down. So girl (and boys) put your records on and let's get moving- TOGETHER! #tictokmusic And as much as you can continue to keep yourself and others safe and healthy! #StayHome #StayHealthy #StayPositive #StaySafe and please always #wearyourmask😷 in public!! #dopilates #dopilatesyoullfeelbetter #dopilatesanywhere #bigballpilates #pilatesteaserprep #pilatesteaser #bigballteaser

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#MondayMotivation💪 Part 2 . Hip/Pelvic release & mobilization!! Tight hips are such a pain! Literally! Practicing release, mobilization and stabilization is incredibly important to restore and maintain flexibility and strength . In this video, using the big ball I run through parallel alignment, medial rotation (turn inward), lateral rotation (turn outward) and stabilization! The advantages of hip/pelvic release are incredible targeting the muscles and tendon of the hip and glutes, including the tensor fascia latae and glutes attaching to the IT band. Athletes, especially runners, benefit greatly from these movements !! #MondayMotivation #dopilates #dopilatesyoullfeelbetter #dopilatesanywhere #pilateshiprelease #bigballpilates #StayHome #StayHealthy #StayPositive #StaySafe

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