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Category: Pilates Tips

How to Get Rid of ANTs

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

 

Automatic Negative Thoughts—or ANTs. We all fall victim to negative thinking from time to time. For example, have you ever been in Pilates class when suddenly the instructor says, “Let’s hold a one-minute plank!” Suddenly, all those ANTs start running around in your head.  Maybe you start telling yourself that you’re too out of shape, that a minute is impossibly long, that it’s going to hurt, etc. Those negative thoughts can get so strong that you actually talk yourself out of doing a great plank!

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Try This: Saw

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

 

 

Saw is one of my favorite mat Pilates exercises because it’s a great stretch for your back and helps you feel more flexible and mobile. It’s a great exercise to warm up your spine and the rest of the body before class.

Why you need to be doing Saw

  • It’s a great stretch for your upper and mid back
  • It helps your shoulder blades to become more mobile
  • It improves the stability of the pelvis
  • It helps to make the spine more mobile by increasing rotation
  • It helps teach us how to sit up tall
  • It helps decompress the spine

Continue reading “Try This: Saw”

Try This: BOSU® Ball Lunge

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

 

BOSU® ball lunges are one of my favorite exercises to do in my Run Fusion class. For one, lunges by themselves are a great tool for runners to strengthen their hips, glutes, core and more. Add in a balance challenge to the routine, such as use of a BOSU® ball, and this simple exercise takes the basic lunge to the next level.

Like all strength exercises, proper form is the key. Think of your balance as a progressive skill. Master a single leg stance, and then add movement patterns from there.

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Try This: Half Pigeon Pose

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

While you won’t look anything like the pigeons you find at park, this pose is one of the best Yoga poses for hips. While some hip opening poses focus on the internal or outward rotation of the hip socket, and others focus on lengthening the psoas muscle (muscles that assist in flexing and rotating the thigh), Half Pigeon Pose actually helps with both external rotation and lengthening!

This pose is a modification of One-Legged King Pigeon Pose, a variation used by intermediate and advanced students due to its need for exact proper alignment. Half Pigeon Pose is great for anyone but especially beneficial to those whose jobs or lives require them to be seated a lot. Remaining seated for long periods of time can cause the muscles in your hips and thighs to shorten, which can lead to stiffness, sciatic pain, and other uncomfortable symptoms.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Half Pigeon should only be done after stretching the hip flexors and thighs. It’s usually brought in towards the end of class for this exact reason.

Why you should be doing Half Pigeon Pose

  • Helps facilitate both rotation and lengthening of your hips and hip muscles
  • Combats pain and stiffness from sitting all day

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Try This: The Plank

Posted on by CaseyAdmin

 

Better than a thousand ab crunches, the Plank is often voted by many fitness professionals as the BEST overall exercise you can do. The Plank not only fires up all layers of the abdominals, but it also strengthens your back, legs, arms, shoulders, and glutes. So, why wouldn’t you Plank when it does so many great things for you all in one exercise? However, it’s important to learn how to correctly perform a plank to get the maximum benefits. Holding a plank with improper form can lead to increased fatigue (meaning you can’t hold it as long) or potential back problems.

Why you should be doing the Plank

  • It strengthens your back, legs, arms, shoulders, glutes, and even your lungs!
  • It helps improve your posture, balance and flexibility

Continue reading “Try This: The Plank”

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I’ve been doing pilates for almost 3 years now, and I feel stronger and have improved functionally in my daily activities
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