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What Class Level Am I?
Ever wonder, what class level you are? Here are some tips to help you figure out what class is right for you and when you should advance…
When to advance from All-Level to Intermediate:
The intermediate student has a clear understanding of Pilates alignment and breathing. They understand what “connect to your core” means and know how to focus on engaging specific muscle groups. At the Intermediate class level you should be able to create opposition in your body, have a clear understanding of how to modify exercises and start adding “up levels” to each exercise to challenge your core strength, mobility and stability. Remember; being intermediate doesn’t mean you have to be the most flexible person in the world or even the strongest. You are working on becoming an intelligent mover, knowing the difference between good movement and bad.
Note: If you are interested in moving into an intermediate class, we ask that you have taken at least 10 Pilates classes before doing so.
When to advance from Intermediate to Advanced:
The advanced student has mastered the Pilates fundamentals, has a strong mind/body connection, and understands how to create opposition in the body. They can flow easily from one exercise to the next. The advanced class requires more strength, balance, coordination and flexibility and will work muscles to the point of fatigue.
Talk to an instructor today and find out if you are ready to advance!
Are you a Runner? Here are some things to keep in mind:
Common Training Errors
There are two major reasons for training errors with runners.
- Building mileage too rapidly, the “more the better” idea and this will lead to eventual breakdown and/or injury
- Inconsistency – missing several workout in a row and then recognizing you are behind in training so you pour on the miles to catch up, or trying to jump into the previous level that you built up to following a lay off.
Pre-hab For Injury Prevention
Strength Training
3 exercises for most common injuries in runners:
1. “Shin splints” (toe and heel walks)
2. ITB Friction Syndrome – glut med weakness
3. Patellar tracking disorder (leg extensions)
Stretching
- The most benefit from stretching comes from stretching following activity
- Self Massage with Myofascial Roller (3-4 times/week)
- Ice! Ice! Ice! (your new best friend!) Ice any consistent aches and pains (15-20 min with a paper towel barrier) most effective following the aggravating activity – usually running. Wait 2-3 hours and ice again.
Proper Running Form
- Thumbs up
- Chest out
- Land on Midfoot
When Injury Strikes
Minor aches and pains are normal for all runners (even the elites) when pain and or soreness in a specific area persist for 2 – 3 days following icing and rolling then seek professional help. Taking 1 -2 days off now is better than a month off later. Make sure the therapist (physical therapy, chiropractor, MD) is experiences with runners and running related injuries.
Studly Spuds
Packed with Vitamin A, calorie-burning sweet potatoes are having a moment.
Looking to get glowing skin, ease sore muscles and burn more fat? Don’t underestimate the nutrient-rich sweet potato, which hits local farmers markets in abundance this month.
Whoever said carbs were evil never tried the bright orange tuber (or, worse, still associates it with marshmallow-laden dishes at Thanksgiving). Think of sweet potatoes as nature’s exfoliant; they’re plentiful in vitamin A, the antioxidant responsible for producing new skin cells and shedding worn ones and defending the body against free radicals that may lead to wrinkles.
But the root vegetables’ benefits are more than skin deep: Sweet potatoes are full of potassium, which can help repair and replenish sore muscles after a workout. They’re also a powerful source of resistant starch, a unique fiber that “resists” digestion in the body and helps increase calorie burn. One study found that replacing just 5.4% of total carbohydrate intake with resistant starch created a 20-30% increase in fat burning after a meal.
Try this fast and filling dinner recipe for a new twist on this month’s superfood.
Sweet Potato and Chicken-Sausage Bake
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 precooked, all-natural chicken sausage cut into 1-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1/3 c. cauliflower florets
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat a small baking dish with canola or olive oil cooking spray.
2. Combine sweet potato and chicken sausage in a medium bowl. Toss with minced garlic, chopped oregano, and oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
3. Place potato mixture in the prepared dish and bake 30 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and bake 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Nationally recognized nutrition expert and author Keri Glassman (@KeriGlassman) is the founder and president of Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City.
by | Keri Glassman, MS, RD
From: http://q.equinox.com/articles/2011/10/sweetpotato
Get rid of that pain in your neck–with Pilates!
These days, it’s more normal than not to find that we’ve got neck and shoulder tension. From a simple crick in the neck to injury, and chronic pain, which is defined as specific pain lasting more than six weeks, practicing Pilates can provide relief. Pilates will stretch your painful area, strengthen it, and improve your posture. As with any injury, you should consult your doctor before beginning or continuing a workout regime.
Taking care of your pain in the neck, shoulders and back begins with the warm up, and with breathing. This essential step might seem like a waste of time, but the deep abdominals needed for top core strength can’t be accessed if the upper body is over-stressed. When the neck and shoulders are tense, it throws the whole body out of alignment, making all exercises less effective. Taking enough time to center the mind and body creates a stronger core, and thus lessens pain.
With any pain, be sure to tell your Pilates instructor so they can suggest routine modifications. It’s important to remember that you’re in charge of you own self-care, so if an exercise hurts, modify it!
To avoid injuries, or if you have neck pain and are new to Pilates, you may want to leave your neck and head down during exercise until your core becomes stronger. On the Reformer, you may want to put up the headrest, and during your mat work, a towel or very small pillow may be placed under the neck. Never use these aids, though, during rollovers, or any exercise where your legs go over your head. During extension work, feel the head flow from the spine, and the neck lengthen. Never over-tuck the head on flexion work
Rolling like a ball may be too much if the neck and shoulders are painful. Instead, use the exercise as balancing work. On roll-downs, cross your arms over the chest rather than holding them in front. Even though this may lessen the challenge of the exercise, it will prevent over-stressing the neck and shoulders.
For more information to relax the neck, see http://www.easyvigour.net.nz/fitness/h_Chin_Tucks.htm
Putting your best foot forward…
At Studio Blue, we regularly incorporate foot work in our Pilates sessions. Just about everyone loves having their feet rubbed, but when we’re exercising, making circles with our ankles, stretching our toes, articulating by slowly pointing and flexing might feel like we’re really not doing all the much. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Pilates Instructor Wendy Albro, who has a special interest in rehabilitation, says, “Your hips are only as mobile as your feet. Any imbalance in the feet manifests itself somewhere else on the body.” Many physical therapists agree, feeling that imbalanced, inflexible feet are the cause of back pain, and even neck and jaw pain.
How well the feet are balanced, strong and flexible can even influence a person’s psychology. It’s no accident we talk about “standing on your own two feet,” as a way of talking about how a person fulfills their responsibilities, and is perceived in the world.
In an average day, the foot’s 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments absorb more than 3 million pounds of pressure. Our feet balance our overall body, provide propulsion, and absorb shocks that otherwise might harm our spine. The entire foot is filled with blood vessels and nerves. No wonder it hurts to stub a toe! And no wonder foot work is an important part of getting the most out of Pilates!
Because each part of the foot has a specific function, during Pilates foot work, either on the matt or on the Reformer, we try to work every part of the foot. When the heel touches the ground, it indicates where the foot has landed—on uneven ground, going uphill or downhill, and so on. The arch helps the foot adapt to these various environments. Power for movement comes from the ball of the foot and the toes. The toes push off, and complete the movement begun in the hip, knee and ankle.
As we age, the mid foot can become rigid, which is one of the primary causes of foot pain and imbalance in the leg, knees and hip. Doing Pilates footwork can help retrain the foot, and help it regain flexibility and strength. Even spinal problems can be improved by reeducating the feet.
The connection between the spine and feet becomes clear with the following experiment: stand with one foot rolled inward, and the other outward. The pelvis and trunk must twist to make up for this problem with the foundation. Imagine what happens to the spine when walking out of balance for years!
The foot’s fascia, tissue that surrounds all our cells, creates a path between the foot, head and skull. To experience this connection directly, bend to a forward fold. Notice how the body feels, and how far forward you can comfortably go. Straighten up.
Using a tennis ball on the floor, massage one foot by pressing into it, and very slowly rolling the ball across the foot’s sole. Make sure to include the heel and toes, and cover the entire foot. Use medium pressure. This massage may hurt a little. Pay careful attention during this massage to uncomfortable places. Do this massage for at least a minute.
Immediately after the massage, bend forward again, and notice the body’s change the on the same side that was massaged. That side of the body will be able to stretch more easily, and father forward to the floor. “Because the fascial fabric is continuous, crown to sole, stretching any part of it affects the whole. Make sure to do that other foot before you move on!” (Quote from “New Rules of Poster: How to Stand, Sit, and Move in the Modern World,” by Mary Bond.)
Food pyramid has been replaced by a plate
As reported on Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/women-s-health-in-phoenix/food-pyramid-has-been-replaced-by-a-plate)
If the food pyramid was a bit confusing and difficult for you to apply to your own mealtimes, you weren’t alone. So, it’s out with the old and in with the new nutrition guidelines.
This time the standard for what we should be eating looks a lot more familiar: It’s a dinner plate.
The nearly 20-year-old food pyramid is out. It’s been replaced by an image of a plate that depicts what should be on it at mealtime. The USDA’s latest model of food guidelines can be found at www.choosemyplate.gov. In addition to showing a simplified way to balance your meals and eat well, the site offers a plethora of nutrition and even weight loss information.
Drinking skim or 1% milk is recommended with meals and emphasis is placed on lean proteins and smaller meal portions.
The Arizona Department of Health also offers a graphic page to show what your portions of each food group should look like. Vegetables and fruits should take up half of your plate. Then 1/4 of your plate should be filled with grains and 1/4 with protein.
Years ago, meat was considered one of the food groups. However, the current guidelines show “all foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the protein foods group.”
Go to http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/bnp/pdf/AdultPortionPlateFactSheet.pdf to see detailed portion images. The Web site www.eatwellbewell.org also offers good nutrition information and assistance for people in the Phoenix area.
New 90 minute yoga class starts this week!!!
What: Forrest Yoga
When: Thursdays 900am – 1030am
Who: Angelina Vasile
What is Forrest Yoga? With an emphasis on deep, conscious breathing, this challenging style of Hatha yoga helps you to build strength, core power and inner awareness. Designed to heal the ails of modern living (scattered mind, tense neck and shoulders, weak, tight low back and hips), it uses heat and vigorous sequences of postures to sweat out toxins and stoke the digestive fire. The long holds in the poses help you flush, oxygenate and rejuvenate every cell in your body, leaving you feeling refreshed, renewed and inspired.
New Bosu Classes starting in May…
Bosu – All Levels, Fridays at 12 pm with Tami
Bosu – All Levels, Sundays at 1030 am with Nikki
This is a full-body workout class which will challenge your core stabilizing muscles. You’ll work both upper and lower body at the same time by using light hand weights while performing split lunges, squats, and other balance-challenging exercises, toning abs, thighs, glutes, calves and ankles. Your legs will be shaking by the end of each class, and you’ll definitely be sweating! At the Intermediate level you should have a clear understanding of how to engage targeted muscle groups and enough strength, balance and flexibility to work muscles to the point of fatigue and flow easily from one exercise to the next. The Intermediate student has mastered the mind/body connection, and understands how to resist both ways in each exercise.
 Come and celebrate 4 years of fitness at Studio Blue. The fun starts Saturday March 5th from 7pm – 10pm.
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