ThePilatesWorkshop

With summer upon us, now is the time to keep up your regular Pilates practice even when you are away or taking a break from your regular class.

The following is a simple, easy to follow programme that will help you continue to maintain your core stability, strength and flexibility and feel great!

In relaxation position - lie on your back, lengthen and release your spine allowing your natural curves to be maintained. Knees are bent and feet are on the mat hip width apart with your arms by your side.

Knee Openings- Breathe in and maintain the connection to your centre, breathe out as you allow the knee to open slowly to the side. Open as far as you can without allowing the pelvis to move. Breathe in to return. 6 repetitions to each leg.

Knee folds – Breathe in to prepare, breathe out to lift your foot off the mat and fold your leg towards the body. Maintain the neutral position of your pelvis and spine. Breathe in to maintain the position and breathe out to slowly return the foot to the mat. 6 repetitions to each leg.

Ribcage Closure – Breathe in and raise both arms to a vertical position above your chest with palms facing forward, breathe out maintaining a still and stable spine and reach both arms overhead towards the floor. Breathe in to lift the arms and breathe out to return them to the mat. Repeat up to 8 repetitions.

Curl Ups – Breathe in to prepare, breathe out lengthen the back of the neck and curl the the upper body off the mat. Maintain the stability of the pelvis and keep the head heavy in the hands. Breathe in to maintain the curled up position and breathe out to return. 8 repetitions.

Spine Curls – Breathe in to prepare your body, breathe out and imprint your lower back, tilting the pelvis and wheel the spine off the mat one vertebrae at a time to the tips of your shoulder blades. Breathe in to maintain the position and breathe out to return the spine by wheeling down slowly to the mat. 8 repetitions.

Hip Rolls – Bring your legs together and reach your arms out to the side slightly lower than shoulders with palms facing upwards. Breathe in to prepare, breathe out and rotate your pelvis and legs to the right from a strong centre, breathe in to maintain the position and breathe out to return. 6 repetitions to each side.

Cat - Four point kneeling position. Breathe in to prepare and lengthen the spine, breathe out and roll your pelvis back bringing the tailbone underneath you and continue to gently flex the spine and neck and nod you head slightly towards your chest, your spine should be in a “C” curve. Breathe in to maintain the position and breathe out to uncurl the spine back to neutral. 8 repetitions.

Cobra Prep - Lie on your front, legs slightly wider then hip width and turned out from the hips. Bend your elbows and have your hands slightly wider than your shoulders palms down on the mat. Breathe in to prepare, breathe out and start to lengthen the front of your neck and sequentially lift the head, neck and chest away from the mat, your arms will straighten slightly. Lower ribs stay in contact with the mat. Breathe in to hold this lifted, lengthened position and breathe out to return the chest and head sequentially back to the mat. 8 Repetitions.

Rest Position – From four point kneeling, bring your feet together, breathe out and slowly lower your bottom towards your heels, lengthen the arms and aim to rest your sitting bones on your heels. Breathe in and direct the breath into your back and sides of ribs, breathe out and empty the lungs and allow the ribs to close. 8 Repetitions.

Daily Tips

Think about how you sit, stand and walk and try to maintain a strong and stable centre. Engage your abdominals and connect to your centre every time you bend, lift a heavy object or perform a movement that could place a heavy load on your spine. Think how many lower back injuries are caused by gardening – a popular summer activity!

Have a lovely summer and we hope to see you all back at classes soon!!

Body Control Pilates Teachers needed …start your own Pilates business

Whether you’re a client that attends classes or a practicing BCP Pilates teacher, The Pilates Workshop website is gathering momentum with the amount of people that are interested in joining Pilates classes within the Herts, Beds and Bucks regions.

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a Pilates teacher, now is an ideal time to join the TPW network of accredited BCP (Body Control Pilates) teachers.

As a teacher student, you will be trained by one of Europe’s leading associations ‘Body Control Pilates’. You can also benefit from a teacher support network of highly experienced teachers through TPW (The Pilates Workshop).

If you’re interested in becoming a Pilates teacher,
please visit the Body Control Pilates website for more information.

If you want to speak with one of the TPW team, about how our website is helping advertise local Pilates classes for BCP qualified teachers, please contact us here.

By Shelley Smith – Co-founder of The Pilates Workshop
Certified BCP Teacher and Regional Assessor

Want to find a Pilates class?
If you live in or near the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire, and would like to join a Pilates class, please visit The Pilates Workshop

Shelley and Amanda are preparing for their “master” mat exam on Wednesday! Fingers crossed that the practice and hours spent will be rewarded – both very nervous about it.

Amanda is still struggling with the thoracic extension on the return without bending the legs in “open leg rocker” so any tips for that or maintaining extension in swan dive are greatly appreciated!

We will update you all next week!

Amanda and Shelley

Want to find a Pilates class?
If you live in or near the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire, and would like to join a Pilates class, please visit The Pilates Workshop

Small balls can be an invaluable prop in your mat classes.
They have many more uses than simply being squeezed between the knees and ankles for increased inner thigh work.

With more creative experimentation the small ball can be placed under the sacrum or ribs for support and greater range of movement and under knees and hands for increased instability and challenge.

Beginners and more advanced clients can enjoy the small ball in their routine as it can support the body in certain exercises and safely increase the range of movement.
More importantly altering your exercises to include the small ball can activate underused muscles so when you return to to traditional exercises you will be working more deeply and effectively than before.

Top 5 reasons to use a small overball:

1. To intensify an exercise.
2. To make an exercise easier to execute.
3. To offer more support for an exercise.
4. To increase the range of motion for an exercise.
5. To introduce an element of proprioception.

Taken from an article by Katherine and Kimberly Corp – Pilates Style

Want to find a Pilates class?
If you live in or near the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire, and would like to join a Pilates class, please visit The Pilates Workshop

Pilates is a wonderful form of exercise for pregnant women. Through Pilates, women can stay strong and fit throughout their pregnancies. Pilates can help women stay connected to their changing body, improve posture and reduce pregnancy aches and pains. However, Pilates instructors working with this population need to be knowledgeable about the anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, as well as about the birth process. In addition, it is extremely important that Pilates instructors have a clear understanding of how pregnancy affects the abdominal muscles.

Pregnancy: A Real Ab Stretch
During the course of pregnancy, the abdominal muscles will stretch by over 50 percent of their original length. Strengthening the abdominal muscles is critical during pregnancy to help support the growing uterus, decrease lumbar compression and reduce pelvic pressure. Women who practice safe abdominal strengthening during pregnancy have less low back pain, less pelvic pain, better mobility, easier deliveries and faster recoveries.

During pregnancy, a hormone is present, called relaxin, which helps to increase laxity of all the muscles, joints, ligaments and joint capsules. The purpose of this hormone is to increase mobility of the tissues so that the body is able to accommodate the rapid fetal growth and prepare the body for delivery. The abdominal muscles are most directly affected by the growing fetus and have the ability to stretch significantly as the fetus grows.

The Diastasis Recti
At about 20 weeks and often sooner for a second pregnancy, the rectus abdominus will begin to separate along the linea alba with the two rectus halves moving laterally. This is called a diastasis recti.

Diagram courtesy of Healthy Moms Fitness

This is a normal occurrence during pregnancy, and this will occur in almost all women. However, when the diastasis recti occurs, there is less support for the lower back, which often results in an increase in low back pain or other discomforts. In addition, women who do not control the size of the diastasis may have difficulty closing it postpartum and may be at risk for an umbilical hernia, especially if there is a subsequent pregnancy without proper closure of the separation.

Exercises to Avoid During Pregnancy
Pilates instructors working with pregnant women need to pay careful attention to making sure the chosen exercises are appropriate for this group. Exercises that make the diastasis worse are any movements that require the rectus abdominus to contract strongly against gravity. When the rectus is asked to contract strongly, if the integrity of the muscle is lost, the two halves of the muscle will shorten and contract as two separate units with each half moving laterally. This, in turn, opens the separation further.

Precautions need to be taken during any supine exercises that involve lifting the head and shoulders off the ground or lifting both lower extremities off the ground, as well as during plank or push-up positions.

This means that many of the traditional abdominal exercises in the Pilates repertoire are not going to be appropriate and may be potentially dangerous with respect to opening the diastasis. Therefore, the Pilates instructor must be skilled in the ability to modify the program and knowledgeable about safe choices for pregnancy. It is also valuable for Pilates instructors to have knowledge in how to palpate a diastasis so they can screen clients who might be at risk for this abdominal muscle issue.

Safe Pregnancy Training
Safe abdominal strengthening during pregnancy should look deeper than the rectus and focus on training of the internal obliques and the transversus abdominus (TVA). Training of the TVA is particularly beneficial because contraction of the TVA directly supports the uterus, and a well toned TVA will help keep the rectus halves closer together and prevent the diastasis from opening excessively. Therefore, TVA training can reduce the size of the diastasis. In addition, training the TVA also helps women prepare for delivery, as one of the roles of this muscle is to assist during forceful expiration (i.e. pushing).

Training of these muscles can occur in all positions, but pregnant women are often most comfortable in sitting and quadruped positions, especially as the pregnancy progresses.

Gentle supine abdominal exercises—such as knee folds, heel slides, pelvic tilts and head lifts—are acceptable and are often much more challenging than one would expect as the abdominal muscles are becoming increasingly weakened.

Basic Abdominal Program for Pregnancy
Here are some examples of basic core exercises that should be included in every pregnant woman’s exercise program:

Seated or Quadruped Transversus Contraction
Helpful for minimizing diastasis, stabilizing spine and pelvis, and maintaining abdominal tone during pregnancy; essential after pregnancy. Transversus is easier to contract seated or on all fours versus lying down. Good position to begin training.

Seated Transversus: Start seated with body weight centered over pelvis and shoulders aligned over pelvis, practice pulling belly button to the spine without allowing ribcage to shear forward.

1. 30-Second Hold: Begin with a belly breath and expand the body, then exhale and move the belly button toward the spine. Hold it here for 30 counts. End with a belly breath.

2. Contracting Transverse: Same position as above. Inhale and expand body. Exhale all the way to the spine, hold for one count and then repeat 50-100 reps.

Quadruped: This position is beneficial as it takes weight off the pelvic floor and helps to increase perineum circulation.

Start on hands and knees with hands lined up with shoulders and knees lined up with hips; the spine should be neutral. If wrists are a problem, use fists on the floor. Allow belly to sag toward floor (without changing spine alignment), then pull belly button to spine maintaining neutral spine. Repeat 50-100 reps.

Supine Transversus Contraction: This is the most difficult position in which to engage the transversus due to decreased proprioception.

Start lying on the back with bent knees, feet on the floor hip-width apart. Begin exercise with a belly breath, then exhale belly to the spine without doing a posterior pelvic tilt. Exercise can be performed using the 30-second hold, contracting transversus, or use traditional abdominal stabilization techniques such as knee folds while keeping the trunk stabilized.

Article by Debbi Goodman.

Want to find a Pilates class?
If you live in or near the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire or Buckinghamshire, and would like to join a Pilates class, please visit The Pilates Workshop