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"Clear" Truths about Exercise

I'm a big believer that every body is different and that each person has a different recipe for making the perfect workout routine.  With that in mind, I do find it interesting to compare various expert opinions on what the essential components are for success at exercise.  I ran across one recently that lists 6 Truths about exercise.  I don't agree with every word of course, but I definitely thought this article had some good points to make.  Here is a link to the article and a list of his 6 main points:

6 Truths about Exercise

1. You need to commit for the long term.
2. You need to set a schedule for training.
3. You need to focus on the best exercises.
4. You need to start light and train for volume before intensity.
5. You need to make slow progress each week.
6. You need to record your workouts.

What would your exercise truths be?

Pilates Cat says Breathe!!

I thought this was a fitting image and caption to add to Chris' post from Thursday - Breathe through the Stress: An Exercise for your Lungs.  As life picks up this time of year with school starting, jobs getting more hectic, and so on and so on, remember to take a minute (as many as possible actually) to breathe.  I find that first thing in the morning is the best time for me....right after my alarm goes off and before I get out of bed.  Try it this week!

Amazing, Easy, Fast Zucchini Salad (cold or hot)

Grilled Zucchini with Feta, Pumpkin Seeds, Mint and Lime Juice

Recipe adapted from Rebecca Boice, Toast Kitchen + Bar, Oakland, California.

• Makes 4 servings
• Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing and drizzling

Kosher salt

⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted

Mint leaves, torn, for garnish

1 lime, halved

Directions

1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill (you can also roast in the oven).
2. Trim the zucchini and slice them in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline or a really sharp knife, cut the halves into ⅛-inch-thick slices. Lightly brush the slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Working in batches, arrange the slices on the grill and cook until they soften and grill marks appear on one side, about 2 minutes.
3. Divide the slices among four plates. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and pumpkin seeds. Garnish with the mint leaves, then finish each serving with a squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

10 Foods To Never Eat

I came across this article on Fitness Magazine and thought it was worth sharing. Although I agree with the list, I probably won't eliminate ALL of it from my diet. I'll approach this like I do most things - with moderation. I'll make some small changes that will hopefully still make a little difference.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/eating-help/calories/foods-to-never-eat/?page=1

It doesn't matter WHAT you do, it HOW you do it that matters.

It's all the rage to talk about what your trendy fitness regime is.  You hear folks talking about how they do Hot Yoga and Pilates and Spinning and Zumba and the Bar Method and then sometimes they lift weights.  If you asked them why they do all of these various things they might say, "You know, keep in shape.  Mix it up.  Keep it fun."  But are they actually doing anything beyond fashionably sporting a shiny marketing veneer?  Are they truly healthier, stronger, more balanced, less injured, kinder and more compassionate as a result of doing these things?  Probably Not.   But they feel like they are somehow better and skinnier in this society that is all that matters.

In Taoism the point of life was to go inward in order to understand your own nature so that you could resonate with it and become a small reflection of that greatness.  If we never go inward enough to understand how our bodies and minds work how would we even begin to know how to use them?
It's not enough to do a series of ridiculous looking exercises and poses in the name of health without even asking WHY do them in the first place.  It's not enough to say "Because exercise is good for you."

I educate others as to HOW their minds and bodies work so that they can fully engage in the process of moving with open and curious minds and hearts.  To exist in constant wonder and curiosity about the strength, power and vulnerability of the human mind and body.   How to empower themselves to move with both lightness and strength.  That is HOW we do it :)

Breathe through the stress...an exercise for your lungs

Relief from anxiety in a few seconds? A free method for increased energy, improved blood circulation, reduced swelling, and improved complexion? Studies prove that simply learning how to breathe correctly can have these remarkable effects throughout your body.

Breathing correctly can be as powerful as it is simple. The typical person only uses around twenty percent of their lung capacity, but with practice, they can learn how to tap into their lung’s full potential. Sending better oxygen content to all the cells of the body can bring dramatic changes in general health and mood.

Famous health guru, Dr. Andrew Weil, says that if he could only give one tip for better health, it would be to breathe properly. Proper breathing technique is central to the ancient practices like Yoga as well as other meditation disciplines.

I promise if you focus on breathing exercises once a day, your lung capacity will increase over time.  

At the end of that inhale, inhale more.  At the end of that exhale, exhale more.  There is always more room than you think and expanding the lungs will get easier the more you practice it.  Just make sure you are lying down!

If you 'fail' a diet, who has really failed?

 I recently read an interesting article written by a former weight loss consultant to all her previous clients.  It's an apology letter.  The writer feels that she was part of a vicious cycle that makes women feel like failures for not being able to lose weight on restrictive diets that are actually designed to keep weight fluctuating.  I thought it was a powerful piece and I loved her conclusion,

"None of you ever failed. Ever. I failed you. The weight loss company failed you. Our society is failing you.  Just eat food. Eat real food, be active, and live your life. Forget all the diet and weight loss nonsense. It's really just that. Nonsense."

I liked the writer's honesty and vulnerability in admitting that she was wrong to tell women who didn't need to lose weight that they still should.  It's easy to get caught up in the cycle of comparison and body shame and this was a good reminder to me to keep my focus inward.  We all want to look good, but driving ourselves nuts over an unachievable beauty standard isn't going to make us happy.  Be active, be kind to yourself, feel strong in your body and you will want to nourish it with healthful foods.

If you're interested, check out the original article here:   An Open Apology

Tendon Stretch

Tonight's 7 pm Group Reformer learned Tendon Stretch and completely rocked it!  If you're unfamiliar with this advanced move,  it requires lots of pelvic/shoulder stability (while upside down!).

check out this video and see for yourself the total body challenge of Tendon Stretch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO1fAAoc8rs

If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.

The 50 Most Inspirational Sports Quotes In History

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1156558-the-50-most-inspirational-sports-quotes-in-history

Here are some of my favorites - whether I'm training for races or practicing pilates...


Just keep going. Everybody gets better if they keep at it.

Do not let what you can not do interfere with what you can do.

Make sure your worst enemy doesn't live between your own two ears. 

To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.

Take the time to do it right

Lots of people are introduced to Pilates because they suffer from chronic pain.  Most of them want to believe if they do 10 [2, 5, 20?] sessions of Pilates, they can get back to their normal life, and maybe their (insane Western) exercise routine without the pain.

The truth is the pain or discomfort is a symptom telling you that your body is not working right.  The pain is not the problem.  Our society keeps telling us that the pain IS the problem, and that if you just take this pill, or get that one adjustment, or do these 5 exercises mindlessly for 10 minutes a day the pain will magically disappear! 

Don't fall for it.  Take the time to consider the real problem that is causing the pain, and have the patience and courage to address it.  Odds are getting better will require work and change that's not easy and will take some time.  But odds are, that real, hard change will be worth it.

Does the Body Rule the Mind or the Mind Rule the Body?

Oh, hey!  It's another great adventure in debunking Western Duality!  So, Joseph Pilates said in his book Contrology that "The goal of Pilates is gaining the mastery of your mind over the complete control of your body."  That means they are two different entities and our mind has to control our body, right?  Cool, sign me up!  Oh wait, how does Joe or anyone else for that matter know this?  Cause he said so, DUH!

I posit the following hypothesis about the relationship between the "mind" and the "body".  The mind or consciousness is our bridge to direct energy (via the nervous system) through the physical body.  In Pilates we use the focused intent of the mind to willfully direct energy through the medium of the physical body to create balance and harmony.  So the "mind" and "body" flow together as if they were one thing.

Controlling anyone or anything is exhausting work.  Why not just connect and flow?

Vacation

I just returned from Colorado and had a great hike near Independence Pass while there.  What a great reminder of how beautiful and rewarding a vacation can be!! It's hard to be stressed out high in the Rockies.  With the heady combination of altitude and exertion induced fatigue, I was reminded (again) of Norman MacLean.

Alone in the half light of the canyon, all existence seems to fade into a being with my soul and memories...  Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.

The importance (and the difficulty) of sitting up tall

Many people grew up hearing parents say (usually at the dinner table), "sit up straight!"

I caught myself in a moment this morning repeating that same notion (to very young, computer-sitting clients).  Tight hamstrings, weak back/abdominal muscles and chronic 'desking' (ok, I made up that word) are all to blame for our society's difficulty sitting up straight. I see it in my teenage kids who are obsessed with their handheld devices. 

Check out some lovely visual examples below! Pilates teaches body awareness and will strengthen the muscles that are responsible for a tall spine.

Whether you are young or old, it's not too late to sit up straight.

Roller on the Reformer.....what?!

Check out Wednesday night's group reformer class warming up their core with the foam rollers on the reformers.  Not only do the rollers feel like a massage of the back, they also require activation of deep core muscles so that you don't fall off.  Also, note the look of intense concentration....

Hurry up? Or slow down?

Many friends of mine recently shared this article about two words you should stop telling your kids. "Hurry up!" It's a good article and it made me want to change. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macy-stafford/the-day-i-stopped-saying-hurry-up_b_3624798.html

If you look around, everyone is always in a hurry. I was on a run yesterday and three different people saw me coming, looked me in the eye and took off or turned right in front of me barely even stopping at their stop sign or signal. Really? 

This made me think. How often are we all rushing to our workouts and running out before the class is barely over to make it to our next event on the schedule? I'm guilty! Or going through the exercises too fast to possibly even be getting the correct muscle activation? 

I am going to focus more on the QUALITY of my Pilates practice. Technique. Breathing. RELAXING. Too often we think MORE, MORE, MORE. Harder and faster does not = better. 

I'm excited to slow down a little and enjoy the process! We all have something to learn, no matter how long we've been teaching or practicing!

Enjoy the moment!

Ways to Create A Better Life

Reaching New Heights!

Check out my amazing client Jill!  She has been working diligently for the last few months to build up strength and shoulder stability; and it is definitely working!  Here she is making pull ups on the Cadillac look easy :)

Where Fitness and Zombies collide

Check out this awesome 5-K featured in the New York Times this week.  Who's in??

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/01/fashion/at-zombie-races-its-survival-of-the-undeadest.html

What really makes us happy?

I recently came across an article that piqued my interest in the aisle at the grocery store: "What Happy People Do Differently."  Curious, I perused the article.  And it turns out my instinct to do just that, be curious, is one of the things that makes me a happy person - truly happy, not just a little high on dopamine.

It seems being curious makes you more open to risk, and only by doing new (read: risky) things can we achieve higher "psychological peaks."

Curious people generally accept the notion that while being uncomfortable and vulnerable is not an easy path, it is the most direct route to becoming stronger and wiser.

Cool - I like stronger and wiser.  It seems you have to be willing to risk being hurt/embarrassed/wrong/pick-a-negative-feeling-here (and therefore sometimes really feeling those nasty things) to really understand being happy.

Interested?  Curious?  Check out the article here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201306/what-happy-people-do-differently

Body awareness & pilates

One of the biggest benefits of doing pilates is the awareness of how you sit /stand/move and being able to relate those habits to the aches and pains and injuries you have or have had in the past. 

For example, practicing pilates can help make you aware of that chronic tweak in the neck you get from sitting at the computer all day with rounded shoulders.   Seated exercises on the reformer help strengthen the muscles along the spine therefore making it easier to sit tall at your desk and more importantly, making you aware of it when you slump!

Most Western Exercise is INSANE

No pain No gain, feel the burn, push yourself HARDER, just one more.  

Do those slogans sound familiar from popular workouts like P90x, insanity, cross fit, and hardcore strength training? 

Recently I took a few classes at a "Yoga" studio and I walked out feeling out of alignment, maimed, and wounded.  Felt like more of a Western take on Yoga than an Eastern one to me!

I like intensity but not when it isn't coupled with correct alignment and therapeutic benefit :)

Here's an article from a qi gong practitioner who talks about his transformation from a Western exerciser (marathon runner, bodybuilder) to an Eastern exerciser (qi gong, tai chi).

He had to completely change his mentality about exercise, health and wellness.  Instead of being hard and aggressive on his body he became relaxed and gentle.

http://qigong15.com/blog/chi-kung/7-mistakes-in-chi-kung-4/

Choosing Positivity

It is all too easy to focus on the negative in life.  What went wrong, why not, if only, and why me's are easy to find.  I just stumbled on an interesting article that asks us to re-align our thinking and ask what went well instead.  I'm going to give this technique a try, because in the midst of a hectic sometimes stressful life, I know I have a lot to be grateful for!  What would be your three things?

How to be Positive