Saturday Cardio Sculpt

An intense 55 minutes of cardio, core and strength, this class will raise your heart rate and give your metabolism a shock!

Urbancore Promo VIDEO

Check out our new Promo video to get a taste of what we are all about AND to watch our sexy instructors in action!

New read: Fat Chance

I've just started reading a new book by Dr. Robert Lustig: pediatric endocrinologist of You Tube fame.   It's called Fat Chance Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Foods, Obesity and Disease, and it might just change the way you think about eating - as if Angela's recommendation Wheat Belly wasn't enough to do the trick!  So far it is a scientific read (lots of medical terms) but fascinating.

For instance, I've always been taught that "a calorie is a calorie," and that to lose weight we simply need to burn more calories than we eat.  Dr. Lustig challenges both assumptions.  Consider this example refuting the idea that "a calorie is a calorie" from an interview:

Perfect example: almonds. You consume 160 calories in almonds. How many of those do you absorb? It turns out 130. Thirty of those calories are going to get metabolized by the bacteria in your intestine because the fiber in the almonds will deliver more of the nutrient down the intestine so that the bacteria can get it.

And that's good because that means you actually absorb fewer calories than you eat. Again, a calorie is not a calorie. So fiber is one of our - the best things the best things that we can do for ourselves. Fiber is the stealth nutrient. Fiber is maybe the single most important thing we've got in our natural food diet, and of course fiber is the thing that the food industry removes for its own purposes.

As if I needed more reasons to pick almonds as a snack!

Tabata!

For those of you that take our Heartcore/Cardio Sculpt, you might be interested in a great article I found recently about the Tabata style of training frequently we frequently use in these classes.  Dr. Izumi Tabata designed the system after extensive research and monitoring of Japan's speed skating team in the 1990s.  Check out the below link for more information on how it works, and his research and methods.

The Tabata workout programme: harder, faster, fitter, quicker?

Here's a piece of the article:

Fit in four minutes. It sounds like a hyperbolic headline from a buffed-up health magazine; an unattainable promise uttered through Hollywood teeth on late-night satellite TV. Then you attempt Dr Izumi Tabata's training protocol – 20 seconds of all-out effort, 10 seconds of rest, repeat eight times – and between sounding like Darth Vader as you desperately suck in oxygen and collapsing in a messy bundle of sweat and defeat, you realise just how wrong you were.

Sound familiar?

Falling asleep

Allison blogged (is that a verb?) about having occasional challenges falling asleep.  One of the residents (MD) where I work taught me a breathing technique he called the Rule of 5.  I don't have a link but here is the idea.

5 times a day - take 5 breaths in the following pattern - breath in while counting to 5 - hold the breath for 5 counts - then breath out while counting to 5.  This exercise helps with stress and might help with those nights of insomnia so you can get the sleep you need!

Sleep well.

I'm ready to sleep...now what?

Do you ever lay down in bed at night and just can't sleep no matter what?  Whether it be life anxiety, that extra cup of coffee you had earlier, or just inability to relax your mind, not being able to fall asleep at night really blows.  This happens to me from time to time, as it does for everyone, and it actually stresses me out more that I can't relax....ahhh!  Normally I try to quiet my mind by deep breathing, relaxing my body completely from head to toe, and (attempting to) meditate.

When all else fails, try some of these apps for IPhone posted by Shape.com.  I'm curious if they actually work, so someone please let me know if you try one out!

http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/10-free-iphone-apps-help-you-sleep-better-tonight

Good Night!

Keep Calm and Get Sexy!

Why do we have you focus so much when you do Pilates?  Because calm mental focus leads to a sexy and toned body!  Mental focus and discipline are critical to achieving the body that you want.  If you are scattered, tense and not focused you run the risk of injuring yourself  and you will not get the results you want.  So, do yourself a favor next time you workout.  Get super calm, dive into the moment and see how your mind expands (and your muscles too!).

Spring Cleaning

Ridding our house of the winter detritus is on my todo list for Spring but I'm not excited about it. You are aware Spring began yesterday but winter still has a strong hold on our city.  However, a good spring cleaning can breathe life into the long, grey days of winter.

Consider cleaning with products that are better for the environment, your children and pets, and you (especially the chemicals that can irritate your eyes, skin, and lungs).  The current issue of ConsumerReport on Health has an article on "Spring cleaning the healthy way."  The article lists some recipes for making less toxic cleaning products.
     Mold and mildew:  1 cup bleach in 1 gallon of water (use chlorine-free bleach)
     Oven:  1 cup baking soda+1/4 cup washing soda+water to make a paste, using gloves, put paste on oven surfaces, leave overnight, wipe and rinse.
     Windows:  1 cup vinegar+1 cup water into a spray bottle
http://www.consumerreports.org

Since you have been committed to your Pilates practice all winter you will notice a difference in how your body feels after a weekend of cleaning. Your muscles won't be so sore and they will recover more quickly.  You'll feel like BamBam lifting Barney's recliner to vacuum the floor because your core is so strong! (Please remember to use your legs).

The benefits of a religious Pilates practice are endless.   Keep coming to the studio to get stronger and more flexible. Reference Annie's post on running and Chris's post on lateral flexion.

THINK SPRING!

http://www.topironons.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=949

Lateral flexion

Lateral flexion, or side bending, just feels good! The seated mermaid exercise shown here helps elongate one side of the body from the hip tthrough the arm. Do it standing and you will increase the stretch to include the iliotibial tract (IT band) that gets so tight on a lot of us.

Three ways Pilates can improve your running

So it's the beginning of running season.  But before you hang up your Pilates practice for the summer, consider how Pilates can help you be a better stronger runner (and less prone to injury)!

1.  Core strength.  It's the buzz of nearly every exercise program these days, but to really benefit from it you have to understand why it helps.  The stronger your "core," the better you will be able to run tall and hold up your torso and head without adding to the work your legs are doing.  Read: better core strength makes you faster!  Pilates is the original core strengthening exercise program.

2.  Glut / Hamstring strength.  Pushing something is easier than pulling it.  So why use the front of your legs (quads) to drive the motion of your running?  Pilates can help you better align and learn to use the back of your body to drive you forward more efficiently.

3.  Spine flexibility for healthy rotation.  As you run, your upper body needs to rotate while your head and legs continue to point forward.  If your spine and/or shoulders are stiff, your back muscles and your hips will have to do more work which will make you slower and more prone to injury.  Pilates can help build a strong flexible spine that will allow you to move in a healthy way.

Let us know at the studio that you are starting your running season; we can help you make it your best!!

How to do a Plank! (VIDEO)

Want to perfect your plank technique?  Let me show you how!  When done correctly a plank can be incredibly effective for strengthening the entire body.  Learn how to feel it in the right places and not your wrists or low back.

Swiss Chard!

I echo Allison's post about spring produce coming and one of my favorites is swiss chard.  Tuesday I made a light swiss chard frittata using a recipe from Skinnytaste.com.  I've made a few of the recipes from this blog and each one has been delicious.   Check it out.

Swiss chard isn't in season in our region but it is coming.  I'm certain the farmer I buy my chard from has sprouts shooting up in her green house as I am writing this!

One ingredient of building and keeping a healthy body is eating food that is from the earth and everything on the ingredient list is easily pronounced.   Michael Pollan suggests in his book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, that you eat purchased foods with no more than 5 ingredients on the list.  (Read the list of your next protein bar.)

Be healthy and think Spring!

The power of Asparagus!

 This time of year really makes me crave Spring.  I'm sure all of you are ready to open the windows for warm air and sunshine, but what I really start craving is Spring produce.  Particularly Asparagus!  Asparagus is one of those early Spring veggies, so when I see it in stores at this time of year I know it will be packed full of vitamins and tasting its best, and most likely grown locally.

Some of you might be familiar with the author Barbara Kingsolver, and her book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," in which she document's her family's quest to eat locally and in season.  After a long winter of eating either frozen or canned food from their extensive garden, the first signs of Asparagus were a welcome and tasty addition to their diet.

Here's a recipe I plan to try very very soon (fingers crossed!):

Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice

(taken from www.101cookbooks.com)

Before I go, here's a fun (and strange) fun fact about Asparagus, taken from "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:"

"...Europeans of the Renaissance swore by it as an aphrodisiac, and the church banned it from nunneries."  

Wow - behold the power of Asparagus!

Bootcamp returns!!

Back by popular demand - bootcamp classes Mondays and Fridays at 6am starting April 1st!

If you have been wondering about whether to try it, know this: we design these classes to challenge all your major muscle groups with a focus on moving from your core. Bring your "A" game and start the day off right!!

Raw Kale Salad with Balsamic, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan

Wow, this was truly delicious and healthy!  I let the kale marinate in the dressing ALL DAY!
://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/raw_kale_salad_with_balsamic_pine_nuts_and_parmesan/

Ahhhh, Extension!

ballerina women

You've all seen it.  The ballerina reaches so far with her arms she looks like she's 10' tall.  It's beautiful to watch!  I don't have THAT much extension but I do love how it feels in my upper back and shoulders.  And it can be beautiful when the clients I'm instructing get just a little bit more extension when performing swan on the reformer!

I talked during my classes this week about practicing your extension so you prevent the dowagers hump.  You've all seen this too.  Maybe your grandmother or the elderly woman crossing a street has that bent over posture.

It's caused by osteoporosis.  Imagine your thoracic vertebra as a marshmellow which is pinched on one side.  Now stack a few together and wahla! you have a hump.

Pilates can help.  To prevent the hump you need to practice weightbearing exercise, perform extension and resistance exercises, and eat a healthy diet.  Annie's jump board class involves resistance and weightbearing exercise and you'll get a strong bootie!  The Heartcore classes on Wednesday and Saturday involve jumping and resistance...strong bones and booties again!  You also get some extension practice in all private instruction and mat classes.

Ahhh, extension!  Try it.

More reasons to catch a good night's sleep

Sarah's post about sleep jogged a memory for me. I read an article a few months ago that discussed not only that getting enough sleep can contribute to more effective weight loss, but that NOT getting enough sleep can inhibit your weight loss efforts! Check it out, and then commit to some shut eye - it's good for all of you.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/17/sleep-weight-loss_n_1891171.html

Play

A lot of folks talk about working out using the following phrases: "It's hard.  It's a lot of work.  It hurts.  I'd rather be doing something else."  Well, that sounds like a drag!  I prefer to see it as PLAY.  Yes, you heard me right.  I see working out as an enjoyable, fun, amusing game.  I see the Pilates studio as a PLAYGROUND.  You heard me right again.  I work in a playground!  How awesome is that?