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Category: Healthy Back, Neck & Feet

Client Testimonial – Pilates

I recently received this testimonial from a client. I sure do love hearing success stories like these!

 

I started doing Pilates on my own after rupturing my achilles tendon, having surgery, etc. I bought a book (did a lot of research and found one that was excellent) and was able to stay in amazingly good shape while I recovered. I then went to the reformer class in Seattle, which I loved. Then I moved down here and found you through Yelp.

I was a little nervous about taking a “mat” class vs. the reformer and was concerned that I wouldn’t get the same level of workout. Boy, was I wrong. You really are a gifted teacher, Anne. Your commitment to your profession is an inspiration – I’m always impressed by the fact that you’re constantly learning new things and incorporating them into our class. The class is never the same (so we don’t get bored), you always give very good “visuals” to help us do things correctly and it’s a GREAT workout.

I REALLY, REALLY appreciate you and am so, so happy to have found you. I have noticed that my arms are much stronger. All those pilates push-ups that I hate have helped me a great deal – Ha! 🙂 My spine is also healthier than it’s ever been!

Six Exercises to Relieve Low Back Pain

I had an interesting experience this week while training one of my couples. They had been out of town for a few weeks on a road trip so I was excited to see them and planned an awesome strength session which included some of the husband’s favorite leg exercises plus theraband, and Swiss ball moves. This couple is very athletic, getting in some form of activity- walking, elliptical, Pilates or strength work – most days of the week. My challenge in working with them is designing a program that they both enjoy that includes elements of stabilization, strength, cardio and flexibility while helping both of them reach their fitness goals.

When I arrived at their house the husband reported low back pain so I threw my plan out the window and we spent an hour working on basic stabilization exercises, core strength and flexibility. After our session they both felt like that got a good workout and stretch, and he reported reduced back pain. I learned to come prepared AND be prepared to adjust my plan based on what is going on with my client that day. If his back is feeling better this week we will resume a more rigorous strength program.

Do you suffer from low back pain?

Here is a video of yours truly demonstrating a basic back stabilization program that includes the following:

Swimming

Thread the Needle

Lion Drinking

Cobra

Single Leg Kick

Flight

Try going through these moves on your own and let me know if you have any questions.

 

 

 

 

 

Stand Up Right Now and Walk Around Your Desk!

Are you sitting at your desk? Have you been sitting there for several hours? Stand up right now and walk around your desk, or down the hall, or better yet go fill up your water bottle and take a few big gulps. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

This recent NPR article from New York Times columnist Gretchen Reynolds details a few simple ways you can combat the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. According to Reynolds:

“Sitting for long periods of time — when you don’t stand up, don’t move at all — tends to cause changes physiologically within your muscles. You stop breaking up fat in your bloodstream, you start getting accumulations of fat … in your liver, your heart and your brain. You get sleepy. You gain weight. You basically are much less healthy than if you’re moving.”

I would add that taking periodic breaks from your computer also reduces eye strain and lower back pain. Reynolds recommends standing for two minutes every 20 minutes while desk-bound — even if you can’t move around your office. She suggests getting a music stand to hold your papers and standing each time your phone rings. Are you a into cool software aps? Here are a few online tools to remind you to take periodic breaks from your computer. Plus the little EVO guy is pretty cute.

What tips have helped you be less sedentary?

 

Disabled Vet Turns “Can’t” into “Can” through Yoga

You have probably seen this video going around the internet of Arthur Boorman the disabled vet who transformed himself from couch potato to athlete! There is lots to love about this video – Arthur’s determination, his rapid strength and balance improvements, his weight loss and the amazing before and after photos where he looks like a different person. I love the 1:50 mark where he is doing modified yoga poses in his living room using a chair to steady himself and he falls completely over, legs in the air like a cockroach. Guess what happens next (2 min mark) he gets back up! Over and over again.

Oddly enough his yoga instructor is none other than wrestlemania star Diamond Dallas Page.

I won’t spoil the ending if you have not yet seen this video but I had tears in my eyes watching it. Makes loosing that last 10 lbs or getting up at 6 am tomorrow to hit the gym seem not so difficult. Do you have an amazing transformation story or are you just starting to make some changes in your diet or activity? Tell me about it.

The May Five Exercises

The May Five

 

Each month I assign my clients five exercises to work on every day. Here are your May Five.

See if you can go through these at least once today – in fact you could get up from your desk and try them right now, I’ll wait…

 

1) Plank:

From hands and knees, step back into a plank position (drop to your knees if you need to). Hold for one minute.

In plank you build core strength, strengthen your shoulder and back muscles and improve your shoulder girdle stabilization.

 

2) Flight:

 

 

Start lying on your tummy with arms by your side.  Reach back through your fingers and toes and lift your chest to come up into a small back extension.
Strengthens back extensors, abdominals, opens shoulders.

3) Roll Over:

Start Lying on your back with legs in the air, knees bent. Press your legs up towards the ceiling (lifting your hips) then slowly roll down.
Strengthens lower abdominals.

4) Seal

 

 

From seated, scoop your abdominals and round your spine. Lift your feet and hold on to your ankles. Slowly roll back onto your upper back, then roll back up to sitting.

Strengthens abdominals, improves spine flexibility, muscle control.

5) Side Angle:

 

 

Stand in a lunge with right knee stacked over your ankle. Rest your right arm on your right thigh, reach left arm to the ceiling.
Strengthens legs, opens hips, and stretches shoulders.