Movements Afoot’s Blog
A BodyMind Think Tank – Taking fitness to the next levelArchive for abdominals
Enhanced your teaching with Balanced Body’s Podcasts
by Lesley Powell
Balanced Body is now creating their own podcasts. They are amazing and will give you new ideas about teaching. My favorites are by Elizabeth Larkam. Elizabeth is a wealth of information and has created some new exercises. This exercise below looks simple. It truly reflects if clients are stabilizing correctly. I have been teaching this to all of my clients from beginners to advanced. Even my dancers are challenged by this exercise.
Pilates Basics:Essentials for Backcare
by Lesley Powell
I want to talk about how to work with clients with low back pain. These clients have already ruled out by the medical professional where exercise is contraindicated.
To start a client with low back pain, my first goal is to observe their form as I teach the movement principles/fundamentals.
I am working first on teaching stabilization.
I am conservative about stretching until I know how they will react. Some clients with too much stretching, their muscles go into spasm. Sometimes the tight muscles are the ones trying to stabilize them. Without educating them about proper stabilization, the body does not know what to do.
Teaching the fundamentals, you can see how poor patterns will be reflective throughout the entire workout and their gait. Fundamental education will create better awareness, control and injury prevention skills.
Differentiation of thigh bone
I always start with the thigh lift and the pelvic shift forward, a neutral bridge.
A lot of clients are not using the hip socket correctly. The pelvis is unleveling to lift the leg.
- Is the pelvis stable when the leg is lifted?
- How is the ease in the femoral folds?
- If the pelvis is unstable, is it rotating and/or unleveling?
Bridging: Having a leg to Stand on. (upcoming a new podcast on proper bridging)
I always look at the neutral bridge with back clients. Many clients are very weak in the legs and using the backs to compensate for leg weakness.
In the neutral bridge, the pelvis should shift forward over the feet. The Bartenieff Fundamental, the pelvic shift forward is a perfect name for this action.
The highest place in the bridge should be the pelvis.
When the legs are weak, the back usually arches to push the body higher.
Back care clients are very weak in the deep muscles of the back. Many are compensating with the superficial muscles of the back. This can cause compression/pain in the back. Simple extensions exercises of the upper spine and legs are essential skills to learn. Can your client lift their upper spine and/or legs and then entire body pain free? Are they shortening their backs to do any of these exercises.
By teaching your clients, the basics, you are also giving them tools to take home to practice. Once they accomplished the basics, don’t forget about the Pilates mat exercises:
- Single leg circles
- Single leg kick
- Double leg kick
- Shoulder bridge
Stretching
Once I hurt my back seriously carrying a computer. My back was in spasm for over a week. I stay away from stretching the back. I did a lot of stretching of my legs on the floor with a yoga strap. Roll downs were too painful at that time. Then my next goal was using downward dog to lengthen my back. Even a client putting their hands on the barrel or a wall and doing a modified downward dog can be helpful.
It is essential to teach stabilization exercises. Then intertwine these concepts with your workout using the machines. For example, before doing pulling straps on the long box, here is a routine on the long box.
- 3 upper spine extensions. The Spine raises in line with the box.
- 3 right leg lifts, 3 left. Leg lift is in line with box.
- 3 modified swans. The spine and legs are in line with the box.
- then, pullling the straps.
Below is a link to great exercises for back care. Please feel free to share this link with your clients for their home practice.
Pilates is Wellness
by Lesley Powell
Pilates is wellness. Wellness is a deep connection of the body and mind.
True fitness is wellness.
Pilates will teach you how to center your mind and your body. It creates balance of dormant muscles to overused muscles. It creates an ease of motion of joints at the same time Pilates strengthens you.
Pilates will teach you about your whole body and its fascinating connections. As you enhance your learning of your body, your new knowledge will enhance your posture, your fitness, your movement loves and your energy.
If your body does not feel well, how can your mind and spirit?
Learn:
Breath: to relieve stress, open areas of tension
and teach you about getting to the deeper muscles for support, the transverse abdominals.
Breath connects you to your deepest abdominal muscles.
The transverse abdominal is like your very own corset.
Centering: coordination of the body radiating from your core in all movements.
The core muscles are your back and abdominal muscles
that stabilized your spine.
Inspire your core muscles to create better posture and tone
Learn how to dynamically train them for improved posture
and coordinate them with your entire body.
This is the best injury prevention skill to have.
Balanced Muscles: create efficient movement, tone and joint mechanics.
By creating better balance in your muscles,
relieve tension that causes discomfort.
Precision and Control: good form invites good function and better fitness.
Learn how improved function and control with a few repetitions
are more valuable
than many repetitions done poorly.
Pilates Basics: Enhancing the Core
by Lesley Powell
Thigh Lift
The Bartenieff Fundamental, the thigh lift, is in all Pilates exercises. Learn how to stabilize your pelvis through your deep core muscles and mobility of your thighbone.
Breath yourself to new abdominals
by Lesley Powell
Learn how breath is the secret to deeper stronger abdominals
- Hollowing the Abdominal
Core Coordination
by Lesley Powell
PILATES PRINCIPLES
The coordination of the stability of the torso with the movement of the legs and/or arms is essential for good function. This is deep core work. Stability is a dynamic coordination of the muscles of the torso and entire body depending what the movement is. It is not a static position, but changing as we move in space.
We first need to learn how to apply core stability to simple movements before more complex movements. These are building blocks of foundations for larger, more complex movements.
The thigh lift (Bartenieff Fundamental(tm)) is the precursor to more difficult abdominal exercises as well as a component of our walking. One must stabilize the pelvis to connect to the correct mobility of the femur. The psoas alone will flex the hip. Without the counterbalance of the abdominals, the pelvis is pulled to an anterior tilt. Remember stabilization is about finding quietness in the spine with length as you mobilize the legs. This should be the major underlying principle of all abdominal exercises. To challenge the abdominals more, one can extend and/or lower the legs away from the torso. This is the single leg stretch, the hundred, etc.
THIGH LIFT
Hollowing the Abdominal
Purpose
To learn how to stabilize the pelvis as you lift a leg. This principle is important in all Pilates mat exercises with the use of the legs. The engagement of the core is essential in stability of the pelvis through the deep abdominals.
To start
- Lie on the back with parallel legs bent and feet on the floor. The spine is in neutral. Place the hands on the femoral folds. This is where the hinge of the thigh and the hip
- Inhale and feel the width of the sacrum and back ribcage.
- Exhale and hollow.
The movement
Thigh Lift
- Inhale and breathe wide into the back body.
- Exhale to deflate the abdominals in and lift the bent right leg. The hands are feeling the softening of the femoral fold.
- Inhale and lower the right thigh back to its original position.
- Exhale with a hollow and lift the bent left thigh up to 90 degrees. The pelvis should remain in neutral.
- Repeat 3 more sets
Observation
Was the pelvis quiet during the thigh lift? Did the hollow deepen as you lifted the leg? Or did the belly bulge out? If the back muscles engaged, you must learn to deepen the hollow and maintain it before and during the leg lift.
Double leg.
- Inhale and feel the width and depth of the back body.
- Exhale; hollow and do a right thigh lift
- Inhale and hold the position
- Exhale, hollow and lift the left bent leg next to the right thigh
- Inhale without losing the hollow and lower the right leg down
- Exhale and lower the left leg
- Inhale and deepen the length and width of the spine
- Repeat again starting with the left leg
Observation
Were you able to maintain the hollow throughout the movement? Did your pelvis remain quiet?
Breath- Changes your Core Support
by Lesley Powell
Breath is the key to connecting to the deep abdominal muscles. With breath, the connections of the diaphragm pumping in and out of air forces the transverse abdominal to be like a corset. Being like a corset, this muscle pulls the torso contents in. The pulling in of the abdominals like a corset, we are going to call, the hollow. This is when the transverse abdominus engages. This corset-like muscle is responsible for flattening the abdominal wall and stabilizing the torso.
Breath is one of the best ways to encourage this action. There are physical connections between the diaphragm and the transverse abdominus. The breath is like a hydraulic pump. Inhalation causes the diaphragm to move downward, open the lower ribs and relaxation of the back. Exhalation releases the diaphragm up like a parachute towards your head. The lift of the diaphragm helps the lower abs engage. Consciousness of breath and it’s being three-dimensional is a great way to open the spine and connect to our internal support.
To Start: Lie on the back with knees bent and feet on the floor.
Hollowing
Breath & the diaphragm
- Inhale into the lower ribs. Visualize the diaphragm floating downward. This downward movement is widening the lower torso with depth in the back
- Count the duration of the exhale as the belly deflates. (Start with 8 counts. Each count the belly should sink deeper towards the sacrum. This is the hollow.
- Repeat two more sets
Breath & the Hollow
Place your hands near your navel
- Inhale for 4 counts
- Exhale (8 counts) and narrow your abdominals underneath your hands towards your navel
- Inhale
- Exhale (8 counts), narrow again underneath your hands
- Adding on, inhale
- Exhale (8 counts), narrow and sink your abs towards your sacrum
- Inhale
- Exhale and feel your abs narrow and sink towards your navel
- Inhale and add on
- Exhale (8 counts) narrow, sink and rise your abs up your torso.
- Inhale
- Exhale, feel your abs under your hands narrow, sink and lift towards your head.
Now practice this in different position, sitting, on all fours, standing and in your pilates practice. Hollowing is essential for making change in your core. It is better to do a few exercises with hollowing than lots of repetitions with the abs bulging out. Practicing poor habits does not make you stronger.
* I would like to thank all of my teachers especially Irene Dowd for deepening my knowlegde about the body.
Staying Connected with affordable ideas
Movements Afoot wants to support you in your wellness practice. Some of you would prefer working with a partner or a group class.
Give us a call or email us, movementsafoot@mac.com.
We are setting up a list of clients searching for a partner for duets or would like a group class at a certain day/time. When we have a least 3 clients interested in a new class, we will gladly start it.
Another great way to start your Pilates Practice is our Intro to Pilates Series.
4 classes with only 4 clients $120!
Teaching a Mat Class with Props
by Lesley Powell
“I started teaching mat class and class using props and arc. The feedback I received from participants are ”it’s too hard”, or frustrated that they simply just don’t think they could do it.
Maybe I focused too much on the fundamentals, how can I make the class more enjoyable and fun? Most of my clients expect a workout, they want to sweat beacuse the studio is inside a gym, what adjustment can I make?” Peter Mei
Maybe you are trying to do too much. I remember teaching my first ball class that I taught the entire book of execises in one hour. Was I on drugs?Remember the importance of warmup and interlacing the movement principles within the lesson. The props also can help towards a better understanding.For instance a rolldown, most people don’t have the flexibility or strength for a roll down.
- How do you prepare them?
- Concentration
- Breath
- Flexibity
- Core support
What are the components of each exercise? Rolldown needs core support, flexibility and limb connections. You can create a 5 minute warmup just to prepare for roll down.
- Breath and hollowing
- Upper body flexion
- Single leg stretch and leg circles
- Bridging
- arc with upper body flexion
- arc with rollup
- rollup with theraband
- rollup with no props
Sometimes a prop such as the arc and physioball can be overwhelming to a client. Take time to teach them how to comfortably get on the prop. For instance, many of my clients do not have the flexiblity to lie backwards with their upper spine on the arc. I built blankets up for their heads to rest in a more comfortable position.
Use the props as a warmup. If you want to get clients sweating, use full body movement such as the twist, roll down to pushup and variations to leg pull front/back and side bend. Level changes can get the heartrate up.
Here is another post Underlying Structure of a Pilates Session
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