I have a question. I recently worked with a dancer with a significant leg length discrepancy — her left leg is 1.8 centimeters longer than her right (femur is .6 c longer and lower leg is 1.2 c longer) .  The left side of her tailbone often hurts as does her left inner thigh.  She dances quite intensively and is experiencing more and more subtle aches – especially across her sacrum.

Suggestions for working with her to address her leg length issue??????  thanks so much
smiles tara

Leg length difference can lead to a unique challenge for the client. There will be always imbalances dealing with this. How to train the imbalances to adapt to their specific needs?

A lot of times the leg length difference can cause the patterns of scoliosis.   Working on lengthening tight muscles and strengthening the weaker ones would be one of the goals.   Some clients feel more balance when you give a prop of a towel or small mat under the foot on the shorter leg such as in foot work.

I knew of a dancer who used a specific book under her shorter leg during class. She did her warmups at the barre and some of the class.  Of course once there is locomotion, the book could not be used.

Since she is having problems with her sacrum,  I would to a lot of pelvic shifts, forward (neutral bridge), lateral and single leg.  I would use a prop under the shorter leg.

Dianne Woodruff

Just out in JBMT (Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies), is an arresting article on the assumptions about core stability, “The Myth of Core Stability” by British osteopathic physician, Eyal Lederman.

You can download this article at no charge from this link  http://www.cpdo.net/shop/bs1.html

Dianne L. Woodruff, CMA, PhD

When a person comes in with back issues, I always observe how they use their legs.  I find many are very weak in leg strength and how it relates to posture, walking and everyday movements.  Irmgard Bartenieff explained it beautifully with with her Bartenieff Fundamental: pelvic shift forward and Lateral.  I introduce these concepts to my clients.   Pelvic shift forward is a bridge that requires you to use your legs.  When you see someone weak in the legs, the client will compensate with their backs.  With this weakness, you see the back higher than the legs.

Then the next step is bringing this to standing.  This Spring Dianne joins up in April and Dr. Martha Eddy and I teach BodyMind Fitness: UNDERSTANDING May 21-24.

More information about Dianne Workshops this April

Introduction to 3-D Workout
With Dianne Woodruff
Date: Sunday 11 April 2010
Time: 2-5 p.m. $120

3-D Workout is a low-impact, low-tech fitness program you can do anywhere. This workshop introduces you to the basics as shown on the DVD and then some. We use our bodies in three-dimensions at all times so your exercise should go beyond the conventional biceps curl and other single plane exercises. The 3-D Workout program, developed by Dianne Woodruff, CMA, PhD, is inspired by the Laban/Bartenieff framework. Available in classes and as instructor training, this workshop is open to all. DVDs will be available for sale at a discount.

Sacroiliac treatment protocol
With Dianne Woodruff
Date: Sunday 11 April 2010
Time: 9:30-12:30  $120

This workshop offers a step-by-step method of assessment and treatment for sacroiliac pain. It includes the anatomical framework and function, observation of whole-body and defined body parts in motion, various tests for sacroiliac dysfunction and methods for treating the problem. The workshop, aimed at “the dead seven inches” is an application of Bartenieff Fundamentals in a therapeutic framework. Open to personal trainers, pilates/yoga instructors and health practitioners. Taught by Dianne Woodruff.

Glute strength for true balance
With Dianne Woodruff
Date: Saturday 10 April 2010
Time: 1-4 p.m. $120

We have only two legs and must stand on one of them to take a step. No one would argue the importance of good balance and prevention of falls. Balance boards and other devices are fine but the anatomical and functional issues behind bipedal stability deserve more attention. This seminar for pilates instructors, personal trainers and health-care practitioners addresses essential movement patterns for bipedal stability and a healthy back in a pedestrian culture. Such patterns were identified and researched by Dr. Vladimir Janda as early as 1964. Over the last 20 years Dr. Woodruff has developed an approach to assessment, correction and preventive exercise that you will learn in this seminar.

To register for Dianne’s workshops at Movements Afoot

More info about BodyMind Fitness

New Upcoming Series

in March

Finding Fitness:
When you don’t feel well.

See New research
how Pilates improves older adults from falls.

Finding a movement/fitness practice is hard for all. It is especially more difficult for those suffering from an injury or neurological disease. Join us for an 8 week series of a Pilates workout using the equipment to take you to a fitness that make you feel better.

$360 for 8 week series Minimum of 3, Maximum of 5

Tuesdays 6-7 PM March 2 – April 27 No class 3/30
Wednesdays 10-11 AM March 3 – April 28 No class 4/1

*Days/times don’t work, please give us a call/email of day/time requested. We would love to setup other series with other interested clients.

Learn:

• Fundamentals for fitness
  (Be able to have a home program as well)
• Increases core strength, flexibility and body awareness.
• Develop better muscle tone
• Improve your posture
• Rehab chronic injuries
• Enhance your wellness

Included are handouts for home practice

Back care, MS, Arthritis, Fibromylia, Chronic fatigue,
Cancer survivors, Parkinson’s

Only two makeups are allowed. If makeups are taken as a group class/Pilates equipment class, no discounts will be made. All makeups must be reserved by office staff.

Other Workshops Beneficial to Wellness

Hanna Somatics

Franklin Method

Moving on Aerobics

We would love to bring pilates movement to people who would love a Pilates class designed at the pace and needs of their present health. We will be setting up a new series this spring.  Please give us a call if you and others would like to set specific days/times.

Special Pilates classes:

• Back care
• MS
• Arthritis
• Fibromylia
• Chronic fatigue
• Cancer survivors
• Parkinson’s

Our classes will combine:

• Pilates
• Bartenieff Fundamentals
• Franklin Method
• BodyMind techniques for better movement & relaxation
• Restorative yoga

Finding a movement/fitness practice is hard for all. It is especially more difficult for those suffering from an injury or neurological disease. Traditional exercise does not always address how to create a fitness practice when the body is not well. How the mind influences the body can determine better function for most.

Traditional exercise has an emphasis on the loading of muscles, repetitions and sweat. This is important in the end result of good healthy fitness. The process for finding fitness should be different when the body is not well.

A lot of classes and fitness are too fast and/or too much exertion for the person who does not feel well. Sometimes the body will go to the muscles that are already overworked when the load/exertion is too much. For instance, abdominal and bridging exercises are important in back care. Many complain of back pain in these kinds of exercises. What is happening here?

The brain is giving the wrong feedback to the body.

Instead of initiating the movement from the abdominals in the crunch,
the brain goes to the back muscles to start the work. How do you make change?

You retrain how the mind thinks about movement. This is a practice in itself. These techniques are used by athletes, dancers and gymnasts.

Essential tools are:

• Breath Imagery
• Better understanding of functional anatomy
• Cueing
• Mental rehearsals
• Relaxation techniques

We are going to look at how to train the abdominals and the legs using new tools. Breath is your road to deeper concentration, relaxation and core support. For further in depth practice see my podcast on breath. One can also used breath as imagery to assist in change. When you blow up a balloon, it swells up into a moldable shape. When you allow a balloon to let out the air out, the balloon releases back to its original shape.

• Focus your breath to an area of tightness in your body.
• Imagine the breath expanding that area like a balloon with the inhale.
• As that area expands, feel how the muscles lengthen, widen and release.
• On the exhale, imagine the muscles falling softer towards the ground.
• Breath can be a great tool when the body is fatigued or in pain.
• Let’s say you are in a class and you have reached a place of fatigued.

Instead of leaving class, go back as the class workout to the breath. Only join back into the class when you feel well.

ANATOMICAL IMAGERY

Understanding how the body works can really help one find new connections and a preventive measure from re-injury. We are going to look at the Bartenieff Fundamental, the thigh lift. This is a underlying concept how the thighbone moves in the hip socket. It is essential for a movements of the legs such as walking and level changes such as getting up from a chair.

When someone comes in with a back injury,
I look at how they do a thigh lift.

When the thighbone is not gliding well in the hip socket,
the pelvis will unleveled to lift the leg.
This repetitive motion can lead to more discomfort in the back, hips and legs.

Here(see above podcast) is the thighbone placed into the hip socket. Notice how it is a deep round socket for the head of the femur bone. When the leg is lifted, there is an opposition of movement of the two distal points of the femur bone; one where the knee is and the other, the femur head in the hip socket. In the thigh lift, the head of the femur will glide in the opposite direction of the knee. The higher the knee is lifted, the head of the femur will roll and glide lower in the socket towards the sitz bones.

Image the bone gliding down in the hip socket as you do the thigh lift.
Feel how the back lengthens with the bone gliding well in the hip socket.

When you understand how the body is designed, you will have better movement. As Eric Franklin says “Embodied anatomy improves function”. When the thigh lift is done correctly, the correct muscles will be invited to work. The Bartenieff Fundamental, the thigh lift is the underlying concept in all abdominal work and movements of the legs.
(See my podcast on Pilates Basics: Enhancing the core)

Mental Rehearsal

This is a technique used by musicians, dancers and athletes. You review the movement in your head like it is a film. You image the movement with complete success, expression and enjoyment. We are going to look at the Bartenieff Fundamental, the pelvic shift forward. This can be a great exercise to get the legs stronger and stabilized the spine. Sometimes when the legs are weak, the back wants to overcompensate. This can be painful for many.

• Visualize yourself doing a pelvic shift forward.
• Press down on your feet feeling equal pressure on the inside and outside lane of the feet.
• Feel the hamstrings engaged against your thighbone
• Using your leg muscles rise the pelvis forward towards your feet.
• Your relaxed spine rises up in one piece.
• Your back is relaxed and the legs are doing the work
• Imagine your legs are like an elevator that carries the load of the spine up and down.
• Slowly descend your spine down with your spine in neutral. Your spine should come down in one piece.
• Practice this a few times and then try to do a real Pelvic technique.

Mental rehearsal is great to use when you are fatigued or in pain. Research has shown through biofeedback that muscles are charged even with mental rehearsal.

Relaxation techniques

Sometimes to get to the correct muscles usage, one needs to release the overcompensating muscles. Stretching can be positive for some; for others over-stretching can put a muscle in spasm. Constructive rest position is a practice of lying on your back to release unnecessary tension in your body.

• Lie on your back
• Have your legs bent with your feet on the floor or on a stool/chair. A belt can help keep the legs together. This can help diminish tension.
• Observe how your spine feels on the floor.
• What areas of the spine lay well on the floor?
• How is tension in your body affects how you lie on the floor?
• Use breath and image of the balloon to create new releases in your spine.

For further information about constructive rest:

• Andre Bernard
• Eric Franklin
• Restorative yoga
• Another great book about release techniques Paul Escosque Pain-Free

The back of core

Core support allows us to move against gravity to be upright and move.

Great core support will enhance your posture and the tone of your muscles.
It is three-dimensional.

The connection is the coordination of the abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and the back muscles with the limbs. Core support is about this connectivity.

Core support is providing the spine, the spinal cord and the organs 
with the necessary space to function well.

Poor posture leads to compression of the vertebra, disks and our internal organs. With our culture in so much flexion with computers, driving cars and watching TV, we need to train the spine 3-dimensionally.  Equal attention needs to given to how the back muscles support the spine and the legs.  Our standing requires an upright spine with the mobility of the legs for our everyday movements of walking and our movement loves.

Many of our clients are very weak
in their deep muscles of their spine and extensors of the hips.

Because of weakness of the extensors, clients will use other compensations to accomplish spinal and hip extension.  This will usually lead to compression and/or shortening to perform extension movements.  For instance,  a client will lift the head and hyperextend their neck for upper spine weakness.  A client with poor core support and weak hip extensors (the gluteals and hamstrings) will use the muscles around the lumbar spine to lift the leg.

I have had two amazing experiences about the ribs through the Franklin method and just last week with Amy Matthews and Roxlyn Moret at BodyMind Centering’s Embodied Yoga workshop on the upper body.

We think of the ribs as a solid structure. When you come to understand the movements of the ribs, you free up your torso and your breath. Each rib has a joint into the spine and the sternum (except the floating ribs). When the spine moves , there should be small movements at each joint.

Last week I took all my students through initiating the movements of the spine from the ribs. Everyone had more movement of the spine. It was amazing how freeing the ribs helped the shoulders.

Want to experience this, Come to Eric Franklin’s workshop 12/6

FRANKLIN METHOD – Torso Dynamics for a Liberated Upper Back
Dates: Sun   12/6/2009
Time:  10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Franklin Method: Torso Dynamics for a Liberated Upper BackWith Eric Franklin & Morten Dither $120 December 6, 2009 10 AM – 1 PM The ribcage involves itself in our breath but also serves as a mediator between spine and upper limb movement. In the first part of the workshop we will discover the dynamic movement of the ribcage and its  50+ joints in breathing and spinal movement. The organic, ligamentous and muscular involvement will be explained through imagery and simple movement.   In the second part of the workshop we will explore the bone rhythms of shoulder girdle and upper limb we will experience how to successfully integrate this movement into the ribcage, spine and core of the body. This will result in greater ease of movement, improved coordination and a natural sense of core stability. Understand and embody the dynamic relation of ribcage, shoulder girdle and arm to produce Not all arm movement are equally fit to produce power! Learn what  a “Neutral” or closed pack arm lift is. Experience the ease of motion and freedom possible of the ribcage, shoulder girdle and arm in breathing and movement. . 1 workshop $120 49 West 27th St. Mezzanine B New York, NY 10001 212-904-1399 To register online

Franklin Method: Move Your Body Well–The Franklin Ball & Band
Date: Sun   12/6/2009
Time:  2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Move Your Body Well–The Franklin Ball & Band Fest With Eric Franklin & Morten Dither $120 December 6, 2009 2-5 PMIn this class we will learn the unique Franklin-Method approach to conditioning with imagery, balls and bands and learn exercises that will create an immediate sense of strength and flexibility. With the help of balls we will improve our balance, alignment and coordination and increase the flexibility of the shoulder, back and hip-joint. The band exercises presented in this class will improve dynamic and static strength, trunk strength, extent flexibility, dynamic flexibility as well as motor and perceptual timing. Imagery is used with every exercise to increase the efficiency by which the nervous system directs the movement helping to achieve maximum strength and flexibility gains during the conditioning routines.Learn: How to make your workout fun. How to use dynamic Imagery in a work out routine to modulate tension level, movement quality and muscle recruitment. How to use Franklin Balls and Bands to tone the whole body.

49 West 27th St. Mezzanine B
New York, NY 10001
212-904-1399

To register online

Lesley Powell: Observe how they lateral bend in their spines.  Most probably there is not a lot of movement in the upper thoracic.  They achieve side bending mostly at the lumbar or leaning (losing their grounding of their pelvis.)

Put your finger at the upper thoracic spine.  Have them only side bend at that place.  It will be a small movement.

I would work on opening the upper spine in many planes such as side bending and rotation.  Isolate the movement in the upper thoracic.  Use this as a warm-up before flexion exercises.

I once took a great workshop with Dianne Woodruff. (She will be at Movements Afoot in the spring). She had us all perform a crunch and observe the range.  Then she had us sit and do a stretch (like mermaid) that lateral flexed, rotated and then rolled up.  We performed the crunch again and we all had more range of motion.

Two weeks ago I fell off a chair in my apartment trying to hang a picture on a wall. I landed on my back hard.  I could feel with the fall that I whacked my sacrum out.

My usual techniques of release with constructive rest and rolling on Franklin balls were too painful to practice.  Lying on my back was the worse.  The first couple days on my days off, I just did gentle walking and small movements on my side that I learned from Hanna somatics.

I got some outside help with visiting my rolfer, Kayte Ringer and Cranial Sacral Message therapist, Ula Katsoulis.  Around my sacrum is bruised so I have to wait until this heals.

Movement as always was my savior.  With the bruised sacrum, I concentrated below and above the injury.  Some movements such as Pilates rolldown was impossible.  I modified positions and range of motion of movements.  Gentle movement helped unlock the pelvis stuck from spasms.  I never pushed into pain.  Fortunately at Movements Afoot, there are many props to help modify positions.  For instance, lying on my back, I put extra padding around my tailbone.

When you injured yourself, I highly recommend visiting a specialist to help you recover.  If you feel comfortable to be in class, make sure that you tell the teacher about your body.  At Movements Afoot, our teachers are well trained to help you find modifications for exercises.  Please let them know beforehand.  Movement should not be painful.  Great movement should invite new fluidity into your muscles and joints.

No tricks, only the treat of a mobile, pain free body!

Bring friends and come and enjoy an introduction to this system of movement education that takes away pain, stress, and gives mobility and health. You will go home with illustrated materials for your home somatic practice. Reservations a must.

Sat, Oct 31, 3-5 PM.

Hanna Halloween Free Event
Hanna Halloween Free Event
Dates: Sat   10/31/2009
Time:  3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Free Introductory Class, Halloween Special! with Laura Gates

No tricks, only the treat of a mobile, pain free body!

Bring friends and come and enjoy an introduction to this system of movement education that takes away pain, stress, and gives mobility and health. You will go home with illustrated materials for your home somatic practice. Reservations a must.

Sat, Oct 31, 3-5 PM.

Movements Afoot Pilates Studio
49 West 27th St.  Mezzanine B       New York, NY 10001
212-904-1399

http://www.movementsafoot.com

movementsafoot@me.com
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