49 W. 27th St. Mezzanine B, New York City 212-904-1399 www.movementsafoot.com

We have two great workshops coming up:

Pilates Lab for Teachers: Muscular Imbalances 


Click on workshop to register.

With Shelley Studdenberg $60   


Mondays 1:30-3:30 Lower extremity – knee and foot 2/27/2012
Shelly Studdenberg brings to this workshop her amazing knowledge of being a Pilates teacher, a certified Rolfer and advanced studies about the body. She will teach you the skill of observation, and how to use the Pilates/ other movement repertory to make positive changes in your client’s well-being. Shelly has influenced the master teachers’ careers at Movements Afoot

Franklin Method: The Knee

Click on workshop to register.

With Lesley Powell, Franklin Method Teacher, Certified Movement Analyst, Balanced Body Pilates Faculty
$60  Early discount sign up by first of the month.

The Knee
March 3, 2012 Saturday 2-4 PM

The knee is the largest most challenged joint we have. It is situated between the two longest bones in the body, which creates large forces within the knee as we walk, run or jump. Healthy, well aligned knees, deal efficiently with this situation. However, incorrect alignment and lack of proper training can cause the knees to become painful as ligaments, joints and muscles are strained.

by Peter Mei

As a football player, I suffered numerous injuries especially in the joint area such as ankles, knees and shoulders. The recovery period was even tougher! Pilates help me tremendously during the rehabilitation, not only regaining the range of motion but  I became more flexible and agile. It taught me how to prevent injuries before it happens.

I also increased my explosiveness by having a stronger and healthier core muscles, agility and speed improved as well.

Pilates has been a big part of my training regiment not only for myself, but more importantly, for my personal training clients. It teaches mind over body and move muscles that we never knew existed. Pilates can change a person’s overall posture, improve core strength, and build those long, sleek and sexy muscles we all crave for. I would recommend Pilates practice to anyone from de-conditioned to athletes, it is suitable for all ages and genders.

Bio

Peter has always been passionate about sports and fitness dating back to his teenage years and played collegiate and semi-pro football. He is a personal trainer and owned a full service fitness center. Four years ago Peter discovered Pilates to rehabilitate his own Injuries from playing football and became a enthusiast instantly. With the help of Lesley Powell and BBU certification course, he realized the importance of mind body practices. Peter has a unique Pilates teaching style and specialize in rehabilitation, injury prevention and tonning. “I believe in balance, there are no such thing as one style of training is greater than other, every practice and training program should be tailored made to suit the needs of each individual. Look beyond the methods, it is the result that matters.”

49 W. 27th St. Mezzanine B, New York City 212-904-1399 www.movementsafoot.com

For those who want to know more about Irene Dowd’s schedule, go to Noho Pilates

Last year Dianne Woodruff taught a fabulous workshop on Glute Strength.  She is an amazing teacher.  She returns this January to teach on Upper/lower Cross symdromes.  Every time I take a workshop with her whether it be an hour or a full day workshop, she changes my teaching.

Dianne Woodruff’s workshop at Movements Afoot to register

Taking a stand

I have been teaching Pilates Upright (I incorporate this in my Friday’s Dancing MindBody class at the studio) for years.  I have been working with a block in my mat class to help students develop better glute strength.

In 2011 I will be teaching Pilates Upright a full day workshop at the studio and Pilates on Tour in September 2011 in NYC.

Lesley Powell’s workshops

49 W. 27th St. Mezzanine B, New York City 212-904-1399 www.movementsafoot.com

I took a wonderful workshop w. Irene Dowd yesterday on Posterior Lateral hip muscles. We didn’t do a lot of reps but I feel it today.  Irene talked a lot about valgus strain.  I definitely have some valgus on my right knee.  My knee felt great after this weekend.

We have  great workshops coming up in 2011 if you want to know more:

Lower-Crossed Syndrome

With Dianne Woodruff
Date: Saturday January 15.2011 Time: 9- 5 PM  $200
Lower-Crossed Syndrome is a faulty postural pattern that starts from the feet and knees and shows up as an excessive lumbar lordosis and weak abdominal wall. The problem cascades into the upper body so that our dynamically self-regulating posture is compromised. Dr. Janda identified this problem as a series of dysfunctional muscular relationships which, when understood, can be changed and maintained. You will need a working knowledge of human anatomy.

BodyMind Fitness Certificate 
Level I

CORE: February 4-7 2011: Core of Anatomy
LOWER: April 8-11 2011: underSTANDing

• Friday:     LOWER Overview  and Anatomical Info: Pelvis
• Saturday:     Body fitness class and seminar: Methods for holistically working with the     Legs
• Sunday:     Working with the functional standing
• Monday:      Assessment, Feedback and more Applications

PILATES UPRIGHT

with Lesley Powell    
Dates: Sun   4/11/11 Time:  9:00 AM – 4:00 PM $200
PMA Approved -Pilates Upright is a dynamic workout that incorporates the training of Pilates mat with weight bearing exercises in standing. Pilates Upright gives you a new underSTANDing of the coordination of your muscles & bones in standing, which is very different from exercising on the floor

Just got back from my vacation.  We have a family place in the hills in the Finger lakes of upstate New York.  Traveling outside of NYC and being away from my environment, I am sadden how people look in the stores.

We had kids visiting us.  Getting them to go hiking was like pulling teeth.  They had trouble entertaining themselves.  There is no tv or internet service at my family place.  I love it.  I get lots of reading done and doing my watercolors.

I had a serious fall while hiking.  My knee was swollen and I felt stiff.  I had a Feldenkrais podcast on my ipod.  I felt so much better getting some movement in my body.

I am looking forward to getting back into Movements Afoot and working out.  Get some movement back into my legs and see if I can get the stiffness out of my knee.

Taking your Pilates teaching to the next level

With Lesley Powell August 21   1- 5 PM  $75
Come together.  Pilates teachers. Share. Workout.  Problem solve.  Laugh.

This meeting will be moderated by Lesley Powell.  Come with ideas, questions about the body, problem solving about professional issues (i.e. Difficult clients, non-payment by clients, burn-out, etc.)

• Bring any questions about the body, Pilates exercises and teaching.  We will take time to explore issues coming up, your designed workout for your client and questions about learning to see movement.
• Then you will teach a client a session with Lesley Powell observing.
  Here we will look at your design of your workout, how you cue and issues about form with your client.
• After your workout,  Lesley will go over each person’s class, any specific problems with client’s movement history and how they can improve on their teaching.
  

Click here To Register

Here’s my client question: 43 year old former dancer (ballet) and gymnast Runner in her late 20′s until recently when she has been sidetracked by hip bursitis. She spoke with her Doctor and Physical Therapist before starting with me. They said that she can do any type of movement provided it doesn’t cause her pain.They would prefer we don’t do extreme hip rotation.

In my visual assessment, I caught right away that she is bow-legged with hyper-extended knees and her parallel stance is not strong as she prefers turn out. Today, was our first session and we spent a lot of time on the Tower with Roll Down, Push Thru Seated Front and Circle Saw as I wanted to see core strength, rotation ability/mobility and articulation. When I got to Footwork (Bend & Stretch) I found a pattern that surprised me. I expected her to pattern her movement like I used to since I began with bow legs and hyper extended knees. But, instead of her knees splaying out, they come in and almost knock when she corrects her feet to parallel. So, we moved to Reformer Footwork and it was the same, when she pushes the carriage away, if I apply gentle pressure to her heels to “swing” them parallel, her knees “knock” inward. I put the Franklin ball between her knees to keep them apart (when, in my case, I use the ball to keep my knees more together). We then moved to bridging where I discovered the lack of hamstring strength. I focused on the hamstring connection for a while, did some pulling straps/swan and finished with mermaid. Can you offer me any suggestions? Am I on the right path? I do feel that we need to get her hamstrings stronger but will this help with the knock knee/footwork issue? Should I use something bigger than a ball, like maybe a yoga block between her knees?
Or between her ankles? H-E-L-P!! As always, thanks for you insight! Cheri

by Lesley Powell

How a client organizes in a static position can be different when moving. Watch how she organizes her body to stand on one leg.  As she stands on one leg, look at the bone rhythms of the legs.

• Does the foot remain stable, supinated or pronated?
• Does the shins rotate inward or outward?
• Does the femur rotate inward or outward?
• What happens to the pelvis and spine?

She might have been doing some compensation patterns in standing to appear not knocked knee.  Your working with her on creating balance in the legs is great.  Be careful about pushing parallel if she can not maintain it on her own.  She has been working on this pattern for awhile.

Sometimes with knocked knees,  putting a block/ball between the femurs can be a poor cue.  They should not be squeezing the block hard.  It might be better to use a theraband tied around their thighs.  The tightness of the theraband should be enough to get them to parallel not beyond.

Strengthening the abductors/rotators is important.  Since her PT’s do not want her to do extreme range, keep the movements small.

• Rotators – lie on the side with knees bent.  Only lift knee a inch off the other leg.  Or with theraband tied around thighs tightly lying on the back.  Move one knee again in tiny range of motion.
• Abductors – range of motion on side should not be higher than her hip
• Standing – Can she stand on one leg without letting the knee knocking in?

Working on balance of all the leg muscles  is important.  Since she is not allowed to do range of motion, I would also teach some release techniques for lateral rotators, abductors and adductors, and feet as well.

Go to Online Scheduling at Movements Afoot
Monday 6 PM, Tuesday 12:30 PM, Saturday 10 AM

I have been working with my teachers, Kim Fielding and Mandi Chan, in developing a Pilates class using leg springs and an aerobic segment on the physioball. It will be a more affordable class than our equipment classes, but bring in the wonderful physicality that the equipment invites.

It is an hour class first starting with a Pilates mat with springs. I love how the springs invite a deeper tone of my core and limbs. Then we end with an aerobic simple workout on the physioballs. We want the aerobic section to bring in the Pilates concepts of connection. The movements on the ball are fun, graceful and energetic. I hate most aerobic classes punching my arms out in ungraceful ways.

Being a woman in menopause and dealing with weight gain, I am trying to find ways to get more aerobic activities in. I tried running many years ago, but my knees were killing me. I started again, cautiously. This time I am doing a combination of running and fast walking. So far, my knees feel fine. A lot has to do with my taking the Pilates: Heart & core class. Between the training of the legs on the springs (lots of hamstrings work) and the bouncing on the ball (quadriceps work).

On National Public Radio, there was a great show on women and knee injuries. They talked about the importance of training the hamstrings and the gluteals as well as the quadriceps for prevention.

NPR- Women and Knee injuries

“I feel frustrated at the aerobics-type mat class experience where everyone is doing the same work, and no one is really ‘doing’ the Pilates Method. Eve Gentry said you can know every Pilates exercise and still not know Pilates. I agree completely.

In my mat classes I educate. My students are not in my class for a ‘work out’ they are there to learn how to do and deepen the Pilates Method on their own. My goal is always helping my students be able to understand the Method well enough in their own unique bodies that they can go to any class and have a good experience, or do it on their own.

I sometimes have students grouch at me that they want to go faster in the work, but I politely point out this is a practice, something to cultivate over a life time, and not to rush into, as they are best off creating good movement patterns from the beginning, and not have to reset poor patterns later.” Pilates Teacher

It is hard to get people to slow down, get conscious and think about their bodies. Many people think hard work in exercise is about speed and a burn. We have an expression about those people as “A+++” personalities.

Sometimes to teach humility, one needs to teach an exercise beyond their capacity. Safely of course! Then you reteach the importance of the slow building blocks to get to this point. We also have to teach concentration and patience.

On the other hand, I can understand the fusion classes as a business incentive. With so many pilates mat classes out there, how do you built a class and make it different and appealing to clients. I do not have the answer. I have talked with many Pilates owners throughout the world about their businesses. Many are dropping the mat classes, because they are not making money. The competition from the gyms and their ability to have cheap classes as part as their membership has changed our business. The ironic thing is the mat work is much harder than the machines. The machines can give the client information how to initiate into the more difficult exercises for example the “rollover” vs the “short spine”.

As a woman going into menopause and weight gain, I have to find a way to get aerobics in. I tried running, but the injuries from dancing, my knees and my SI can’t handle it. At the studio, we have come up with a fusion class Pilates: Heart & Core. We start out with a mat with legs springs and props. It starts out slow with the building the core. Then we end with a very simple aerobic bouncing on the balls still using the Pilates concepts. I can’t tell you how great I feel. Many aerobics classes whack my body out. The workout with the reconnecting to core support and strengthening the legs gives me a safe aerobic workout.

How many people are not exercising because they get hurt. I think that there is a place to teach how to connect to Pilates principles in our movement loves. It still needs the foundation of the practice and its detailed connections. I find many people do a great Pilates workout and not know how to connect it to their lives.