Blog
The Positive Adaptations to Exercise
Running Benefits
Fall Challenge 2023
Being Active Reduces Your Chance of Dying by 35%
What exercise burns the most body fat?
Exercise-Induced Muscle Cramps
Prenatal & Postpartum Exercise
Same Exercise Routine or Change It Up?
Strong core = reduced low back pain
One high quality article showed that after 6 weeks of mat Pilates training or 6 weeks training with Pilates equipment (equipment includes: tower or trapeze table, reformer, barrel, and chair), participants with chronic low back pain had similar improvements. However, with these participants the studies demonstrated that equipment based Pilates sessions showed better and longer lasting results than with mat Pilates. So while mat Pilates is definitely amazing, several studies report that equipment Pilates produces superior results. AMAZING!
Exercise Reduces Stress
Boost Immunity with Exercise
Amazing news! 43% of participants who reported 5 days of physical activity per week had significantly reduced days of URTI compared to largely sedentary participants who exercised less than 1 day per week. And when the higher physical active group did get an URTI the severity of symptoms were 32-41% less.
Older Adults Need to Exercise
There is overwhelming evidence that supports the benefits of physical activity for the older adult population.
Reduce Neck & Shoulder Pain with Four Exercises
There were four specific exercises chosen for the participants of the study to perform daily. 2 sets of 12 reps for each exercise. One rest day a week (Sunday). Exercises are challenging where you are 0-2 reps shy of failure. Equipment: resistance band
Movement Breaks During Prolonged Sitting
Expanding the Guidelines
Neutral vs Imprint
While neutral spine works well for many exercises—like lunges, bird dog, foot work, feet in straps—for many clients I often cue slightly imprinted spine for certain Pilates movements. Each client’s lordotic curve in their low back is unique, so this rule is not for everyone, but from my experience most benefit from an imprinted spine, especially in chest lifts and when legs are not being supported.
Pregnancy Exercise Guidelines
Different Ways To Resistance Train
Next time someone tells you Pilates Equipment or Barre or not lifting “heavy” is ineffective, proudly show them the studies in the resource section of this post and tell them your trainer intelligently builds your body strong, all the while preventing injuries and feeling good.
Lumbopelvic Stability
A great way to begin to connect with your outer and inner core muscles is a technique called bracing. This technique definitely provides stability to the lumbopelvic region. I have filmed a 3 minute video demonstrating how best to brace your core during standing lifts, planks, and abdominal exercises.
Scapular Retraction and Why It’s Important
Often I see shoulders rolling forward during rows and arm extensions, and while it’s unlikely to cause injury, it’s not maximizing the full potential of the exercise. By focusing on rolling the shoulder back as you begin to pull back, the shoulder blade will automatically slide towards the spine, which is called scapular retraction.