Category: Strength

Summer Shape Up

Get ready for a sleeveless summer!

Resuming and wrapping up our muscle groups theme for the school year, this edition of the newsletter ties it all together. Since September we have covered five major areas – hamstrings, hip flexors, abdominals, gluteals  and arms.  For those of you who have been following this newsletter, you are already “armed” with some foundational information to help you tackle some of the main areas to be in summer shape! 


If you have a regular Pilates practice, what else can you do to be in the best shape for summer? This edition of the newsletter is going to explore things to boost not only your practice but also your fitness and physique. 


The first and most important thing you can do besides exercise to get in shape is supporting your well being through nutrition. There is a popular saying in fitness that “abs are made in the kitchen”. Even though Pilates focuses on the core, that quote is so very true. 


It’s unrealistic to have a consistently unhealthy diet and expect to be svelte, even if you are exercising regularly. Beyond superficial appearances, a good diet will support you in not only looking good but also feeling good! It’s amazing when students change to a more nourishing diet how their bodies improve internally (joints not so stiff and achy etc…). 


Secondly, in terms of exercise, there are multiple things you can do to tone up. Assuming your Pilates routine is already in place, you could consider adding cardio to your wellness practice. Even simply walking will yield benefits. For those with osteopenia or osteoporosis, walking will be especially helpful. 


Last but not least, consider training your body specifically now for what you plan on doing. If you want to hike outdoors, swim, play golf or tennis, you can start to work on building strength and endurance to build up the areas you will need for your sport or adventure.


As the school year closes, we wrap up our muscle groups theme. You have not only learned in detail about some of the main muscles but also how to bring it together combining your Pilates practice with nutrition, cardio and specific training when needed. May you not only be in shape for the summer but stay healthy and in shape the whole year through.

No Pain, No Gain?

This is a famous mantra in the fitness world and beyond.  In this edition of the newsletter, we are going to look at this concept more closely.  While there is truth to it, this principle can also be taken to extremes that are harmful and result in losses rather than gains.

It is established that the body grows stronger as it is challenged – whether by increasing weights or increasing time on cardio activities etc.  In sports fitness, this concept is used to keep athletes improving. 

That said, a fine tuned athletes point of challenge is different than the coach potato working out for the first time.  If the novice tries to do the same workout at the same level he hears a famous sports figure is doing, it won’t be long until there is pain or injury and the coach potato is back on the sofa.

Even a person who is consistent with working out can develop pain from practicing with improper form.  In Pilates, having good alignment is huge, but good training in other modalities will also emphasize proper form as well.  With Pilates, quality is often emphasized over quantity.  Better to do a few good repetitions of an exercise and strengthen the underused muscles than to do many repetitions with bad form and continue to strain/overtrain the over developed areas.

With fitness, as in life, there is effort and challenge that brings growth.  However, it’s really the use of the word “pain” in the “No Pain, No Gain” mantra that is misleading.  While it is catchy and rhymes, technically real pain is generally not a good thing.  

There are times you may have to work through pain, but that is not the goal.  If you are in pain all the time and the pain increases with working out or certain motions/activities, you don’t want to ignore it.  Pain is the body’s warning signal, a red light that there is something wrong.  Continuing to work through pain when your body is telling you to stop, is ultimately going to end up with loss (an injury, lost time at work, loss in mobility and function) and not gain.

Listen to what your body is telling you.  Don’t ignore the body’s signals like pain.  Seek the appropriate professional help where needed – whether a family doctor or a specialist.  Follow their recommendations.  And when it comes to fitness, rather than thinking “No Pain, No Gain”, instead consider another mantra “Work smarter, not harder”.