You're only as old as you feel

"True age lies not in years or how you think you feel, but in how you actually are as infallibly indicated by the degree of natural and normal flexibility enjoyed by your spine throughout life. If your spine is incredibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young." - Joseph H. Pilates (Return to Life Through Contrology)

Another year has come and gone and I find it hard to believe that I am nearing my 40's. I'm turning 37, to be exact, although even I had to do the math the other day to be sure that was in fact my age. With the years has come much knowledge and experiences, however I truly feel like a 20 year old still in my body. I still move through my days with vim and vigor and don't see my impending age limiting me in any way. I also don't feel the time clock ticking to achieve certain things in a particular time as I did in my earlier years. When it's right, it will be right.

I feel very fortunate to have been exposed to health and fitness from such a young age. To continue to learn and explore new and old methods. I listen to my body in a more profound way now than when I was younger. I choose to nuture, nourish, pamper, treat, and feed my body and soul physically and mentally every day. I thrive on my passion for teaching and am inspired daily by my teachers, peers, and students. So today on my birthday, I celebrate life in all its glory. I lift my arms to salute the sun in the morning and backbend opening my heart to grace with gratitude for my flexible, mobile, efficient, and youthful spine.

Trick or Treat? Franklin Method

Props Gini uses to teach FM.

"To change your body, one must change their mind"

I had the privilege of participating in two Franklin Method workshops lead by the fabulous Gini Martinez of Pilate Your Body. Gini is intelligent, witty, passionate, and creative about movement and her teaching. I highly recommend that anyone who teaches any sort of movement treat yourself to some Franklin Method. You won't regret it. I learned a lot about how my body actually works, how much my thoughts can affect and change my movements, and how to better cue movement for myself and my clients. I came out of the weekend very inspired and also very overwhelmed. How do I take all of this new insight into my Pilates teachings?

Franklin Method is based on four steps:

1. Feedback - Check in on how and where you are now. What do you like? What do you not like? (Try to focus on the positive, as it really does change the outcome. For instance: If you notice your shoulders are tense, instead of focusing on the tension think about the openness and lightness you would like to feel in them.)
2. Make a plan - What are you going to work on changing and how are you going to go about it? (I am going to send breath into my shoulders and imagine my shoulder blades sliding downward like a chocolate fondue fountain)
3. Feed Forward - Put the plan into action.
4. Compare New Status Quo to the Old - Was there a positive change? Even if it is the littlest bit.

It is a cycle. So repeat until the desired affect occurs. Maybe a new plan is necessary.

What I realized during this weekend was how important it is to really know what is happening in the body during movement. I know my anatomy and the cuing of movement within Pilates. However, many times the cuing contradicted what was actually happening with the bone rhythms. Once I could imagine the movement of the bones in certain actions I could facilitate movement in a much more organic way. 

"Embodying function, Improves function".

I realized that I had been tricking my body into performing certain movements with contraction instead of treating my body to efficient movement with ease. As Gini says:

"If your muscles are tense, they are contracted. If your muscles are contracted, they aren't available for movement."

Give your body a treat and incorporate some Franklin Method into your body and teaching.

Here is a link to a video of Eric Franklin releasing Shoulder Tension.
And just added here is a podcast of Gini discussing Franklin Method on air with Karena Lineback. 

No Shoes....BETTER Service

The other day I spontaneously decided to take off my shoes on the Elliptical. I had my running shoes on and was feeling uncomfortable through the arches of my feet and my left knee. I decided to pause the elliptical and continue in my socks. I immediately felt better through my feet. There was a little bit of friction with my socks and the machine, but it still felt better than what I was experiencing with my running shoes on. Taking my shoes off gave me more efficient movement.

Later that evening and the next morning, I was amazed at how sore my inner thighs were and I associated this to taking off my shoes. I feel that my running shoes were artificially pulling my feet into alignment. They weren't actually allowing my feet and muscles to do the job. I had been toying with the idea of going barefoot for awhile. After all in Pilates and Yoga I feel more connected to the earth and my alignment with my bare feet. Why not transfer that over to my Cardio philosophy as well? I personally don't own an Elliptical or Treadmill and the idea of going barefoot in a public gym seemed gross to me. Also living in an Urban area, outside running in bare feet seemed dangerous with rock, glass, and other foreign objects waiting to pierce the soles of my feet. So I ventured out to try on and buy a pair of Vibram Five Fingers or Barefoot shoes. I tried on three different styles of the Vibrams and ended up settling on the Bikila style as they fit my foot the best. This is definitely a shoe that you decide on based on function and fit, versus style or color. No matter what color these shoes are they are going to draw attention to your footsies. They are definitely not stylish or flattering to any foot on the outside. However, knowing the positive changes that are going to happen internally I will put my fashion and vanity aside.

Stay tuned as I take this barefoot journey to more efficient and healthy movement one step at a time.

My job is a pain in the __________ !

Whether your job entails you sitting at a computer all day, playing chauffeur to your kids activities/running a household, or hauling products on sales pitch meetings; your job could be and probably is causing your body a lot of pain.  Many of the activities involved in our jobs are done under stress and create undesirable movement patterns. Since movement patterns develop over time and repetition the 7-12 hours (or more) on your job is doing you more harm than you may think.  Your good intentions of working out at the gym, pilates, yoga, or your personal trainer 1-2 hours a day, 5-6 days a week is a good start. However, in the grand scheme of things these good movement patterns are not enough to negate the undesirable patterns being reinforced in a greater time frame.

So if you are not fortunate enough to work in a field like mine, what are you to do?

First of all be aware. Notice how you are sitting at your desk, in your car, carrying your bags. Notice what happens to your body when you start to think about how you are sitting, where your shoulders and head are in space, the side of your body that is carrying your heavy bag.  Just the awareness will allow you to notice your posture, habits and notice where you are carrying your tension.  Become aware throughout your day. Not only when you are at work, but preparing dinner, bathing your children, washing the dishes, even reading or watching television.  I have caught myself several times sitting on the couch reading with my head and neck completely tensed up and forward. Awareness is the first step in breaking any pattern.

Second, try to send the positive movement patterns from yoga, pilates, your personal trainer into your workday.  Sit up tall lifting out of your hips. Create space between your vertebrae. Allow your shoulders to hang and rest gently on the spine.  Root down through your feet and lengthen out through the crown of your head.  Creating this internal conversation with your body throughout the day can create a lot of positive changes.  This is also a good time to reevaluate your work environment. Is your chair at the proper height for your computer? Is the position of the back of the chair causing you to slouch or enabling you sit up tall? I am a huge proponent of sitting on a large resistance ball when at my computer, forcing me to sit up tall.  There are many stores that sell ball and ball-like products for exactly this purpose.  Relax the back has stores all over the country, as well as being able to order online.  Make sure the angle of your computer and keyboard is ergonomic and not causing you to strain to see the screen or drop the wrists to type.  These small patterns may seem trivial, but you are doing this pattern for the majority of your day and these small movement patterns are becoming more and more ingrained into your body with every key stroke and email.

Lastly, take a desk break.  I like the ratio of 15 minutes of break for every 45 minutes of work.  Take the time to stand up from your seat or get out of your car. Take a short little walk down to the water fountain or a little stair work in your office. Stretch. Bend. Move. Try to counteract the movement patterns that you are in the most at your job.  Close the door and breath or meditate even for 5 minutes. This will allow you to continue to be aware, send positive messages to your body, and reverse the undesirable patterns.  It will break up the pattern and restart you each hour.

Link to the first segment of my Podcast Series: Desk Break. This is a 5-10 minute video of exercises specifically chosen to break the negative movements and can be done in your office, using only your desk, and chair. Note: You may want to close your door or better yet, invite your co-workers to join in with you.


Be sure to subscibe to piLALAtes You Tube channel for more Desk Break segments to come.

Toning Shoes

There is a lot of hype going on regarding toning shoes. Many claim that they will work you out while you wear them. Fit Flops claims the following: “Get a workout while you walk”, “Firm your legs and bottom”, “You can reduce stress on your body”, “You can re-energize your feet”, and “Wearable relief for sports warriors everywhere”. Another company, Sketchers, has Shape ups. “designed to help you strengthen your muscles, including your back, abdomen and calves”, “will help you lose weight and improve your circulation, creating a healthier you”, and “Get in shape without setting foot in a gym”. And MBT the Anti-shoe “ the body's entire musculoskeletal system is activated and exercised, the muscles in the buttocks, stomach and back are strengthened, posture and gait are kept relaxed and upright; and stress on the joints;and back is relieved. Not only does the anti-shoe increase the fitness levels of its wearer with every step, it also has sustainable health benefits.”

I have worn all three. Of the three the MBT’s seem to me to be the most beneficial and scientifically built. While I feel a slight “workout” mostly I feel better postural alignment and stress reduction on my low back and knees. I enjoy teaching in these as well as taking walks. These are definitely worth the investment and live up to their promises.

As far as flip flops go. Flip flops in general are the worst shoes you can possibly wear. They offer no arch support or shock absorption and cause a great deal of pain in the body after wearing them for long periods of time. That being said both the Fit Flops and the Shape ups are the most comfortable flip flops I have ever worn. They offer great arch support, lots of shock absorption, and I actually feel good after wearing them for a good deal of time. However, they aren’t going to tone my gluts, things, and hamstrings; cause me to lose weight, or keep me out of the gym or from doing actual exercise. These are not a quick fix or a replacement to proper diet and exercise, sorry to tell you. They do feel great though after a long run or workout!

My advice is don’t go firing your personal trainer or giving up your gym membership. But if you’re looking for a comfortable pair of flips flops or shoes that will help ease your pains and help your posture you should definitely give them a try.