Pilates for Golfers - from GolfDigest.com

Pilates is a great cross-training technique that can help athletes build strength, stamina, flexibility and balance. 

Knees Off on Reformer

We're linking to a GolfDigest.com article published today, Fitness Friday: How A Pilates Reformer Can Help Your Golf Game," by Ron Kapriske. The post includes a video with an example exercise for Reformer, and a suggestion for the same exercise if one doesn't have access to a Reformer (since all Pilates exercises on apparatus are related to Pilates Mat exercises). 

Sometimes, it isn't about the work out...

While most clients are looking for a work out, some clients have bigger issues to solve. Pilates can be a means to an end.

One of my clients fell in April and again in June this year while walking outdoors. She incurred fairly serious injuries (not to mention the damage to her pride and sense of independence) both times. I had expressed concern about the alignment of her legs, from hips to feet, but she didn't understand and bought new shoes. After the second fall, an orthopedist and a physical therapist expressed the same concerns I had, and she began to understand. After doing a little PT along with Pilates, she decided to focus on Pilates as the means to make changes.

We modified exercises to focus on the alignment between her hips, knees and feet. We also worked on her overall posture, shoulders and lengthening the back of her neck to improve her overall spinal alignment and balance. We have worked on her alignment while lying down, sitting and standing. Working only on the Mat, twice per week, her progress from July to September is amazing. 

July 2015 (left) - September 2015 (right)

From Health & Fitness Cheat Sheet: 5 Reasons Why Men Should Do Pilates

We're linking to an article by Amanda Lauren on Health & Fitness Cheat Sheet: "5 Reasons Why Men Should Do Pilates"

(Besides Joseph Pilates looking so great and being able to do such difficult exercises!)

Study Finds Pilates Effective at Improving Balance and Reducing Pain in Older Women

A small Spanish study published in August 2015 evaluated the effects of six weeks of Pilates on functional balance, fear of falling and chronic low-back pain in women over age 65.

Although Pilates is widely recommended by many physicians for older adults due to its positive effects on chronic low-back pain, balance, and fall prevention, until recently there have been few studies evaluating the effects of Pilates on this population. The objective of this study was to analyze the short term effects of Pilates and physical therapy on factors such as: fear of falling, functional balance, and lumbar pain in women older than 65 with chronic low-back pain. 

A single blind controlled randomized trial of six weeks of Pilates in addition to physiotherapy vs. physiotherapy treatment only was conducted on 97 women with chronic low-back pain. Both groups received the same physiotherapy two times per week for six weeks, while the Pilates group also received two sessions per week of Pilates (one hour per session). Patients were excluded from the study if they missed more than three sessions during the six-weeks. Patients were evaluated at baseline and again after six weeks of treatment.

Joseph Pilates at age 59

Researchers concluded that the Pilates group showed improvement in fear of falling and functional mobility and balance after treatment, and also had better results in pain reduction than the physiotherapy-only group.

"In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference. 

In 20, you will see the difference. 

And in 30, you will be on your way to having a whole new body..." 

-- Joseph Pilates

After 12 Pilates sessions, this group of older women living with chronic low-back pain showed improvement in fear of falling, functional mobility and balance, as well as reduced pain compared to patients who only received physiotherapy. Imagine what 10 Pilates sessions can do for you?

Workshop: Postural Alignment to Reduce Daily Aches & Pains

We've had a request to teach a workshop on postural alignment to reduce daily aches and pains. 

Do you wake up with at stiff neck? Ever wonder why your knees or hips hurt especially on one side? Do you find yourself slouching in your chair or while driving? Do you round your shoulders while working or driving? Do you experience low back or sciatic pain after sitting?

We'll help you feel and see how your body should be aligned and give you some tips to help keep it that way, along with stretches for when muscles get tight.

Postural Alignment to 
Reduce Daily Aches & Pains

Sat, May 16, 10:30AM

Any Body's Pilates Studio

845-1B Savannah Highway 

(Entrance on Daniel Street)
Call 843.732.3228 for more information or to register

From Stack.com, "Why These 7 NFL Wide Receivers Do Pilates"

For anyone who thinks Pilates is only for women, or just for stretching, take a look at this video of Antonio Brown doing Pilates (on High Chair, Reformer and Ladder Barrel), then read the article about 6 other NFL Wide Receivers who do Pilates. From an article on Stack.com by Maddy Lucier, dated April 17, 2015.

Dr Araújo Provides More Info on SRT

Last month, I wrote a blog, "Pilates and Sitting-Rising Life Expectancy Test." The lead researcher, Dr Claudio Gil Araújo, from Clinimex, Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, kindly wrote to provide more information on another ref by his research group that was published in the Am J Phys Med & Rehab, "Does flexibility influence the ability to sit and rise from the floor?"

The purpose of this study was to establish whether flexibility influences the ability to sit and rise from the floor. Subjects aged 6-92 yrs performed the Sitting-Rising Test (SRT) and the Flexitest on the same laboratory visit. The SRT evaluates components of musculoskeletal function by assessing the subject's ability to sit and rise from the floor, which was scored from 0 to 5, with 1 point being subtracted from 5 for each support used (hand/knee). The subject's final SRT score, varying from 0 to 10, was obtained by adding the sitting and rising scores. The Flexitest evaluates the maximum passive range of motion of 20 body joint movements. For each one of the movements, there are five possible scores, 0-4, in a crescent mobility order. Adding the results of the 20 movements provides an overall flexibility score called the Flexindex (FLX).

Dr. Araújo's team concluded: Although seemingly simple tasks, the actions of sitting and rising from the floor are also partially dependent on flexibility in male and female subjects of a wide age range. Future studies should explore the potential benefit of regular flexibility exercises for these actions.

Dr. Araújo said the SRT has been used in several other clinical and sports scenarios on about 7,000 people ranging from 5 to 90 years of age in the last 15 years. It is also been utilized in US and Brazilian Army in order to easily identify those with some limitations in non-aerobic physical fitness (those unable to score a perfect 10 at 18-25 years of age). If you need the age and gender norms (pediatric to geriatric populations), Dr. Araújo has offered to provide -- you may contact Any Body's Pilates and we will put you in touch.

Thank you to Dr. Araújo for the follow-on message and information on additional studies.