Blog
Five Simple Foot Exercises
As upright beings, our feet are our base of support. There are 26 bones & 33 joints in each foot to allow the feet to absorb and distribute the impact of standing/walking/running throughout the rest of the body…
Treating your feet to added mobility and strength exercises can free up tension in your calves, hamstrings, hips, and spine. The effects of caring for our feet can be felt in the entire body!
What Happens to our Hips When We Sit?
For most people, this long year of pandemic has translated into a lot more sitting time, and we’re feeling the consequence in our hips. At the studio, hip openers are one of the main requests we’re hearing in classes
Why? Sitting for long periods of time can cause tightness in the hip flexors and lower lower back, and corresponding weakness in the glutes and lower abdominals. This pattern is called Lower Crossed Syndrome (Remember Upper Crossed Syndrome from our last blog?), and there are many ways Pilates can help.
How Do We Counter Computer Poster?
Have you found yourself at a computer lately? Thank goodness for technology’s ability to keep us connected, but if you’re feeling an achy upper back, tight shoulders, neck stiffness, or maybe even a headache - you may be feeling the effects of “computer posture.” As we look at the computer for hours on end, our head tends to creep forward, shoulders round, chest sink, and upper back hunch. These postural changes are often exaggerated when sitting, because the position of our pelvis impacts the position of our upper backs and necks. We’ve been calling this position “computer posture” in class as most people instinctively understand the meaning. However, it has an official term: Upper Crossed Syndrome.
Anatomy Moment: The Dynamic Pelvic Floor
If you’ve ever done a kegel, or even if you know about this simple exercise, you may know where the pelvic floor is, but why is it so important? The pelvic floor is the “pilot light” for our internal core unit, it helps support our organs and it helps ensure proper hip, lower back, and pelvic movement mechanics. And there is so much more to it than the kegel!
7 Ways to Love Your Musculoskeletal System
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! On this day of love, your local Pilates studio would like to chime in with some simple ways to give your muscles and bones the care they deserve. As everyone who has just been to a great Pilates class knows, giving your body some love often makes the rest of you — be it mood, energy, or spirit — feel better too.