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Who benefits from Pilates?
Pilates is good for everyone. Because the exercises are non-impact, Pilates accommodates all body types and fitness levels. It works to balance all of the body’s muscle groups relieving tension in over-worked muscles, improving posture, and creating mind-body awareness. Pilates is good for:
- Creating flat abdominals
- Toning and Trimming
- Flexibility, alignment, and strength without bulk
- Relief from back, neck and joint pain
- Enhanced sports performance
- Improved posture
- Relief from arthritic and chronic ailments
- Injury rehabilitation and prevention
- Pre/Post-natal conditioning
Just what is Pilates?
It’s a supervised fitness program designed by Joseph H. Pilates, consisting of nearly 40 floor exercises and an unlimited number of exercises done on special machines fitted with cables, pulleys and springs which provide variable resistance. It will strengthen, lengthen, stretch, balance, tone, relax and energize you.
What’s unique about Pilates?
When most people decide to engage in a new exercise program, they look at themselves with dissatisfaction and say "I have to lose weight" or "I need to tone these flabby muscles so I guess I need to go to the gym." So they go to the gym, lift some weights, sweat, try to eat better, and after awhile these exercises become mindless and boring. They don't even enjoy it. The exercises become just another task that needs to get done. If there's no joy in it, what's the point?? They lose interest, quit and consequently feel bad about themselves.
The Pilates method of conditioning is completely different! Instead of being mindless exercise, it is a very mindful activity. You must concentrate on what you’re doing. This intense physical concentration is what’s known as the Mind-Body Connection. With any movement or exercise it is our mind that holds us back, not our bodies. It is our insecurities and thoughts of limitation that truly control our physical limits and performance levels.
When you begin Pilates, you'll note that you have an area or areas of weakness that you need to work on. Recognizing this is critical. So you have a weak area, We all have them! The first step is accepting where you are, at this moment. You can then move on to work on improving them. During your sessions you'll push yourself to improve and with each little victory will come an incredible sense of satisfaction. It's this gradual progress that we experience which becomes addicting, and brings with it, an incredible sense of empowerment.
Pilates for pregnancy
I've completed specialty training for physical therapists targeting safe exercise for prenatal/postnatal women. Pilates exercise is safe to perform during pregnancy and is excellent for keeping the body strong and the back supple as the baby grows. Modifications are made to accommodate safe exercise such as restricting the supine position (lying on your back) as your pregnancy progresses, to avoid blood flow restriction to your baby. Stretches are performed gently to avoid tearing ligaments already lax from increased pregnancy hormone secretion. I will teach you ways to safely strengthen and stretch your body to reduce back pain, improve posture, facilitate an easier delivery, and decrease your recovery time after giving birth. If pregnant, Pilates with Teresa requires a doctor's note clearing you for Pilates exercise.
Pilates for Back and Neck Pain
Pilates is renowned for its contributions to spine health and the reduction of back pain. Many people, when exercising, tend to over utilize rectus abdominus, the most superficial abdominal muscle. Due to the nature of its origins and insertions, it has no major role in lumbar stabilization. With Pilates, the focus is on correctly accessing the deep abdominal muscles, particularly transversus abdominus as well as the internal and external obliques. The client is cued to maintain a neutral spine position for most exercises. If the spine is tucked under, rectus abdominus is overworked and the deeper abdominals are not accessed efficiently. If the spine is arched, it can exacerbate lumbar stenosis, increase stress on the lumbar vertebrae and increase tightness in the iliopsoas, erector spinae and quadratus lumborum muscles. In Pilates, exercises are given to stretch out tight back muscles and strengthen the extensor muscles of the spine to counteract the forces of gravity which pull us into a hunched over position. Posture and general carriage is improved with a resultant decrease in pain. As we age, maintaining spinal mobility is key. Pilates works to correctly sequence spinal movement as you "peel off" the vertebrae from the mat with clear articulation. In my practice I see over utilization of the upper trapezius and levator scapulae which results in tight and sore neck muscles. I focus on strengthening the latissimus dorsi and lower trapezius muscles to support arm movements without straining the neck. Clients are taught not to elevate the shoulders during exercise unless it’s part of that particular exercise. This strengthening of the scapular muscles helps to retrain the body to move efficiently without neck or upper back strain. Stretches for the back and neck are given in all sessions and proper alignment of the neck is monitored stringently.
Pilates for Foot Pain
We spend a lot of time on our feet, bearing the weight of our bodies. I teach exercises to strengthen the intrinsic muscles in the feet with a careful eye to alignment. If the client is suffering from foot pain, they may stand in such a way as to avoid putting stress on a particular area of the foot. This will have repercussions on the alignment of the knee, hip, back, etc. I try to establish a proper weightbearing stance and give your feet the stretching and strengthening necessary to keep them mobile and painfree.
"Teresa's skills as a pilates instructor epitomize the word excellence. Without a doubt, Teresa is the best exercise specialist I have ever
worked with."
~Dr. Shoshana Zimmerman ND
