How Do I Stop My Students From Overworking Their Thighs and Hip Flexors in Knee Floats?
I received this question in one of my Live Q&A Calls:
Some of my mat class clients are fit and strong and have extremely tight hip flexors or work too little from their bottom, specifically in Knee Floats. They only feel their thigh muscles instead of the TA and bottom. I have the same...
3 Ways To Improve Body Awareness in Pilates Using a Wall
A wall is a fantastic tool to help your students build body awareness. Every studio and home has one, which makes it an accessible and no-cost teaching aid. You might need to rearrange your space a little or close doors to give you more "wall space" but the benefits are totally worth...
How Do I Help Someone Who Struggles With The Roll Up?
Do you have Pilates students who struggle with the Roll Up, no matter how much they practice it? Maybe they roll up a few inches, struggle, and finally give up before rolling back down. Everyone wants to be able to get through an exercise, so after a couple of failed attempts to roll up,...
How to Build Shoulder Strength for your Pilates Push-up
Push-ups are a fantastic exercise to improve coordination of all the shoulder stabilizers and build upper body and abdominal strength. They are found in just about every method of fitness. Unfortunately, many people perform Push-ups with poor form. The most common mistakes in Push-Ups are:
- ...
Do This One Simple Thing To Improve Your Balance
Today we have a post from the archives, but the message is timeless. Let's talk about balance and what might be standing in your way of having it.
Have you ever considered that the lack of strength in your legs is what's ruining your balance? Our legs consist of a lot more muscles than just...
Fix Your Elbow or Shoulder Pain in Bicycle
Elbow pain during Bicycle or Scissors in the Air is unfortunately very common. A weak or injured rotator cuff makes keeping the elbows narrow very difficult. Even if we manage to keep the elbows right under us, if they're tempted to slide out, this creates a shear force around the upper arm...
How to Relieve Tension in Neck and Shoulders
The most common complaint from people I'm working with is that their shoulders are extremely tense. There are many reasons for this. For example:
- Rounding the shoulders while working at a computer
- Bad posture while standing, walking, exercising, driving
- Nervousness and anxiety...
The Best Exercise for a Tight Waist and Strong Back
Favorite exercise alert! Okay, I admit it, I have a lot of favorite exercises. But for good reason! They feel gooooood, they energize me, and they make me stop hurting (yes, I have tight muscles, too).
Today's favorite exercise is called: Twisted Plank. I made that up. Since I'm not very creative...
How to Improve Hip and Ankle Mobility with a Half Roller
This 12x3 inch piece of foam has saved me on several occasions. It's such a useful tool, I even bring it with me on trips, especially when I'm planning on hiking for several days.
I've put together a short video showing my favorite exercises with the short half roller.
- Calf Squeeze
- Hip, Leg and...
The Best Stretch after Running, Hiking, and Cycling
Have you ever felt your lower back or the sides of your hip ache after a long hike, bike ride, or run? I’m sure you do your lunge (hip flexor stretch) and a hamstring stretch religiously after each workout, am I right? Do you still feel that tightness at the sides of the hips?
The reason...
