Each month I host a Live Q&A Call in which I answer any of your Pilates-related questions. Here is a question from November 2020.
My question is about two of my clients in...
I bet you're aware that your spine is an important part of your body. Not only is it located along the centerline of the body, but it is the channel for your spinal cord which transfers all electrical nerve impulses from the brain into the organs and muscles.
Chiropractic recognizes this and...
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...
When you add Roll Down on the Reformer to your routine, you can enjoy the benefits of improved spinal flexion, lengthened hip flexors, and strong abdominals.
This exercise is all about scooping, hollowing, and drawing "navel to spine". All the classic Pilates cues can be used here....
Reverse Abdominals (also known as Reverse Knee Stretch or Kneeling Abdominals Facing Back) is a fantastic abdominal strengthener. The arms, shoulders, and hip flexors get quite a lot of work, too.
It should be in just about every new student’s program unless contraindicated. It...
Also called Pulling Ropes, this is one of the few prone exercises on the Reformer and it’s not too hard, so it should make it into almost every Pilates class, especially for beginners.
There are 3 main ways people tend to cheat during this exercise. Let's look at each of them and explore...
We usually picture the upper back as rounding backward, right? But if Pilates has taught us anything it's that each person is different. Maybe you've noticed that some of your students have flat thoracic spines. As you watch them move, perhaps you've noticed that the upper back also seems to...
There are too many bad planks in this world!!! This makes me so very, very sad! Relying on our skeleton to hold us up usually means that the lumbar vertebrae are getting all the load and are suffering.
Here is a video from a few years back (gosh, my hair was long!) I'll teach you how to first...
Supine Leg Springs is also called Leg Spring Series Supine or Feet in Straps. This series is a great way to improve hip mobility. It activates the hip extensors (glutes and hamstrings) which allow the hip flexors to release.
One of the most important factors to effectively strengthen your...
Teaser, the classic Pilates exercise, is a fantastic abdominal strengthener. Practicing it on the Spine Corrector is a great stepping stone to the more difficult versions, like on the mat.
A common mistake in this exercise is the lower back arching. (Don't confuse this with the upper...