3 Ways Pilates Changed My Body Forever
Growing up in the Northern Va/D.C. area, I studied classical ballet. In my 20s, I worked at a women's fitness studio that my mother-in-law, Lucille, had founded. I led cardio classes and coached new clients in weight-training. In my free time, I enjoyed biking or hiking with my husband, who carried our baby, Aiden, on his back along those beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain trails.
One summer, Lucille visited her sister in California and came back excited about the Pilates Method of exercise. When she first told me about it, I was already in great shape. I didn't believe it could make a difference in my overall fitness level. I was wrong!
Because Pilates focuses on the deeper abdominal muscles (transverse abdominis), which are activated with the "Ha" breathing and ribcage connection (as opposed to just the rectus abdominis, the 6-pack muscles, I had worked in the gym) the shape of my core was beautifully different. My fitness guru mother-in-law describes it as a "girdle-effect," a zipped up look.
More importantly, I had been trained in the gym to tuck onto a flat-back when I worked my core, this effectively trained my abs to hold my lower back out of alignment, and I suffered from some lower back discomfort that I assumed would never go away. Once I learned to find "neutral pelvis" and support that with my abdominal work, my lower back pain dissolved.
2. My Limbs:
I have a naturally athletic build. My muscles tend to bulk up, so I welcome any longer, leaner lines I can get. More importantly, with the emphasis on elongating muscles as we work them instead of allowing joins to remain bent, Pilates accessed muscles supporting my joints and took pressure off overused joints and muscles. I hadn't even realized that there was a measure of body discomfort I was living with until it was gone.
3. My Posture:
Pilates has three main kinds of exercises: flexion of the spine, extension of the spine, and rotation of the spine. In his original method, Joseph Pilates ordered the exercises in a way that moved the spine alternating between the three. As I moved through these exercises, elongating my cervical spine, keeping my lower back in neutral pelvis, using my deepest abdominal movements with my breath, and dropping my shoulders, my back began to change. After every hour-long class, I would leave standing straighter, and feeling as though I had new supports holding me up.
If you would like to have a full postural evaluation and begin enjoying the benefits of Pilates, contact Jennifer Dowell, now taking reservations at Island Girl Pilates in Fort Pierce, Fl (772)-497-6647.
3 Ways Pilates Changed My Body Forever
By Jennifer Dowell, Pilates Master Instructor (Fort Pierce, Florida)
1. My Abdominals and Lower Back:
Because Pilates focuses on the deeper abdominal muscles (transverse abdominis), which are activated with the "Ha" breathing and ribcage connection (as opposed to just the rectus abdominis, the 6-pack muscles, I had worked in the gym) the shape of my core was beautifully different. My fitness guru mother-in-law describes it as a "girdle-effect," a zipped up look.
More importantly, I had been trained in the gym to tuck onto a flat-back when I worked my core, this effectively trained my abs to hold my lower back out of alignment, and I suffered from some lower back discomfort that I assumed would never go away. Once I learned to find "neutral pelvis" and support that with my abdominal work, my lower back pain dissolved.
2. My Limbs:
I have a naturally athletic build. My muscles tend to bulk up, so I welcome any longer, leaner lines I can get. More importantly, with the emphasis on elongating muscles as we work them instead of allowing joins to remain bent, Pilates accessed muscles supporting my joints and took pressure off overused joints and muscles. I hadn't even realized that there was a measure of body discomfort I was living with until it was gone.
3. My Posture:
Pilates has three main kinds of exercises: flexion of the spine, extension of the spine, and rotation of the spine. In his original method, Joseph Pilates ordered the exercises in a way that moved the spine alternating between the three. As I moved through these exercises, elongating my cervical spine, keeping my lower back in neutral pelvis, using my deepest abdominal movements with my breath, and dropping my shoulders, my back began to change. After every hour-long class, I would leave standing straighter, and feeling as though I had new supports holding me up.
If you would like to have a full postural evaluation and begin enjoying the benefits of Pilates, contact Jennifer Dowell, now taking reservations at Island Girl Pilates in Fort Pierce, Fl (772)-497-6647.
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