by Lesley Powell, Director of Movements Afoot

Our clients, who did Pilates through their pregnancy, believed it help with a more comfortable pregnancy and the childbirth. The workout should be supportive of the changes that happen to the body in pregnancy. The goals of the workout should not be progressive in making new gains in strengthen, endurance and mobility. A client should have permission from her doctor about her exercise program.

Pregnancy demands a different design of the workout. The following concepts should be intertwined through the workout:

• After 3 months, lying supine is contraindicated for long periods of time.
• It is important that the workout does not push flexibility.
• Stability training is important for the pressures of the growing baby on the spine.
• Do not overheat a pregnant client.

The weight of the growing baby in the supine position puts pressure on vessels that bring the blood supply to the baby. Possible variations for Pilates repertory.

• Footwork on the reformer, one could add a prop to have the clients half sitting (like she is in a lounge chair).
• Use of the long box to do a modified Stomach massage.
• Variations of Chest Expansion, sitting on the box or reformer, to help train the back and arms like in pulling the straps, the hundreds.

Pregnancy produces hormones that bring a new flexibility to a woman. This is preparing her body for childbirth. The pelvis needs to open to allow the head of the baby to pass through. Overstretching can affect the ligaments. This could affect the stability of the body long term. Once ligaments are overstretched, they do not return to the original length. Ligaments are not like muscles. Flexibility will return back to prior condition before the pregnancy. What is helpful is stretching the lower back due to the weight of the baby pulling the pelvis forward.

• Mermaid on the reformer or on the tower.
• Side stretches over the barrel or step barrel are wonderful.
• Cat and camel

Stability training is important. A lot of women have problems with back pain and sciatic pain. The baby puts a lot of pressure on the organs, pelvis, spine and muscles of the the hips. The psoas and the back muscles get tight with the changes in the woman’s body. Remember stability is dynamic. Alignment is changing due to the pregnancy.

• Pelvic floor training is important. It is a route to get to the transverse abdominal training.
• Training the legs to help support the spine.
• Training of the back muscles. Quadruped Exercises are great.

Ideas for training:

• Wunda Chair - leg pumps, side stretch
• Side leg springs
• Physioball

Photos of other ideas

by Marcy Schafler, a Pilates teacher in New Jersey

In December of 2006, I had a hysterectomy and subsequently found out I had uterine cancer. As I was finishing up my treatment, a routine mammogram unfortunately led to the discovery that I had breast cancer. I went through my training at Movements Afoot to become a teacher two years ago.
Writing about how Pilates and movement have helped through my recovery is not easy. Not because I find it emotional, but because I had to think how it helped me. Then I realized that is because of Pilates that I sailed through my treatments and recovery. The only time I stopped moving was during the 6-week period after my abdominal surgery.
I also began doing pole classes about 6 weeks out from my last abdominal surgery. The pole classes keep me moving and let me feel some sensuality even through operations and treatments which seem to nullify the sexual side of women going through treatments of cancer.

One of the things that I have become perpetually working on now is my flexibility. I have found that with the surgeries causing scar tissue, radiation and menopause the need to stay flexible is what enables me to have strength.

Continually doing some type of movement has helped me with my strength both physically and mentally. And, I thank Lesley, Sue and Doris at Movements Afoot for my support and invaluable knowledge they always share.

by Lesley Powell, Director of Movements Afoot

One of my top teachers, Doris Pasteleur Hall, had gone through many surgeries for her breast cancer. Doris is very articulate about how her body changed and the process of getting back to shape. I had a woman client with similar surgeries, to the breast and abdominals. She kept getting injured with back, hip and foot pain. I learned a lot from Doris’ experience in how to train clients with similar issues.

Scar tissue and the affects of the drugs, chemo and radiation has affects on the body’s movement. I went back to basics, retraining of the pelvic floor, multifidus and abdominals. I also worked on a gentle range of motion, but I didn’t push range. Remember, when a muscles thinks that it is going to be overstretch, it will contract to protect itself. Scar tissues brings a different quality of tone/flexibility.

Also Doris and those women, who work with a massage therapist specializing in scar tissue, made more progress in fitness and relief from discomfort.

by Lesley Powell, Director of Movements Afoot

Read the rest of this entry »

Lesley Powell, director of Movements Afoot

I appreciate Pilates more today than 20 years ago. My body is changing with menopause. As a dancer, I was hypermobile. My sacrum goes out of whack and my body compensates for this. Dancers typically overstretch which creates ligament laxity. Once a ligament is stretched, it will not return to its original length. That is why people with sprained ankles are proned to hurting their ankles again.

Hitting my 40’s and perimenopause, my flexibility is changing. One side feels very flexible and the other, very tight. Pilates has given me back the stability my spine needs with working on flexiblity as I strengthen. I feel balance after my Pilates workout.

Some of my other clients have problems when they overstretch without any stability training. Pilates uniquely works on stability/mobility at the same time. For the hypermobile, it creates a foundation. For the tight client, it brings the joints back to a normal range of motion.
I regularly take reformer classes at my studio. It is a beginner/intermediate class taught by Molly Wilson. Even a beginner Pilates Class is a great workout. I feel absolutely great after the class.

I still do a yoga practice. Sometimes the overstretching in a yoga class puts my muscles in spasm. I have learn to bring the Pilates principles of stability in my yoga practice.

by Lesley Powell, Director of Movements Afoot

POSTURE: ANOTHER TALE OF TRUE FITNESS

Wake your spinal muscles with a simple routine of ten minutes a day. This workout awakens your core muscles to help you stand up better. These exercises are meant to gently wake up your muscles for posture. Practice with ease of motion and slowly. If you feel discomfort, make smaller and slower. Do not go to pain.

What helps us to stand with good posture is a three dimensional support and strong legs.
Stand with your posture slumped. How do your muscles of your spine and legs feel? Now activate your legs by pressing your feet into the ground and sending your head upwards. Notice the difference of the tone of your muscles.

Tall tale Wakeup workout. Do 3-8 repetitions.

Count 5 to initiate the movement.

5 Counts to hold the position.

5 counts to release to original position.

Remember more does not equal more. Working with awareness is key!

by Lesley Powell, Director of Movements Afoot

Essential for good posture is proper alignment of the joints through the correct usage of muscles. When the foundations are weak, superficial muscles have to tighten to hold an unbalanced structure up. Traditional exercise tends to train the larger muscles groups. These larger muscles tend to be the superficial muscles. A superficial muscle is an anatomical term describing muscles towards the surface of the body.

The foundations are the deep muscles. These muscles are the ones closest to the bones and joints. Some are small like the back muscles: multifidus and rotator cuff muscles. Others like the transverse abdominus is like a corset around the torso.

The warm-up of our Pilates at Movements Afoot consists of connecting to the deeper muscles first before the superficial. Core support is about enhancing the spine. Core support is providing the spine, the spinal cord and the organs with the necessary space to function well.

Core support allows us to move against gravity to be upright and move. It is three-dimensional. It is the coordination of the abdominals muscles, pelvic floor, and the back muscles with the limbs. This support allows the spine to discover its own natural length with its necessary curves, protect the spinal cord and create space for all the organs to function well. When the spine is habitually compressed, it puts pressures on the disks of the vertebra, the spinal cord and nerves and all the organs from the diaphragm, digestive organs, etc.

Underlying core support always is dynamic alignment and breath support. They are a team. Sometimes a client can connect to one part of the team first before they discover the other team members. Through breath one can discover the deep muscles of the transverse abdominals.

The hollow is when the transverse abdominus engages. Being like a corset, this muscle pulls the torso contents in. Breath is one of the best ways to encourage this action. There are physical connections between the diaphragm and the transverse abdominus. The breath causes intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure is like a hydraulic system. Inhalation causes the diaphragm to move downward. This downward movement of the diaphragm can lead to relaxation of the abdominals and pelvic floor. The exhalation releases the diaphragm upward and engages the pelvic floor and transverse abdominals

THE HOLLOWING

TO START
Lie on the back with the legs bent. The hands are placed one inch below the navel on both sides.

THE BREATH PATTERN
1. Inhale into the lower ribs. Visualize the diaphragm floating downward. This downward movement is widening the lower torso with depth in the back
2. Count the duration of the exhale as the belly deflates. (Start with 8 counts. An advance breath would be to increase the count and the deflating of the belly.) Each count the belly should sink deeper towards the sacrum. This is the hollow. The belly deflates helps the diaphragm rise with the exhalation
3. Repeat two more sets

SPINAL HUGS
The multifidus are small muscles close to the spine. They are like tiny flying buttresses on each side of the vertebra. Flying buttresses are the structures that hold the walls up of the old stone churches.

Close your eyes and visualize your multifidus hugging your spine. Perform this same thought sitting on a ball.

Now try to combine the hollow with the spinal hug. This foundation should have made you taller. If your spine had shortened, superficial muscles were engaged.