Friday, March 30, 2012

Getting to the core

Welcome to our second post!

A spoonfull from Julia...
When it comes to exercise, I consider myself a pretty hard core kinda girl. I like to sweat. I like to feel the burn. When I was asked to get Pilates certified and teach I wasn't realy sure. If there wasn't any sweating involved it wasn't a good workout. I agreed to get certified and whitin a few months Pilates grew on me and I was hooked! I started to learn how to like a different kind of exercise, a different kind of burn and now is one of my favorite workouts.

Being a tennis player I have always been REALLY stiff. Every single day after practice my mom would asked me two questions: Did you stretch? Did you use sunblock? My answer was no to both, which I truly regret til this day! (moms are always right...) Pilates was the way I found to get limber, which still is a working progrees. Since I started teaching I am much more flexible and the lower back pain I used to have is totally gone.

One of the things I struggle with pilates and I am sure most of you can relate is finding exercises that will give you a real challenge (if you really want to break a sweat!). I am always looking for new moves to challenge myself and my students to take their fitness to the next level.

A spoonfull from Amy...

For me Pilates is a great way to unwind after a stressful, busy day.  I started taking Pilates about 3 years ago to add some core work into my routine. At the time, I was already weight training, and doing some cardio.  Pilates helped me to become more aware of my body and how it worked.  I could concetrate on different movements, and with the slow pace, get that mind-body connection.  Pilates also helped strenghen different areas in different ways.  It has helped me strenghen my core muscles, while improving my posture.

I also teach Pilates, and have been doing so for almost 2 years.  Julia and I both have different approaches when it comes to how we structure our classes, but we both have the same goal! We love to challege our students and take them to the next level!

Here are some of our favorite moves.  Add these to your routine to start reaping the benefits of a strong core!!!!

Advanced rollup

Lay on your back with arms and legs extended. Inhale and bring the arms towards the ceiling. As you exhale start to lift your upper back and your legs off the floor until you come into a V position. Inhale as you hold the pose and exhale return into starting position.


Push up into cobra



Start on a hand plank position. Exhale and start to lower your body into a push position until you get a few inches of the ground as you were doing a push up. Inhale hold the position and exhale lift your upper body into a cobra position keeping the shoulders down.

More than a side plank

Come into a side plank and extend your arm toward the ceiling and extend your leg so is paralel to the floor. Exhale and bring the knee to the chest. Inhale and return to the starting position.

Triceps push ups



Lay on your side with legs extended. Place the top hand in front of your chest and cross the other hand on your shoulder. Exhale and lift your upper body off the floor pushing throught your hand. Inhale as you return to starting position.

One legged bridge



Start with a regular bridge and extend one leg towards the ceiling. Exhale as you lower your hips almost touching the floor and inhale as you bring it back up. Make sure to squeeze the glutes to get the full benefits of the exercise!

What's your favorite core move?

As we were taking the pictures my daughter Holly layed on the floor and started to immitate us so I had to share! Here she is doing the clam!



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