Pilates is a resistance training exercise like free weights, circuit training, a BodyPump class, or even yoga.  But there is a specific look to a “Pilates body,” one of the reasons so many celebrities do it.  Plus, it gets rid of a lot of aches and pains, back, hip, or knee troubles; it’s amazing!

OK, so I’m biased.  I’ve been teaching Pilates since 1998.  I’m addicted to it personally and it has cured my own bad back and also helped me avoid surgery on one of my knees.  It’s given me great arm definition, a butt I’m pretty happy to show off in jeans, and abs that make me happy.

So Mrs. Obama, if you’re ever in Boston, I’ll be happy to train you (and your Secret Service detail).  In fact, if you want me to come down and share an organic salad from the White House garden then give you a killer workout, I’m there.

Although the article says she and the President work out at 4:30 am so I guess it’ll be a post-workout smoothie instead.

What do you think?  Will the First Lady encourage you to try Pilates?

Let me know your thoughts.

Lisa

I started out wearing them for sessions with clients and got lots of positive comments. They look a bit like wearing driving gloves on your feet.  Mine were solid black (honestly, I wouldn’t wear the other colors; I pretty much live in black leggings in the Pilates studio) and I find them cute and comfortable.

From a performance point of view, the Performas have a little elastic in the heel area so you can adjust the snugness of the fit.  When I was teaching I kept them loose and when I was doing Pilates I tightened them up a bit.  The Performa Janes don’t have the adustment in the rear because the strap across the arch of the foot keeps the shoe nicely in place, but the buttons on the Janes were a little uncomfortable when I was sitting cross-legged and the strap made it a little harder to put the pair on than the regular Performas.

That being said, I really like the shoes.  The grips on the bottom are perfect for the studio.  I was upside down at a 45-degree angle with my feet on a metal bar and they gripped perfectly.  I haven’t slipped once in them which happens all the time in regular socks and occasionally  in grippy socks (socks with little rubber nubs on the bottom to help grip the floor).  I also found just enough thickness to the sole to provide a bit of cushioning when I was supporting my weight on a bar.

For those of you who haven’t tried any of the Vibram shoes, it doesn’t bother me at all to have my toes individually encased in leather.  They were comfortable and once I had them on I didn’t notice it at all.  I prefer the Janes for working in the studio and the straight Performas for my actual workouts.  Has anyone else out there tried them?  What was your experience?

If you’d like to support my little blog.  You could add your email to our newsletter (look to the right hand column) on the home page.  If you’re thinking about buying these shoes, here’s an affiliate link for them.  I haven’t seen them in stores yet.  :-)

Lisa

Fitness Tips

The early bird gets the worm. The most balanced and successful of my clients work out first thing in the morning.  They literally take care of themselves first and then move on to the rest of their day.  These folks tend to be the CEOs or other driven types who are making a real difference in the world.  But their first daily priority is themselves.  How cool is that?

You stay skinny by not eating too much. Exercise is important to maintain joint and cardiovascular health.  It will keep you toned and looking svelte in your little black dress.  But the real secret to keeping your dress size in the single digits is to avoid putting the calories in your body in the first place.  Eat in moderation and remember that it’s okay to have a “forbidden food” every once in a while, just never overdo it.  Really, it works like a charm.

Consistency is the most important thing. Showing up is 90 percent of success.  That quote, or a close variation of it, is from Woody Allen, and he doesn’t exactly look like he has a gym membership.  No matter how you choose to work your schedule, commit to it.  This is true for a fitness program, but really it’s for your whole life.  My clients who consistently show up are the happiest and have the best results.

Life Tips

Friendships endure and change over time. I have three clients, now in their late sixties, who have been friends since pre-school!  They have drifted in and out of contact over the years as boyfriends have come and gone, then husbands, then children.  Once they all reached the empty nest stage they found they still had lots in common and fitness was just one of them.  I love to see how they interact with each other.  Keep those friendships, even if it’s just barely, until you have more time to devote to them.

You catch more flies with honey. Sometimes schedules get messed up and my studio and staff try to stay on top of it, but if an instructor calls in sick or there’s a communication snafu…it happens.  When it does, we bend over backwards for the people who treat us well and hope we don’t get yelled at too badly by the people who don’t take kindly to trip-ups.   The nice people, in the end, get more from us as instructors than the not-as-nice clients.

You can build a community anywhere. One of the big surprises of my Pilates studio is the sense of community we have there.  We trade recipes, movie reviews, plumbing referrals, even parenting advice.  Some of our clients have met randomly in a trio equipment class and become the best of friends.  It’s a joy watching a client go through her pregnancy and have all the other clients who come at the same time cheer her on and even leave baby gifts after they’ve delivered.  I love that.

What have you learned from your clients or customers?  What have you learned from coworkers?  Would love to share some stories here.  :-)

Lisa

This is Boat pose in Yoga and a Teaser in Pilates

Pilates vs. Yoga, which is better? The debate rages on.  Both are mind/body exercise regimens, both are primarily resistance training, both make you look and feel fabulous.  So which one is the best fit for you?  Take our little quiz to find out …

• Are you detail oriented?  If yes, steer towards Pilates
• Do you like to move quietly and observe the world around you? If yes, steer towards Yoga
• Do you like a more choreographed workout? If yes, steer towards Pilates
• Do you like to explore poses? If yes, steer towards Yoga
• Were you an athlete when you were younger? If yes, steer towards Pilates
• Do you have an excellent sense of balance? If yes, steer towards yoga
• Do you get back pain? If yes, steer towards Pilates
• Would you like to really focus on flexibility? If yes, steer towards Yoga

Pilates, in general, is for detail-oriented people who would like to develop a great sense of body awareness, core strength, and flexibility.  The class pace is fairly quick, you’ll do 40 to 50 different exercises in a one hour class.  The movements have a steady flow to them and a lot of them are adapted from when Joe Pilates trained the elite ballerinas of New York City in the 1930s and 1940s so there is a choreographed element to them.

Top instructors complete at least 500 hours to receive their certification and are well versed in anatomy, physiology and working with physical limitations like joint surgeries and other injuries.  We are, particularly good at helping or resolving back pain issues.  Pilates instructors can work with anyone from a 96 year old house-bound great-grandma (one of my former clients) to professional athletes such as basketballer Shaquille O’Neill or golfer extraordinaire Tiger Woods.

Yoga, in general, really focuses on flexibility and body awareness.  Standard classes tend to last 90 minutes and frequently there is an order to the exercises that clients repeat, exploring and improving their poses over time.   There is a wide, wide variety of yoga classes, some that are meditative and slow moving and some that are steaming hot (90 to 110 degrees!) and flow swiftly from pose to pose.  You can be very de-conditioned or a highly skilled athlete (Pittsburgh Steelers) and still get a great workout.

Top Yoga instructors have studied under other gurus to learn their skill and completed a lengthy certification program.  They can take years to develop their craft and are, just like their students, always improving their practice.

I have to admit my biased here.  I’m a Pilates instructor and a Pilates studio owner.  I am immersed in the Pilates culture.  I probably take about 4 yoga classes a year.  I always enjoy them, always say to myself I should go right back to the newest/greatest studio but I never do.  I always go back to my first love, Pilates.

I would love to have input from others in the yoga and Pilates spheres.  Please share your ideas!

I’ve compiled my posts for the week to give you an idea of what I’ve been up to.

What does it Feel Like for a Heavy Person to Run a Mile: They did this on the first episode of Biggest Loser, I talked with an orthopedist and the medical director of the Columbus Marathon to get more details.

What are those Black Things on the Biggest Loser Contestants Arms? This gadget is actually a nifty piece of science.  Find out how it works.

Celebrity Pilates for Pregnancy.  Both Jessica Alba and Sarah Michelle Geller took Pilates classes to help ease them through a healthy pregnancy.  Here’s why it works so well.

Top 5 Fitness Trends for Fall: From bootcamps to a new cardio machine called the Helix.  Get inspired by the newest classes and activities for fall.

Module Training: You’ve heard for years about 10 minutes bursts of exercise being good for you, but how do you actually put it into practice.  This is a little guide to get you started.

Enjoy!  Let me know which ones you liked.

Lisa

Here it is …

1. You’ll Look Awesome in a Tank Top
2. The great posture you’ll get will give you an air of mystery
3. The flattest abs you’ve ever had in your life. Really.
4. Toned legs without doing hours of lunges
5. Lots of Athletes do it ~ it’ll be the closest you ever get to living their glory
6. Lots of Celebrities do it ~ it’ll be the closest you get to having their wardrobe
7. No More Muffin Top ~ I’m just saying …
8. A fun, creative workout that’s always changing, always challenging
9. Lots of personal attention to zone in on the one part that’s driving you nuts
10. The ability to turn heads whenever you enter the room

Let me know if you’d like to add some more!

Have you been sticking to your New Year’s resolution to get in shape? Are you a regular exerciser and have been for years? Congratulations, it is hard to be consistent. Slogging to the gym in bad weather, rushing through a workout so you can meet up with friends, taking that yoga class when you just want to go home and veg out on the couch. All of it takes commitment.

But when was the last time you switched up your fitness routine?

Some suggestions to get you started.

Are you a treadmill runner? Did you know you burn 10% more calories outside? Try taking one run a week outside. A great web site to help you calculate distance is mapmyrun.com.

If you do yoga, try Pilates. If you do Pilates, try yoga. Many local gyms offer both types of classes & pilates studios & yoga studios are frequently near each other. There are also a plethora of DVDs out there. Check out Collage Video, the grand daddy of fitness web sites. Hulu.com & iTunes have a few selections too.

If you’re a lifter throw in a circuit on the machines, no they are not just for old ladies! You body is used to travelling along the same paths when you lift weights. The circuit machines will force you into their patterns, thus giving your muscles a little wake up call. A circuit every other week would be a great way to review your form & keep your muscles guessing about what’s coming next.

If you started on the circuit machines and you’ve been doing them a while it’s time to graduate. Circuit machines can keep you safe while you’re building muscle and learning form. A free weight or kinesis workout will challenge your muscles in a whole new way and bring you to the next level. If you lift twice a week, switch up one workout with weights for two weeks and then if you like it, switch over to all free weights for a while. The variations here are endless.

Lift up your ab routine! Do your usual workout but sit on a disc to really increase the intensity. You’ll be amazed at how much harder this is. I do it with my clients all the time.

I just wanted to give you a few ideas to get you started. Please let me know what you think. I love feedback!

Lisa