March MATness

Happy Friday! Today we will add the last 3 of the “series of 5.” The single straight leg stretch, the double straight leg stretch and the criss cross. These 3 exercises are not part of Joseph Pilates original mat repertoire but are great core strengtheners. Your ultimate goal is to perform the “series of 5”…

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March MATness – Single Leg Stretch and Double Leg Stretch

Today we are going to add the single leg stretch and double leg stretch to the mat repertoire that you have hopefully been practicing at home! These are the first two in what we call the “series of 5” Single Leg Stretch 1. Lie on your back with your legs full extended and engaged. Arms…

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March MATness – Rolling Like A Ball

Rolling Like A Ball  Have a seat on your mat with your knees bent into your chest Tightly grab on as close to your ankles as you can with the elbows broad Your goal is to get your thighs perpendicular to the mat Bring the weight of your head toward the knees and pull your…

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March MATness – Single Leg Circles

Single Leg Circles Single leg circles are a great example of the idea of “full body” movement. By the end of this exercise you should feel like every muscle in your body was worked! For those of you who have a lot of range of motion in your hips you might need to focus more…

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March MATness – The Roll Over

Here we are on day 3 of March MATness and that brings us to the rollover. The roll over is a “rolling” exercise and requires a lot of control. A very important component of this movement is to remember the “full body” connection. Before you practice the roll over, make sure that you feel strong…

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March MATness – The Roll Up

  The Roll Up 1. Lie on your back with legs fully extended, feet flexed, arms lengthening towards the wall behind you 2. Inhale as you bring your arms to the ceiling and pull your ribcage and abs into the mat 3. Bring the weight of your head forward and begin to peel your spine…

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PREVENT THE PUDGE CHALLENGE

Commandment #10: YOU NEED AT LEAST 8 HOURS OF UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP PER NIGHT Most people know that adequate sleep is necessary for optimal health however; most do not realize that inadequate sleep can cause weight gain. Research shows that the number of hours an individual sleeps influences their risk of obesity. Sleep deprivation can be…

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PREVENT THE PUDGE CHALLENGE

Commandment #9: YOU NEED TO ALLOW YOURSELF A TREAT Deciding how often to indulge in your favorite treats can be a difficult choice. Do you indulge in a treat every day or just on the weekends? If you are too strict with your eating plan, it can backfire, resulting in binge eating or worse yet…

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PREVENT THE PUDGE CHALLENGE

Commandment #8: YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL Over the last few weeks of the Prevent the Pudge Challenge, we have covered various nutrition topics from eating clean to macronutrient consumption but little focus has been shed on how we eat! The purpose of mindful eating is to have a reconnection with food and enjoy the…

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PREVENT THE PUDGE CHALLENGE

Commandment #7: YOU NEED WATER. Water makes up about 60 percent of total body mass in adults and about 75 percent for infants. Water is the most essential nutrient the body needs, followed by electrolytes. The major electrolytes include sodium, potassium and chloride, they are essential to maintain normal fluid balance. Each cell must have…

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