Posts Tagged ‘healthy’
March MATness – Spine Stretch Forward
Spine stretch forward is an amazing exercise when executed correctly. A great tool for the spine stretch forward is to sit up against a wall. The wall will give your tactile feedback for where you are moving. Also, if you are really tight and feel all the work in your hip flexors you can sit…
Read MoreMarch 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”…
Read MoreMarch 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…
Read MoreMarch 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…
Read MoreMarch 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…
Read MoreMarch 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…
Read MorePREVENT 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…
Read MorePREVENT 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…
Read MorePREVENT 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…
Read MorePREVENT THE PUDGE CHALLENGE
Commandment #6: YOU NEED TO EAT HEALTHY FATS Fat is an important part of your diet because it provides energy, helps absorb fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K) found in cell membranes, helps insulates your body and organs among other things. There are three types of dietary fat – unsaturated, saturated and trans fatty acids.…
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