demi-barpilates

In our business we focus a lot on the backside, so we get questions constantly…  ”My butts too big…, too flat…, too wide…”  and its time to discuss an often not so obvious reason!

Have you done all your fitness and dieting work and still don’t like you tush?  Maybe the problem is not with your backside at all…take a look at your spine.  Your spine is designed to have 3 natural curves: one at your cervical spine or the back of your neck (curving in), one at the thoracic spine or upper back (curving slightly out), and the last at the lumbar spine or lower back (curving in).  The lumbar spine curvature can often set the best booty-intensive workouts back.  So go to a mirror and check out your profile.   Your spine should assume a soft S-Shape.  You may need the help of a trusted friend to help you with this one.
- your lower back forms a gentle forward curve
- your knees are naturally straight, but not locked
- your stomach is lifted and not poking outwards
- your shoulders should be in line with your ears
- your head should extend up naturally from your spine without poking forwards or pulling backwards

Now pay attention to your pelvis, tuck your butt under and see how it becomes vertical and if it seems to vertical, tip your pelvis forward.  Watch your profile as you do this.. aha there’s your true butt!   If you have too much of a curve in your lower back, your butt will appear to stick out more and the opposite is true if your lumbar spine is too flat.

So what to do?  Actually and luckily with time and focus you can correct the natural curve of your spine.  Not only will correcting the curve of your spine help your appearance, it will improve the health of your spine.

Starting with the to flat butt:  Chances are, you have tighter/weaker hamstrings and perhaps a weak core.  An imbalance in the glutes and core will may also produce the same result.

If you have the more perky looking butt and want to tone it down a bit you will want to stretch your hip flexors and strengthen your glutes and check to see if maybe your lower back is weak and tight.

Luckily with time and dedication, Pilates and Demi-Bar Pilates will help correct your problem and give you the best backside your genetics can produce!

See you in class!

This article was pulled directly from the PGA Tour Website.  Pilates is a proven way to improve your golf game.

By Mike Wright and Lynda Lippin
Titleist Performance Institute

Most of the professional golfers on the PGA TOUR are exercising to improve their bodies and their games, and many of them (Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Rich Beam) are using Pilates. Golfers of all levels find that consistent Pilates practice improves their games and reduces pain and injuries. However, golfers practicing golf specific Pilates experience superior results in less time.

Joseph Pilates was born in Germany and developed what he called Contrology in the early 1900s. Pilates principles match perfectly with golf and golf exercise. Due to its effectiveness Pilates is now one of the fastest growing fitness systems in the world, nearly doubling in participants every year. Pilates lengthens and strengthens muscles while building a uniformly developed balanced body, focusing on core strength—-abs, gluteals, lower back, pelvic muscles, inner thighs, and intrinsic, deep stabilizers throughout all joints of the body. Pilates is whole body exercise just as the golf swing is. Pilates works all 7 physical performance factors and demands integration of breath, control, flexibility, strength, precision, and body awareness. When you develop awareness of moving from your core first, you will initiate every shot or putt from the same place, leading to increased repeatable and consistent shots and putts.

While classical Pilates is great for all around conditioning and will certainly help you perform better in all aspects of your life, golf specific Pilates is functional because you are mirroring functional golf positions relating to various swing phases. The Golf Pilates mat requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Joseph Pilates also developed machines and equipment to work the body in various other ways that challenge balance and coordination while lengthening and strengthening muscles. Hundreds of exercises can be done using the Universal Reformer and other Pilates apparatus. Individualized instruction by a qualified specialist is critical.

I’m a sneaky mom..  I’ve stopped serving garlic bread with pasta, or rolls with meals, and guess what?  No one complained, I’m not even sure they noticed!  Most of the cereal I buy is gluten-free…and they like it!  So now I’m looking at other area’s to remove gluten from my families diet.  I’m not naive, I know what my kids eat when its not put in front of them by me, (I have to say, the schools are the worst)!  I’m not being crazy, and not expecting anyone to be gluten-free just maybe “gluten-light”.

So now I’ve ventured into my cookbook, my Banana Bread remake disappears before it can cool down!

1 Cup Organic Oat Flour

2/3 Cup Cane Sugar

2tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

3 Very Ripe Bananas

1/3 Cup Virgin Coconut Oil (the solid kind in the jar)

2T Coconut Milk (unsweetened)

2 Eggs

–Blend just until mixed, and Mix in

3/4 Cup Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour (King Arthur Brand)

Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees

Whole Living Magazine this month had a great article on cleansing.  I thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the article.  I especially liked one of their “Secrets to a Successful Cleanse”: Keep a Food Journal.  If you are part of the new group starting the cleanse, consider keeping a journal.   As I look back at my journal, it reminds me that I can eat healthy and I think twice about eating when I have to write down everything I consume.  If you are wrapping up your cleanse, keeping a journal of what you eat for the next week or two may help to keep you from reverting back to any bad eating habits.

Whole Living also had a list of  ”SIX to SKIP“.  I loved  their descriptions and wanted to share:

Processed Foods and Beverages:  Artificial ingredients and additives make the body work harder…let your body rest a bit by enjoying foods in their purest form.

Added Sugar:  It’s processed and has zero nutrients-and may be just as addictive as drugs, research shows.  In excess, it leads to weight gain and inflammation.

Dairy:  Even if you are not allergic, you could benefit from a dairy break…It can be the root of sluggishness, digestive upset and inflammation.

Gluten: Feel bloated, fatigued, or moody?  You may be gluten intolerant and not even know it.  Stop eating this protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, and see if you notice a difference.  —So after the cleanse when you re-introduce gluten, pay attention to how your body responds—

Caffeine:  It’s a  false energy booster that can mask lack of sleep or bad food choices…Coffee is also highly acidic which makes it tough for the digestive system to handle.

Alcohol:  Not only can booze mess with your metabolism, it’s a source of empty calories (125 in 5 ounces of red wine), can interfere with sleep, and makes your liver work overtime.

So maybe we are human.. and can’t do the right thing every time we are faced with food choices…but I for one am committed to trying harder, more often!

I’ve been paying a lot of attention to my moods on this cleanse.  We all get cranky when we don’t eat, but what about getting cranky because of what we eat?  Think about what you grab when you are starving (and not limited by this cleanse)…if you are like me, it’s likely something high carbs and/or high in sugar.  When I eat a sugary snack, it doesn’t take long before I’m back in the kitchen for more… and the cycle starts all over again.    Not only does snacking on unhealthy foods, (are chocolate covered raisins considered food?) keep the weight from coming off, it sends my blood sugar on a trip that doesn’t end well.  Eating the bad food, makes me in turn feel bad about myself wondering..”why don’t I have more control?”.  On the cleanse, when I’m hungry and snacking it’s almonds or blueberries, or a protein shake.  The cleanse friendly snacks keep me satisfied longer so I don’t find myself rummaging through the cupboards every half hour and I feel good that I am doing great things for my body!

Each meal on this cleanse is an opportunity to eat well and enjoy it, and each snack is an opportunity to satisfy my body in a healthy way.  ~I plan to remember that after the cleanse too!

As I finished my sensible serving of fish, broccoli and jasmine rice last night, I found myself going back for more.  I was putting more rice on my plate and stopped myself,  I wasn’t even hungry.  I realized that I had forgotten what a “sensible” serving was over the holidays.  There was such an abundance of food, and good food, every where I went, I think I slowly started eating more and more, not paying attention to whether or not I was even hungry.  Now granted it wouldn’t kill me to eat too much broccoli, but it was a good reminder to listen to my body and not just eat out of habit.  This cleanse isn’t calorie restricted, so it is a good lesson in eating when hungry, and stopping when satisfied….not stopping when stuffed!  I will admit I’ve overeaten a few times in the last 7 days, usually when I’m not prepared and the only thing I have available is raw almonds!  But I try then the next meal to really think about my portions and eat, I guess eat mindfully is descriptive. 

I’m feeling so good 7 days in.  The first few days I was dragging, but now I’m energized and feel more mentally sharp (although my kids may disagree ).  I had been cutting myself some slack in the exercise department, but today I took a trx class at the studio and then ran the old toboggan stairs in Palos.  54 degrees and sun helped, but I felt great and motivated, gotta be in part due to fish week !

 My husband is on the cleanse for his first time and it was a difficult weekend for him, he felt pretty wiped out even adding an extra shake.  He did wake up this morning feeling so much better.  It’s Fish Week starting tomorrow.  Breakfast is the hardest as I won’t be having my usual Wellshire Farms Sausage.  I think it’s Quinoa and apples with cinnamon or a protein shake.   Since I have done this cleanse before I’m not dreading fish week like I did the first time around.  It sounds horrible at first, to just eat fish all week, but we (as a family) decided to make it a different fish every night.  We tried some new ones and had our old favorites.   I am pretty excited about trying a few of the fish recipes offered by the cleanse. I’ve never even eaten Tahini but its on the menu for tomorrow. ” Baked Haddock with Tahini”.  The good thing is that fish is easy to prepare, just add some ghee, herbs or spices and roast, add a veggie and some rice and it all good!   I also have to confess that during the last cleanse, fish week was the week that I really felt great, its hard to explain, lighter, calmer…maybe it was just when the detox finally took hold!  If you are really intimidated by fish week, the studio will have Eat Like the Pros, ”fish-focused” cleanse friendly meals available.  We ordered extra!

Day two of the cleanse and feeling pretty good….yesterday I was tired with a dull headache, but went to bed at 9pm (which also helped me not think about the glass of wine I couldn’t have!:)) and woke up this morning before my alarm clock.  I miss my Zing bars, but like feeling in control of my eating.  The holidays were not pretty!

Speaking from experience (I did this cleanse in September), getting through the first weekend can be tough, socially more than anything else.  It is amazing how much of our social lives revolve around eating and drinking.  Club soda with a lemon or lime is a good choice, and eating out involves being a little like Sally from When Harry Met Sally, but can be done.  I promise, though, when Monday rolls around and you’ve stuck with your cleanse you will feel so good, physically and emotionally!  It is a really ‘in control’ feeling….I know we can do it!

Happy beautiful Friday!