Posture in the Zoom world and beyond!

Why is good posture so important to your well-being, stature and image?

Settling into a post-pandemic return to life? Travel, long days in the office, running from meeting to meeting. The last thing you are thinking about is your posture- even your health in general. At Endurance, we use Pilates to help our students engage, train and become aware, consciously and unconsciously, of the muscles involved in attaining a perfect upright posture.

Imagine walking into a room, filled with your colleagues and customers. You are tall, crown of your head reaching to the ceiling, shoulders back, chest open, tummy flat and glutes engaged to keep it all together. You are strong, in control of your body and pristine in your appearance, exuding confidence and expertise before saying a word. People smile at you, are immediately attracted to your grace and poise. You are already ahead of the game- in control of the room.

Now imagine the same scenario, you are stumbling in, shoulders slumped, little pooch in the belly showing over the top of your trousers or your pencil skirt, your head and neck straining forward. People turn away so as not to embarrass you by watching you shuffle toward your seat at the head of the table. You now need a little corrective, perhaps creative action to gain control of the room- your own meeting.

Enter Pilates. Pilates is a decades old exercise regimen emphasizing the muscles of the core.  Now, the core encompasses much more than just the abdominals, the most superficial (in many ways!) muscles of the body. That six pack? Means nothing if you aren’t able to hold yourself in proper alignment. Joseph Pilates created his regimen to teach students how to use their mind to control their muscles. He wanted folks to build a suit of armor from within. Joe Pilates was a boxer, he wanted you to learn how to take a punch- using that muscle memory as you are simply walking down the street!

Pilates retrains the neuromuscular connections in your body to ensure proper and efficient movement patterns. Instead of using your shoulders or hip flexors to account for a weakness in the core, we will train the supporting muscles in your upper back, back of legs and deep core muscles to work all the time. Standing up is hard work! We will also help to stack the bones and joints in the strongest position possible, creating a strong frame to wrap all of the muscles around. Pilates will help with all you do, whether it is your yoga practice, your eighth Zoom meeting of the day or your first triathlon, we want you to be unconsciously competent at standing strong so you can move better. According to Romana Kryzanowska, the woman chosen by Joe to carry on his work, “Pilates is stretch with strength and control- the control portion being the most important”!

Joseph Pilates called his method Contrology. We work hard to put the pieces into place. At Endurance, we try to give some simple and quick hints that you can incorporate into your daily lives to become more aware of your body, where it is standing in space and how you can easily put things into place- even if it is just for a little while. We can help with getting that perfect posture “in endurance” pun intended! Enjoy our video with a quick hint- all you need is a wall!

Stand better today with this simple Pilates- based reminder!

Pilates- Made for Men and Women Alike

Contrary to popular belief, not only was Pilates created by a man but it was also first used by men! German-born Joseph Hubertus Pilates actually started Pilates as a form of rehabilitation for soldiers during WWI.  It was also used for dancers and had the ideal focus of balancing the mind, body, and spirit. Then in the 1920s, Joseph moved to NYC and opened his first Pilates studio.

Now Pilates continues to thrive as a popular exercise for both men and women alike to strengthen muscles, improve balance, relax, and more!

Here at Endurance, we offer classes and Privates Sessions not only to women but to men as well!

Some of our clients, like Tony, have been kind enough to share their experiences and the benefits they gained from taking private classes at our studio.

1. Background -Why did you start Pilates, and how long ago?

“I’ve always been really active. I played sports my whole life, and I was a big runner until a knee injury sidelined that hobby. Since then, I’ve worked out with a personal trainer and have done a lot of weight-lifting.”

“I started practicing Pilates four years ago because I had done research and kept reading that it was incredibly effective as a complement to weight training. I am an avid golfer, and I wanted to increase my core strength to help improve my game. I had heard and read so much about it, I figured, Why not?”

2. How has it helped you in your life/ workout life, etc?

“It’s been a total gamechanger. I can absolutely tell the difference not only at home but also in my workouts. I feel stronger than I ever did when I only lifted weights.”

3. How has it changed your body – how you live your day to day life?

“My flexibility is infinitely better than it used to be. From the little things—I can touch my toes without bending my knees—to the bigger ones—the back pain I used to have is completely gone—it’s completely changed my day-to-day life.”

“I have improved flexibility and more control of my body. I feel like I’m the fittest I’ve been, even compared to my twenties and thirties, and I can confidently say this is the strongest I’ve ever felt, particularly in my abdominal muscles, my lower back, and my core.”

4. Why did you choose Endurance?

“It’s really straightforward—Endurance is classical Pilates, and I didn’t want to waste my time practicing a bastardized form of it. It also has the best, toughest instructors who make me feel challenged every time I’m there.”

5. Anything else you can tell us about your experience with  Pilates/Endurance/Teachers at Endurance?

“My wife and I love the studio. The entire experience really sets it apart. You won’t find a more dedicated, knowledgeable staff anywhere else. Everyone is so committed to helping you achieve your goals and improve—we wouldn’t go anywhere else.”

Tony is only one of the many men who come into our studio and benefit from the amazing things Pilates can do for your mind, body, and life in general. It’s never the wrong time to give Pilates a try!

Offers:

If you’re interested in trying out Pilates or want to sign up for Private Classes, check out the website: http://www.endurancepilatesandyoga.com/

To sign up for a Private Trial Session,  click the link: http://www.endurancepilatesandyoga.com/intro-pilates-private-trial.html

Why is Pilates Beneficial for Marathon Runners?

All runners focus on strengthening their legs and their aerobic threshold but, too often, runners make the mistake of neglecting everything else. Running uses so much more than just your legs and your heart. Your core, which Pilates helps build in a uniform manner, is a huge part of running.

Your abdominal muscles include more than just the superficial “6 pack” muscles (rectus abdominis). As you can see from the diagram below, the abdominal muscles consists of the transverse abdominis, rectus abdomens and oblique (internal/external). This is distinctive from your core muscles. The core, on the other hand is your transverse abdominis, the pelvic floor, diaphragm and multifindi (diagram 2). All of these muscles work together when you think of “using your core.” In Pilates, we often refer to working and building the strength in our powerhouse, which is comprised of the “central” muscles – the abdomen and core muscles (described above), lower backs, hips and buttocks.

Here are a few examples of how a strong core can help improve your running times and keep you injury free.

A strong core will help hold stabilize the pelvis. If your pelvis is out of alignment or unstable, you can become prone to injury. It can cause other imbalances further down the leg and may result in any leg issues (knee/hip) or low back pain. As you build your core, your abs will help you stabilize every time you make impact with the ground. This will reduce the need to overcompensate for imbalances and instability with other muscles.

Pilates will also help to increase flexibility, improve running posture and increase your power (as we focus on using the glutes and hamstrings in conjunction with the core).

While Pilates tones and strengthens, it simultaneously stretches. In every exercise you should feel a stretch and lengthening, which over time will help to increase flexibility in muscles. Pilates is well known for improving posture or helping to alleviate back pain. Every Pilates class or private helps to open up the front of the shoulders and to build the muscles towards the back of the body to hold the shoulders back. Lastly, we as mentioned above, the Pilates powerhouse incorporates the glutes and hamstrings. In every class, we work to build the strength in the glutes. Often students enter our studio not knowing how to “find their glutes.” We help students learn to activate them during Pilates classes, which translates to increased power outside the studio.

“I believe that a lack of core-strength and flexibility can create long term motor skills problems as the body continually adapts to find the path of least resistance and turns away from proper running mechanics.” -Terrence Mahon (Mammoth Lake Track Club)

Did we convince you? Take the guess work out of “am I doing it right?” and try incorporating one of our group Pilates mat class a week into your running routine. We offer a special “Pilates for Runners” class led by Christie, a marathoner and Pilates instructor at Endurance. This mat class focuses on building the core and is geared specifically for runners. Plus, it’s winter – the perfect time to gain strength for the next running season!