BLOG | Sayezz Pilates & Beyond

3/7/2019 0 Comments

remember your beautiful back

When you think of Pilates, you generally think of exercises that build core strength. When you think of core strength, you think of flat, firm abdominals. But we are missing a whole lotta core if we limit our definition to the front of our torso! There is a whole beautiful backside just waiting to help us to build core strength, stand taller, and look and feel longer. Core strength is about three-dimensional balance, and that means the abs and back must work together as a team.

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2/17/2019 0 Comments

be good to your morning body

I've discovered over the years of moving and teaching movement that when it comes to waking up the body, nothing beats the bodymind work of Pilates. It comes down to this: some exercises and ways of moving simply are better than different kinds - especially in the morning. Now, I need to qualify that word, "better". By "better", I am referring to methods of movement that engage our body and wake up neuromuscular pathways in a more mindful, efficient, and holistic way. I love cardio. I love riding my bike and getting outside. But Pilates, though quite intense, as you well know, is designed to use the least amount of energy to achieve the deepest work. That's why I practice mat Pilates in the morning to wake up my body, I take deep breaths before I look at my phone, and the first thing I ingest is H2O - and lots of it! And you should too. Yup. Here's a few more tidbits why being good to your body in the morning sets you up for the rest of your day - let's make it a good one.

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2/17/2019 0 Comments

warm up to wake up

It amazes me to think that as a child during the summer I would wake up, be driven to Elite Gymnastics in Waldorf, MD, an hour away from Columbia where I grew up, and proceed to bend, flex, arch and curl in extreme ways as part of the warm-up that bodies go through when training in gymnastics – and then spend another 6 hours practicing skills.

Or even that not that long ago I would wake up at 5:30 am and get my run on throughout the neighborhood, pounding the pavement in an effort to get my 5K under 20 minutes. Which I did, thank you very much. :).

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2/17/2019 0 Comments

breathe 3-dimensionally

the diaphram (under the ribs) and the psoas (wrapping from the lumbar spine to the hip) share connective tissue and are essential for deep breathing. image © Raymond Long, MD, used with permission

Yawn. Sigh.

Nope. I'm not bored or sad. I'm energized and can breathe deeper. Think of how good it feels to yawn or sigh. How satisfying it feels for our lungs and maybe even our neck and upper back muscles. That's because yawning and sighing reach deep into the lungs to inflate the alveoli, those little sacs that everyday breathing doesn't fully achieve.

Breathing is great, but not all breaths are equal. Especially when it comes to breathing deeply. In order to bring the deepest amount of air into the body, and in order to expel that air with the deepest amount of conscious control, we must Must MUST breathe 3-dimensionally: front to back, side to side, up and down and everywhere else in between...

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