Though the months leading up to your wedding can be some of the most stressful—hello bridezilla—personal trainer and Pilates instructor Brooke Taylor says brides-to-be are some of her favorite clients. “Simply because they have a goal, they are committed, they want to see results, and will do anything you tell them to as long as they fit into that beautiful dress,” she says. In addition to having helped a number of women get fit for their wedding, Taylor recently went through the process herself. Here are a few of her pre-wedding workout tips.
PS: How far before the big day should you start training?
BT: It depends entirely on one’s goals and current fitness level. If you are at your goal weight and are just looking to shape up before the wedding, I would recommend three months of conditioning. A new routine will help shock your body and deliver results. However, if you want to shed a couple pounds, you need to give yourself enough time to lose 1-2 lbs per week. Remember, you didn't put the weight on overnight, so don't expect it to go away in a week.
PS: What are a few of the best Pilates exercises for weight loss?
BT: One of my favorite pieces of equipment to aid in weight loss is the Jumpboard. It adds an extra element of cardio into the mix, allowing you to elevate your heart rate, while burning those extra calories along the way. The Jumpboard challenges you to stabilize the torso using muscles of the abdomen and spine, while adding in some plyometric movements with the legs. My clients are able to feel the burn in their quads, hamstrings and glutes after the first five minutes.
PS: What are the best moves to get a toned back, belly, bottom and shoulders?
BT: Some of my favorite exercises for toning up hard-to-reach places like the glutes, hamstrings, back extensors, abdominals and shoulders are Swan Dive and Side Leg Extension both performed on the Stability Chair™.
Swan Dive focuses on your posterior torso and leg muscles primarily using your erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings and lateral rotators of the hip, while maintaining stabilization via your abdominals and shoulder girdle.
To begin, set up your starting position on the Stability Chair™ in a prone position with your hipbones about an inch from the edge. Your arms are extended directly under your shoulders and legs extended and laterally rotated. Inhale, and extend your spine while keeping your abdominals engaged (this will prevent any strain in your lower back). Exhale to rock forward, initiating the movement with your legs (reaching upward) while keeping your spine and hips extended, and then gently press the pedal down keeping tension in the springs. Inhale, and return to the start position allowing the pedal to slowly lift.
NOTE: I find the image of a teeter-totter helps my clients better understand and achieve the essence of this exercise.
Side Leg Extension is another great exercise that works the deep core abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, to stabilize the spine in a neutral position. The lateral abductors of the hip are also working isometrically to hold the gesture leg in place. The deltoids, biceps, triceps, and serratus anterior muscles of your arms will tone as they are working to support the weight of the body.
Stand beside the Stability Chair™ with the leg closest to the Stability Chair™ on the pedal (all the way down) and hands on either corners/edges in front for support. Your pelvis and spine are neutral, and weight is distributed between both hands with your opposite leg abducted and lengthened. Exhale to shift forward slightly allowing the pedal to gently float up while keeping your shoulders and hips square and pelvis and spine neutral. Inhale to slowly lower with control as the pedal hovers slightly off the floor. Be sure to control the pedal and prevent it from slamming down each time.
PS: How can Pilates help calm a bride-to-be's nerves?
BT: In the midst of planning a wedding, life can feel a little stressful and crazy. Pilates is a great way to decompress and help you stay centered and balanced. Breathing helps keep you grounded and present. Pilates is considered to be very specific and goal oriented with an emphasis on form, stability, proper alignment, and recruiting the right muscles at the right time. I tell my clients that Pilates is like teaching your body a whole new language.
Pilates focuses on strengthening the muscles around the joint while improving posture. One of my main goals as a Pilates instructor is to rebalance my clients from the everyday habitual patterns and stresses of life. My brides-to-be are no exception.
Brooke Taylor (www.tayloredfitness.net) is a STOTT PILATES® instructor trainer with Merrithew Health & Fitness® and a master trainer at the New York Sports Club. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a dual major in BFA in Dance and Choreography and a BA in Psychology. As a STOTT PILATES certified instructor trainer she certifies instructors nationally and internationally teaching various workshops on anatomy, postural analysis, kinesiology and corrective exercise training. She has been awarded the Top District Trainer for 2008, 2009, 2010 with NYSC and was recently awarded Top Female PT in the Region for 2011.
Bride photo by Danny Kash | Exercise photos by Stefan Diaz
Q: After a cardio session, does it matter if I stretch the upper or lower body first?
A: In my opinion, it makes no difference if you stretch the upper or lower body first. Certainly, after a cardio session the entire body and musculature are warm and primed for stretching. How to stretch is another matter, as is whether you need to stretch at all. Stretching is a controversial topic and there are as many opinions regarding it as stars in the sky.
When it comes to Pilates and stretching, some teachers feel that stretching is an integral part of Pilates and there is no need to add additional stretching. Others believe that every Pilates session should include an additional segment that is specifically focused on stretching.
As often is the case, I take the middle road, basing my approach on the individual I am working with. People who are tight need additional stretching, and this should be taken into account when tailoring a session for them. Conversely, people who are hyper-mobile probably do not need to stretch after a cardio session, or to have additional stretches added to their session. They need to work on strength and control, which in my view equates to functional flexibility—the ability to maintain the integrity of the body’s alignment through the full range of motion.
Rael
Isacowitz, MA, has been practicing Pilates for more than 30 years and is recognized
internationally as an expert in the field. Rael founded BASI Pilates in 1989, a comprehensive
Pilates education organization represented throughout the world. For more information, visit
basipilates.com.
Close Up: Ladder Barrel Stretch
by Janice Dulak
The March issue of Pilates Style magazine showcases a number of exercises specifically beneficial for the equestrian. Here’s one more that gives you the “leg up” on flexibility in your hips and hamstrings for swinging into the saddle.
Setup: Stand tall with your right foot on the fence (or the top of the Ladder Barrel). Square your body off so you feel a nice hamstring stretch.
1. Lift your abs as you bend your right knee and lean into the fence. Flex your right heel, pressing it into the ground to stretch your Achilles.
2. To keep your back supple: Hold onto the fence and straighten your leg for a deeper hamstring stretch and a nice stretch across your lower back. Do 3-4 repetitions. Repeat on your left leg.
If you’d like to learn to cook healthy food for your family or fun menus for 30 of your closest friends—while you never break a sweat in the kitchen—classes at Hipcooks show you how to be as cool in the kitchen as you are everywhere else. With locations in L.A., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and Portland, Hipcooks provides hands-on cooking classes for the novice and seasoned cook alike. Measuring implements are banned, tasting is encouraged, and your inner chef is invited to play. The best part is every class ends with a dinner party!
Monika Reti, owner of Hipcooks and chef extraordinaire, thinks this Carrot Ginger Soup recipe is the perfect meal for late winter and early spring. “Ginger is an anti-inflammatory so it is great if you have sore muscles or joints. It also stimulates and increases blood flow,” she says.
What sets this recipe aside from other carrot/ginger soups is that you don’t cook the vitamins out of the carrots. “We blend it when it’s just barely cooked to preserve the natural vitality of the vegetables,” says Reti.
Carrot Ginger Soup
by Monika Reti
Ingredients:
Olive oil or 2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1¾ lbs carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped (or grated)
4 cups veggie stock or water (in this case you can use water since this soup is so rich in veggies)
Directions:
Heat some olive oil (or 2 tablespoons butter) in a soup pot and add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger. Have your heat on low, cover the pot, and cook until all the veggies are soft and buttery (about 20 minutes).
Pour in the veggie stock or water and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the stock is hot. Be sure the stock is an inch or so above the veggies to make blending easy. Add more stock as necessary.
Blend safely in batches. Season with salt and pepper if desired, and taste for ginger content. You can always add more. If you add too much, a swirl of cream in the soup will tone it down. A handful of chopped cilantro (coriander) would be a gorgeous garnish for this superlative soup.
Note: For a sweeter soup, add 3 tablespoons of honey when you add the veggie stock.
Monika Reti, owner of Hipcooks (www.hipcooks.com) is famous for NEVER stressing in the kitchen, "making food out of nothing in the fridge", measuring with her hands, dancing while cooking and teaching the craziest of all the classes! She loves to have dinner parties and socialize, so Hipcooks is just an extension of herself.
Back to the table of
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