Pilates Style

Welcome to the Pilates Style monthly newsletter. Each month we bring you a calendar of the must-know Pilates events around the country, updates on our conferences, Pilates-related news, original feature articles and bonus material from the current issue of Pilates Style magazine. We want to hear from you! If you have, or know of, a Pilates event, or have news to share with your community, email us at newsletter@pilatesstyle.com.

Forget the pies and cookies—we have a real holiday treat for you. We’ve added exciting new classes and workshops to our already stellar Pilates Style conference line up. Join us in L.A. January 23–25 and study with Rael Isacowitz from Basi™, Marie-José Blom from SmartSpine™, Pino Carbone and Viktor Uygan of BodyCode® and Susannah Cotrone from Pilatesstick®. Visit pilatesstyle.com for the updated class schedule.

If you haven’t yet signed up for your classes, do it before they fill up. All workshop and class sizes are limited. If you have already signed up for your classes and wish to change your agenda, doing so is easy: Just go to the Pilates Style web site and enter your registration number to make your changes.

Golf Anyone?

Do you or your clients need pointers to get the golf game on track? Sign up for the Pilates Style Conference in Los Angeles, January 23–25 and learn all you need to know to master the game. Not only can your clients take a golf clinic or two (January 23rd or 24th), but you also can go more in-depth with your own education about the game and how Pilates can help with its golf-specific exercises and stretches.

Off the putting green, you and your clients can get some personal time with Mari Winsor, who is sharing her classical Pilates knowledge with all attendees—no private sessions required. We all love Mari’s DVDs, and now we all have the real-life gal to share her knowledge of both the Pilates and marketing.

After learning from one of the best, be sure to check out all the latest and greatest equipment from the top manufacturers—Cadillacs, Reformers, Chairs, Barrels, props … you name it, we have it for you.

And remember, our conferences aren’t just for Pilates professionals—they’re for clients and enthusiasts as well. At the Los Angeles conference we have four great and challenging classes just for the non-professional. Check it all out under the Conference tab on our web site: pilatesstyle.com.

Details: We will provide a mat for you to use throughout the entire conference, so there’s no need to lug your own personal mat with you. Also, remember to bring a light sweater; conference rooms might be a little chilly, even with the hotel’s best efforts to keep rooms temperate.

Myth-busters

Some medical myths we can spot from a mile away—like the one that tells us eating too many carrots will turn our skin orange. But others have implanted themselves so firmly into our health lexicon that few of us ever think to question them. Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis recently decided to do just that, though, when they researched some beliefs that are so widely accepted that even some doctors hold them. What they found was pretty surprising. Here are seven common myths how they were debunked:

1. People should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. The advice to drink at least eight glasses of water a day is ubiquitous, but where did it stem from? It may be from a misinterpreted 1945 recommendation, or it could have been from prominent nutritionist Frederick Stare who once recommended people drink around six to eight glasses of any liquid every 24 hours. However, in an exhausting search of the literature, the researchers were unable to find any evidence to back up this suggestion.

2. We use only 10 percent of our brains. Since as early as 1907, people advocating self-improvement have propagated this myth, but no scientific evidence exists to support it. In fact, neurological studies show that show that people use much more than 10 percent of their brains and have revealed no gaps or inactive areas in the organ.

3. Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death. It’s a fascinating and morbid notion, but it’s also a fallacy, according to researchers. This myth may have originated in the book All Quiet on the Western Front, in which the author writes about a friend’s fingernails growing in corkscrews after the burial. While fingernails and hair do not grow after death, there may be a dermatological explanation for why people might have assumed they do: Dehydration of the body after death may cause the skin around the hair or nails to retract, giving the appearance of increased length.

4. Shaving hair causes it to grow back faster, darker, or coarser. Go ahead, shave that mustache—it won’t grow back any different. Despite the persistence of this myth, studies from as far back as 1928 have shown that shaving has no effect on hair growth. Shaved hair does lack the finer taper of unshaven hair, which may be where the impression of coarseness comes from.

5. Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight. Reading in suboptimal light does affect your eyesight—but only while you’re doing it. You may have difficulty focusing and experience some discomfort when you read in the dark, but turn the lights back on and there’s no harm done.

6. Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy. Millions of Thanksgiving partygoers may find this hard to swallow, but turkey does not cause more sleepiness than any of a number of other foods. The amino acid tryptophan, present in turkey, is credited with the food’s alleged sedative effect, but turkey doesn’t actually contain all that much of the substance. Pork and cheese contain more tryptophan per gram than turkey, while chicken and ground beef contain about the same amount. Besides, experts believe that any effects the tryptophan in turkey might have are minimized by consuming it with other food.

7. Mobile phones create considerable electromagnetic interference in hospitals. From the prominence of the “turn off your cell phone” signs in hospitals, you’d think mobile devices could cause MRI machines to start clanking and oxygen tanks to explode. In fact, researchers couldn’t find any cases of death caused by the use of a mobile phone in a hospital or medical facility. However, more minor incidents like false alarms on monitors and incorrect readings on cardiac monitors have been reported.

Source: British Medical Journal, December 22, 2007;335:1288–89.

Pilates with a Purpose

For people with a loved one deployed to war, the holidays can be a very difficult time. To start the new year fresh, Pure Element Pilates in West Bloomfield, MI, is offering a way for those still at home to bring some mental and physical balance into their lives.

Every Tuesday starting in January, Pure Element Pilates will provide a free one-hour group counseling session for women whose partners have been deployed. The women will also be invited to attend one free Pilates class each week.

Physical exercise like Pilates offers numerous health benefits and helps to reduce stress. Combine that with the support of group counseling with others in similar situations, and this program has great potential to make a real difference in the lives of those missing and worrying about their deployed partners while trying to keep up with life at home.

For more information: pureelementpilates.com

Close-up: Jackknife
By Linda Farrell (lindafit.com)

Jackknife is similar to the Roll-over, but it takes the inversion to a more challenging level by requiring the trunk, hips and legs to extend vertically up into space before rolling down with control back to the floor. Jack knife should not be attempted until one has mastered the Roll-over.

Note: Avoid if you have neck problems.

Set-up: Lie supine, arms by your sides, palms down and legs pressed together at 90 degrees from the pelvis.

Begin the move: Engage your abs deeply by narrowing the distance between the front hip points and drawing the navel in toward the spine. Inhale into the sides and back of your rib cage and squeeze your upper inner thighs together. Then draw the muscles in and up from the pubis to the ribs to lift the hips off the floor, keeping the legs at a 90-degree angle to the pelvis. Exhale and proceed to bring your legs slowly over your head, keeping them together and parallel to the floor. Then inhale again into the side and back ribs and exhale as you press down through your arms to bring your trunk, hips and legs straight up over your shoulders. Inhale and continue to press down through the arms while reaching your toes to the ceiling. Exhale and slowly roll down from the top of the spine one vertebra at a time, keeping the hips and legs as lifted and vertical as possible until your tailbone is on the floor. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

Modification: For tight hamstrings, keep the knees slightly bent.

Advanced: Start with the legs at at a 60-degrees, or start from the floor.

Visualization: Imagine that you are going to stand up on the backs of your shoulders as your body weight and legs lift up into space. Vertically lengthen up and stack your joints in a plumb line, just as you would if you were standing on your feet. As you roll down one vertebra at a time, imagine a very slow-moving elevator lowering vertically and smoothly floor by floor.

Tips:

Try to encourage initiation of the roll-up by using your abs to curl your pelvis off the floor—and not by moving your legs towards your head. If done correctly, the legs stay at 90 degrees to the pelvis as the hips curl up slowly from the floor. The abdominals stay deeply engaged as the legs go overhead with control.
Avoid any undue tension in the neck, shoulders or lower back when the legs go overhead and come parallel to the floor. If done correctly the weight is mostly on the shoulder blades—not the neck.

The back and hip extensors must strongly engage to bring your trunk, hips and legs up into space, forming a perpendicular line to the floor.
Pressing the arms into the floor through engagement of the shoulder extensors counterbalances the vertical lift of the trunk, hips and legs into space.
If done correctly the weight is distributed between the arms and shoulders. Avoid this exercise if the weight collapses into the neck.
To aid stability, press down through the arms, co-contract the abdominals and back extensors and keep the legs squeezed together and lifted.
As the spine rolls down one vertebra at a time, resist the pull of gravity by focusing on control while simultaneously keeping the hips and legs as perpendicular to the floor as possible.
Concentrating and breathing deeply will allow for greater spinal articulation, fluidity and control.

If lack of control is an issue, omit this exercise until you’ve established adequate core control in the Roll-over.

When Sitting “Right” is Wrong
By Michele S. Olson, PhD, FACSM, CSCS

Mom’s advice to “sit up straight,” with thighs and trunk at a perfect 90-degree angle, may prove to be a mantra that is actually bad for your low back. Why? Though proper and polite looking, this rather stiff, militaristic position puts increased wear and tear on the lumbar discs, which are your spine’s natural shock-absorbers, according to recent MRI research from the Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. The researchers also found that leaning forward, as many us do when writing e-mails or playing computer games, is even more taxing to the low spine. After analyzing several sitting postures and angles, one stood out as being “back-saving.” The optimal sitting angle is more “open” with thighs and trunk at a greater than 90–degree angle in a semi-reclined position.

So does this mean you have to take your Lazy-Boy to work with you if you want a healthy back? Not quite. Instead, try this: Raise your seat to a point where your feet have light contact with the floor and allow your back to lean onto the chair’s backrest, keeping your chest up.

The researchers did find that mom was right about one thing, though: Slouching is the absolute worst sitting posture for back health.

Source: Proceedings of the Radiological Society of North America, Dec. 2006.

Cruising from the Core
By Deirdre Shevlin Bell

Does the winter weather have you dreaming of the perfect vacation? Combine health and fitness with breathtaking scenery, once-in-a-lifetime sightseeing and fantastic meals when you join Tannis Kobrinsky of Health Habitravels on her Pilates Galapagos Island Cruise May 1–10.

Known as the “Enchanted Islands,” the Galapagos Islands are like no other place on earth. Don’t miss the chance to cruise on The Beluga, a deluxe 16-passenger private yacht, with a top-level naturalist as your guide as you hike, snorkel, kayak, swim with the seals and enjoy daily strengthening and healing body-mind movement sessions. Hurry—only three cabins are left!

Cruise includes two nights in Quito, Ecuador; city tour of Quito; roundtrip flight to the islands; and Pilates, Gyrokinesis® and yoga sessions with certified instructor Tannis Kobrinsky. Cost: $3,650 per person based on double occupancy (international air not included).

Looking for more adventure? Opt for the land extension to the Amazon and Andes, April 27–May 14. Cost: $4,850 per person based on double occupancy.

Learn more at healthabitravels.com or by contacting Tannis: tannis@healthabitravels.com; (213) 482-3150.

We asked Pilates superstar Mari Winsor what she carries in her gym bag. Her response? “Which one? When I leave the house in the morning, I’m carrying, like, four bags.” As a private instructor in L.A., Mari spends about two hours of her day in a car driving to clients’ houses, so she needs to pack everything she might want for the day before heading out. Here’s what makes the cut:

Toting all that stuff around seems like exercise enough, doesn’t it? Still, Mari makes sure to include her own workout every day to stay fit and strong. And why not? She’s got all the gear, she might as well use it!