We have touched on what it means when Pilates teachers tell us to ‘scoop’, ‘hollow’, or ‘draw your abdominals in & up’, and how this is anatomically possible in our abdominals. However, to really perfect your scoop you will need to have a wider understanding of the parts of the body used to scoop and the muscle functions that enable …
Spinal Flexion and Extension
“if your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.” – Another truly profound quote from Joseph Pilates. If your spine is stiff your body is affected with aches and pains. Is this a healthy/happy way to live life? A healthy spine is a mobile spine, a mobile spine …
Keep rolling on!
There really is a method to Joseph Pilates’ mat madness, I promise! The classical Pilates repertoire was strategically ordered for many reasons, for example to aid the flow of movement and to introduce stretching/massaging exercises where they are needed. Rolling Like A Ball is introduced as an exercise to massage the spine and stretch out the back, whilst of course still engaging the …
The ‘Core’ Foundations…
Now that all the Marathon palaver is over, some of you might be thinking about signing up for the next one, some of you will be focusing on rest and recovery, and some of you will be thinking about your summer body… Whatever your goal is, let’s start with building your foundations! Most people, including runners, aren’t aware of the importance …