Doug M.

I was picking up a few things at the market recently. I walked past a couple of gentlemen talking about working out when I overheard one of them mention the word “pilates.” The other man said, “oh, that’s the one with the machines.” I chuckled to myself and thought, “if I could only spend a few minutes with you, my friend.”

YOU MAKE THE APPARATUS WORK

So, what do you think of when you hear the word, “machine?” The first thing I think of is a device that is powered by either electric or fuel. When you walk into Ab-solute Pilates, you’ll notice that our “apparatus” is not plugged in or has a fuel spout. The energy that moves these devices comes from you!

IS THIS PLACE A TORTURE CHAMBER?

Admittedly, the apparatus can be a little intimidating the first time you come in for your session. I vividly remember the first time I walked into a pilates studio, seeing the steel bars and the leather straps, I almost turned around around left. It was like what I saw in horror movies when I was a kid. “Is this place is a torture chamber?!” haha! Well, a year later, I was making the decision to become certified to teach The Method.

MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE

I got hooked for a number of reasons. My primary motivation was to improve my posture. I was very shy as a child, and then on into adulthood. As a result, I typically held my head down, especially while in public. Several years later and you can imagine the effect it had on my upper back and neck. After a couple of evaluation sessions, my instructor got right to work on changing my posture for the better!

PILATES BENEFITS

The benefits of Joseph Pilates Method are many. The emphasis is your body’s core-the abdomen, obliques, lower back, inner and outer thigh, glutes and so on. You’ll develop much of what your body needs-strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, coordination, balance and good posture.

THE BEST PART?

The best part is, with the method we’ve been trained in and teach, there is a much lower chance of injury than what you can incur at a fitness club. The discipline we teach emphasizes correct form instead of going for the burn, or as our wonderful Master Instructor, Juanita Lopez says, “doing the exercise with integrity.” It really does make all the difference! As we always teach, form is everything.

Please stop in our studio or call and speak with instructor, Sheri, to discuss the body change you seek! Of course, we recommend you consult with your medical professional before beginning any new exercise regimen. See you soon!

Doug Miller
Instructor
Ab-solute Pilates
Cary, NC

When you think of athletes training to stay in shape for their sport, you most likely imagine them lifting weights, running, or doing traditional calisthenics. These are the types of regimens that are most commonly prescribed by team coaches and trainers from the high school level all the way through to the pros.

What you’re probably not aware of is how pilates is becoming increasingly popular as a supplemental training tool for top athletes in all major sports. But this really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, considering all the different ways pilates helps improve athletic performance. Here is just a partial list of how doing pilates can make you a better athlete:

• Increases your range of motion so you can throw harder, swing faster, or kick higher.
• Lengthens and loosens muscles and joints to improve your functional flexibility and reduce injury risk.
• Focuses on strengthening the core, which gives you greater power when performing the types of rotational movements that are so crucial in sports such as golf, tennis, baseball, and many others.
• Improves balance and coordination through constant attention to aligning legs and arms for more efficient movements.
• Provides a low-impact or no-impact workout that yields benefits without unduly stressing the body.
• Incorporates unfamiliar movements to recruit and activate lesser-used muscles for a true whole body workout.
• Targets and strengthens problem areas for injury prevention and for post-injury rehabilitation.
• Adds variety and challenge to an otherwise stale workout routine.

Athletes of all kinds and at all skill levels have benefited from practicing Pilates in addition to more traditional sports-focused training. Whether you’re a runner, basketball player, gymnast, swimmer, or martial artist, you too can improve performance, prevent injury, and keep fit during the off season with the help of Pilates, so we invite you to start today.

How often do you notice and correct your posture throughout the day? If you barely give it a second thought, then you’re doing your body a great disservice. That’s because good posture is about much more than making you look better when you sit or stand. It’s about reducing strain on your muscles and joints, increasing the efficiency of your movements, and improving your overall health. In fact, when you practice good posture, you’ll be able to enjoy these five important benefits almost immediately.

1. Better breathing: Getting your body into proper alignment helps open up the chest cavity and lungs, thus allowing you to take fuller, deeper breaths. Studies show that good posture can produce up to a 30% improvement in breathing, which is a number everyone from athletes to asthma sufferers should take note of.
2. Better blood circulation: When you slouch, you compress blood vessels and restrict circulation. By contrast, good posture allows the blood to flow freely and provide every cell in your body with nutrients and oxygen.
3. Pain prevention: Bad posture places added stress on muscles, joints, and ligaments, which can result in neck, back, or shoulder pain. Standing and sitting with good posture eliminates that stress and helps you remain pain free.
4. Improved mood. Recent research has identified a clear link between posture and mood. When you’re feeling depressed or fatigued, your shoulders start to droop and your upper body begins to slump, while the opposite happens when you’re feeling happy. Want to instantly improve your mood or ward off fatigue? Try practicing good posture!
5. Better physical performance. Good posture requires a combination of balance, core strength, and proper muscle use, so the more you practice good posture, the more you improve those related skills. This often translates to better physical performance in athletic pursuits such as Pilates, running, and martial arts, as well as to ordinary daily activities such as carrying the groceries or vacuuming the living room.

These are just a few of the ways good posture can improve your overall health and help you get the most out of life, so we encourage you to be more mindful of the way you sit, stand, and carry your body every day.