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Conquer the Full Roll Up

full-roll-upThe Full Roll Up is one of the Pilates exercises that frustrates people the most. So many people struggle with this movement. They get discouraged and blame their abs. Sure, your abs might be a part of the problem. They may need to get stronger to do the exercise, but they also might just need to learn how to fire properly—meaning they could do it if they understood what they were supposed to do. Most of us weren’t taught how to do a sit up or ab exercises properly. Many of us use other muscles like hip flexors or the muscles in the neck to try to pull ourselves up to a seated position. Your abs might be strong enough, but they’ve never had to do the work before, why should they start now? And it’s not just about your abs. Tightness in your back could be getting in your way. So, how do we break it all down so you can conquer the full roll up?
First, cut yourself some slack. Yes, it’s true, you might not be able to do this exercise right now, but that does not mean you […]

Conquer the Full Roll Up2018-02-14T17:41:48-05:00

Costochondritis Causes & Possible Solutions

Here I am gently using a belt to tie an icepack around my ribs so that I can go about my day while icing. Here I am gently using a belt to tie an icepack around my ribs so that I can go about my day while icing.

One of my most popular blogs is my story of getting costochondritis.  I get question from all over the world about whether I know experts in the field or what I did to heal my costochondritis.  As a lover of movement I’m ashamed to say I don’t have a definitive answer for either.  I don’t know costochondiritis experts around the world to refer people to.  And I can make some guesses about what helped me, but I can’t say for sure.  I don’t have a ‘do these ten things in this order and your problem will be solved.’  The solution for […]

Costochondritis Causes & Possible Solutions2019-01-22T12:45:04-05:00

What Am I Doing With My Abs in Pilates?

You may have heard a Pilates instructor say “Scoop the Abs” or “Draw the Belly Button to the Spine” or “Zip the Jeans” or “Engage the abs.” There are multiple ways to say it, but only one way to do it. It’s subtle and can be a challenge to figure out how to do properly. And, as if Pilates wasn’t complicated enough we have this thing called imprint vs. neutral, which is totally different.

If you aren’t sure what imprint and neutral are, check out this video to see the difference, but this blog is really about the fact that imprint and scooping the abs are two different things because people often think they are the same. And that misconception could make your back rather unhappy over time.

When you do pelvic tilts or rock from imprint to neutral your pelvis should move. When you zip the jeans, the pelvis shouldn’t move. Sometimes you Zip and Tuck, but you don’t always have to. It’s important to know that you can engage the abdominals without being imprinted. And that you don’t want to strive to be imprinted all day.

This video has some ways to practice the difference between engaging the abs and rocking […]

What Am I Doing With My Abs in Pilates?2017-10-25T14:17:26-04:00

Neck Hurts When I Do Ab Exercises

Where does the neck look the happiest to you? Where does the neck look the happiest to you?

Have you ever felt neck pain when you lift your head off the ground to do an abdominal exercise?

If yes, you’ve come to the right place.

If no, you may be the luckiest person on the planet.

If you have a neck injury (have had whip lash, have a disc-related issue, or slept on it funny, etc.) than you need to relax.  That is not pain you want to work through.  You may need to reign in the exercises you are doing and only do ab-work with the head down for the time being.  You can get a really good abdominal challenge with your head on the floor.

If you don’t have any neck issues, but your neck often or always hurts when you do ab work, there is also no reason you should work through bad pain. But it is worth experimenting to find a place you don’t feel pain.  What I’ll call bad pain puts your neck at risk and is a sign that you’re abs aren’t really doing the work.  So, why work through […]

Neck Hurts When I Do Ab Exercises2017-09-12T19:31:13-04:00
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