Stretching
I’m stretching my body right now. Are you?
Travel and Exercise
This time of year a lot of us will take long car, train or plane rides. When you travel you don’t have to forgo exercise. You can stretch in the airport or at the gas station. Stop along the way to take a short stroll and see what you’ve been passing by at 65-miles-per-hour.
Before I left Peru, lots of people asked if I would do Pilates and keep my core engaged while traveling. “Of course,” I told them. And I usually do. Unfortunately, in Peru I often found myself sick from the altitude, motion, or food. The last thing I was thinking about was whether or not my core was engaged. Sometimes life just doesn’t work out the way we planned, in which case, we have to try not to get too discouraged.
I will say, though, that for a 10 hour car ride, I was very grateful for a strong kegel. I guess I wasn’t completely disengaged.
The picture above is of the plane we took to see the Nasca Lines. It […]
Machu Picchu
I spent the past three weeks traveling in Peru. The first week we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu–a place as magical and mystical as everyone says and pictures attempt to show. The stone city rivals the pyramids. Machu Picchu may not be the engineering feat the pyramids were, but resting high on the peaks of the Andes where misty clouds glide in and out, it certainly feels more relatable. People lived here; they didn’t just get buried here.
Getting to Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail was a challenge, but made the arrival even better. Camping in the Andes for three nights provided some of the best views I’ve ever gone to sleep with. I haven’t stayed in any hotel that provides views of snow capped mountains and waterfalls with brooks so loud you can’t hear anything but water cascading down rocks. Until morning. Somehow roosters overtake the sound of water.
It is a journey I would recommend.
Reminder: Basic Principles of Pilates
One piece of knowledge that Pilates provides that many forms of exercise do not is the concept of the basic principles. You can consider them no matter what you are doing in life. Whether you are exercising, working, driving, cooking, or whatever situation you might find yourself in, you can always turn to the five basic principles to think about your body and help you focus.
In case you’ve forgotten what they are, here’s a friendly reminder:
1) Shoulder Stability
2) Pelvic Placement
3) Neck Alignment
4) Rib Cage
5) Breath
Black Friday
If you’re going to out shopping and waiting in lines today, don’t feel discouraged. Make good use of your time. Lift your kegel while in line. Engage your core–pull your belly button to your spine. Feel your abdominals engage all the way to your pubic bone. Stand tall with your shoulders back and down.