I love that they spent time doing this. Check out Joe Pilates’ (he is the shorter guy) shoes–not too shabby. This video shows head wrestling, arm wrestling, and pole wrestling–three past times I was not familiar with.
The word is getting out about the importance of foot health and how Pilates can help. Check out this article in the Hartford Courant.
Check out this video on YouTube of Joseph Pilates doing some of the original exercises. You’ve got the love the saw! But watching him do the roll over and roll up is pretty amazing. Her really does have control and grace. From this link on YouTube you’ll be able to find other videos of Joesph doing the exercises.
Your shoulders have a lot of little muscles that do a lot of work, but your back has larger muscles that help move the shoulder blades and the arms. When you move your arms think about the motion coming from the back muscles instead of putting all the pressure on the shoulders.
Try it.
Lie down on your stomach with your arms out to the side like you are making a “T.” Exhale and lift your arms slightly off the ground. Feel the motion come from the upper back between the shoulder blades. Keep the motion controlled. Don’t just flop your arms up and down; glide them up and down.
Sitting at a desk all day can wreak havoc on your upper back muscles–the ones between your shoulder blades–but there is an easy way to take the stress off those muscles.
You can take little breaks to do shoulder exercises (protraction and retraction, elevation and depression, and arm circles) or while you are sitting you can think about your posture, trying not to let your shoulders roll forward and attempting to sit tall. Both are good options, but some people feel guilty or silly taking breaks to stretch during the workday.
When your back muscles start to ache, whatever you are doing (talking on the phone, in a meeting, working at the computer) take a deep breath and slide your shoulder blades down your back. Try to hold this position for as long as your mind can stay focused on it. Remember to breathe.
