Aug 29
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Exercise of the Month- Side Kicks!
Posted on Sunday, August 29, 2010 in Exercise of the Month, Pilates, Pilates History, You Tubes
One of my favorite series of exercises in the pilates method is the Side Kicks Series. This month, we will focus on balance, control, and coordination during these exercises, and work our way into more advanced versions of Side Kicks and exercises like them.Benefits of Side Kicks:
-balance
-core control in a side-lying position
-coordinated movement of one leg at a time
-lengthening
-toning
-upper body stability
-great for during pregnancy
Side Kicks Relates to the Following Exercises:
-Single Leg Circles
-Leg Springs on the Tower
-Star on the Reformer
-Side Lying Swan (on the Wunda Chair)
Side Kicks Can Be Done on the Following Equipment:
-the Mat
-Tower
-Reformer
-Magic Circle
-physioball
Side Kicks is the type of exercise that is both challenging and highly satisfying at the same time! Total balance must be found within the whole body in order to do the exercises properly- if there is an imbalance, the body will rock back and forth while the leg moves. This month, we will explore the different ways to find balance during Side Kicks- which includes using your core, elbows, toes, shoulder position, and leg rotation.
We will also have fun with the many, many variations and possibility with leg movements in the Side Kick Series- such as the kicks, circles, lifts, bicycles, ron de jambe, scissors... the list goes on and on and on.
Not only will we work with the Side Lying Kicks this month, but we will also work with the Kneeling Side Kicks- a much more advanced version of the exercise.
In actuality, Joseph Pilates' original Side Kicks exercise included ONLY the Kicks, the circles and everything else was added in later. He also included the Kneeling Side Kicks as number 27 in his original 34 mat exercises. This is a great example of how, as pilates exercises advance, the required amount of upper body strength and stability increases. By practicing Kneeling Side Kicks, one really prepares the body for advanced work on the reformer and the chair.
There are many common challenges to Side Kicks, and the good news is that these challenges are quite often easy to fix with a few adjustments here and there to the alignment of the body. What if you angled your elbows forward, or back? Do you feel your neck working? Where should your ribs be? Can you keep a neutral pelvis while lying on your side? Which leg is the "working" leg? Are your shoulders involved in Side Kicks? Should they be?? This month, we will explore all of these questions, and find the proper position for Side Kicks and Kneeling Side Kicks for every body.
Here is a video of Ellie Herman doing a Side Kicks series with some fun variations:
Jul 14
Exercise of the Month- Roll Ups!
Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 in Exercise of the Month, Pilates
Thought we'd take a break from all those push-ups to focus on Roll Ups...The Roll Up feels like it could be one of the easiest exercises in pilates, but it can actually be quite challenging if done correctly!
Benefits of the Roll Up
-spinal flexibility
-lengthens and stretches the whole body
-control
Practicing the Roll Up Helps Improve:
-Snake
-Upstretch
-Rolling Like a Ball
-Neck Pull
-Short Box: Rounding
Roll Ups Can be Done with the Following Pieces of Equipment:
-The Mat
-The Tower
-Small Barrel
-Magic Circle
The Roll Up presents many challenges, the obvious of which is not being able to roll up off the mat! Reasons you may find yourself glued to the mat can range from stiffness in the low back, short stature, weak abdominals, or tight hamstrings. Or, you may find Roll Ups to be really easy- until you learn that you are actually throwing yourself forward over your arms or neck in one "heave, ho"! Do you need the strap over your ankles to roll up? And what's up with that strap, is it considered cheating to use it? You hear your instructors telling you to roll up "one bone at a time", but which bones are they talking about exactly?
We recently hosted a workshop with one of my teachers, Jessie Zalla, called, "Matwork From the Inside Out". In our discussion about Roll Ups, Jessie shared some really interesting pilates info with us. It turns out that Joseph Pilates actually invented a pair of metal shoes to wear during the Roll Ups, to keep weight at the end of the body so the upper body can roll up smoothly. She described them as metal soles with laces that wrap around the feet. Fascinating! As far as I know, those shoes are not being made by anyone now. However, the same effect can be achieved by wearing ankle weights.
This month, we will learn why its called the "Roll UP"- what happened to your "up" in the Roll Up? We will practice spinal articulation with abdominal control, and of course we'll also add some fun props- ping pong balls, anyone?- into the mix to keep things even more interesting!
Here's a YouTube video demonstrating the Roll Up:
