health + wellness - Explore Big Sky
health + wellness - Explore Big Sky
health + wellness - Explore Big Sky
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try this at home<br />
pilates is for everyone<br />
by kiMberlie barrett<br />
The Pilates method is a philosophy<br />
of movement. It’s a way of<br />
feeling and being aware of your<br />
body. Pilates impacts everything<br />
you do: walking, getting out of<br />
bed, sitting, riding horses, playing<br />
with your children.<br />
The result of practicing pilates<br />
is a well-tuned body, properly<br />
aligned with a balanced posture,<br />
and a flexible spine. The pilates<br />
principles of centering, concentration<br />
and control become part of<br />
those who practice, and something<br />
we can draw upon when we<br />
need them, just like learning to<br />
ride a bike.<br />
Pilates, like yoga, can be strenuous<br />
or gentle depending on the<br />
level of your practice. The Pilates<br />
mat work is done in a sequence<br />
with flow and precision using the<br />
breath to guide you. It is gravity<br />
and you.<br />
Yoga is similar in that it is done<br />
in a sequence. In yoga you start<br />
standing and finish lying down;<br />
whereas in Pilates, we start<br />
lying down and finish standing<br />
in order to take the corrections<br />
we have made into the vertical<br />
world we live in. Pilates and<br />
yoga complement each other in<br />
a yin and a yang way.<br />
Joseph Pilates invented a variety<br />
of equipment with spring<br />
resistance that can assist and/<br />
or challenge the movements.<br />
Pilates can correct misalignments<br />
and re-educate the body<br />
so that injuries don’t repeat<br />
themselves.<br />
Find a certified instructor to<br />
learn the Pilates method. In<br />
time you, too, will find yourself<br />
moving with ease and<br />
grace.<br />
Kimberlie Barrett is the Owner of<br />
Peak Bodies Pilates Inc. in Bozeman.<br />
peakbodies.com<br />
soMe basiC exerCises to Get you<br />
ConneCted to your Core:<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
3.<br />
standing arm circles<br />
stand with your heels together and toes about one fist<br />
distance apart.<br />
reach arms straight out to the side, shoulder height.<br />
draw little circles as you move the arms to the front of<br />
the body and back to the side. vary the height of your<br />
arms, moving them from waist height to eye level and<br />
back down. reverse the direction.<br />
keep the shoulders relaxed and away from the ears<br />
and stay tall.<br />
stay tall reaching up through the crown of the head.<br />
Move the arms from your back.<br />
you will feel this in your core and arms.<br />
Planks/pushups<br />
planks are done on the floor on the forearms or on the<br />
hands. an easier option is to try on a park bench or<br />
desk at an incline.<br />
Maintain a straight line from head to tail and don’t let<br />
your back sag. if you feel this in your back modify by<br />
lowering to your knees.<br />
push-ups can be done once you build the strength in<br />
your core to maintain proper alignment from head to<br />
heels.<br />
walk with poise and grace<br />
imagine your eyes are on the front of your pelvic<br />
bones. walk with proper posture. let the earth hold<br />
you up as you walk and stand. Gravity can be your<br />
friend.<br />
‘Gin and toniC’ exerCise<br />
GYROTONIC® is a three-dimensional exercise taught on weight<br />
and pulley based equipment. it has elements of yoga, dance, tai<br />
chi and swimming. a training session is comprised of a series of circular<br />
and fluid exercises that work the entire body through muscular,<br />
cardiovascular and neurological stimulation.<br />
the first gyrotonic studio was opened by the founder, Juliu horvath,<br />
in new york City almost 30 years ago. since then it has gained popularity<br />
in most major urban areas worldwide. horvath developed<br />
gyrotonic methodologies with the intention that any person, regardless<br />
of age, body type, or state of <strong>health</strong>, could learn to benefit<br />
from the exercises.<br />
“is it like pilates”?<br />
Gyrotonic and pilates are similar modalities often taught in the<br />
same studios together. where pilates focuses on stability and linear<br />
movement, the gyrotonic methodology is more circular, and focuses<br />
on mobility. in gyrotonic, the movements are fluid and rhythmic<br />
where one exercise flows into the next. the beauty of this fluidity is<br />
attaining flexibility without strenuous stretching and toning without<br />
start and stop movements as in weight training.<br />
beneFits<br />
inClude:<br />
flexible spine<br />
increased energy<br />
injury prevention<br />
improved coordination<br />
flexibility<br />
strength<br />
stress-free joints<br />
naturally toned muscles<br />
relaxation<br />
reduction of stress and<br />
emotional anxiety<br />
-erin Groth is a licensed GYRotonic® instructor and the owner of<br />
current Movement studio in Bozeman.<br />
explorebigsky.com<br />
July 15, 2011 47