VIBRANT WELL-BEING

Dragonfly Masters Ad Drop in.
Dragonfly Yoga
850 244 0184
downtown brooks st
ft. walton beach
dragonflyyoga.com
A Total Wellness Center
where Pilates
is the “CORE”
Pilates by the Sea strives to
provide a total body experience
as we want to help people
align the mind, body and soul.
56 Spires Lane
Santa Rosa Beach, Fl 32459
(850) 622-2020
www.30Apilates.com
Wishing You a Happy
and Prosperous
2012!
fitbody
PILATES FOR
WEIGHT LOSS
Strengthen, Lengthen and Tone
Pilates, similar to yoga, with its concentration
on breathing, was developed
by Joseph Pilates in just the past
century. While it’s rare to break much of
a sweat during a session, with its focus
on major muscle groups and slow,
intentional movements, Pilates has
become a popular practice for effecting
weight loss.
Barbar Bruni, owner of Pilates
Core Training, in Pensacola, explains,
“If weight loss is the main goal of the
participant, then we would be working
to support a very structurally sound,
healthy spine, so as to be able to
perform the difficult core exercises with
enough intensity to burn a sufficient
amount of calories. As muscle is more
metabolically active than fat, the more
the muscle is strengthened, the more
calories you burn throughout the day,
even at rest.”
“Pilates is a strength training
method that helps you develop long
by Victoria Everman
Pilates, similar to yoga in its concentration on breathing, was
developed by Joseph Pilates in just the past century. While
it’s rare to break much of a sweat during a session, with its
focus on major muscle groups and slow, intentional movements,
Pilates has become a popular practice for effecting
weight loss.
lean muscles so you can burn more
calories,” adds Kathy Shelton, a
certified Pilates’ instructor with Pilates
by the Sea, in Santa Rosa Beach. After
chatting with a panel of pros and diving
into the fitness method’s history, we
arrived at the top five ways to become
trim and toned by practicing Pilates.
Burn More Calories
Creating muscle mass is one of the
best ways to increase calorie-burning
potential. “Pilates is an exercise
regimen that burns calories, and gives
you energy for the rest of
the day. So, you will be
more active during the
day and that will increase
your calorie burn for the
day,” says Val Williams,
owner of Pilates by Val, in
Gulf Breeze.
Individuals can add a
variety of tools to a basic Pilates
mat routine to help tone
muscles all over and avoid
boredom. “Magic circles,
weighted balls, Kathy Corey
bands, stretch bands and
foam rollers are all tools I
recommend,” says Laurie Beck, owner of Pilates by the Sea.
Resistance bands are easily portable, yet create a considerable
amount of challenging resistance to help firm and
tone. The body ring, well known among Pilates enthusiasts,
is another resistance tool used during mat exercise, often
focusing on the lower body and core muscles.
Look Thinner
One of the best ways to look and feel thinner is to
maintain good posture. Pilates helps create better posture
by firming not only the abs, but the back, as well. “All the
exercises encourage spinal lengthening to decompress the
spine. In so doing, the posture lengthens and the pelvic and
shoulder girdles fall into an ideal alignment. Just by standing
taller with strong abdominal and back muscles makes you
look taller and thinner,” explains Bruni.
Craft Core Muscles
Pilates is all about core strength—front and side abdominals
and the entire back. Toned abs and a strong back
help to prevent injury, improve posture, reduce lower back
pain and even promote proper bowel function. But the most
popular result is flat abdominals. “When a client is in the
correct body position to do an abdominal crunch, the client
will feel the abs actually shake and quiver. When abdominals
are recruited correctly, the client will automatically start
to feel different muscles in their body,” comments Williams.
Improve Eating Habits
Experiencing the improvements to your body and what
it’s capable of is incredibly motivating. “As I experienced a
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tighter abdominal area, I noticed how uncomfortable I was
when I overate,” says Mary Haik, an independent Pilates
instructor in the Fort Walton Beach area. “It was just harder
for me to overeat, because it didn’t feel good.”
Bruni finds that clients are motivated in different ways
regarding food. “You are respecting and treating yourself
better, so there is less tendency to want to ruin your good
feelings by dumping junk food into your body,” she states.
Complete with Cardio
No weight-loss regimen is complete without cardiovascular
work. Combining the strength training of Pilates and
a consistent cardio session works to help you lose weight
and tone up nearly twice as fast as doing either routine on
its own. Tyler Beck, with Pilates by the Sea, cautions safety
first, “The majority of my clientele have issues ranging from
torn shoulders and knees to extreme tightness in their backs
and hamstrings. I suggest they do cardio work that does not
tighten these muscles any further.”
Susan Authement Dumnam, owner of Destin Pilates
Center, suggests a product for safe cardio work, “I like to
recommend the Kangoo Jump Rebound shoe. It is a portable
rebounder and allows you to run and walk with 80 percent
less stress on your back or joints.”
Pilates has 10 million followers in the United States. To
find a Pilates instructor near you, see our Yoga, Pilates and
Fitness Network page in this edition.
Victoria Everman, a freelance writer in San Francisco,
California, contributes to Gaiam.com, from which this was
adapted.
Advanced Studies Program - Dragonfly Yoga 2012
Dragonfly Yoga offers extensive, comprehensive, and enriching yoga workshops
tailored to both teachers and serious students of all levels
classes :: workshops :: trainings
Dragonfly Yoga Teacher Training 200YA Begins February 2012 - Florida and Mississippi
Dragonfly Yoga Yearly Teacher Training Programs are MyCAA approved
www.DragonFlyYoga.com ::: 850-244-0184
Located Downtown Ft Walton Beach, Florida :: 184 Brooks St SE
24 Natural Awakenings of Northwest Florida www.NWFNaturally.com natural awakenings January 2012 25
Save
the Date
850-291-8041
Maia C. Rizzi
Clinical Certified Hypnotherapist
Source Institute
of Massage and Bodywork
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Next Class Begins
January 23, 2012
1 Hour Student Massage
$35.00
30 Beal Pkwy, FWB
850.598.0738
www.SourceInstitute.com