Monthly Archives: October 2016

Sleep well, not tight!

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A regular Pilates practice creates changes in many facets of life – improved fitness and mobility, and decreased pain and stress.  Many people rave about the benefits of Pilates affecting them all day – from sitting at work to exercising later.  But how many of us think about Pilates before we go to sleep?  Poor sleep habits can greatly contribute to pain and tension patterns.  Here are some tips for before, during, and after sleeping, to help you apply your Pilates knowledge to a very important part of your day!

Before you go to bed –

  • Roll out. You know how we often roll out one foot, or one hip, and then PAUSE to feel the difference? At night before you go to bed CHECK IN with your body and feel for the places that have accumulated tension throughout the day.  The more regular you are in your release work practice, the easier it will be to identify your highest priority tension spots and address them before you go to sleep.  Remember, sleeping with accumulated tension is like leaving the lights on when you aren’t home.  It’s inefficient, and when wake up you are hit with the bill.
  • Make sure you are well hydrated! Waking up because you have to pee is way better than waking up stiff and sore. Your body’s self-healing mechanisms cannot function without proper hydration.  If you struggle with this area, try using an app on your phone to track your water intake, or a smart water bottle.
  • Take a break from the screen! If you are rolling out before bed, mission accomplished. Otherwise consider spending time with your family or pets, reading a good book, or CALLING (not texting) a friend.  Blue light emitted from screens interferes with our bodies ability to rest and wind down.

While sleeping –

  • How many of us prop ourselves or our clients in class, prop our chair where we sit, only to lay in bed without the structural support we need? All of your important lessons about rotation and neutral spine apply here.  Belly sleeping can be tempting, but keeps the spine in a rotated and extended position all night.  Do whatever it takes to break this habit.  I personally cannot sleep on my back, but if that works for you, great.  Try sleeping on your back or your side.  If you sleep on your side, it may be helpful to prop between your knees and your elbows.  Also, make sure that your pillow is the right height for your sleep position.  I actually use a pillow specifically for side sleepers, which is a little thicker than a pillow for back sleepers.
  • If you wake up and you’ve moved, reposition.
  • If you are constantly sleeping so poorly that you toss and turn and wake up in sub-optimal positions, consider seeking advice from a naturopathic doctor.

In the morning

  • Pandiculation – This is the wonderful word for natural, diagonal stretching that our bodies prompt us towards when we wake. Don’t ignore the signal.  Let your body move when you wake up. (See Jen’s video here – http://fusionpilatesedu.com/the-pilates-show-mondays-pandiculation/)
  • Water before coffee.
  • Make your bed! This may seem silly, but if you make your bed, you will be more inclined to prop yourself well at night and spend time lying in bed reading or talking instead of hunching over a computer.

Click HERE to schedule with this instructor.
Click HERE to take classes with this instructor.

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September Client of the Month: Lisa Jacobs!

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September Client of the Month: Lisa Jacobs!

Age (unless it’s a secret!) 39

What classes do you attend?
Faithfully once a week reformer class; in the past weekly release work class (until I learned enough to include in my at home self-care), and TrX classes.

How did you start at Fusion?
I called around and there was space in a Tuesday night reformer class. After that, I was hooked.

What made you want to start doing Pilates/Gyrotonic?
I was wanting to dive in deeper with core work. I’m also a dancer, so Pilates peaked my interest. Fusion Pilates is close to my work, and the beginner’s package was too good of a deal to pass up.  

Have you noticed a difference since starting?
Yes! I have much more body awareness, much less chronic pain and now I have  a great tool set to help self manage any discomfort that may come up. 

What has your work at Fusion done for you?
Working with the staff at Fusion Pilates has increased my quality of life and my knowledge of how my body and bodies in general work. I’ve learned how to not over effort when exercising (HUGE deal) and I look forward to working toward incorporating more TrX classes and gyrotonic as my body unfurls and becomes stronger with the release work and reformer classes.

Anything else you would like to tell us about yourself (job, family, interests, etc.) or your experience at Fusion?
I’m a licensed massage therapist, and a pretty nerdy one at that. I’ve learned more at Fusion Pilates than in some massage CEU courses I’ve taken. Jen and Casey have been a wealth of knowledge, insight, and encouragement, and have helped me develop a greater ease in my own body while teaching me the hows and whys so I can better help my clients in my massage practice.

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Special Prices at Fusion Pilates Asheville!

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SPECIAL PRICES

One-One-One session for $35!
Reformer Class for $12!
Mat Class for $7!
READ ON FOR MORE INFO

One-On-One Mat & Reformer Session

Come in for a one-on-one session for focused attention to your specific needs and goals. 
Only $35 for a limited time!
Foundational Pilates Mat Beginner class
with Elizabeth Goyer
 
This class offers a beginner level introduction to Pilates Movement Principles. Class participants will cultivate a smoother range of motion, improved control of movement, and a deeper, more intelligent connection between their mind and body.  With a maximum of eight students per class, everybody receives plenty of individual attention.
Mondays at 12:00pm
$7 a class
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Introducing Mary Beth Chandler!

Introducing Mary Beth Chandler!

We’re so pleased to have the addition Mary Beth on the Fusion Team! She has worked in the fitness industry for over 15 years and is a great teacher. We’re excited to have her experience and her great energy in the studio! 

Available for One-On-One Sessions Tuesday’s and Thursday’s 9-1pm!
Mary Beth is also teaching the Tue / Thu 11:30am Int/Adv Reformer Class

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Hanging Out in the Ribs?

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One of the most common mucked up postures we take on is shoulders shoved back, chest forward and front ribs splayed. This creates a habitually overextended thoracic spine and an increased lordotic ( lower back) curve. This destroys the birthright convex curve of our thoracic spine and the just right concave curve of the lumbar. This organization changes pressures within the body and we lose the intended shock absorption that the natural curves of the spine accommodate us with.

I think we have all been told “Stand up tall. You are slumping.” It is pretty much imprinted in our brains. When we present our best selves to the world we want to be our fullest and bravest self and this posture usually does the trick. However, it is a shortening of the spine because we are closing off the back of our body.We take the easiest way to look like we are standing tall and shove our shoulder blades together to try to bring our chest forward. The shoulder girdle, however, is suppose to translate and take cues from the spine and not the other way around.

In this posture the spinal muscles and the Internal Oblique abdominals are tight and the External Oblique abdominals, Transverse abdominals and Rectus are weak. A less known muscle, the Transverse Thoracis muscle also gets very weak. This structure lies on the inside of the thoracic ribcage. Its fibers attach to the lower borders and inner surfaces of the coastal cartilages of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th ribs. The lowest fibers of this muscle are horizontal in their direction, and are continuous with those of the Transverse abdominals ( our core abdominals). Strengthening this structure inside the ribcage helps to synchronize all the tissues of the ab wall and create a balanced ribcage. It eliminates the splaying forward of the ribs and the overextended thoracic spine.

Below is an easy sequence to get you started.

Supine Rib Stands:

You need a mat, a pillow and a yoga block.

With a yoga block or half foam roller between the hands, send the long arms over the head  ( shoulder flexion) without lifting the mid back ribs off the floor.

At first, most will have to have an inclined pillow and knees will be bent and feet flat on the floor. After one strengthens this area, the incline can be reduced or eliminated and the legs can be long on the floor.

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