A Poochy Review

THANK YOU for participating in the 7-part Pooch series! Check out this review and see what you think.

Pooch Series Review:

1. What is one of the Pilates exercises that helps pooch reduction more than crunches?

2. True or False, you can eat more and gain less abdominal fat than someone who eats fewer calories.

3. Why and how?

4. What two beverages did we discuss that may help with keeping your tummy in shape?

5. What is visceral fat?

6. Have tummy tucking surgeries increased 49% or 407% since 1997?

7. True or False, from the Health survey, it was found that most of the participants would NOT want a tummy tuck.

8. True or False, from the Health survey, most participants would choose to have a tummy tuck if it were not for time and money constraints.

9. Which age group is least likely to augment their breasts?

10.Pilates and ________ was recommended for a balanced work-out.

11.What ways can we de-stress our minds and bodies?

12.Describe how we recommend that you breathe

13.What can cause us to have a pooch besides poor dieting and lack of exercise and maybe some health issues? Hint: your _____ type.

14.How might we correct that?

15.How many hormones do women have? Men? Which two were conducted in research?

16.Should we use supplements? What two things did we recommend to look for when purchasing from a supplement company?

17.What are your plans for tucking your tummy?

18. Take some time for yourself today and write down one simple thing you will do to begin to take better care of yourself.

ANSWERS: I bet you can find them in the 7 posts below!

Tuck Your Pooch-Part Seven

Dough we tuck our tummies or dough we tummy-tuck?

It is all about choices. And we have a plethora of options in the 21st century.

• Proper dieting
  
• Exercising (along with correcting our posture issues)
  
• De-stressing/detoxing
  
• Knife-ing (Seriously. It's called surgery. ouch.)
  
• Do NOTHING

While we have discussed the first three, we have not looked at the option of surgery.

Health magazine conducted a survey about the tummy and found:

• 39% participants bought items of clothing they didn't like simply because it made their tummy look more slender.
• 83% said they would rather receive a flat tummy over a diamond ring for their birthday. Humm, I'd have to give that some serious thought!
• 25%admitted that they wore control-top stockings under their jeans. Geee, and I thought jeans were tight enough to suck any one's gut in!
• 75% said they would get a tummy-tuck if money and time were no issue.

Tummy-tucking:

The average cost? $5-$10,000.

Recovery time? Varies from individual to individual and the type of procedure. The average is about two weeks.

Newest on the block? The hybrid. It's a combo: tummy-tuck-part-liposuction.

Increase while decreasing!
Stats show a whopping 407 percent increase in tummy-tuck surgeries since 1997.

I wonder how this rates with women who opt for breast augmentation.

Health also reports that plastic surgery by the decade rates like this:

• Early 30s: Almost half of all procedures are implants. The women in this age group, according to Laurie Casas, MD (Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago) have lost most of their breast tissue through pregnancy and nursing.
• 35-50: More than half of all breast cosmetic procedures (reduction as well as enhancement) would be the "lift". Casas goes on to say that this age group of women are interested in getting rid of sagging due to combined effects of gravity and years of having babies.
• 51-64: This population ranks the lowest in choosing breast procedures. Only 9 percent are breast enhancements and 18 percent are breast reductions. In this group, Casas says that "They're more comfortable with their bodies."

While breasts are not the subject of this series, the stats on breast procedures are interesting to look at. And I would say the tummy-tuck might show similar results. Too, I would think that 407 percent increase would slightly speak for itself.

I take the organic route in most things and this is no exception. As my husband has said of me, "She doesn't do knives!" So my advice would be to go natural. Diet and Exercise. Just think of what you could do with that $5,000-$10,000!!!!! And no worry of problems with post surgery like infections, etc. But that is me...so I guess I fall into that last category of being comfortable with my body. Even Brent Moelleken, MD, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills advocates working on those abs. He says, "The closer a patient is to her goal appearance, the less invasive the surgery to get her there has to be."

Regardless, you have to decide. Just remember while the grass may seem greener on the other side of surgery, the grass will still grow and you will still have to mow!!!!! Surgery does NOT eliminate calories or fat invading your body all over again. You will have to WORK to maintain your new look.

In the meantime, stand up straight, shoulders back and down, stack your ribs up nice and tall, and hold that tummy in and be proud of yourself! You look 10 lbs lighter!!!!!!!!

You made it through our series on the pooch. I hope you learned something along the way.

Take the review check-up on the next post for fun!

PART SEVEN: The Pooch Series

The Dough Boy Look is Gone-Part Six

Do you ever wonder what happened to the days when a little pooch was not a bad thing? I guess that was a few centuries ago, but maybe they had something. Yes, I know, MORE FAT. But still. Then came Twiggy. What was she thinking? Off with the cute goblet and on with stomach-to-the-backbone look. Where is the balance?

Often I am asked, "What is the best exercise I can do to get rid of my pooch?" Rid of. Now what does that mean? WORK, I can promise you. No, you are not going to kick-box the little critter out of your life once and for all. Although...

FAT FINDS
The results keep rushing in: Pilates is the answer to working the pooch into a leaner look. Ex., "An Auburn University at Montgomery study found that key Pilates moves challenge abdominal muscles to a substantially greater degree than crunches do." (Health Mag., http://www.auburnuniversity.edu/ ).

Parade Magazine reported that Pilates roll-ups work your muscles 30% more than crunches. Have you ever tried a roll-up? I don't mean the candy! A true roll-up. Not sit-ups like you used to do in school for those crazy standard tests. ugh.

Roll That Pooch UP With Pilates!
Roll-ups are performed with precision, control, and concentration. There is none of this up and down using momentum to see how fast and how many you can do. Those days are gone. Well, not really. You will still find those types of sit-ups used but not in a Pilates studio.

Most clients from my experience struggle performing the roll-up, at least at first. And it matters not the age, size, or gender. A weak core is often the inhibitor. Too, if you have "body" issues, you may not be able to execute them very well. Ex. When I first started Pilates, I could NOT do a roll-up. My problem ended up being arthritis in my mid-thoracic. It's a very small area but small is all it takes. Thankfully, I was able to work through the issue and now one of my fav Pilates exercises is the roll-up!

Run That Pooch Off!
If your goal is to develop your core muscles and flatten your tummy, then along with the right eating patterns, and stress reduction, you will need a good exercise program that is consistent. While Pilates strengthens your core and, yes, can aid it in looking more lean, cardio is excellent for burning calories as well as increasing bone density. As a matter of fact, cardio is critical to good health. I recommend that all my clients find some form of cardio to go hand-in-hand with Pilates. While there are Pilates cardio routines being created these days, I personally believe you need to be VERY familiar with the Pilates discipline, and be highly selective in choosing one. FYI-QualityPilates DVD's are few and far between. Keep looking for an upcoming post on cardio and Pilates.

Cris Slentz, PhD, of Duke University conducted a nine month study and concluded,

"If you want to lower abdominal fat, you need to do vigorous cardio for 30 minutes a day or longer six days a week."

He discovered the people who were the most inactive gained the most belly fat and had an increase of 8.5% increase in visceral fat (i.e., the deeper fat that surrounds vital organs). Not only that as a demise, but they also put on 2 extra pounds. Then there was the moderate exercise group. Results? They didn't gain or lost ab fat, but they did lose two pounds. The best result group was the third group who averaged 17 miles per week on the treadmill. They averaged about 7% decrease in ab fat and had a six-pound weight loss. Kudos for them!

FYI Testing for hidden belly fat (visceral) is available; it is simple and non-invasive. Ask your doctor about the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity test. It accurately predicts the presence of visceral fat by measuring how efficiently blood flows throughout your body. Visceral fat is known to create an impasse to that natural flow. Too, researchers say visceral fat is most commonly found among normal weight people who get little or no exercise. (Prevention, 09/07; Clinical Endocrinology Journal).

HOW WILL YOU BEAT THE BULGE?
Start. Somewhere! Don't just think about it. Do it! And ease your way into a routine of core training and
cardio. You may not want to attempt cardio six days a week to begin with. Take those tiny steps, and
eventually you will be inspired to take leaps!

PART SIX-The Pooch Series


****As always, seek the counsel of your doctor to make sure you are able to begin any form of exercise.

Feed The Pooch More? Part Five

Eat More Food?
Ah, yes, but there is always a catch. According to the Framingham Nutrition Study, women who eat more calories per day and, here's the catch, eat healthier foods are two and a half times less likely to develop abdominal obesity than women who take in fewer calories but take in less fiber and more saturated fat. Whew, that was a mouth full, pardon the pun. But no calories!
(Google framingham nutrition study for more details)

Prevention Magazine reports (09/07) that 56% of Americans say they are endeavoring to lose weight;however 90% of them don't know how many calories they inhale per day. ouch.

FYI-CAUTION: Educate yourself on healthy foods, and don't be deceived by label claims on products at the grocery store. Organic whole foods will be a better selection than canned, or frozen, or dried.

Drink More...
I drink every day, ALL day. H2O, that is! Filtered. I begin every day with a TALL glass of water. Some research is now saying we do not need 8 tall glasses of water a day. I say just use common sense, if you have it, if not, borrow it from a friend. There may be days you need more than 8 glasses. You know, the days when you have worked your tush off in the yard in 120 degrees? Too, water aids in better digestion, lessens your raging appetite, and even accelerates fat burning. And best of all, NO CALORIES. You can't beat that.

To Abstain or Not?
Research continues to pour in that women who drink about four ounces (moderate) of wine a day have less abdominal fat and total body fat than abstainers (study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism). As a caution research also says wine may possibly increase risk for breast cancer in women. What to do? Like you, I have known people who had difficulty in maintaining moderate amounts when it was all said and done. We never think we are going to be that "one". We each have to work out our own salvation! Be responsible and keep a balance!

Need an Oil Change?
And probably long past due. We know research has proven OLIVE OIL is a great staple for our hearts. However, according to a study at the Reina Sofia University in Spain, this Mediterranean oil helps prevent tummy fat as well. And did you know olive oil is a fruit juice? Not that I am recommending you drink it for breakfast. Anyway, you might want to change your oil in order to get better body performance!

Just so you know there is debate about which kind of olive oil to use. Virgin, xtra virgin or not, etc.? ( check it out: www.whatscookingamerica.net/OliveOil.htm )

Feed the Pooch Steak?
In a study out of Skidmore College it was found that consuming higher-protein food in six smaller meals a day markedly reduces total body weight, as well as abdominal-fat mass in overweight people, both genders. (http://www.skidmorecollege.edu/ and look for the study on a protein diet)

Omega-3s.
Seafood is what most ID with omega-3s, though you can get them in some nuts (walnuts). Heath Magazine reports ( most any nutritional report will agree) O-3s in your diet reduce the production of adrenaline, a stress hormone that contributes to an increase in your fat in and around your pooch. FYI there is concern about seafood available on the market today. Some seafood is contaminated from toxic laden waters. Too, be careful if you buy omega-3s in supplement form instead of whole foods. Not that all whole foods are ideal, but again anytime you are purchasing a supplement, please make sure the product is what it says it is. Remember there are no standards in the supplement industry. However, there are supplement companies, though few, that do a great service in providing quality wellness products. Look for standardization as well as stabilization.

Pro-biotics.
Nutritionists as well as some in the medical field recommend taking a good pro-biotic every day especially if you just came off of a round of antibiotics. But in this case we are discussing the tummy, and pro-biotics have been found to help in digestion and decreasing bloating of the belly. In this same vein, diary products can cause some people to experience bloating. While this is not directly related to belly fat, it is still important to consider. Too, would we not rather say we are just bloated than to say we have belly fat? Now that's a thought.

All this talk of food makes this pooch hungry! Until next time.....


PART FIVE: THE POOCH SERIES

DON'T STRESS THAT POOCH! Part Four

Get Out From Under That Load!!!!

Let's work on refusing to acquiesce to the stressors in our lives. What do you say? "How?"

TAKE 10. Joe Pilates said if we would apply Pilates just 10 minutes a day we would see a difference in our lives in about a month. The difference is not limited to physically seeing a change, but mentally and emotionally finding a quieter place in our souls. We all need it. Surely we can all find 10 minutes.

LISTEN TO MUSIC. Soothe your mind from the weariness of the day.

AUTONOMY DAY. Yes, a day carved out just for you to do something that relaxes you. It's the old airplane spiel...You need oxygen before you can give it to others.

DEEP BREATHING. Pilates recommends it for chilling out. Too, it nourishes your cells with oxygen! Detox! Give up the shallow and take a deep plunge. Implement at least a few times a day! Remember Pilates breathing is not through the belly. We breath laterally in and through the ribs (back and front) and up through your lungs. If your shoulders are rising up and down, you need to go back to the drawing board. Draw your breath in through your nose taking in throughout your lungs and ribs, expanding them like a bellows, then exhale nice and slow through your mouth (some expel via nose). Please make sure you are not slumping. Engage your core, lifting your pelvic floor like a Kaegel exercise. Last but not least, don't stress over getting this just right at first!

JUST SAY, "NO!" to high stress foods (if even for a day). You know, all the yummy stuff we love to indulge on. And don't kid yourself into thinking eating dark chocolate is good for you when the top ingredient in that candy bar is a ton of grams of sugar.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS. Find those that are standardized and stabilized and are of good report.

REINTRODUCE YOURSELF 2 YOU. Find what gets to you the most. Take one small step to mending that "relationship". And let's think broader than just human relationships. It may be that you are OCD over your house being clean. Or you may find great irritation in the car with other drivers. Ask yourself in that moment if it is or they are worth sending out more cortisol to fatten up your abs or not? Probably not. Let it go. Choose to exercise your will. Make the moment work for you for a change, not against you.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH HEALTHY BOUNDARIES. This may mean trimming some "branches". You may have to spend less time with certain people who drain you. Drink from healthy relationships.

YOU ARE OF GREAT VALUE. No matter what toxic "tapes" play in your head, refuse to allow the poison to penetrate. Flush it out and destroy the tapes before they destroy you.

BE STILL. That simple. Quit doing all the time and exercise your will to be still.

OK, what's my pleasure? After a nice Pilates warm-up, I light a delightful candle by the fireplace, (yes, even in the summer months in TX) with soothing instrumental music floating in the background and a good read in hand.

No phone. No radio. No TV. No people.

How about you?

PART FOUR: The Pooch Series

WHAT A CUTE POOCH? Part Three

As a Pilates trainer, what do you think I am asked the most? "What do I need to do in order to be the most healthy? Wrong. How about, "What in the world can I do about this "thing" around my stomach, and where in the world did it come from?" We don't even like to say the F-word. Fat, that is. By the way, it's not always fat or just fat, it may include xtra skin.

Usually I do begin with body type assessment; however, a person has to understand that while you can correct the physical side, you have to couple it with holistic measures. By that I mean taking care of yourself in the areas of not just the physical, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual.

STRESS AND THE POOCH RELATED?
Let's take stress or let's NOT! Really though. Whether we are under mental, or emotional, or physical stress, we are sending negative messages to our bodies. Hormones. They have place in our bodies, but they can get out of whack as you know. Did you know that we ALL have 86 hormones? Men, that includes you!

I supply a phytosterol nutritional supplement that helps balance hormones, and I love it when men say, "OH, please, yes, send that to my wife." Uh huh. My reply? "Well, I can do that, but did you know you have 86 hormones like she does? So maybe she might think you need them more than she does!" After all, while women may experience menopause, men may have a similar challenge. Did you know that? It is called Andropause. (Andrology is the science of dysfunctions of the male reproductive system. http://www.andrology.com/)

Research states that if you are stressed, your body produces increased levels of a hormone called coritsol. Those high levels of cortisol are often associated with higher levels of deep-ab fat. So what happens is that you stress, then abnormal levels of cortisol release and you begin to increase fat around your once cute little waist. To add to that, Dr. Brent Moelleken from Beverly Hills, California says (quoted from Health Magazine Jan/Feb 08),

"Women tend to gain in their abdomens as they age because
metabloisim slows and body fat distribution shifts to the belly."

Not what we want to hear, right? Yet, the more educated we become, the more empowered we become not falling helpless to any situation, including our pooches!

PART THREE: The Pooch Series

COMING UP NEXT IN PART FOUR: HOW TO QUIT STRESSING YOUR POOCH!

Posture the Pooch! Part Two

This is one cute pooch, don't you think? I love the pink. Do you ever have days where you feel like this though? I know I have. Well, unless you are a sumo wrestler, I don't think you want to be carrying around this xtra matter.

When did this cute belly of his come forth? Where did ours come from? For sure our body types come in to play. Have you ever taken a close look at your body type? If not, I would highly recommend you take the time to discover the design of your body. (Look for a later article on specific body types and how we address them in Pilates and in some cases how we undress them!!!! )

By example, if you could see my little mama you would see the wear and tear her body has endured because she did not correct the issues with her body type. Some things we can't always correct 100%, but we can sure impede the problematic issues that may arise later in life. Mom has kyphosis and loridosis as did her mother. Her thoracic spine has increased flexion and her lumbar spine is hyperextended which typically leads to "belly pooch-out". Add to that osteoporosis. My daughter and I carry some of those same genetic traits. We have to work on opening up our shoulders for just beginners and watching that our pelvis does not go into an anterior tilt, which can cause the belly to pooch.

OK, have I totally confused you? I am very serious about the importance of knowing what body type you have. Knowing will help you to better understand your pooch! And you can learn what do to tone your stomach muscles.

While I am going to address the food factor, etc. it is critical for you to understand that you have much more to consider to keep your belly toned.

If you want more info on body types and how you can discover what yours is, you can email me at pilatesworx4life@juno.com . And watch for my upcoming post on postural body types.


PART TWO: The Pooch Series

THE POOCH 101 SERIES-Part One

No, this series is not about your doggie. That’s for another blogsite.
So what does that leave us with? Ah, yes, Pooch, the TUMMY. NO, on second thought, don’t pooch the tummy.

Of course, not everyone has issues with their tummy. You may be lucky or young enough to not have a little pooch of your own. However, the stats show that the majority of us struggle with mid-section inflation! So read on, please. I can guarantee that you know someone who could use some xtra encouragement on how to get their pooch in training!

Seriously, though, the next few posts will be about what do you do with your pooch? Hummm, just like with your doggie, you may have questions like:



· What should you feed it?
· How should you train it?
· Is there any hope for it?
· When, if ever, should you consider giving your pooch surgery?
· Why should it matter if you have a pooch or not?
· What causes it to act the way it does?
· What exercises are best for you little poochy?
· Is Pilates good for the old pooch?
· And do you really want to get rid of pooch completely?

OK, let’s get started with Pooch Training 101.

PART ONE: The Pooch Series

ANDREA!

Thank you, Andrea, for your expertise in helping me launch
Pilates Worx 4 Life! Andrea has spent 20 years of her career (which means she started the business at age 5 or so!) in the printing business. My daughter, April, introduced us a few years ago. They are good friends and are both professional photographers as well. Amazing ladies with much talent from which I have greatly benefited. Anyway, she took quite a few hours the other day in the midst of her busy schedule to finalize some of the graphics on this site. Hope you enjoy!

Andrea and Pilates!
Andrea was brave enough to let me share a private Pilates session with her a few months ago. After that session, I think she would probably tell you a DVD is not the way to go to truly learn the beautiful discipline of Pilates. By the way, she is very "connected" which made my job easier.

Her job was not so simple when roles were reversed, and I was the one sitting in the student's chair. My body might not be in a fog, but I can tell you my brain was about to blow a cyber fuse. Plus, being blond does not help matters any. But you know we came out on the other side having a new appreciation for the field of work we have each chosen.

Hope you enjoy her work with the graphics on this blog while you are checking out the posts, etc.

Finding Pilates in Loss

About a year ago my daughter told me about a young lady named Jen who had been married just a few months and suddenly became deathly ill for some unknown reason. Even the doctors did not have much hope. That piqued my interest, so I decided to check out her blogspot to see how she was doing.

Initially Jen and her husband thought she had the flu. But as the symptoms progressed rapidly it was discovered she had sepsis, which is toxic infection (multi-organ failure). Her legs were amputated at midcalf and her hands just below the wrists. I won't detail the rest but would ask you to check out the story in the Dallas Morning Newspaper. The quickest way to find the article it is to go to Jen's blogspot at http://www.getwelljen.blogspot.com/, look on the right side column and click on Dallas Morning News; it will take you directly to the article. It is a pretty amazing story about an amazing young woman.

What does Jen have to do with Pilates? I knew you would ask that!

I commented on Jen's blog back then and told her I thought Pilates would be wonderful for her. Time passed. Then one day I had a friend whose mom suddenly became very ill for some unknown reason. The next thing she knew they were having to amputate one or more of her mom's arms and legs. That reminded me of Jen, so I told her about the blogsite. In a matter of days my friend's mom was diagnosed with sepsis; it was heart breaking. My friend did go back to Jen's site and Jen gave her words of encouragement. Unfortunately, her mom did pass away, I believe in January.

All that took me back to Jen's blog. I had not visited it in a few months. As I read her posts, I discovered she had started taking Pilates! I can't tell you how that blessed my heart. Also I noticed that she was going to be participating in a Pilates workshop about the same time I was going to a Pilates workshop. I couldn't imagine that it would be the same one, but I wondered. Sure enough it was! And the funny thing was I had been talking to and emailing the head of the workshop who just happened to be Jen's trainer, Donna. It is a small world! Too cool.

The sad news is I did not get to attend the workshop as my little mama had taken a hard fall, and I felt like I needed to stick close to home. The good news is Jen is doing very well and is still enjoying Pilates immensely.

Check out her blogsite: http://www.getwelljen.blogspot.com/ and go to February 10, 08 posted "Pilates Engagement". You will enjoy the journey.

Write Your Way To Health

Since developing the writing workshop years ago (a previous post), I have encountered numerous articles revealing how writing can improve your health. Just this past week I ran across an article in the Dallas Morning News that caught my eye. The title was, "Is the Pen Mightier Than The Doctor?" Experts from fields of anthropology, medicine, and psychology are applauding the importance of writing advancing good health. They are presenting a three part series called: "How Stories Restore Us." Larry Allums, executive director of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture stated,

"Communication via the Internet has become an excellent outlet for people who are ill and such writing is gaining popularity. So many memoirs are being written today. This is the wonderful aspect of the blog." http://www.dallasmorningnews.com/

WHICH PEN FITS BEST 4 U? Too, there are numerous articles revealing the advantages writing brings emotionally to individuals. Writing is known to be a soothing therapy to its author. The types of writing may come in the form of journaling, poetry, prose, writing workshops like mine, creative writing, etc. A person has to find what works best for them. I know people who journal almost everyday, and it has enriched their lives and helped them through many of life's storms. Others are not that disciplined and or it is just not their thing. They may choose to have a visit with the pen only when the mood strikes which might be once a year but that once a year meeting brings healing and clarity to a situation. It's not as much about quantity, but the value the author finds in that writing moment.

SOCIAL ADVANTAGES In my research one of the things that impressed me was that when people gather in a class to write and share their stories many of their social deficits are resolved. It's found that this is especially true for senior citizens. Research also concludes that seniors not only benefit on a social level, but this type of setting creates a fertile environment for better health. Because of that advantage to seniors, I was asked to go into assisted living centers in the area and teach my workshop. It was not the right time for me to jump on board, but I thought it was an insightful way to help the elderly.

Looking Into The Closet: Not to exclude spring chickens! I had many teenagers who took my workshop and developed not just their writing skills but found therapy in sharing their challenging times. We all need to find a safe haven for sharing those moments. I had teens as well as older folks who shared closet secrets. We all have them. And I am not saying we need to expose everything. A wise word from the Bible states, "Only a fool utters all that he knows." (Proverbs 29:11).

What I am addressing are secrets that have hindered the growth of the person in some capacity. When you see people break-down in tears flowing like a fountain while telling their story, you know you have just been a part of something magical. It embraced and brought you to a deeper understanding to human tragedy. You walk away speechless. And I did many a time in my workshops.

And having other students there in that moment created an environment for emotional support. Too, on a confidential note, what was revealed in class stayed safely tucked within those four walls.

Participants shared everything from birth tragedies to death blessings. Rarely was anything left out. Adoption and its deep roots of pain, yet triumph. Deaths of babies lost to a devastating illness. War stories that didn't always wear medals. Misgivings in families. Rape. Incest. Crisis pregnancies. Abandonment. Divorce. The list is endless. And not to dwell on the clouded side of life, but it's important to share that those very stories ended with redemption eventually peeping its beautiful little head through the storm.

Which reminds me of another article called, "Savor the Sorrow". Author and Wake Forest prof Eric G. Wilson states in his book Against Happiness:In Praise of Melancholy when "happy types" run away from sorrow, they cut themselves off from a full ride--and from the wellspring of creativity. He believes that Americans are dangerously addicted to happiness. (Dallas Morning News) My own personal hand in research came in the way of surveys in my workshops. The stats always proved that writing became a method to soften the blows in life. Better to write than to run from pain!

WRITING IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES Writing has always found its way into every crevice of life. Whether it be on the walls of prisons like in Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo or scribbled in the ground leaving a message like Christ did when the Pharisees were busy about condemning a women in sin, or in a bottle that is thrown to sea. Did you read recently about a couple who did just that and interestingly enough the bottle was found by another couple who happened to have the same wedding anniversary? Did you see the movie, "Message In A Bottle"? Or think of the movie "Cast Away" where Tom Hanks found comfort in trying to journal his way to survival. Think of all the hieroglyphics telling a story on walls in caves throughout history.

Too, I can't help but think of poetry. Many a poet will tell you their creative juices flowed best when they were squeezed through life's tugs-of-war. While some of these are fictional, we know reality speaks the same story many times over. Without question, we know writing is oftentimes marrow to our bones. Try it and your health might like it.

***SIDE NOTE: TO COPYRIGHT OR NOT

Being an author is made easy in the 21st Century; it's called blogging, my spacing, etc. Remember what you author on the Internet is legally yours. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, a copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the U.S....to the authors of original works of authorship." Works can be literary, dramatic, musical, audiovisual, and artistic, published or unpublished, in any form including print and electronic. Do you have to be concerned about plagiarism? Uh, yes, since the beginning of man. While copyright happens automatically when a work is created, it is advisable to apply for a certificate from the Copyright office. http://www.copyright.gov/ , The Everything Blogging Book (purchase at http://www.amazon.com/) However, from what I understand copyright laws have changed so once you have authored work, legally it is yours, therefore copyrighted.

Check out my writing website: http://www.thewritememories.com/ Also take a gander at my writing blog under construction: http://www.writememories.blogspot.com/

Sore Muscles and Washer Wringers

In shape? One would hope so especially if they are a personal Pilates trainer! OK, just what is it that I am trying to confess?

After four intense days of being in an advanced equipment Pilates certification course, I am not sure why I am NOT exhausted. I was pondering out loud to my husband as to why I was not sore? His response was one we all hope for: "You are in shape, that's why." While I appreciated his sincerity, I had to disagree. You can be in shape and still experience soreness and most definitely when your body has just taken a tour through the wringer.

Which by the way, I would bet neither of my children (both grown) would come close to knowing what "wringer" means. This is a side note but if you think about those old wringers, like my sweet mama used to have, you get the idea of what I felt like over the last few days. Wrap your mind around that visual. Me, going through one of those old washing machine rollers. OUCH. Talking about needing to get control of your core. I guess no amount of core work would help you out in that contortion.

OK, enough. Back to the why? I had a "shoot fire, save matches moment"(my little mama's saying). A light for sure came on, and I saw CORE written all over that light bulb. Controlling my core in all the moves proved to be the answer. Are you asking why, I, Ms Pilates teacher am just now flipping the switch and seeing the light? Good question. While I have attended intensive Pilates courses before, this one proved to be one of the toughest in the way of having to engage with such precision in challenging positions for that many consecutive days.

Bottom line? True, controlling your core and engaging your muscles correctly and precisely is the answer to not just good health, but prevention of injury. The testimony is more than that though. And it's more than just being in shape. (Besides what is the definition of "shape"?)

It is about knowing how to implement each and every move with precision, control, and concentration while putting it on your specific body (type and issues). It's about modifications needed for your particular body, THEN you can find a way to get through that wringer without coming out mangled. That is huge, folks.

So with that said, how can anyone possibly think they can go into a random gym or rec center and take Pilates where one size fits all? There ain't no such thing (*skel). Besides have you ever found any item where one size fits all? Rich is the person who came up with that illusion and poor are those of us who bought into it. As it is with those who buy into doing Pilates before they truly learn it from a professional. One Pilates move does not fit all. However, the move will fit when it is tailored for the individual.

Yes, freedom from sore muscles made me a believer in the method of Pilates once again. Who would of thunk?

***** skel=Slaughter King's English License (I bought the rights a few years back).

Paying To Be Injured?

How many times have we heard, “Pilates injured me.”? Pilates died along time ago so how could he have injured anyone? Joseph, that is. OK, OK, I realize they are not referring to Joe. Most people do not know Pilates is named after a man. Regardless, Pilates does NOT injure people, people injure people. Not that I am implying that all the responsibility rests totally on them. But if you are reading this you don’t have to be one of those who gets injured. At least the odds are against it.

How so?

First, I know you are not even going to attempt Pilates without a few private sessions with a one-on-one qualified Pilates instructor. Right?

Qualified? Qualified means someone who has spent more than a few hours or a day or weekend learning the discipline. Qualified comes with proof that they are training ongoing with a professional Pilates training center. With that brings the assurance that the requirements are set high for the trainee which includes: hundreds and hundreds of hours in lecture, practicing the system, and then putting it into motion with clients. Too, the process is pricey. It’s called investment. Yet, even after all that, a qualified instructor will have passion for their work. They will not be satisfied with mediocre but strive to create ways to infuse health into the body of their client.

It really is a combination of study, application, and intent. Find what works for you and your needs. Don’t settle for less…because remember you are the one paying. And you don’t want to pay with an injury.

Where's Your Hard Hat???

This site has clearly been under construction! And I plan on leaving my hard hat on for a while longer! You will probably need to keep yours on as well.

Thank you for your patience during the infancy of this blog site as I work to bring helpful information to you as well as a little entertainment along the way.

I will be heading to an intense Pilates workshop tomorrow and will be out of pocket from then (Thursday) until Sunday. I have five Pilates equipment manuals to drink in during the workshop. The good news is I don’t have to absorb it all in one long week end; it will carry over into two more weekends.

I look forward to coming back and sharing ideas with you. Hope to see you then! Keep up the work 4 life!

YOUR MOTHER'S MOTHER

OK, so you are thinking "grandma"? Nope, I speak not of good old grandmama. I am talking about YOU. If you haven't already, one day you may very well become your mother's mother. Does that make you your own grandma? UGH. OK, so I'm getting a little goofy. Indulge me. In all seriousness though, being your mom's mom can mess with your head.

So I am there folks. And while it's sad, it's life.

The benefits are many though the challenges are just as numerous.

I do love to share the Pilates principles with Mom and she does listen. I remember when we first discussed Pilates. Just getting the pronunciation for her was a challenge, which is common. As the conversation culminated, with a sigh she said, "Well, I guess it's too late for me." Without hesitation I shared that it is never too late. Not that she could correct all of her posture issues, like her kyphosis, but she could deter more problems. Light danced across her face for hope. And that brought joy to my heart. Since then we have had many discussions on how to apply the Pilates principles in her every day life.

By the way, it is doubtful that my daughter will ever become my mother. She has reminded me that we are so close in age we will probably be in the nursing home at the same time! Imagine! I can see us now; the oldest and hottest Pilates babes anyone has ever seen racing our walkers down the hallway faster than the little old men can catch us!

CHILDREN PLAY PILATES

Whenever I look at my sweet little mama's hunched over back, I am more convinced than ever the need for children to learn Pilates. Had Mom been exposed to Pilates at a young age and maintained its principles she would not have chronic back issues at 85.

Too, I have had the blessed opportunity to watch my grandsons embrace Pilates. When I give their parents private lessons, they get to learn one new exercise before the lesson begins. What fun. And it's amazing to see how quickly they grasp the concepts of Pilates.

Pilates is a beautiful language to be learned. We know that children learn new languages much more quickly than adults. So it only stands to reason that now is the time for your children to jump into Pilates and play, play, play!

WOMEN WHO ENJOY PILATES

• women of all ages
• all shapes and sizes
• from every socio economic background
• educational background
• every culture
• every nation

WHAT MAN WOULD DO PILATES?

Tiger Woods
Dirk Nowiteski
My husband
My son
My son-in-law, Bryan
just to name a few....

PLUTO AND PILATES?

What in the world is Pilates? If you have been on planet Earth lately chances are you have at least heard the name. I would think most people know as much about it as they do Pluto. And unless you have spent time with a QUALIFIED personal Pilates trainer, your view is about as distant as Pluto, and I don’t mean the dog, folks.

When I was initially introduced to Pilates, I kept thinking what kind of name is that for an exercise? Little did I know Pilates is the name of the person who designed it. Joseph H. Pilates. Then I wondered how long this “new” fad would last. My discovery led me not to some contemporary new-do, but to the early 1900s. Now that tripped me out and caught my attention. Where had I been? I mean I had been exercising all my adult life. How could I have missed it? Ok, so I was going to get on board. What to do? I bet like most of you, I was informed I should get “the” DVDs. And to ONLY get these certain ones. Easy enough. Uh huh. Easy until I plugged it in. While it intrigued me, something for me was missing. And you know, I never tried to do even one of those weird looking exercises. I shut the DVD off and never looked at it again.
But you know, that very impression that something was missing became a huge discovery. The secret? A QUALIFIED PILATES INSTRUCTOR. More on that later!

PILATES. What is it? Maybe we should begin by defining what it is NOT....

• a fast-food quick fix
• an illegal substance
• Karate
• aerobics
• learned by watching a DVD, or going to a rec center.

PILATES IS:

• Intelligent Exercise
• Lifetime Results
• For all Genders and Populations
• Healthy to the Core
• Designed Just 4 U !!!!

When Equal Rights Are Unhealthy

How would you define women's health issues? Hummm, they are caused by the men in their lives? Never! uh hummm. Let's cut to the core. For centuries women have fought for their rights to be like men (no, it did not start with Gloria S.) all the way back to Eve. There have been advantages for us as in voting, or just being able to sit on the same side of the church as the men. Now we are welcomed to the stage of being equal with men and their health. Yet not until recently have we been afforded the same rights as men enjoyed with medical attention. For years we were accused of being anxiety prone, worriers, or at best just imagining that we were having some type of pain. We were not treated with the same aggression in the medical field.

Personal example: Just a few years back, my mother had a stroke while in my home. The firemen and paramedics rushed out and instead of looking dead into the face of the symptoms, they chose to question my poor little mother. "Have y0u been worried about something? Did you feel anxious about something that happened last night or this morning?" Days earlier, I had read about a report concerning women not being treated as seriously as men in medical crises. And here it was walking itself right into my living room. Was I being too sensitive? Would you say the fact that she could not speak, her bp was 180/200, and she was disoriented might have been a reason to i.d. a stroke and initiate emergency care? It sure was not time to discuss her latest worry session. At the time I was in so much shock, I just stood there stunned. Thankfully, that event ignited a fire in my spirit to never let her suffer at the hands of ignorance again. I now educate and advocate for her health.

If you have not been there with your own health, or for some special lady in your life, my clarion call is: GET PREPARED NOW as it is around the corner, it's your right to be responsible!

A Quote Just 4 You!

PILATES = INTELLIGENT EXERCISE WITH PROFOUND LIFETIME RESULTS!

4 FITNESS AND HEALTH TODAY

What does your health look like TODAY? Some of us would say we are doing well while others are suffering with some malady. The concern for that first group is that a great % of them "look" the picture of health while some illness is but a hospital stay away. The latter group, while knowing they have a health challenge, are stressed with no cure in sight. Their options seem vast but offering zero positive results. The rest of us need prevention coverage! A common denominator is that we all need to be infusing ways of bringing health to our bodies. And it's never a one stop shop. With that said, my blog mission is not to just bring the best of Pilates to you but to create an avenue to share great health tips for your everyday life. Starting with......

Welcome to my Pilates blog site!

I appreciate you stopping by.