Heads Up on Your Body

Tips For Better Hiking

Hiking is one of the most beautiful, energizing, perfect forms of exercise- kind of like pilates! And like pilates, there are some little things you can do that will make a big difference in your performance on the hike, and how you feel after you’re done.

Also like pilates, the more you practice hiking, the better you’ll be at it. Try incorporating some of these helpful tips so you’re not totally exhausted or in pain from your hike!

1. Hiking Uphill
This is the number one thing I always do when I’m hiking- it totally changed how I get from the bottom to the top of a mountain. First, picture the mid-line in your body, running up through the top of your head and down through your feet.

When you’re hiking uphill, keep going UP, up along the mid-line, and UP with the top of your head. Keep the sides of your body lifted UP. Tell yourself, you’re not hiking forward, you’re hiking UP!

It sounds obvious, that if you’re hiking uphill, you must be going up… where else would you be going? What I mean is, keep your body up, keep your center connected up. In fact, its not only the mid-line that’s going up, its also the arches of your feet. Imagine the arches of your feet lifting you up as you hike, propelling you up the trail.

When you start practicing hiking UP, you’ll notice that the people hiking along with you think they’re hiking uphill but they’re actually hiking down. They aren’t UP in their bodies, but instead they’re stomping their feet, looking down, rounding their backs as they trod up the trail.

Hiking up will totally change the quality of your hike. Think Alexander Technique meets hiking.

2. You get lost or confused on trails.
We made this mistake so many times. We’d look up a good trail in one of our hiking books, get directions, arrive, and begin hiking. Then, later when the trail would split in a few different directions, we had no idea which way to go or what our options were!

To ensure that you don’t get lost or miss any great overlooks, look up the trail you want to take a few days before your hike. Take the book to the copy store and make copies of the trail map, trail comments, and directions. Make enough copies that each person in your group will have one. Then, everyone can take their copies with them on the trail, in their backpacks, and no one will feel confused or like they missed anything on the hike.

You can also check how much further you have to go to the end of the trail!

3. Use a walking stick.
Do walking sticks seem Moonshiner-ish, or like a Boy Scout accessory? They are actually awesome to have with you on a hike, for a few reasons.

Using a walking stick takes pressure off your own joints when hiking up or downhill. It can help you get your footing when hiking on rocks or across streams. Like the arches of your feet, it can help propel you up the trail.

You’ll have have to be careful not to start hiking down when you use the walking stick. Try not to lean all your body weight to the side and into the stick, in an effort to uumph yourself uphill. Use your core to lift your weight up out of the stick, and to keep yourself centered.

4. Don’t skimp on snacks and water.
This is another mistake I’ve made many times in the past. In an effort to carry less on the trail, I’ve taken too little food and water and just become exhausted, especially on the way down!

Bring along high energy snacks that are small in size, and a variety of tastes such as salty, sweet, and juicy. Things like dried fruit (dried bananas and figs are faves), granola bars, chunks of cheese, crackers, an apple, pretzels, are great.

Bring water along in a bottle, or a Camel Back backpack is ideal, if you don’t mind drinking out of a rubber straw.

5. Wear real hiking shoes.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your old sneakers are fine to wear on a hike. They’re not. Sneakers don’t have adequate ankle support for hiking, or the proper shock absorbency. When you hike downhill in bad shoes, you’re likely to either twist your ankle, have pain in your knees, or feel every single excrutiating stone and root in the sole of your foot.

Instead, go buy real hiking shoes, you have a lot of styles to chose from and its worth the money. The idea is that you’ll go hiking again in the near future, and walk again tomorrow!

I’ve had a pair of New Balance hiking shoes for a while now that I love. Its true that they look a little dorky, but my joints are worth it!

When is a hiking shoe company going to come out with “design-your-own-hiking-shoes”? That would be awesome! Colors, some different types of mesh, colored laces…

Here’s a link to a great review of all types of hiking shoes so you can decide what would be best for you:
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/sports_and_leisure/hiking-boots/review.html

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How Does Becoming a Pilates Instructor Effect You Mentally?

When you’re trying to decide if you should become a pilates instructor, the last thing that might occur to you is how the certification process will effect you mentally. However, it really does have a huge effect on your mind, and could really change your personality for the better!

Here are some situations that typically come up during the certification process that will have an effect on your dome:

1. Criticism

This is a hard one to deal with. No one takes criticism well, and when you’re learning to become an instructor, the master teachers running the program will be very demanding and critical of you, in constructive ways.

Its important to remember that any criticism you might receive is meant to teach you to be the best instructor you can be. Even if you’ve been taking pilates for years, or if you’re already an instructor of something else, the teachers running your program will stop and correct you all the time.

Like I said, they’re only trying to mold you into the best, most thorough, thoughtful, and intelligent instructor you can be. Be thankful for their critiques on your teaching, don’t take it personally. Its stressful for sure, but try to look at it in the most positive way that you can, as a learning experience.

2. Teaching in front of other people

This is hard at first if you’re not used to speaking or teaching in front of your peers. You think everything will be fine, unless you stand up in front of everyone for the first time and try to teach a mat class. Counting the hundreds out loud?! Cuing the movements and breathing for teaser?! Just the fact that you’re standing up in front of everyone and your voice is the only sound in the whole room!?!?!!

Practice, practice, practice is the only way you’re ever going to get over the fear and awkwardness of teaching in front of other people. I distinctly remember bursting into tears during my first mat class as an apprentice teacher! How embarrassing. But I knew that I needed to practice A LOT if I was ever going to be a teacher at all.

One thing that’s helpful when you’re learning to speak and teach publicly is to picture your favorite teacher in your mind. One who teaches with ease and grace, whose teaching really speaks to you and who you admire. Then, teach your class pretending to be her.

It sounds stalkerish but it does work! Fake confidence long enough and it will start to be more realistic over time!

3. You’re becoming healthier while your friends are still unhealthy.

This is common anytime you embark on a mental, physical, or spiritual journey, when you try to better yourself or look outside yourself to help others. Hopefully, your friends are really excited and happy for you, but then again, they may not be all about your new ventures.

It hurts when friends become jealous, resentful, or feel left out of the “new you”, but if you want to continue your friendships, you’ll have to figure out ways to include them. Ask your friends to be your “guinea pig” clients so you can practice teaching. Invite them to your classes or ask if they want to take a class with you.

4. You’re exhausted.

Like I wrote in the other posts about becoming an instructor, its an exhausting process, but worth it. Its not just tiring physically, but also very tiring mentally. When you first begin teaching, you might be surprised that you can’t teach more than 3 hours a day without becoming totally mentally exhausted. This is normal, and you just have to build up your teaching stamina.

You have to be so mentally focused on what you’re saying, what the client is doing, what you’re about to teach next, questions they might have, injuries that could prevent them from doing certain movements, unexpected issues that come up during the session (they can’t figure out an exercise, or they just want to talk about their problems).

Its a lot to juggle, and still keep your cool. Don’t worry about it- like everything else in pilates and in life, practice will make things much easier. Don’t be hard on yourself if it feels exhausting, and take care of yourself before and after teaching by eating enough healthy food, resting, and getting fresh air. You’ll be fine by the end of the day, and you’ll be a great teacher when its all over!

Most importantly, keep reminding yourself that this certification process will help you grow as a person, and always be open and ready to learn new things about yourself, other people, the body, and the MIND!

Getting Certified to Teach Pilates    Leave a comment

Be the Best You Can Be: Cravings

Cravings: What are they and what do they mean?

“All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt”. Lucy Van Pelt from Peanuts Magazine by Charles Schultz.

Many of us view cravings as weaknesses. We should be able to assert our will over the “demons” in our lives that can take such a hold over us, shouldn’t we? We should be able to ignore the seduction of the Snickers Bar, shouldn’t we? If you look closely enough, you can almost see the devil horns sprouting out of the top of your potato chips, candy bar or Sid Slick chocolate ice cream. Well help is at hand, as I am going to put a whole new perspective on this “bad” behavior!

As with so many things in life, it’s all a matter of perspective. Instead of signs of weakness, in reality these are quite different indicators. Cravings are, in fact, important messages that your body is trying to communicate about getting itself back into balance. I know this takes a leap of faith, but we really do have to try and trust our bodies, as they are miraculous entities that hold great wisdom – if only we could listen.

Here are the 8 primary causes of cravings:

Dehydration: The first sign of dehydration is hunger. So 1st step is to drink a glass of water.

Dissatisfying aspects of your life: Look at your relationships, work, exercise program, social and spiritual life. Eating is often used to fill a void in one of these areas. Eg If you have had a satisfying and nurturing day at work you are less likely to fill the void with ice cream when you arrive home.

Biological imbalance: Eg eating too much sugar can have us craving too much salt. A tip here is to eat a well-balanced meal to put you back on track.

Looking back to childhood: Often we crave food that makes us feel safe and nurtured. Substitute these childhood treats with a healthier version. Eg My mum used to allow us one piece of chocolate a day around 4pm with afternoon tea – now I substitute the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk from my growing up in England for Black and Greens 70% organic chocolate.

Go with the seasons: Our bodies are smart and often give us cravings for foods that help us to balance out the elements. Eg salads in summer; hearty stew in the winter. Holiday time can often be accompanied by cravings for foods associated with the season, eg eggnog at Christmas, Pimms in July. Don’t be alarmed; such festive activities are part of the fun – but in moderation.

Poor nutrition: If our bodies do not receive the nutrients we need to function properly, we will suffer odd cravings. Eg we may crave salty food if we are deficient in minerals, we may crave caffeine if our energy levels are low.

We girls and our hormones: fluctuating hormone levels connected to our cycles, pregnancy or menopause can lead to very strange food cravings. I would love to hear from readers about some of these!

The Saboteur: When things are going well, we sometimes sabotage ourselves and crave foods that put us off balance and this can lead to craving after craving.

Try this experiment: When you get your next craving – stop and ask yourself, “What is really going on here?”

For more information on deconstructing cravings, healthy substitutes, balanced meals and “crowding out” the bad stuff: contact me:

Why not join me for your free Health Counseling Appointment and learn more about a Program to suit you. Getting healthier and happier has never been so much fun! You can visit my website http://www.carolinephipps.com/, email me at caroline@carolinephipps.com or call 845-677-4624.

Be the Best You Can Be    Leave a comment

Spread Eagle and Water Skier

Flying Eagle is an advanced tower exercise- its fun and feels great! It requires a strong ability to connect to the “core” while in spinal extension, which is not easy. Its also a great chest opener, hip flexor stretch, and spine lengthener.

The base of Flying Eagle is the beginner exercise and stretch, Push Through. Its so important to understand that, during Push Through, the bar is controlled and directed by the core muscles and shoulder girdle, not the arms. Push Through also involves spinal articulation and flexibility, as if the spine is snaking through the movements, not just going back and forth in “one piece”.

Once you’re able to do the Push Through exercise smoothly and with proper control, there are a few fun variations that can come with it. I’ve already posted about one stretchy variation on Push Through, if you want to check it out, see the link at the bottom of this post.

For Flying Eagle, do a few Push Throughs to warm up. After two or three, pause at the point when you’re pushing up on the bar and stretching the spine upwards. Then, scoop the abs and round the spine back, bringing the bar with you, as if you’re about to do another Push Through.

Begin to round so much that you actually slide under the bar and lay on your back on the mat.

Water Skier
Once you’re on your back, you are ready for Water Skier. The balls of your feet are on the bars, but the heels are not. Connect your shoulders into your back so the collar bones are wide and your shoulder girdle can control the Push Through bar as you move into Water Skier.

Be sure to keep the arms straight the whole time, because the instinct may be to bend them. You may feel more secure if you hook your thumbs under the Push Through bar. Lift your back right up off the mat in one piece, with the legs extending, and float up into a plank position with your body. You’re water skiing!

To come back down, bend the knees and sent the tailbone forward, so you can lay right back down on the mat in one piece with the spine, back in the position you were in just before you came up into Water Skier. Then, in one movement, push with the legs and come up to the seated position of Push Through. Once you’re there, take one round of Push Through before your next Water Skier.

Spread Eagle
This is really just Water Skier with a back bend. Its nice to add in one Spread Eagle after a couple Water Skiers for an extra stretch.

Once you’re up in Water Skier, bend the knees slightly, open the collar bones, and arch the upper back. The whole spine is in extension, and its important to keep the abdominals engaged so the low back has some support here.

Its also important to think of the length of the spine and your abs stretching long, as if both are stretching away from the tower. This focus on lengthening will counter-balance the shortness that could come into the low back.

There is another version with straight legs, which is more of just an upper back arch. In my opinion, its not really as good because it keeps the low back too rigid, but its nice for people who have the flexibility for it.

To come out of Spread Eagle, you have to return to Water Skier. Then, proceed to come down and finish the routine just as we did for Water Skier.

You can think of the whole sequence like this: Push up, scoop back to lay down, lift up to a plank (Water Skier), bend the knees and arch back (Spread Eagle), come back to the plank, bend the knees to lay down, sit up, Push Through.

Its not really as complicated to do as it sounds, and its really great fun

This is not a good exercise for someone with low back problems or problems gripping with the hands. This is definitely an advanced exercise.

I have heard a story about a tower coming out of the wall during this exercise, so its very important to know if your tower is properly secured into the wall and into the studs in the wall.

You can buy an accessory for the tower called the Spread Eagle Foot Plate, though its entirely not necessary to have one: http://www.peakpilates.com/store/prd_page_nt.cfm?ID=176&CATID=3

Here is another post I wrote on another variation of Push Through:
http://headsuponyourbody.blogspot.com/2008/03/great-variation-of-push-through.html

More Advanced Students, Pilates    Leave a comment

By Popular Demand: Expanded Apprentice Teacher Schedule!

People in Sarah’s Monday night classes have been asking for more, more more! So I am so happy to announce that Sarah is expanding her schedule to include Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as her regular Monday schedule!

Sarah is such a great instructor, its hard to believe she’s an apprentice and not yet fully certified. She is fun, she listens to what clients have to say, and she know the exercises inside and out. Now is a great time to take advantage of her reduced rate sessions!

Sessions with Sarah are also a great way to combat the terrible gas prices. We are all looking for ways to cut back, without cutting into our fitness routine. So, this is a way to do pilates while remaining on a budget!

Here is a run-down of Sarah’s rates:

Mat Classes:
$15

Like I said, Sarah is available in the studio on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. For a more detailed schedule, and for Sarah’s bio, see our website, http://www.rhinebeckpilates.com/

To book a session with Sarah, or for any questions you may have, please feel free to call or email me!

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Friday Models the Magic Circle

Most people immediately groan when I pass out the Magic Circle before class… well, they’re either groaning or affectionately calling it the “Ring of Fire”. Naturally I was surprised to find that there is someone, or somedog, who doesn’t actually mind the Magic Circle.

Here is Friday remaining calm, cool, and collected with the Magic Circle. What a great dog! He always behaves so well during mat class when he could so easily jump all over everyone and create havoc. Besides loving the Magic Circle, he also enjoys Side Leg Heel Beats and Plank positions.

Too Funny, Will Bark For Pilates    Leave a comment

The Fabulous Pilates Passbook

This is going to blow your Toe Socks off.

Here is a great way to sample a few classes from almost every major pilates studio in a city near you (NYC, Chicago, Houston, or LA, to be exact), become introduced to studios you never knew existed, and only have to pay one time, once. What am I talking about?…. its the fabulous Pilates Passbook, offered by the American Health and Fitness Alliance.

The Pilates Passbook, is filled with passes to pilates classes and studios in the city you live in. All you have to do is make your appointment, present your pass, and your classes or sessions are FREE!

Does that sound to good to be true? Well, it is true. They also have a Yoga Passbook Fitness Passbook, which is a book filled with free gym passes to gyms all over the city.

These passbooks also include passes to Gyrotonic studios, Alexander Technique sessions, swimming, dancing…. the list goes on and on. If you view the American Health and Fitness Alliance’s website, you can see detailed lists of every participating studio and gym and what exactly they offer with the passes.

I love these books! I bought them and had a great time “touring” studios and gyms all over the city for a year with my friend who also bought the passbook. Its a thrifty way to try new classes and to spend time with a friend!

When I had my passbook, I discovered so many studios that I never knew of. I tried many different types of classes and different teaching styles- I kind of got a taste for everything out there. It was a really great experience. Its a perfect way to find out more about all the different types of pilates teaching styles and points of view, for anyone who wants to learn more about the different types of pilates that are out there today.

There are so many passes in these passbooks, that you might not even be able to go to every studio and gym listed. Even if that happens, the book basically pays for itself after just a few classes or sessions that you do use. And, if you end up with extra passes to places you will never go (for example, if the studio is totally out of your neighborhood), you can sell the extra passes on http://www.craigslist.org/.

Check out the American Health and Fitness Alliance website for yourself, and learn more about the passbooks:
http://www.health-fitness.org/index.html

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How Does the Pilates Certification Process Effect Your Body?

If you’re thinking about becoming a certified pilates instructor, you might be wondering what the certification process is like. While no two programs are exactly alike, these are some things your physical body might experience from the certification process.

Of course, I couldn’t write a post on the physical aspects of becoming certified without mentioning physical benefits of certification. Number one, you’ll get a killer bod! The other physical benefits of getting certified are all the benefits of doing pilates- you’ll feel taller, leaner, stronger, and more connected to your breath.

With all the working out that is required of you, you can’t help but get that “pilates body” we all want so bad! The key is to pace yourself. After all, pilates is really all about balance.

At the same time, any 600 hour certification process is intensely physically demanding. You are expected to practice all the exercises from beginner to advanced, usually both on your own and also in private sessions with the certifying instructor. The amount of time it takes to complete a certification is usually 6-18 months, depending on how much of a time commitment you make to the process.

If you’ve been doing pilates for years, this amount of pilates activity and the intensity may not have a huge effect on your energy level. But, if you’re at an intermediate or beginner level and decide to become a teacher, you’ll end up practicing advanced exercises sooner than you may have otherwise. Its all great, but its also intense, even if you’re already in good physical condition.

Besides having to practice all the exercises and work out a lot, you are also expected to observe the certified teachers at the studio teaching classes and privates. In a way, this is the opposite of working out, because you’re sitting for a few hours. But at the same, observing is physically exhausting! In most cases, you have to sit on the floor, or maybe you can sit on a ball or a piece of equipment in the studio, but you’re still sitting. You might start to feel stiff in your back and hips, and just get plain tired! Of course, you can’t zone out, because you need to take notes and be… observant.

Getting Certified to Teach Pilates    Leave a comment

Differences and Similarities Between Pilates and Yoga

Many people familiar with yoga are curious about pilates. What are the differences between pilates and yoga? Is one better than the other? Here are some similarities and differences between the two methods!

First, I’d like to point out that neither pilates nor yoga is better than the other, they are just different from each other. Great benefits can be gained from doing one or the other, or both.


Breathing
One big difference between pilates and yoga is the types of breathing. In yoga, there are a few different types of breating, depending on the style of yoga, the focus of the class or exercise, and the intentions of the teacher. One type of yogic breathing is audible and throaty, known as the ujjayi breath. It is a deep breathing that helps to focus and center the mind. Also in yoga, the belly is encouraged to rise and fall with the breath. All the yoga poses flow with the breath.

In pilates, exercises also flow with the breath, though the type of breathing is very different. During pilates, one goal is to stay connected into the center the whole time, which includes during inhalation. The belly is not to rise and fall with breath. Instead, the focus is more on breathing in and up into the upper back.

In both yoga and pilates, a nice way to focus and connect to the movements is through the breath. However, unlike yoga breathing, in pilates, the breath is usually not as audible as it is in yoga.

The Spiritual Element
Yoga literally translates to, “One with God”. Yoga is a spiritually based discipline. Classes usually include chanting, meditation, and passages read aloud by the teacher. Incense is sometimes burned during class, and there are spiritual statues found around the studio.

Pilates is not spiritually based in the ways that yoga is. Joseph Pilates did intend pilates to be “complete coordination of the mind, body, and spirit”, and anyone who practices pilates knows that it does boost the spirit- the spirit soars along with the flow of exercises in a very invigorating way. However, pilates does not include any of the spiritual elements I listed above. Many people who feel uncomfortable with chanting in yoga, love pilates because there’s no chanting!

The Focus of the Class
In both pilates and yoga, there is a focus on strengthening and stretching the whole body. In yoga, poses are often held for a period of time, while in pilates, the exercises are more rhythmical.

At the same time, a pilates mat class can flow and move in similar ways to a vinyasa yoga class.

Pilates and yoga also both focus on stretching while strengthening, as each movement is not only an exercise, but also a stretch.

In general, pilates classes are typically more “exercisey” than yoga classes, because of the emphasis on the core, and also because the equipment adds a strength training element. That’s not to say that you’ll never walk out of a yoga class in a sweat, though!

The Length of the Class
It seems like a small difference, but to many people, the length of the class is a really important factor when they’re deciding whether or not to take a pilates or yoga class. Yoga classes are 1 1/2 hour long, though many studios do have lunchtime classes of just 1 hour. Pilates classes are just 1 hour, and many studios have only 45 minute classes. And that’s not figuring in the time it takes to get to and from the class.

As a pilates instructor, I often hear that people don’t have time to take a yoga class and would rather come to pilates for a quicker, more intense workout.

The Positions Your Body is In
In yoga classes, there are many more standing exercises, and more different types of movements in general. There are more exercises that focus on shoulder stability, standing balances, and of course there are also the head/hand stands.

In pilates, there are standing, kneeling, sidelying, sitting, supine, and prone exercises, but if you take a mat class, you will typically do most of the exercises laying on your back. This is seen as a plus to some people! If you’re lucky, your pilates mat class teacher will include standing and kneeling exercises to spice things up a bit!

If you take a tower or reformer class, you’re more likely to move your body in a wider range of positions than in a mat class.

As you can see from my post, it doesn’t appear that pilates or yoga is “better” than the other. There are similarities and differences, and you really have to choose which classes and teachers speak to you the most! Ideally, you can find a balance between pilates and yoga, so that all your needs are met.

Answers to Common Questions, Pilates Principles, Stretching, fitness    Leave a comment

Can Men Do Pilates?

This seems like a silly question, but its one that actually comes up a lot. Many men assume they know what a pilates class is going to be like (a bunch of women) and what pilates is all about (like yoga, but for ballet dancers) and what the class is going to be like (a lot of deep breathing and stretching).

Hey, its not just some men who make those assumptions, some women make those assumptions, too! But this is a post about men and pilates… before we go any further, let me just take a moment to point out that:

Joseph Pilates himself WAS A MAN. So… of course men do pilates. They have been since the first day pilates was invented.

It might be true that there are usually more women than men in pilates classes, but that doesn’t mean anything, really.

Over the years as a pilates instructor, I’ve taught many men pilates in group classes and private sessions. I even used to teach a class, Pilates For Men, at the local community college. I’ve seen pilates improve golf and tennis games, decrease stress, and increase flexibility so long commuter flights are less uncomfortable and sitting at a desk is less painful. Pilates is also a great way for couples to bond together healthfully.

Of course, the anatomy of a man is different than that of a woman, and I’m not talking about the obvious differences. Men tend to be less flexible in the hamstrings and spine, with more upper body strength. In some cases, modifications for the exercises need to be made until greater flexibility is achieved. Other than lack of flexibility (which can also be true for women), little else is different between what men can and can’t do compared with women in pilates.

If you’re a man who wants to try pilates, but you think its too girly, you better get yourself into a pilates studio to learn something! Joseph Pilates was a boxer, who used weights in combination with his equipment in his original studio to train other athletes. Its best not to decide what pilates is like before taking a class, go see for yourself first.

Pilates can also be an interesting journey mentally. I’ve seen men subconsciously try to initiate each exercise from the upper body, not the core, like they should be. I’ve seen men try to power through a class, without thinking of proper form, which will actually bring quicker and greater results than muscling through.

Putting yourself in a position of learning a whole new way of exercising can bring great rewards in your personal, professional, and athletic life.

Taking the time to notice how you feel before, during, and after an exercise, finding your mind-body connection, learning how to truly “work from your center”- all of these lessons can be translated into other areas of your life.

Check out this post I wrote about Pilates Myths, one is about men doing pilates:
http://headsuponyourbody.blogspot.com/2008/03/pilates-myths.html

Answers to Common Questions    Leave a comment