The Movement Studio Pilates

Modern humans move far less than our forebears did, which Peter

Egoscue – often  labeled by colleagues as the Father of Postural

Therapy –  confidently asserts is the major cause of  muscular

weakness that can affect bodily alignment.

When muscle weakness causes one side of the body to bear less than its

share of the weight, the resulting distortion may cause dysfunction

and pain in many areas and we at The Movement Studio see this

manifestation far too frequently.

“Sufferers can help their conditions by focusing attention on the

muscles involved in stabilizing the body’s skeleton.  These very

important muscles should be kept strong, flexible and balanced in all

movements.

The spinal column is composed of 33 individual vertebrae, stacked one

on top of one another, and threaded with the spinal cord.  The spine

can be looked at as the drive shaft as its unique shape allows the

body to pull off extraordinary balancing acts on a daily basis.

However, the muscles are also essential, not only to retain the

spine’s shape but to hold it erect.  Conversely, inactive, atrophied,

and compensating muscles alter the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical

spinal curves.  Over time in the body’s improper movement and

malnourished lifestyles, the magical S-Curve diminishes, taking with

it the spine’s flexibility, load-bearing strength and shock-absorbing

capacity.

Abandoned by the muscles, and losing the integrity of its curves, the

spine is at the mercy of gravity.  Rigidity sets in and the body does

what it does best and protects itself by throwing the muscles into

contraction.  Eventually, the spine reaches its limits and it begins

to stiffen the posture in a compromised flexion position.  The result

is chronic back pain.”  (Pete Egoscue)

Pilates and movement education is a great way to prevent muscle atrophy and the issues associated withit. If you struggle with chronic aches and pains, balance, and day-to-day function, we have a great team of instructors who are well versed in teaching you how to get reacquainted with your natural movement, become more body aware, and strengthen yourself up. All of our instructors have worked with a vast variety of individuals of most ages, giving them lots of experience to help you get back on your feet. So if you feel like getting moving again, feel free to give us a shout!

During the first few years of human life, the amount of brain growth a person experiences is greater and more efficient than at any other point of the life cycle. As the brain learns to selectively prune and articulate various neurons throughout the central nervous system, movement becomes more and more important to this essential development.

As babies develop not only the movement centres of the brain but also those essential for balance, intentional movement, and fine motor skills. It has been reported that babies who struggled with these landmark movement developments or were prevented from engaging in them earlier on in life show other conditions in childhood (i.e. being fidgity with movements, slow to read, etc.). Therefore, it is key that during this pinnacle time we allow our children to take their natural course as movers.

This article by Bette Lamont with Seattle, WA Developmental Movement Consultants outlines the amazing journey the young brain takes, what actions might hinder its normal development, and how we can help.

Photo credit: www.askamum.co.uk

Have you just had a baby? Trying to get back into shape and return to normal functioning? Check out our upcoming workshop:

“Post-Natal Return to Function: How to get your body ready to get YOU
back to the activities you love” with physiotherapist Trish Gipson

Sunday June 3, from 10am-noon

We are excited to invite you to our workshop for new moms and
moms-to-be. The focus will be on restoring function and core stability
after baby; topics to be covered include general core stability,
incontinence, diastasis recti, pelvic pain, and nerve compression
syndromes.

The cost is $40 per person, and 20% will be donated to the Pacific
Post Partum Support Society.

The Pacific Post Partum Support Society is hosting a fundraiser called
Eat, Shop, Love for Moms on May 10, involving many of the businesses
on West 4th. Through this workshop and your participation we hope to
make a sizeable donation to the Pacific Post Partum Support Society,
while getting moms back to the activities they enjoy most!

Please see the links below for more information about the society and
the find-raising event.

www.eatshoplove.org
www.shopwest4th.com

Photo Credit:Cybernation.com

In the modern world, its seems as though there are more things that are dedicated to preventing you from being able to focus on your busy life more than things that promote concentration. To get ahead, one must possess enough focus to drown out the surrounding world and get down to business finishing up a work project, preparing for an exam, or even finding time to just fit in fun to your life. This all requires a great amount of concentration and attention.

So how does one accomplish reaching this state of pure mental harmony where nothing can stop you from getting done what needed to be done yesterday? Practice. According to this interesting article, focus is something that we can train our brains to do with enough practice. So what is a good way to go about this? Yep, you guessed it: pilates! Yes, it is true that pilates strengthens your core, allows your body to loosen up, and even relaxes you. But beyond that, pilates is also a great way of forcing your brain to think about one thing at a time. This can be moving one small muscle group, engaging you core but not over engaging it, and of course being aware of how your body is moving on and off of the reformer.

So perhaps you should just start there! After all, learning how to feel your body and getting it to relax properly all while preventing injury is probably a pretty good step to help you focus on other tasks. Have a look at the article for other great tips and tricks as well as get the low down on the benefits of controlling your mind.

Spring is literally just around the corner, although given the snow the other day you couldn’t tell… Despite Vancouver’s fickle weather fluctuations between sunshine and rain, there is one thing you can depend on in Spring: lots of fresh, delicious food. Given our moderate climate, Spring brings loads of fresh veggies, fruits, and tasty mushrooms to experiment with. Check out this seasonal chart for inspriration

However, just to name a few:

Asparagus

Fiddleheads (little edible ferns)

Morel mushrooms

Rhubarb

Tons of herbs

Bring colour and life to your day-to-day menu with some of these ingredients. And as an added bonus, you will be doing your body a favour, as fresh food is ALWAYS a better alternative to processed food. And as most of us know, a healthy body is definitely necessary for a healthy mind and spirit.
While on the subject of tasty local veggies, try to get out to a local farmers market which start to pop up late April into early May. This is a great way to get yummy treats, be outside with family or friends, and get to know your local farmers.

Enjoy!

Seth Godin’s TED Imperatives:

Be interested. Be generous. Be interesting.Connect.In that order. If all

you can do is repeat cocktail party banalities about yourself, don’t

come. If all you’re hoping for is to get more than you give, the

annual event is not worth your time. If you’re not confident enough to

share what you’re afraid of and what’s not working, you’re cheating

yourself (and us).

These aren’t just principles for TED, of course. They’re valid

guidelines for any time you choose to stop hiding and step out into

the world. It would be fabulous if people who were willing to commit

to these four simple ideas had a special hat or a pin they could wear.

Then we wouldn’t have to waste our time while looking for those who

care about their work and those around them.

As students of movement, many pilates instructors and practitioners also enjoy the benefits of yoga class. Here at the Movement Studio, it is safe to say that nearly all of our instructors have practiced yoga at least at a basic level. Yoga can have amazing restorative effects and invigorate your body, all while increasing strength and flexibility.

However, like any other movement class, yoga is not a type of exercise that can be practiced by everyone in the same way. Not only are our bodies varied from person to person, but there may be certain limitations that are specific to each body. This can prevent us from being able to perform certain movements. We might have limited movement in a side of our body, or be too mobile in another. Being body aware is a key component to controlled movement and preventing injury.

Over the last decade, yoga has become one of the most popular forms of exercise in North America. Along with that statistic, it has also been associated with a rise in injuries, including but not limited to slipped spinal discs, strained necks, torn ligaments, and even stroke.  A recent New York Times article discusses some of the possible ways yoga can damage the body, especially when not properly supervised. After interviewing a world-renowned yogi, the writer sheds light on what to consider when looking in to a yoga studio or class. Give it a read if you want to learn more.

This is not to say that we are against choosing yoga practice altogether, but as pilates teaches us, remember your own limitations and know that you do not have to do every movement. Listen to your body, because once you step off the mat or the reformer, you are the one who has to live with it.

Stephanie McCann, BSc Health/Kin, cert. Pilates, cert. BCRPA

Stephanie is just plain amazing and incredibly inspiring!

She completed 3 years of a Bachelor of Science degree in
Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University before she transferred to Azusa
Pacific to pursue her career in Track & Field. She graduated in 2000
with a BSc in Applied Health/Kinesiology and went on to represent
Canada at numerous international competitions. Stephanie finished her
track career with a 10th place finish at the 2004 Olympics, 4 national
titles, 6 Canadian Records, and 3 Bronze medals at Commonwealths and
Pan Ams.

After retiring from athletics Stephanie found a new passion:  helping
others focus on their health and wellness through Pilates. Stephanie
is a fully certified Pilates Instructor (Mat, Reformer, Cadillac,
Chair/Barrels, and CoreAlign), a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM) and
has completed the STOTT ISP Course (Injury & Special Population) Training.

Her focus is to help individuals improve core strength, rehabilitate
from various injuries, and prevent injury. Stephanie is passionate
about learning and ongoing education, and plans to pursue her
Physiotherapy Degree.  She is dedicated to assisting patients meet
their rehabilitative/wellness goals, and finding best ways to
transition injured clients into group classes, or back to pre-injury
fitness routines.

Stephanie is available Friday afternoons at our Envision Physiotherapy Clinic location

Has the dark period of winter got you feeling down? Here is some advice for the day that will hopefully lift your spirits!

“Take care of your body. – Taking care of your body is crucial to being the happiest person you can be.  If you don’t have your physical energy in good shape, then your mental energy (your focus), your emotional energy (your feelings), and your spiritual energy (your purpose) will all be negatively affected.  Did you know that studies conducted on people who were clinically depressed showed that consistent exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft? Not only that, but here’s the double whammy… Six months later, the people who participated in exercise were less likely to relapse because they had a higher sense of self-accomplishment and self-worth.”

Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky

The How of Happiness

A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want

Tiffany has been in constant motion since the day she was born.
She danced throughout her childhood, going on to dance professionally with Ballet Kelowna and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Through her years of dance training, she discovered Pilates and found that it was an excellent way to cross train and also an extremely important foundation for injury prevention. Weeks spent on tour sitting in a vehicle or endless hours in the studio and on stage on varying surfaces, pounding away in pointe shoes can easily make a body go from balanced to a chain reaction of breakdown. Pilates was the one thing she could bring wherever she went to maintain her strength and alignment. It also was integral to her recovery from older injuries that would start resurface with fatigue and overwork.
Comparing one season without Pilates to the next season staying consistent with the practice of it was like comparing night and day. She also realized that she could let her body take a rest from dancing during a break period, just do Pilates, and come back stronger than before. Through this personal journey, she decided to train to become a Pilates Instructor so she could pass on to the next generation of young dancers and athletes the importance of balance in the body to prevent injury and to better rehabilitate injuries. Her passion for movement is continually fueled as she teaches ballet and maintains her own personal dance and Pilates practice. She is also currently beginning her journey to become a physiotherapist. Tiffany did her Pilates training in Kelowna and is the newest member of the Movement Studio Team!