The Movement Studio Pilates

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!

How much “I think I can, I think I can” thinking really ends with noticeable results? According to several new psychology and MRI studies, increased activation of the prefrontal cortex, or the executive function area of the brain, is correlated with increased willpower and self-control, which. This Boston Globe articles speaks with experts on willpower and decision making, and just how beneficial it can be.

According to the Vancouver Sun, 65+ year olds are increasing in frequency in the workplace. Over the last decade, there has been a 11.5% jump in the number of older workers, while younger workers are on the decline. What does this mean in the long run? #1, there will have to be a significant increase in care and safety of workers of this cohort, protecting them against injuries. #2, by the time this population is ready to retire, there will be a huge labour shortage in Canada.

The good news? People in this population are healthier than ever and provide lots of wisdom and experience, something that will greatly impact quality of work and production. We just need to make sure that we keep them that way as long as we can.

To learn more about this topic and read the article, see http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=7e3d530f-9472-40f1-8f5d-c6182f53fc47

Hey readers,

Did you want to attend Potluck’s anniversary dinner on Thursday evening but you didn’t get the chance? No worries! They have another fabulous event coming up called the Grand Cariboo Opry on November 19th, 2011. This event is a benefit concert held at The Vogue theatre by Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts. Tickets are selling like hotcakes, so don’t miss your chance this time around! Once again, all proceeds go to feeding Vancouverites tasty, nutritious meals.

Tickets can be found at www.voguetheatre.com for $30-$40 each. Go join the festivities for a delightful concert that will feed your ears and karma excellent music!

For more information, visit www.potluckcatering.com

We would like to say Happy 10th birthday to the lovely Charity Potluck, which has been providing meals to ALL of Vancouver’s communities for a decade. This fabulous cafe and catering company has donated more than 300,000 free and healthy meals to the downtown Eastside community and continuously advocates for accessible, affordable nutritious food for those struggling in Vancouver.

This Thursday is their 10th Anniversary Celebration! Join them for an evening of delicious tapas, fine spirits, and a silent auction. If you cannot wait to get to this event, buy a ticket here to be part of a fantastic movement to promote food for all! If you cannot attend but would love to contribute, they happily accept donations at this website.

For more information on this fantastic group, check out their website at www.potluckcatering.com

Hello all! The Movement Studio is proud to announce that we will be participating in a charity event called “One School, One Day” on September 24th, 2011. The event involves people being active for one hour this upcoming Saturday, with 100% of the proceeds going to funding education in Ethiopia. The Movement Studio will be offering a special group mat class that day at 12 pm. Participants will donate their class tuition to the cause while working their bums into submission! Space is extremely limited (6 people maximum!) so please contact us ASAP to request a spot.

For more information, check out www.1school1day.org or see their facebook page at www.facebook.com/1school1day

We hope to see you there, shedding the pounds to fund pounds of bricks for a new school!