Transformative Pilates classes found at PowerMoves Pilates studios

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Blogpost Move It!

In Joseph Pilates’ words, “In 10 sessions, you’ll feel the difference; in 20, you’ll see the difference; in 30, you’ll have a whole new body.” Why not experience the transformative nature of Pilates exercises at PowerMoves?

Located at Novena Specialist Centre, PowerMoves is an award-winning Pilates studio, with hourly classes that promise to enhance physical fitness, improve posture and balance, build bone density, and increase muscle mass.

Set up to resemble a tropical resort, PowerMoves has designed a buffet of specialised classes: Pilates Matwork, Pilates Reformer, Pilates Tower, PreNatal Pilates, customisable Physio Pilates sessions, and Power Pilates Promise package.

Sign up to PowerMoves and prepare to experience improved health and increased confidence in yourself!

 www.powermoves.com.sg

 

Courtesy of This Quarterly magazine, October edition 2018.

Tried and Tested: Prenatal Pilates at PowerMoves

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Tried and Tested: Prenatal Pilates at PowerMoves

 

 

Pilates Contrology, The Complete Coordination Of Body, Mind, and Spirit

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Joseph Pilates first called his method Contrology; he referred to it as ‘the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit’. This is why we practise Pilates movement exercises with total attention and control. Exercising in this way allows the body and mind to unite bringing forth the most gain possible from each exercise. The Pilates principles of breathing, concentration, control, centering, precision and flow are key concepts that are used to integrate the body with the mind.

Unlike other forms of exercises, Pilates does not over-develop some parts of the body while neglecting the others. It is true that all Pilates exercises build on your core strength and focuses on training your body as an integrated whole. Pilates works to promote strength and balanced muscle development as well as flexibility and increased range of motion for the joints.

Pilates is a great foundation for all movements, including those in sports as well as those in daily activities. With its emphasis on core support and full-body fitness, the coordination of the mind with its breathing; Pilates provides the highest level of integrative fitness that is exceptional and extraordinary.

For starters, try the Pilates exercises listed here for specific needs that you may have. Practise them thrice a week, pair them with a sensible diet and expect to see dramatic results from the fourth week.

To improve your posture:

Swan Lie on the mat face down, keep your arms close to your body as you bend your elbows to bring your hands under your shoulders. Extend your shoulders away from the ears. Keep your legs together as you engage your abdominal muscles, lifting your belly button up and away from the mat. As you inhale, lengthen your spine, sending energy through the top of your head as you press your forearms and hands into the mat to support a long upward arc of the upper body. The elbows are close to the body, the head stays in line with the spine, and the hips stay on the mat. On the exhale, release the arc, lengthening your spine as your torso returns to the mat in a sequential way (low-belly, mid-belly, low-ribs until you are in prone position again). Repeat 6 times.

To look taller:

Spine Stretch Sit up tall on your sit bones, extend your legs about shoulder-width apart, flex your feet. Reach the top of your head to the ceiling as your shoulders stay relaxed. Inhale and extend your arms out in front of you, shoulder height. Exhale as you lengthen your spine to curve forward. You are going for a deep C-curve reaching as far forward with your arms as is comfortable. Keep your shoulders down as you reach your fingertips toward your toes. Initiate your return by using the lower abdominals to bring the pelvis upright. Roll up through the spine to sitting position. Repeat 6 times.

To achieve a smaller waistline:

The Plank Lie face down with legs extended, forearms resting on the mat shoulder-width apart, hands in fists. Tighten abs, tuck toes under and lift hips off the mat so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 30 seconds while breathing normally and then lower to start. Rest before repeating 3 more times.

Criss Cross Lie back with your knees bent, fingers laced behind your head. Lift your shoulder blades off the mat and exhale to twist your right shoulder toward your left knee as you extend right leg out as shown. Pause at the inhale and then exhale to twist to the other side. Work up to 15 reps on each side.

To lift your butt:

Single Leg Drops Lie on one side in a straight line with the bottom arm supporting your head up. The top arm is bent with hand placed on the mat. Keep your pelvis in a perpendicular line to the mat. Lift your top leg to hip height and flex your foot as you point your toes towards the mat in front. Imagine your big toe is touching a hot stove on the mat so you don’t want to stay there long. As soon as the toe taps the mat, it lifts off the mat again with the heel of foot reaching to the ceiling. Stay stable and square in the hips as you tap and lift your toes for 25 times without stopping. Breathe normally.

Pilates works on all your primary concerns as it strengthens your core. Almost instantly, you will appear a couple years younger, stand taller and look lighter! Expect also to be looking more poised and moving more gracefully in your every day movements. People will be coming up to you to ask for your new-found secret!

 🙂 🙂 🙂

Half and Full Plank

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half-full-plank

This is one of the most popular Pilates exercises for developing your core strength and stability. The plank is known to target abdominal muscles and shoulder stability. Full optimization is achieved through the integration of the core stabilization muscles in the pelvic-lumbar region and the shoulder girdle. Good
alignment and solid stabilization must be present. The arms, glutes and legs should be active as well.

The most common plank is the front plank which is held in a push-up position with the body’s weight borne on forearms, elbows and toes. You will identify that a plank is successfully performed when good form is achieved (the body is in a straight line from head to toe), you can feel your core (center) is working and your hands are directly under your shoulders.

Pilates Criss Cross

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pilates-criss-cross

The Pilates Criss Cross focuses on the abdominal muscles with emphasis on the obliques. This exercise involves flexion and rotation of the spine, develops pelvic stabilization and trunk rotation, and defines your waist.

Tip: Always keep a lot of length between your shoulders and your ears. Imagine that your back is very wide and that your shoulder blades are sliding down your back as you raise yourself off the mat. Keep your elbows wide and stable. Rotate from the waist.

Instructions:

  1. Lie on your back and draw your knees to your chest in table-top position. Your knees are bent and your fingers laced behind your head.
  2. Lift your shoulder blades off the mat and exhale to twist your right shoulder toward your left knee as you extend and straighten the right leg out, rotating the trunk toward the bent knee.
  3. Come back to centre on the inhale and then exhale to twist to the other side, changing legs simultaneously as the trunk passes through the centre.
  4. Work up to 15 reps on each side.

 

Standing Leg Stretch & Roll Down

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standing-leg-stretch-roll-down

Often used as a warm-up and cool-down exercise to relieve tension, restore body balance and stretch your legs. The rolling motion strengthens the abdominal muscles and improves blood circulation throughout your body. It also stretches and increases mobility in the back, spine, neck and hamstrings and works on improving your posture.

Instructions:

  1. Begin by standing with your feet hip-distance apart and your spine in neutral position. Your legs and feet should be parallel to each other. Let your arms relax along the sides your body.
  2. Inhale and lengthen your spine as you prepare to move. Scoop in your abs; you will keep them pulled in throughout the exercise.
  3. In the exhalation, tuck your chin under and lengthen the back of your neck. Nod your head forward and let your shoulders drop forward as you start bending your upper back. Bend your knees slightly and continue rolling your entire spine forward and down, one vertebra at a time. Roll down as far as you comfortably can go while keeping your neck, head, and shoulders relaxed. Your arms should dangle from your shoulders.
  4. Keeping your abs scooped and your body draped forward, inhale and tuck your pelvis slightly. Then exhale and begin to reverse the movement, slowly rolling back up, one vertebra at a time. Keep your navel pulled in deeply as you roll your torso back upright.
  5. Return to your starting position. Then repeat the move 5-10 times.

 

Pilates Swimming Exercise

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pilates-swimming

The Pilates swimming exercise strengthens the muscles on the back of your body including the butt, thighs and your back muscles. Keep your head and your neck working as extensions of your spine and don’t break the line at the neck. Shoulders are relaxed throughout and abdominals engaged and lifted off the mat.

Instructions:

  1. Lie flat on your belly with your arms stretched out in front of you and legs outstretched behind you. Squeeze your inner thighs and heels together. If this position feels too compressive on your lower back, allow your legs to open slightly but still keep them turned out, with your heels dropped toward each other and your knees facing away from each other.
  2. Breathing continuously: Pull your navel up and off the mat and raise your head off the mat slightly as you simultaneously lift your right arm and your left leg off the mat. Squeeze your butt and try to keep pressing your pubic bone down the mat.
  3. Switch arms and legs and begin an even rhythm of swimming, alternating arms and legs. Think of reaching your arms and legs long away from yourself, extending your body as much as possible.
  4. Swim continuously for a total of 24 total beats (6 full breaths). Try to complete 4 swimming beats on the exhale and 4 beats on the inhale.
  5. Finish by pressing back to rest position, sitting on your heels to release your back.

 

Pelvic Curl & Lifts

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A gentle warm-up exercise for the spine and the abdominal muscles. It strengthens the lower body and helps coordinate breath with movement. For those with upper back or neck problems, you may practise engaging and releasing the pelvic tilt or roll up just part of the way. Shoulders and neck should remain relaxed throughout the exercise.

Instructions:

  1. Set Up
    Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Make sure that your feet, ankles, and knees are aligned and hip-distance apart. This exercise starts in neutral spine. In neutral spine, the natural curves of the spine are present so the lower back is not pressed into the mat.
  2. Begin Sequential Breathing
    Bring your breath into your chest, then belly, and down to the pelvic floor. Exhale. Release the breath from the pelvic bowl, the belly, and then the chest. Inhale again.
  3. Exhale
    Do a pelvic tilt by engaging the abdominal muscles and pulling your belly-button down toward your spine. Let that action continue so that the abs press the lower spine into the floor. In the pelvic tilt position, your back is very long against the floor and the pelvis is tilted so that the pubic bone is a little higher than the hip bones.
  4. Inhale
    Press down through your feet allowing the tailbone to begin to curl up toward the ceiling. The hips raise, then the lower spine, and, finally, the middle spine. Keep your legs parallel all the way through. You will come to rest between your shoulder blades, with a nice straight line from your hips to your shoulders. Do not arch beyond this point. Be sure to support this movement with the abdominals and hamstrings.
  5. Exhale
    As you let your breath go, use abdominal control to roll the spine back down to the floor.
  6. Inhale
    Release to neutral spine. Prepare to repeat the exercise by initiating the pelvic tilt on the exhale. Repeat this exercise 3 to 5 times.

 

Pilates Chest Lift and Single Leg Stretch

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pilates-chest-lift-single-leg-stretch

This is a powerful duo in targeting your lower abs which results in the flatter tummy everyone desires.

The Chest Lift creates a deep curve of the abdominals down toward the mat. It is done very slowly with the breath and no momentum is used.

The Single Leg Stretch teaches you to move from the centre. It trains the abdominals to initiate movement, and to support and stabilize the trunk as the arms and legs are in motion. Especially helpful in targeting the lower abs, good coordination is achieved as well.

When you build abdominal strength and understand the lengthening move of the Pilates Chest Lift, you will have a good foundation for working with many of the forward flexion Pilates exercises like the Single Leg Stretch and The Hundred.

Instructions:

  1. Lie on the back with both feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Adjust shoulder blades so that they are lying flat on the floor. Inhale to prepare. On the exhale, draw the navel in toward your spine and lift your head, shoulders and feet off the floor.
  2. Place the right hand on right ankle, left hand on right knee, and keep the elbows lifted on the inhale.
  3. Exhale and extend the left leg straight in front of left hip, as close to the floor as possible without letting the back arch away from the floor or the hips sway away from centre.
  4. Inhale and switch legs, but be sure to keep your belly scooped inward as you do this.
  5. Clasp left hand on left ankle and right hand on left knee as you make the switch.
  6. Repeat 10 times.

 

Standing Pilates Squat

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standing-pliates-squat

This exercise aims to tone leg muscles and provides a great workout for the core muscles and the entire lower body. It looks simple but should be executed with control and awareness. It can be made more challenging by incorporating small weighted Pilates balls, which will work to tone the shoulders as well.

Instructions:

  • Stand up straight with the feet about hip-width apart and the toes pointing forward. Tighten the abdominal and buttocks muscles. Stretch the arms out to the side, shoulder height with the palms facing down.
  • Bend the knees and come into a squat. Stick the hips back as if you are about to sit on a chair.
  • Press your heels into the floor, stand back up and lift your right leg up. The toes should be facing forward. Do not turn the leg out or in.
  • Lower the right leg slowly and with control so that the toes touch first and the heel last. Make sure you do not just drop the leg back down.
  • Squat down again and this time, lift the left leg as you stand back up.
  • Go back and forth for 8 to 12 repetitions. Do this with control.
  • To make this exercise more challenging, hold a weighted Pilates ball in your hand. As you lift the right leg, lift your right arm up to shoulder height, palm facing down as you hold the ball. Squat and lower both arms down. Pass the ball to your left hand. As you stand up and lift the left leg, lift your left arm up shoulder height.