Promoting Healthy Habits or Discrimination?

A controversial program at Lincoln University is drawing criticism and outrage.  30 Seniors who have otherwise satisfactorily completed their coursework at the University will not receive their degrees.  Why?  Because they are overweight and have not met requirements to lose weight or prove a significant effort towards that goal.  http://bit.ly/5GBozU

While I understand where Professor James L DeBoy's intentions arise.  I think he has missed the mark with this program and has led the University to practice discrimination in his efforts to encourage students to adopt healthy habits.  I can understand, and encourage all colleges and universities to require that students pass a basic nutrition course and a basic physical fitness course.  This requires that students are exposed to information that will allow them to make educated decisions about their health.  It may open their eyes to things they did not know about their current lifestyle.  It positions them to ask an expert for advice and even gain a mentor in their quest for health.  What it does not do is force an individual to then adopt those practices or forfeit their degree.

What do you think?  Weigh in on our Facebook discussion board.

An Attitude of Gratitude (part deux)

Here's a little bit more to chew on before your tryptophan and pumpkin pie extravaganza tomorrow, more research evidencing the link between practicing gratitude and increased well being. http://bit.ly/7VQBU8

Healthy Friday - Holiday Stress?!? What Have We Forgotten?

We're still a week before Thanksgiving and I'm already seeing some of my favorite people succumbing to the unnecessary and self-inflicted stress that far too often accompanies this season of gratitude, generosity, grace, reflection and celebration.  Why is that?  Have we completely forgotten what it is we're celebrating?  Have we lost the essence and spirit of the season?

I know for myself, when I find myself stressed during this season it usually has to do with wanting to make holiday accommodations, food, gifts, etc. "perfect" (as if it wasn't already) for the people I care about.  How silly is that?  The people we love don't care about the perfect souffle or the centerpiece being just so.  Of course all of the love and energy that is put into finding the "perfect" gift and creating the "perfect" seating arrangement is noticed and appreciated, but I know that I am perfectly happy just to sit in the company of my family and friends, and I'm certain the feeling is mutual.  I'd rather see my loved ones happy and present while we all enjoy peanut butter sandwiches than have them stressed out over making a seven course meal to impress me.  If the pie burns, so what, we can all have a good laugh and go for a walk together instead of having dessert.

As for those relatives who do make judgments based upon how well you set the table or how moist the turkey is, let's find compassion in our hearts for those people.  How sad and small their lives must be that they are too busy passing judgment to notice the joy that is present all around them in the connections they could be making with other people.

Set the example and be forgiving of yourself and your loved ones this holiday season.  Take a deep breath, settle in and find the perfection that exists in every moment.  Look around and find the many things you have to be grateful for and watch your stress just melt away!

Tomorrow is the Great American Smokeout

Did you know . . .

• Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.
• Cigarette smoking accounts for about 443,000 premature deaths – including 49,400 in nonsmokers.
• Thirty percent of cancer deaths, including 87 percent of lung cancer deaths, can be attributed to tobacco.
• Smoking also accounts for $193 billion in health care expenditures and productivity losses.
• Great progress is being made in reducing tobacco use in the U.S., with adult smoking rates in 2007 declining among all adults to 19.8 percent.

The American Cancer Society holds the Great American Smokeout every year to support individuals in taking an important step to improve their health, quitting smoking.

Rockin' it!

How do the Radio City Rockettes that only work the traveling troupe during the holiday season stay strong, lean, limber and ready for the next demanding season of performance?  Pilates of course.

The return of Healthy Fridays!

Healthy Fridays are back!

Now that we're heading into the holiday season, I need to remind myself, more than ever, of all of tips and tricks to maintaining my healthy routines and choices in the season of temptation.

I found this great article from the Grand Rapids press with many simple hints for staying true to your ideals of health and wellness while enjoying the holidays. http://bit.ly/2AgjHY

Another great resource is our friend Christa Orrechio, Holistic Nutritionist and founder of the Whole Journey.  Here are her tips for healthy holiday eating http://bit.ly/1UNk99.  She'll be offering healthy holiday tips at our Holiday Open House (Dec 5th - 4PM - 7PM) and will be joining us for a special program in January (more to come on that!)

The Principles: Control

      Do you remember Michael Jordan's gravity defying air time?  How about Michael Jackson's dance moves that no one else could ever quite replicate?  What was it that made Jeanine the top dancer on "So You Think You Can Dance?"  Gymnasts, dancers, runners, swimmers, and even hockey players achieve a level of control over their physical movements that is breathtaking to watch.

     You can breathe a sigh of relief, you don't have to think about attaining that level of control over your physical movements, but you can always work towards increasing and improving your control over your body's motions.  Completing each exercise with control allows you to gain the most out of your Pilates workout and prevent injuries caused by improper movements, and the same principle carries throughout your daily life.

     So what does that mean anyway, moving with control?  To me, control is comprised of and the result of all of the other principles of Pilates: Concentration, Centering, Fluidity, Precision, and Breath.  It means using your intrinsic musculature to stabilize your body as you slowly elevate and lower your limbs rather than flinging them through the air like wet noodles.  It means drawing your deepest abdominal muscles towards your spine as you roll up from the mat, one vertebra at a time, as opposed to the jerking motion of your grandparent's sit-ups and crunches.  It means being aware of how your body is intended to move in each exercise and working towards achieving that movement, even if you can't quite get it today.  It means committing yourself fully to each exercise and moving deliberately and intentionally.  All of the sometimes baffling cues and visualizations you receive from your Pilates instructor -- like "cross the eyeballs of your pelvis," and "keep the bowl of your pelvis from spilling as you move," -- are invaluable feedback that will help you develop control in your unique body.

     Control of movement is not something that can be achieved overnight.  I can't raise my chest as high off the ground in chest lift position as Rael Isacowitz can, nor can I do the swan dive with anywhere remotely near the grace of a swan.  I do, however, work towards control in each movement of my workout, even when I start shaking from the fatigue of muscles that are not used to being worked.  Each time I practice I get a little bit better, incrementally, and so will you as you put your intention towards developing control.  Make a commitment to yourself to gain better control of your body, start with just one repetition of each exercise, or just one exercise in each workout, and you'll be amazed at what you can achieve.

Give the Gift of Health!
Throughout November and December 
stretch your holiday gift-giving dollars with  
Discounted Gift Certificate Packages! 

$10 -   1 Mat Classes (Save $5)
$25 -   2 Mat Classes (Save $5)
$50 -   4 Mat Classes (Save $10)
$75 -   1 Private Lesson and
          2 Mat Classes (Save $20)
$100 - 2 Private Lessons (Save $30)
$150 - 2 Private Lessons and
          4 Mat Classes (Save $40)
$550 - 10 Private Lessons (Save $75!)

Each gift certificate purchase over $50 comes with it's own stocking to stuff, a complimentary pair of Holiday ToeSox! (While supplies last. Limited Quantities.)

Package discounts apply to gift certificate purchases only.  This offer can not be combined with any other promotion or discount with the exception of our referral rewards program.  That's right, if you're purchasing a gift for someone new to Bella Forma Pilates you get a free class of your choice!

The Glass Half Full: Rehabilitating an Injury

Whether you sustain an injury through a traumatic experience such as a fall or car accident or your condition is one that has developed over time through improper body mechanics--living with an injury can be mentally as well as physically daunting.  And for those who are accustomed to a certain level of physical activity as part of their daily routine, it can be especially frustrating. 

Fear not.  Having an injury doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have to forgo working out altogether.  Whether you've been practicing Pilates for years or you're stepping into the studio for the first time, depending on the injury Pilates can be a great way to continue an exercise regime as your body heals.  

One of the many benefits people attain when practicing Pilates is an understanding of alignment and posture.  A heightened awareness of your body's tendencies can be crucial in identifying faulty movement patterns thereby preventing and also rehabilitating injuries.  Programming proper muscle memory and developing adequate strength and stretch are cornerstones for maintaining a balanced body. 

Often clients with injuries get easily discouraged that they're not able to execute an exercise the way they "used to."  It is normal to feel frustrated when you think that your leg should be straighter or you should be able to hold a position for longer.

And while it might not be a popular view, sometimes having an injury can be a blessing.   It is a great time to slow down and refocus your energies.  Take a step back.  Give yourself permission to move with less range of motion or maybe less springs.  Remember  that sometimes it's better as you learn new, more effective ways of moving to use a modified variation of an exercise.  Be patient and give yourself a break! 

Pilates is all about quality over quantity.  Use your time of rehabilitation to revisit some key principals of Pilates.  It is amazing how something as seemingly basic as breathing can positively impact your injury and help you on your road to recovery.  So while your injury may seem more like a hindrance than a help, your ability to change your body can be an extremely empowering experience.  Who knows? You might become even stronger than before your injury.

Article by Angelique C.

An Attitude of Gratitude!

Another excerpt from our November Newsletter. 
View the whole newsletter at www.bit.ly/BFP0911
This month we are given an opportunity to reflect on what we are grateful for in our lives.  I'm thankful for that reminder to pause and appreciate just how wonderful my life really is. 
     In "The Psychology of Gratitude" by Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough ( 2004, Oxford University Press) they state that "[scientific] findings are beginning to substantiate what many people have long intuitively known: Positive emotions bolster one's ability to meet life's challenges with grace and ease, optimize cognitive capacities, sustain constructive and meaningful relationships with others, and foster good health."
     Go ahead, give it a try, right now, I'll wait for you while you think of three things that you are grateful for.  Here, I'll do it with you.
     I am grateful for:
          All of the amazing individuals who grace Bella Forma with their wonderful spirits every day, (that would be YOU!)
          The opportunity to work in a wonderful supportive environment surrounded by people I love
          Pilates, seriously, this movement practice has  changed my body: alleviating aches and pains, healing an old injury in my shoulder.  What could be better than a healthy body? Joseph Pilates said that "Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness."  It's so true.

     So how do you feel?  Are you feeling lighter, more uplifted, ready to meet any challenges you have been presented with today?  If not, keep trying, make it your mini experiment for this week.  Every time you are at a red light think of three things you're grateful for and then just notice any shifts that happen in your own state and in your life.  They might be subtle, but they will be there.

The Principles: Fluidity

       It has been said that a dancer must have more than mastery of technique; they must be art in motion.  Have you ever been awestruck by an athlete, a dancer, or a bird in flight? What is the difference between someone with impeccable technique and someone who moves seemingly effortlessly and with unparalleled grace?  One difference is fluidity, or the ability to coordinate movements so that each one blends seamlessly into the next. 
      So what does this have to do with you and your Pilates workout? Everything!  Fluidity ties in with the principle of control (see our September Newsletter) as well as with the principle of precision (look for it in January), yet has its own nuances.  Like muscular control and precision, fluidity will help you get the most out of your workout and prevent injuries. Like control and precision, fluidity requires your movements to be calculated and exact, yet seemingly effortless.  What this principle emphasizes, however, is the transition from one movement to the next, the space between movements.  Fluidity is about moving in an even steady rhythm and with mindfulness.  It is about transitioning from one motion to the next as if they are one movement.
      In your next Pilates workout notice the space between your movements.  Do you stop and start, make jarring or jerking motions where a more rounded motion is desired?  That's perfectly okay.  We all do at times, even the Pilates "masters."  This is not about judging yourself.  It is about awareness, and in that awareness you have the power to make a conscious change.  When you notice yourself being less than fluid, imagine what a more fluid motion might look like and feel like and work towards moving your body in that same way.  The more you practice, the more familiar your body will become with the idea of moving with intent.
      The idea of fluidity is not limited to our physical motion.  Joseph Pilates designed this system to educate our body, mind, and spirit.  One way to develop greater fluidity in your physical body is to practice fluidity in your thoughts and emotions.  When you allow everything to be exactly as it is with no need to subjugate or force a different outcome, you are practicing fluidity in your mind, and this in turn will lead to fluidity in your body.  Every time you notice where you can be more fluid in your body, pause and reflect on your accomplishments too, and be grateful for the many gifts you have been given.  You can breathe, walk, sing, dance and create!  It is wonderful to want to work toward improvements in all areas of your life, but it is just as important to honor and appreciate where you are right at this moment and all you have done to get here.  Maybe, just maybe, as you think about everything you are grateful for and allow your mind to be fluid you will notice your body following suit.

Wow, what an inspiration!  Caroline N. lost 145 pounds by ditching her fast food habit and opting for healthier choices.  She includes Pilates in her workout routine too.

Check out her story here http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/11/02/fast-food-restaurants-eliminated-for-weight-loss/

Teaser

Our new newsletter will be sent out on Wednesday (make sure you're on the list!  You don't want to miss the great info and fantastic discounts!)  The tough part about editing a newsletter is that there is always so much amazing information that inevitably some of it must be omitted :-(  This exercise was cut from an article on fluidity, one of the principles of Pilates.  It makes more sense in the context of the article, but give it a try anyway.  It will help you get a better understanding of the concept of fluidity so when you see the article you'll be ahead of the game!

Try this: Take two breaths focusing only on your inhalations. Make your inhalation long and smooth and controlled. On your exhalations, let everything go. Don't control it at all. Breathe naturally for a moment (I don't want you to hyperventilate!), and then do just the opposite for two breaths. Inhale normally with no conscious control, but exhale in one long continuous breath at a slow steady pace. That is control [another principle of Pilates]. For your next two breaths, consciously control both your inhalation and exhalation, making them as slow, steady, and even to each other as possible. That is control and precision [you guessed it, another principle]. For your last two breaths, focus only on the space between the inhale and the exhale. Unless you are holding your breath it should be almost imperceptible, like a single point in the rotation of the wheel, just one moment in a single motion. That is fluidity, the inhalation naturally gives way to exhalation and the exhalation gives rise to the inhalation. Where does one breath or movement end and the next begin? When you move with fluidity that transition will be difficult to discern.