FitSugar

Reform Yourself With the Pilates Reformer

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:30:00 -0800

I know a lot of you take Pilates mat classes, and some of you are entertaining the notion of taking Reformer classes. And I think you should since the Reformer is my favorite piece of Pilates equipment. Not only is it the original piece of equipment, but it is so versatile you can work every muscle with this one machine. The variations are endless.

A Reformer is a little bit smaller and lower than a twin-size bed. The carriage moves against spring resistance - there are five springs with different tensions creating an infinite amount of possible weights to work with. For Footwork, the most basic exercise on the Reformer, you lie with your back on the carriage, put your feet on the foot bar and just push yourself out and control yourself back in. It is considered a warm-up exercise and is for rehabbing knee and ankle injuries, as well as integrating the pelvic floor with leg motion.

You can work your feet in the loops (at the end of the ropes) to work your legs. Or attach handles to the ends of the ropes to work your arms. Standing on the machine and moving the carriage really challenges your sense of balance and your core. Ahhh . . . so many variations, so little time.

To see some of my favorite moves you can do on the Reformer read more

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The Reformer pictured above is made by Balanced Body and cost a little over $3,000. But if you are looking for a Reformer for home use check out the IQ Reformer in my Pilates Lover Gift Guide.

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The Magic of the Magic Circle: Pilates Prop Explained

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:00:00 -0700

When you hear the words magic circle do you think fairies and goddesses? Well I am here to expand your horizons - the magic circle is also a great Pilates prop.

This versatile prop is also known as an: exercise circle, magic ring, or fitness circle. And as all those names accurately describe, it is a circle about 12 inches in diameter made of flexible metal or rubber with pads on either sides of the circle. You can squeeze it and it will bounce back into a circle. That's the magic.

The magic circle provides some moderate resistance for strength training as well as feedback as to where the body is in space. I like to use the magic circle to strengthen the inner thighs. Place the ring between your knees or ankles in a variety of exercises and positions and squeeze.

It is versatile and can be used to work just about anything and since it is so small you can store it just about anywhere. It is great for a home gym.

Want to see some magic circle exercises? Then read more

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Buy an Ultra Fit Magic Circle from Ellie Herman Studios online store for $35. It comes with a 15 minute instructional DVD too.

More Hilary Duff and Her Firm Up Moves

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Puppies and Pilates seem to be making Hilary Duff happy these days. Ever since her appearance in Shape Magazine, a lot of folks are getting interested in Pilates.

Luckily for us, I've gotten my hands on Hilary’s best three firm-up moves created by Viveca Jensen (V Pilates), published in the August '07 issue of Shape:

Leg raises with a band: Tie the ends of a resistance band together to make a small circle (about 12 inches in diameter), loop it around your ankles, and lie on your right side with your legs extended; use your left arm in front of you for balance. Lift your left leg up as high as you can and lower until the band is just barely taut. Do 6 sets of 8 reps per side. “This is great for the butt and outer thighs,” says Jensen.
Bridge with the ring: To target your inner thighs, lie face up with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and place a Pilates ring (aka Magic Circle) between your legs just above your knees (so the pads rest against your legs). Lift your hips so your body is aligned from knees to shoulders and squeeze the ring 16 times. Lower hips, then raise them again and squeeze 8 times. Finally, lift and lower pelvis 16 times while pressing legs against the ring. Repeat series 3 times.
Leg raises with a ball: Lie face up with legs extended straight up. Place a stability ball between ankles. Without rocking, raise and lower hips. Do 3 sets of 8 reps. “Hilary loves this because it really works the lower abs,” says Jensen.

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Want to see the moves in action? Then check out Shape to see Jensen doing the exercises.

Pacific Coast News

Get the Bod: Denise Richards

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Denise Richards has had two kids and several public break-ups yet she seems to still manage to stay healthy.

OK Magazine sat down with Denise and got the scoop on what she's does to keep fit and healthy through it all:

OK: What's the best part about exercising?
DR: I feel healthy and strong, and I love how I feel mentally and physically. This is the first season in a long time that I have felt comfortable on the beach without a sarong covering my bottom.

OK: Do you find stress causes your weight to fluctuate?
DR: Stress definitely affects my weight. I am thinner when I'm stressed or have a lot going on.

OK: With such a busy schedule, is it difficult to find the time to exercise?
DR: No, because it is part of my lifestyle. I don't work out only when I'm preparing for a project or shoot or bikini season. Exercising is part of my routine. I try to do it five days a week for an hour. That's an hour of time to myself, unless the girls come in, but that's okay too. That's the luxury of working out at home.

There's more on working out with two young daughters as well what she wants to instill in them about body image, so read more

OK: Is it hard to get motivated with two daughters?
DR: No, my girls motivate me to exercise and eat right! I am a single mom, so I am outnumbered! I need my energy to keep up with them.

OK: How did you lose weight after having your daughters?
DR: I am naturally thin, and I feel that I am at a good weight for my body. I work out to be lean and have some definition. Of course my body went through many changes having two babies back to back. For me, losing the weight wasn't that difficult; I was lucky. And no, I didn't work out five hours a day, I had to wait six weeks to do anything after each baby because I had a C-section with each birth. I took it very slow getting back into my routine.

OK: What will you hope to instill in your daughters about body image?
DR: I will try to teach my daughters to love their body. Sami was looking at Lola and said, "Wow, look at Lola's big belly," and I told Sami that Lola has a beautiful belly. Now, Sami tells her sister her belly is beautiful.

OK: Who do you think has the best body in Hollywood?
DR: Demi Moore still has the best body in Hollywood!

OK: What are your favorite food splurges?
DR: Chips and guacamole. And ice cream!

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Have You Tried Gyrotonic?

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:45:00 -0700

What do Madonna, Teri Hatcher, and Edie Falco all have in common? They all share a love for Gyrotonic. You might be asking yourself, "What the heck is Gyrotonic?" It sounds like some sort of sexual beverage concoction, I know, but it is an innovative, somewhat complicated form of exercise.

I usually explain that Gyrotonic is like Pilates but in three dimensions instead of just two. It is very circular while Pilates is very square. Gyrotonic emphasizes mobility and Pilates tends to focus more on stability. You can think of gyro as yoga with resistance.

The machine known as the Cobra (or Tower Pulley) resembles a medieval torture device, but don't be intimidated since looks can be deceptive. Performing the motions of Gyrotonic feels so great that you can almost forget you're exercising. The exercises (there are about 50 sets of them with multiple variations) are based on the principles of yoga, ballet, swimming, t'ai chi, and gymnastics. That's a lot of principles so you can tell it is a mind/body exercise, so workout boredom in a Gyrotonic session is virtually impossible. The system emphasizes breath control and controlled resistance to develop flexibility and strength while encouraging a complete range of circular motion. To learn more about how the "cobra" works, read more

The machine consists of a bench that you sit or lie on and a tower with a system of cables, pulleys, and weights, which you move with straps on your hands or feet or with handles attached to circular plates in the front.

If you are interested in trying it out, you can often find Gyrotonic instructors at many Pilates studios (the two forms are great complements to one another). Or you can check this Studio Finder function on the Gyrotonic website. The downside is that private sessions are as expensive, if not more so, than private Pilates sessions: $65 to $85 per session. Group classes are rare since the machine is so dang big.

If you have a chance to try it out, I highly recommend it.

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Hilary Duff Hearts Pilates

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Pilates has been all the rage for a while now, but now the younger generation of Hollywood hipsters is getting hip to working their core. Could Pilates be how Hilary Duff went from being self described as too skinny to being in the best shape of her life? She credits her long and lean body to doing Pilates 3 times a week.

It is no secret that I love Pilates too, and here's why:

Flat Belly: The most fundamental move in Pilates is pulling your navel to your spine with every exhale to engage your deep abs. You keep the deep abs engaged while you inhale too. Working your deep abs flattens your belly and decreases the diameter of your waist. When you work the tops layer of abs, the 6 pack muscles, they bulge out. Not only is that not too attractive, it doesn't support your spine or pelvis. Every breath you take is another opportunity to work your abs.
Long and Lean Muscles: Pilates is all about controlling motion, this way you work the muscles as they shorten and lengthen. This way when new muscle is formed it is long, not bulky.

There are more reasons and more pics of Hilary, so read more

Springs: It is the spring resistance on all the Pilates equipment that makes them unique. The play in the springs forces you to control your motion in every exercise. Plus as the spring becomes taut it provides more resistance, challenging your muscles even more.
Flexibility: You work all your joints through their entire range of motion, so your muscles get stretched in almost every exercise. This also helps those muscles lengthen as they strengthen.

My only word of caution: If you find an instructor you love, don't tell everyone you know about her. Hilary's only complaint about Pilates, as she told Self magazine, is her teacher is so over booked since she raved about her to all her friends; she has trouble getting an appointment.

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Get Your Butt in Gear: Fit Couture

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

I am always on the look out for cool and comfortable gear to wear when I am working out. I just found Fit Couture and their clothes seems to fit the bill.

This Houston based, woman owned company has a pretty simple mission:

Provide the most exciting styles for women's fitness apparel available anywhere.
Offer the widest selection of color choices on the market.
Use only the best specialty fabrics and emphasize high quality construction.

The clothes are basic black with splashes of color. I love the colored waist bands, which are great if your black top and black pants are somehow different shades of black (which happens when you mix and match your "labels").

It is easy to imagine wearing their American made clothes to Pilates or yoga and then to the grocery store. Plus there are consumer reviews to help you figure out what piece is right for you and your workout. Fit Couture provides some helpful descriptive phrases: "bra friendly", "loose fitting (but not at all baggy)", and "fitted, but not skin tight."

To see more of Fit Couture's clothes, just read more

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The Pilates Cadillac: So Many Fun Things You Can Do

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 04:00:00 -0800

The word Cadillac conjures up big convertible cars with fins, electric windows and fancy hub caps. That is why this piece of Pilates equipment is named the Cadillac - it has all the bells and whistles you could possibly want.

There are so many elements to the machine: leg springs, arm springs, fuzzy loops to hang from, a push-through bar to stretch you out, and even a trapeze. The trapeze was the original add on accessory to the machine which is why it is also known as a "trap" table. As a piece of equipment it looks pretty intimidating - it is about 6 feet tall. When folks first see it they often laugh uncomfortably and joke that it looks like a medieval torture device or kinky sex playground - and the name trap table just feeds into those thoughts. So Cadillac it is.

Pilates lore has it that eponymous Joe created the prototype Cadillac to enable bed ridden patients to exercise. His design was simple - a hospital bed with mattress springs attached to the wall. The design has definitely evolved over the years and and so have the exercises and stretches one can do on the Cadillac.

You can isolate almost every muscle group on the machine - it is an excellent tool for breaking down motion into small pieces to restore correct motion patterns. Using the leg springs is one of the best ways to get runners to fully use their hamstrings. This little video is a leg springs exercise.

Because the Cadillac is such a large piece of equipment it is rarely used in group classes. So the best way to experience this machine is in a private Pilates session. Some studios offer "Wall Unit" classes. A Wall Unit has one side of the Cadillac mounted on a wall - good for home use too. Look for these classes, because they are great.

Want to see some more of the cool moves you can do on a Cadillac? then read more

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