The difference between Yoga and Pilates

  I found an interesting article on the difference between Pilates and Yoga. The only thing I would add would be that when you look for a Pilates Instructor, make sure they are certified by one of the following schools of thought: Stott, Balanced Body, PoleStar, or Physical Mind. You can also check on the Pilates Method Alliance Website (PMA) for more information on different studios. I got my certification through Body Balance University and am extremely happy with their education process. 


http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/y/yoga_or_pilates_which_is_right_for_you.aspx

Give it a Second Shot

  Today we are closing out the first month of 2012.  Many people choose to make fitness/health related resolutions during this time of year. In the process of trying to make new habits, sometimes it's valuable to re-visit the past. What worked well for you and what hasn't worked so well? You know that one form of exercise you hate? Try and identify what it is. For me, there are several forms of exercise I don't like. Spinning/Cycling is one of them. I don't feel safe or secure on a bike. A second was Yoga. It always seemed a little boring to me. No matter how many classes I took,  I never understood Yoga. And frankly, I didn't care to like it.  Well, a week ago I decided to eat my words. After several people asking me about a referral for a yoga class, I decided to do some research. I walked into a Beginning Yoga class at Downtown Yoga in Pleasanton, CA.  I met one of the owners of the studio and was intstantly made to feel at home. As cheesy as it seems, everyone in the class looked so normal. There were no Yoga gurus, everyone was a variety of ages, I felt apart of the group. I am happy to say that because I gave Yoga a second shot, I have found a new form of exercise that brings some restoration to my body and mind. 

Pilates for Weight Loss

   Pilates has many benefits (and I'm not just saying this because I'm a Pilates Instructor). It develops your Core Strength, helps improve your Posture and Flexibility, helps develop body awareness. It's a way of developing lean muscle mass (think dancers bodies) without getting bulked up. And despite what many people think, it is the perfect form of exercise for anyone of any age and any fitness level.
   A key component to my own personal weight loss was starting with a Pilates fitness routine twice a week. Here's how it helped me.

1. It helped me develop Body Awareness. This term gets thrown around a great deal, but essentially it means to understand/feel/sense what is going on with your body. If you're performing an exercise, but can't tell if you're doing it correctly, you probably haven't developed a great sense of body awareness. The more aware of what you're body can do, the more you will be able to take control of your body and make it do what you want it to.
2. It helped me develop Core Strength and overall muscle strength gradually. When I first started Pilates, I was extremely out of shape. I could only do the very basic level of exercises. But with time, practice and a few modifications, I was able to gradually get stronger. 
3. It improved my posture. This may not seem important, but my body position or "posture" was so out of alignment, that if I had begun an exercise program without learning to correct this, I would have place undue pressure on my joints. If you learn to keep your body in alignment, the joints are better able to absorb the pressure of any movement better. If your body isn't in alignment, then you are putting more pressure on one joint than another. You also could be tightening some muscles and over stretching others. 
4. I learned to breathe. Most Americans are shallow breathers. At it's very basic level, if you're not taking in enough oxygen, it's going to make exercising harder. It also means many people hold alot of stress and tension in different parts of their bodies. When I took up running, I realized part of the way through my first run, that I didn't have to focus on breathing. My breathing was rhythmic, it was consistent, and it was easy. All I had to do was focus on conditioning my muscles for running. 

   If I combine all of these points together, I developed stronger muscles, better posture, the ability to breathe and more body awareness. All of these tools helped me be more in control of my body and more confident to try new forms of exercises I began the weight loss process. We all feel self conscious at times. It's important to begin to do a few small things that will help improve our physical strength, how we look ourselves and give us the confidence to try new things.

Nutrition/Cookbook References

    There are times when we all get a little sick and tired of cooking the same old thing or doing the same form of exercise. When I get into one of these ruts I like to do a little research out there to see what's new. I've listed a few cookbooks and websites that have some great recipes and fitness/lifestyle tips. Some of them are very diet specific (Alicia Silverstone & Elizabeth Hasslebeck), and others are more about cooking fresh whole foods (Alice Waters & Gwyneth Paltrow). At the heart of these cookbooks are a focus on cooking the best foods possible for you based on your needs. Also look at the websites listed below. Gabby Reece put together a wonderful website about fitness, nutrition and connecting women together. And you can get great healthy recipes from Cooking Light.com and 100 days of Real Food. Try out a few of these new references. They may energize your routine.

CookBooks:

1.    Elizabeth Hasslebeck – Deliciously G-Free, The G-Free Diet (gluten Free)

2.    Alicia Silverstone – The Kind Diet (vegan food)

3.    Gwyneth Paltrow – My father’s daughter (whole food)

4.    Rocco diSpirito – Now eat this cookbook (cutting calories)

5.    Alice Waters - In the Green Kitchen: Techniques to Learn by Heart (recipes all about sustainable, local cooking using fresh, local and seasonal ingredients)

Websites:

1.    http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

2.    Cooking Light.com

3.    http://www.thehoneyline.com/ (Gabrielle Reece’s website with fitness, lifestyle and nutrition tips)

Jump Starting a New Beginning

 Today was my first workout with my personal trainer. Two and a half months ago I had surgery. Needless to say, I had to take a significant amount of time off from working out. Today was definitely humbling and a little frustrating. Using the TRX and doing the 3,2,1 workout are very familiar forms of exercise. I love doing them, and have done them many times in the past with my trainer. Today was definitely a challenge. I was reminded of how my Pilates clients feel when they come in to see me for the first time. I was also reminded of when I first started exercising 80 pounds ago. You can feel frustrated, angry, and discouraged that you can't do the exercise as long or as well as you used to. Or even as well as you think someone else can. 
   This is when I'm thankful I have trainers who are willing to remind me where I've come from, encourage me to stay the course, and cheer me on for what I have done well. Essentially, this is what all of us trainers and instructors in the fitness world try to provide our clients. The little extra nudge that says "Don't give up, you're really doing great. It will get easier and you will feel better." The next time you feel like giving up on your new fitness routine or new eating habits, DON'T! Remind yourself that it takes time, and practice, and learning to give yourself the positive feedback and encouragement to keep making the good choices to build a healthy lifestyle.

Papaya Salad

  Looking for a light, almost zero prep type of dinner?  Make the salad I listed below. The great thing about this salad is that you can add any chicken leftover from last nights meal to the salad. Add fish or shrimp to it for a more tropical feel. You can even add jalapenos for extra spice. There are a variety of different fruits and veggies you can add to this salad depending on your taste buds.


    Papaya Salad: Cut up (1) Papaya, (1) avocado, 1/2 of a red onion into small pieces. Top with Sea Salt, the juice of half a lemon or lime and olive oil and toss. To make it a meal: add shrimp or chicken, add fresh cilantro and mint, add cucumber and/or strawberries and spinach or arugula. This is a great light salad where you can add a variety of different fruit or vegetables to it.

Motivation & Direction

Bob Greene (trainer to Oprah): "make sure you have a mission or plan for your life. It doesn't matter how motivated you are, if you don't have direction you can't get to where you want to be."

Ringing in 2012

 This year I rang in the New Year in Southern California. The weather was warm, there was a great deal of laughter, and new memories were created with some of my closest college friends. My very last day I spent some time in Santa Monica. As I walked barefoot on the beach by the Santa Monica Pier, I reflected on all the changes that happened in 2011 and years prior.  I have grown immensely thankful for the friends and family who have stood by me on this journey of health and fitness. It will be 7 years in June that I started on my weight loss journey. In that time I have changed my eating habits, learned to cook healthy and great tasting food, learned to love exercise, become a Pilates Teacher, and can now shop in almost any store I want without crying (most of the time) :). Most of all, I have learned to become flexible with my life. You can't always plan out each moment of your life, but you can learn to accept those moments of serendipity when they do come your direction. 


  So here are my New Years Resolutions:

1. To learn to consistently create my own adventure. Even if it means going alone. 
2. To continue to pursue greater levels of fitness, because I know that it makes me feel stronger and happier. 
3. To remind myself that I am a work in progress. That means I can cut myself some slack and pick myself up when I trip and fall.
4. To continue to seek out those things that make me feel happy, healthy, and strong. If I have given myself the tools to become physically healthy, mentally healthy, emotionally healthy and spiritually healthy, then I will be able to better give to others. I will be able to give to others more effectively because I will be a more whole person.