Our top ten tips to sprinkle extra movement into your everyday this summer
Pilates Everyday…how can you get more from your weekly sessions and keep moving over the Summer Hols
With the Summer holidays having finally arrived and many of you taking a break, we can turn our attention to how to keep the benefits of your weekly Pilates class going over the coming weeks, and indeed all the time. We are not expecting you all to pull a full Spine Curl with Knee Drops and Ribcage closure arms on the sunlounger (though send us a photo if you do!), but a little bit of ‘savvy movement’ can go a long way to keeping you stiffening up this summer.
I recently shared on our Facebook Page a great post about being ‘Active Sedentary’ about the work of US biomechanst Katy Bowman. Her scientific theory is that, though a great start, doing just an hour of the same exercise will not offset being mostly sedentary (sitting down/being still) during the day, and that it is a better approach for all-round health if we all find ways of being more active more of the time and with a wider variety of movement.
Enter again the power of Pilates (honestly, it is hard not to be smug about how brilliant it is!)
Good Pilates teachers know this all makes sense. Joseph Pilates’ exercises and all that have developed from his theory, are influenced by gymnastics, dance, martial arts, yoga and boxing training. He saw the need to move the whole body in different ways to keep it from stiffening up. Think: your Pilates lesson will challenge your mobility and moves every joint as well as building your strength and stability doesn’t it?
So, we know movement is good. And good movement is better, and your Pilates teacher teaches you to ‘move wise’: check alignment, use your core to support and explore the full range of movement in your joints. So, now let’s think about how we can ‘sprinkle extra movement’ into your everyday…..
Here is our Top Ten Tips to sprinkle extra movement into your everyday:
- Tennis Ball Rising when you waiting for the kettle to boil
- Standing on one leg whilst you are queuing at the checkout at the supermarket, or anywhere. Engage core!
- Start your day with some zig zags or knee drops before you even get out of bed – (BCP founder Lynn Robinson swears by it!)
- Do some Floating Arms and a Roll Down whilst the shower warms up or your bath is running
- Sitting at your desk/table – do some Cherry Picking, Ankle circles or even some Bow and Arrows
- Try some Leg resistance (Our Small But Deadly!) in the car or sitting in a solid chair. Don’t forget to breath out – and in again!
- Find a few minutes to stand with one leg on the bottom of the stairs/on a step and do some leg circles – keeping Pelvis level of course!
- Lie down toward the end of the day – a quick Diamond Press or Cobra will feel lovely during the ad breaks – and remember to have a moment in Rest Position to breathe
- On a long car journey, try to roll your pelvis forward to alleviate any lower back pain, pull your self up with your core and try some neck circles and waist twists with prayer arms
- Go on…check you are in neutral and do a Starfish (leg slides and backstroke arms combo) on the Sunlounger!
