Monday, March 18, 2013

12 Ways to use Pilates to Prepare for Spring


Spring is coming, in fact it is ALMOST here, (I am choosing to ignore tomorrow’s forecast, because denial is the best medicine) and our lives are about to change for the season.  Instead of tea next to the fire, we’ll be drinking iced coffee.  Instead of cozy conversations with family, we’ll be playing Frisbee in the park across the street.  Instead of layers and layers of clothing we’ll be pulling out the shorts and tank tops!  Yes the change of seasons is coming, and Pilates is a great way to make the transition as smooth and injury free as possible.

Injury Free????  Do injuries usually happen in the spring?  I have never seen a statistic that proves it, but imagine how your activities might change over the next few weeks.  Are you going to be pulling out the running shoes?  Will you begin cycling again?  What about softball?  Soccer? Tennis?  Hiking?  Swimming? Races? Golf? Yes, it is lighter in the day and there is more warmth on the earth, and our bodies are going to become more active.  Why might we need to think about injury prevention?  Imagine four months of cozy talks by the fireplace, and four months of sleeping curled up to maintain body warmth.  Imagine your shoulders at your ears to keep your neck warm, and the shortened stride in your gait as you’ve avoided falling on the ice.  Now, what could possibly happen if you take this body that has been curled up with shrugging shoulders for four months onto the golf course without any preparation?  SO while I have no statistic that I can point to, I always consider it important to prepare for the spring. The following twelve ways will be a great start! Have fun exploring these ideas, and if you have any questions contact us at The Pilates Studio!

Feet – Our feet have been in snow boots and covered shoes with lots of support for the past four months, as we prepare for the sandals of the season it’s important to maintain the suppleness of your feet.  Try this video to prepare for the hikes that are coming.

Bridge – Spine articulation.  Sitting with the body in one position for a long time, may mean that we haven’t used the articulation of our spine for a while.  Try these bridging exercises to reintroduce movement to the spine.  

Bent Knee Fallout-Time to start preparing our body for some leg movement and lateral shift.  This exercise was great way to start.


Knee drops – And then we need to introduce some rotation to the spine, and begin the process of preparing the low back for the rotational forces of the golf and softball swings.

Chest Lift – And of course finding the length of the spine in flexion!  Be sure to get all of the air out!

Psoas Stretch on Foam Roller – And now its time to lengthen that stride!!!!  Stretching the front of the hips will help lengthen the stride and get you ready for that marathon

Foam Roller – Now that we don’t have to lift our shoulders to keep our ears warm (I don’t know why our bodies do that) We can begin the process of lengthening them away from our ears with the Foam Roller

Prone Extension – Getting ready to stretch in the sun, continue opening your chest with this gem

Swan -  And take the prone extension to the next level lengthening the front of the body to uncurl the winter spine!


Quadruped Turtle – Another great way to find the longest spine and settle the shoulders away from the ears


Plank – Build weight-bearing strength with THE PLANK

Hips – Strengthening hips for balance and support of a stabile pelvis - of course we haven't gotten to side lying exercises in the exercise of the day blog, but we do have a video about hip power for you!

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