Shoulder Bridge

The Shoulder Bridge is a great pose for toning the glutes and quadriceps! Begin by lying on your back with your hands at your sides, palms down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Keep your powerhouse pulled in and up as you contract your bottom and lift your hips towards the ceiling bone by bone. Press your heels into the floor for stability. Lower to the starting position bone by bone like you're laying down a string of pearls. Your pelvis is the last thing to touch the mat. That’s one rep. Complete three sets of 12-15 repetitions.

London Calling

Cheerio ol’ chap! Flat Belly Pilates visits London next month! In preparation for the trip, I have been doing some research about healthy food options, hotel amenities, pilates studios and fitness opportunities in the city. As the saying goes, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” Here are a few things that I plan to do to eat healthy and stay fit while traveling.

Be Prepared

• I like to bring snacks with me to the airport so that I am not tempted to buy unhealthy foods while I am there. Almonds, oranges, granola bars and raisins are great snacks that travel well.
• Being newly vegan, I made sure to order a vegan meal for the international legs of the trip. Can’t wait to see what that looks like.
• I've also made a list of the vegetarian restaurants near my hotel so that I know my options and don't find myself relying on fast food when I'm in a pinch.

Explore Fitness Opportunities

• I’m bringing along my magic circle for exercise just in case I am unable to visit a fitness center. I can always get a great workout in my hotel room.
• I am also going to explore a few of the pilates studios near my hotel.
• I plan to visit Hamstead Heath and take a run in one of London’s most relaxing open spaces.
• Walk, walk, walk! I plan to visit the museums, pubs, lounges, shops and markets too. Anyone who has ever tried to visit all of the district’s museums on the mall in a day knows what a workout that is. I’m expecting a similar occurrence when I try to see, do and hear it all in London with just 3 days and 2 nights.

For other fitness tips, read “Travel Tips,” a recent post that offers a few easy travel tips to help you stay fit while traveling. You’ll learn about mobile pilates equipment and how to setup a mini pilates studio in your hotel room. You’ll even learn how to say “Where’s the gym?” in several languages.

Got travel tips to share with others? Post a comment.

Book Smarts

One of the average person’s most used excuses for skipping workouts is the inconvenience of their gym location. Flat Belly Pilates is making things a bit easier for you by bringing the studio to you and providing in-home sessions. Flat Belly Pilates also offers a book, Flat Belly Pilates: Beginner Pilates Guide and Practice Journal, for anyone who like to practice on their own and get studio results. Compiled in this book are some of my favorite belly flattening exercises and step-by-step instructions for beginner and intermediate poses along with helpful modifications and challenging progressions so you can use this guide as you advance in your practice.

Please remember to use this book in combination with private lessons or group classes. You will need an instructor to teach you proper form and provide feedback. This book will aid you in your home practice and remind you how to do the exercises on your own.

Ex@%#!cise doesn’t have to be a dirty word anymore.

Travel Tips

So often when we vacation, we take break from our healthy diets and fitness routines. So, here are a few easy travel tips to help you stay fit while traveling.

I travel a bit and sometimes when I am packing I realize that there just isn’t enough room in my suitcase for my pilates mat and my shoes. The dilemma! It just isn’t always practical for me to take along the mat given its dimensions. However, the pilates ring and weighted ball are small, lightweight tools that slip easily into my luggage and travel well. They are great tools to keep me in shape while on travel. So when you’re traveling this season, don’t take a vacation from your workout too. Find ways to incorporate it into your schedule even when you’re away. As the saying goes, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”.

When I travel, I am always reminded of the many obstacles – um, distractions – that can easily interfere with scheduled workouts. You may not have the time, space or energy for your full pilates practice when you're traveling but committing to a quick workout in your hotel room will make you feel better. I think we all know how tough it can be to pack a pilates mat so don’t hesitate to leave it at home and try this trick instead during your next trip. Order lots of extra bath towels from the hotel's housekeeping staff and spread them out on the floor to eliminate the ick factor about the cleanliness of hotel floors. Also, don’t forget to turn the heat up so that you don't get cold halfway through your workout!

Wherever your travels take you this spring and summer, here’s how to say “Where’s the gym?” in several languages:

Dutch: Waar is de gymnastiek?

French: Où est la gym?

German: Wo ist die Gymnastik?

Italian: Dove è la ginnastica?

Portuguese: Onde está a ginástica?

Spanish: ¿Dónde está la gimnasia?

Now that you can bring pilates with you on vacation, how should we curb the late nights filled with martinis, mojitos and mai tais? Don’t worry, I promise to tackle the tempting diet pitfalls in upcoming blog posts. Cheers!

Elbow Plank Walk

Holding an elbow plank will work your core, but to really challenge your core, walk the (elbow) plank. The challenge of moving your body forward and backward, as well as side to side, works your abs, back, and arms. It is also more functional because the movement pattern translates more closely to moves you do in your daily life.

To begin, start in an elbow plank, with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Your palms should be flat on the ground and in line with your elbows. Pull your abs toward your spine and reach through your heels to activate the back of your legs. Walk about half an inch forward with your right arm while keeping your feet in place. Walk the left arm forward so it is even with the right arm. Walk back a half-inch with right elbow, and then your left. Repeat starting with the left elbow, taking one step forward with each arm and one step back. Next, move your right arm to the right about a half-inch. Then, bring your left arm a half-inch to the right as well. Return to starting position, stepping first with the left arm and then with the right. Once again, your feet should not move.

Now add another two steps in each direction and repeat the series.

Lift your hips into an inverted pilates V (aka downward facing dog) and hold the pose for several breaths. Then, repeat the series two more times. Aim for three repetitions.

Tell Your Teacher

Do you have an injury or a physical condition that might affect your ability to practice, like pregnancy, high blood pressure or recent surgery? You may feel that those issues are private ones but your teacher needs to know in order to guide you through a pilates session safely and appropriately. Your instructor can provide advice for you and pose modifications to avoid putting stress on the affected area. Also, whether or not you are injured or just tired and/or stiff, skip poses you cannot or should not do, or try a modified version of the pose. It's important to let your teacher know what's going on with you for safe, effective pilates practice.

Spring is in session. Come prepared.

It finally looks and feels like spring is in session in the district. You know that means you're only a hop, skip and jump away from bikini season so get prepared. May is the best time to buy activewear and shoes since many retailers discount their merchandise at this time. Your savings? 30-60 percent! You can still be physically and fashionably fit in this economy. Below are a few pieces that I love because they're functional and transition well from a challenging workout to a day of running errands.

Lululemon’s Movement Tank has an extra long length that makes it perfect for pairing with tights or capris. If you find that it's too long, it can always be hemmed to your liking.

I love Lululemon’s Boogie Crop Pants just because they're cute!

Stay well-hydrated with the stainless sports bottle from Lululemon Athletica. It has an adjustable lid for fast-flow hydration while working out or slow-flow for sipping. It will not leech BPA or harmful chemicals or retain any flavors. It is also leak-proof, break-proof, dishwasher-safe and, best of all, recycable.

… and a place to keep it all. Store it all in an Envirosax Shopper Bag available online at Envirosax.com or Target.com in many, many colors. My fav is the red flora sac.

So what are you wearing this spring?

Six Principles of Pilates

Pilates is a body conditioning system that was developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. Pilates called his method Contrology which refers to the way the method encourages the use of the mind to control the muscles. This fitness program focuses awareness of breath, alignment of the spine, and strength of the core postural muscles. The following six principles of pilates that are the real key to progress for many students of pilates.

1. Centering: Bring your focus to the center of your body, the powerhouse area between the lower ribs and pubic bone.

2. Concentration: Remember that conscious control of your movements enhances body awareness. Commit your full attention to each exercise to obtain the maximum value from each movement.

3. Control: Complete ever pilates exercise with complete muscular control, leaving no body part to its own devices.

4. Precision: Maintain proper form throughout each movement for safe, effective results.

5. Breath: Joseph Pilates emphasized using a very full breath in his exercises. Proper breathing is an important part of your pilates practice. It involves inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Full inhalations and exhalations are important because they aid in movement control during difficult abdominal exercises. Avoid holding your breathe at any point during your workout.

6. Fluidity: Pilates exercise is done in a flowing, graceful and elegant manner. Smooth, continuous motions are encouraged over jarring repetitions.