Tina Asked: I am 43 years old and very overweight. I haven’t exercised for a very long time but feel I need to start something to improve my fitness and lose weight. I am too scared to join a gym so a friend said I should try Pilates.  Is Pilates safe for someone of my size, about 5 stone overweight? Could you recommend some easy exercises for me to get started with at home?

Answer…

I teach men and women of all shapes and sizes so I see Pilates as a very safe form of exercise regardless of weight. 

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends resistance work as a great way for building lean body weight and Pilates includes many resistance exercises.  If you do have any worries though, it is advisable for you to discuss these with your general practitioner.

Why not try doing the knee fold exercise at home?  This is a great exercise for strengthening the postural muscles in your abdomen.  Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Lift your pelvic floor by gently tightening the muscles from the back passage round to the front passage and gently pull your naval towards your spine.  Try to lift one knee up towards your chest keeping your pelvis stable (i.e. moving it as little as possible).  Then lower the leg back down to the floor with control.  Repeat on the other side.  Do a total of eight on each leg.

Please remember that you should do some cardio exercise five days a week for 20 minutes.  This can be as simple as a brisk walk at lunchtime with friends or taking the stairs instead of the lift.

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Julia Crossman is a Body Control Pilates trained Pilates instructor who is qualified to teach Reformer – a specialised piece of equipment. She is also a supervising teacher for the Body Control Pilates teacher training course.

Ask Julia about: Pilates Techniques, Pregnancy Pilates, Posture & Alignment, Core Exercises, Lumbar and Pelvic Stability, Pelvic Floor Exercise.

Got a fitness, nutrition or weight loss question? Ask it here!

So I went to my second yoga class on Sunday…

For years I had avoided yoga in the same way most guys avoid ballet, synchronized swimming and expressive dance. As a guy who lives and breathes strength training, I had put yoga classes right up there with belly dancing and salsacise on the “girly exercise scale”. 

After a recurrent weakness in my middle back was starting to interfere with my training I was told by a physio that yoga would very quickly solve the problem.  Faced with the prospect of chronic back pain, I booked into my first yoga class…

And discovered it is an amazing workout!!  Every guy should try it and here’s 5 reasons why…

1) Yoga will strengthen, tone and stretch your shoulders

My preconceptions about yoga were busted before I even started the class.  I walked in, took one look at the yoga instructor and knew there had to be something in this.  She had the kind of tone and definition in her shoulders that you only see on top athletes.  Then I looked around and spotted the same phenomenon in at least 4 others in the class.  Is yoga some kind of freakish shoulder workout?

About 10 minutes into the class I had the answer whilst performing my first “Downward Facing Dog”.  Body trembling.  Sweat pouring.  Shoulders really, really working!  By the end of the class my shoulders and rotator cuff  had been worked and stretched in a way that years of gym training could not compete with.  Without a doubt, yoga is a serious shoulder workout.

2) Yoga will strengthen your middle back muscles

Like most guys into strength training, I spent far too much time doing chest presses, pec flys and bicep curls, neglecting my middle back. The end result?  I was left with weak rhomboids, rounded shoulders and a slouching posture (a phenomenon known as “upper crossed syndrome”).  Although I have corrected this, I still haven’t found an effective way to target my middle back.

Until I tried Yoga!  The yoga poses repeatedly and relentlessly work the middle back, making up for all those years of neglect.  With each pose the instructor reminds you to “pull the shoulders back” / ” lift the chest”, fatiguing the rhomboids.  For at least 3 days after my first yoga class they ached – proof that even though I train them in the gym, yoga hit them far harder and far better.

3) Yoga will improve your lower back flexibility

Of all the elements of fitness – strength, endurance, cardio and flexibility – nothing is more neglected by men than flexibility.   Being able to do the splits just doesn’t gain the respect of your peers like being able to lift weights.  But if you think flexibility is for girls, think again.  Flexibility training is an essential part of all athletes training, from rugby players and footballers, to mixed martial artists.

Yoga is in a league of its own for increasing flexibility, particularly in the sagittal plane (bending forward) and transverse plane (twisting).  You may be able to get away with poor flexibility in your 20s and 30s, but as men reach their 40s and beyond it will cause of lower back pain and injury.  Want to avoid walking sticks and medical bills? Take up yoga.

4) Yoga will improve your core strength and stability

Core strength and stability has gained so much attention over the last 5 years.  In a nutshell, core strength is the ability of the torso to support the movements of the limbs.  A weak core will leave you with poor function, poor balance and a high risk of injury.  With all those seated resistance machines and benches for us to rest on, it is easy to neglect our core strength.

Yoga is the ultimate core workout.  All of the standing yoga poses require the core to be fully engaged… or quite simply you will end up on your backside.  Then as you transition through various planks and side planks your core has to work even harder.  Ultimately, as you advance to poses involving head stands, shoulder stands and even hand stands, you will develop a core of steel.

5) Yoga will teach you how to relax and breathe

Chronic stress is proven to lead to decreased immune function, increased risk of infection and decreased ability to repair tissue.  Men are especially bad at recognising the signs of stress, often leaving it until the inevitable breakdown, heart attack or diagnosis of high blood pressure before doing anything about it.  If you train hard, work hard and play hard, something’s got to give…

Being able to relax is a vital part of fitness, but something that most men find hard to do.  If you find it hard to completely switch off, then Yoga offers men the perfect opportunity to de-stress and still feel like you’re getting a good workout.  Yoga also teaches you how to control your breathing and focus your mind - a must for any guy who doesn’t manage stress well. 

All in all…

Yoga offers men the chance to improve on all the areas of fitness we like to neglect -(1) shoulder strength and stability, (2) middle back strength, (3) lower back flexibility, (4) core strength and (5) being able to relax!  By helping you to improve these you will be able to train harder, for longer and with less risk of illness or injury.

And finally… if this isn’t a good all round workout, I don’t know what is…

Liam – everythingZing.com

Thanks to Sarah at Yoga Mind Space… love the class and will be coming back for more!

Guest Blog Post: our Pilates expert Julia, from Body Control Pilates in Stevenage.

Joseph Pilates was born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1880. He suffered ailments associated with poverty such as rickets, rheumatic fever and asthma and was a frail, sickly child. He was determined to overcome his weaknesses and explored a variety of fitness methods including dance, boxing, athletics, skiing and yoga to devise his own training regimen which he called Contrology.

His system certainly worked for him as, by the age of 14, he was posing for anatomical drawings. He came to England in 1912 and was training Scotland Yard detectives when World War I was declared. Pilates was interned on the Isle of Man but continued developing his method of training his fellow internees and reportedly it was to his credit that none of the internees became infected with the flu epidemic that was raging at the time.

After the War he returned to Germany in 1926 and, due to the unrest in Europe, he thereafter emigrated to the USA.  He met his future wife Clara, a nurse, on the boat and once in New York they decided to set up a studio. Their reputation attracted many clients at the top of their fields including boxers, actors, gymnasts and ballet dancers all eager to learn Pilates’ techniques.

Joseph died fit and healthy at 82 in 1967 of smoke inhalation from a fire at his studio. Pilates’ pioneering work has been carried on by assistants of his who set up their own studios and in turn trained teachers through apprenticeships. What we learn today is derived from Joseph Pilates’ original extensive repertoire.  His legacy lives on!

This article was contributed by…

Julia and Amanda - pilates instructors in Stevenage

Julia and Amanda trained with Body Control Pilates and are on the Register of Exercise Professionals at Level 3.  They run one-to-one and group pilates classes in Stevenage.

Over the last decade Pilates has become increasingly popular among dancers, athletes, models and celebs.  Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liz Hurley, even John Cleese.  These are just a few of the big names who swear by Pilates and have helped to fuel the ever growing popularity of this “wonder workout”.  But what is Pilates, what are the benefits, and how do you choose a Pilates instructor? 

What exactly is Pilates?

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates during the First World War to help rehabilitate returning war veterans.  He recommended a few, precise movements emphasizing control and form that help to strengthen, stretch, and stabilize key muscle groups.  These movements focus particularly on what he called the “powerhouse” – the abdomen, lower back, hips and bum.  Fitness professionals call this part of the body “the core”, and as any Pilates instructor or personal trainer will tell you, it is the starting point of all strength, balance and posture.

Unlike gym workouts that focus on repetition, Pilates exercises focus on fluidity of motion as you perform each pose with slow, graceful movements, starting from the mid-section and moving outward.  Breathing, concentration, muscle control and precision of movement are central principles of the Pilates method, making it slower and less aerobic than other fitness classes.  For this reason Pilates is suitable for people of all ages and abilities, and is recommended for those suffering from osteoporosis, as well as those who are overweight. 

What are the benefits of Pilates?

Muscle Toning- the flowing and controlled movements of Pilates help to firm up and lengthen the muscles, resulting in a sleeker shape and more toned look to the body. 

Body Control – the emphasis on precision of movement helps to improve your mind-muscle connection, which means better control over your body in day to day life.

Core Stability- by targeting the mid-section Pilates helps to strengthen the core muscles, which not only improves balance, but also flattens and tones your waistline.

Injury Rehabilitation- the low impact nature of Pilates helps to develop strength and flexibility without straining the muscles, making it ideal for rehabilitation.

Improved Posture- by correcting muscle imbalances and strengthening the back and spine, Pilates improves posture and lessens the risk of back injury and neck pain.

Increase Wellbeing – In a similar way to yoga, Pilates is a balanced, holistic approach that relieves stress and anxiety by working on the mind as well as the body. 

Getting started…

Before starting a Pilates class it’s a good idea to book a home or studio session with a private Pilates instructor.  Ideally look for a REPS Level 3 Pilates Instructor, or one who is registered with The Body Control Pilates Association.  A one-to-one Pilates session will give you an idea of what a Pilates class feels like, but with a lot more personal focus.  Your Pilates instructor will be able to show you where your body’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and give you some exercises you can try at home.  If you enjoy and feel the benefits of the exercises then you might want to join a local Pilates class, or combine a class with one-to-one sessions. 

Liam – everythingZing.com

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