Pilates make me TALLER

Back in JC I was measured 163cm tall. I had always wished that I was 2 cm taller, as that would help de-classify me from the overweight category.

Unfortunately, no matter how straight I stood in front of the wall scale, I was at best 163.3 cm. I could only look at other girls and envy their tall and slender figure.

But few years ago, at age 26, I "grew" to 165 cm.

I was sure I had way passed my puberty. So after eliminating any other ridiculous but possible factors, I think my height increment came from Pilates.

As we grow older, our body is subconsciously tensed up by life's worries and concerns. As we spend time hunched over the study table, the computer or the steering wheel, the back muscles become stretched and weak, the shoulders and chest muscles tighten up; and the neck stiffen. All these muscle tension compress the spine.

By practicing Pilates, postural/ core muscles are strengthen to counter these effects. Over time, the chest and shoulders open up, while the back muscles are strengthen to give a more erect posture (so that the erector spinae muslces are finally strong enough to do what they are supposed to do: erect up the spine!) So the crown of the head is extended upward, lengthening the back of the neck. And voila, a lengthened spine = taller appearance.

However, this "taller appearance" is only temporary. If you stop Pilates and "re-install" all the bad postures, muscle tension will compress u once again. So do pilates regularly to make sure you have strong and balanced muscles in the body to counter all the compressing effects that shrink u up!

*Note: At two separate measurements over past two weeks in two different gynae clinics, I was measured 167.5 cm tall!! OMG, I have just "grew" another inch...i better keep it up...heehee...

If President Gloria Arroyo has good posture, it's probably because of Pilates

March 16, 2008
ST.com News: Stretching his pilates skills - from the Philippines to S'pore

By Tan Dawn Wei

"IF PHILIPPINE President Gloria Arroyo has good posture, it's probably because of Ole Eugenio.

The pilates instructor used to give Mrs Arroyo lessons in the presidential palace, although he'll have you know it's not exactly the most enviable job in all of the Philippines.

Pilates is a system of mind-body exercises which many professionals like dancers use.

'It's hard teaching Mrs Arroyo because there's so much protocol. You can't touch her and correct her - her bodyguards will jump,' said Mr Eugenio, 35, a soft-spoken Manila native.

Since moving to Singapore two years ago to teach at a pilates studio, he has not had to deal with the likes of those macho minders. His clients are largely 'tai-tais and yuppies'

'People here are health-conscious. Lots of people are stressed out, so I think Singapore needs me,' he said with a laugh."

Research on Pilates - ACSM

It is a misconception to many that Pilates is just another fitness hype and there is no systemtic scientific study conducted on Pilates. Well, here is one presented at ACSM in March 2005:

"LAS VEGAS - Pilates is a beneficial exercise to enhance flexibility and muscular fitness and endurance, particularly for intermediate and advanced practitioners, but may have limited potential to notably increase cardiovascular fitness and reduce body weight. New researchconducted by Michele Olson, Ph.D., FACSM and presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition supports the practice of Pilates to achieve some health benefits, and adds to the knowledge about the technique

In a recent study of the method, Olson and her team measured the metabolic and caloric cost of basic (beginner), intermediate, and advanced Pilates mat workouts to assess what the popular technique may and may not do for exercisers. Participants performed basic, intermediate and advanced workouts in random order while the research team monitored heart rate, metabolic rate and rate of perceived exertion.

Results indicated basic Pilates activity translated into low-moderate intensity, comparable to active stretching. The intermediate workout was shown to be of a moderate intensity level, similar to the energy requirement of speed walking at a rate of 4 to 4.5 mph. The advanced workout was found to be of high-moderate intensity, equivalent to basic stepping on a six-inch platform.

The team also found the most dramatic increase in caloric cost occurred when participants progressed from basic to intermediate or advanced levels of training. Additionally, the duration of the workout affected energy cost in intermediate sessions. For example, a 30-minute session at an intermediate level burned 180 calories, and continuing the workout burned an additional 90 calories each 15 minutes...

...an another phase of the study, the team measured abdominal muscle activity during key Pilates mat exercises. Participants performed five Pilates ?ab? exercises, then basic crunches for comparison. Results showed that the rectus abdominis muscle, which runs along the mid section of abdomen, was challenged similarly for most of the Pilates exercises. However, the Teaser exercise and Roll-Up challenged this abdominal muscle more than the crunch. The external obliques, the muscles on either side of the abdomen, were challenged to a greater degree by all of the Pilates exercises compared to the basic crunch. In particular, the Criss-Cross was the most effective for the external obliques....

...Olson says the practice of Pilates promises to become even more mainstream, and warns that this can potentially create a problem with a lack of quality instructors. ?A qualified Pilates instructor has studied for five or more years, and may have even traveled and taken intensive courses from masters. There are more than 500 exercises, and it takes more than a workshop or short course to learn and teach it correctly."

Pilates and Sex - For Men

A reader asked how exactly can Pilates help in sexual sensation (as mentioned in my previous post). She understands that strong pelvic floor muscles can affect the tone of vagina, thus better sexual sensation for the lady. But what about the men? It never even occurs to her that men also have pelvic floor muscles! So, while keeping P-latte NC-16, I will write a little more about Pilates and Sex - for MEN.

Joseph Pilates stated that the five basic principles behind his method of exercise are concentration, control, centering, flow, and breathing. All very good compliments on how to have better sex.

Generally speaking, studies have shown that a key to an improved sex life is a healthy fit body. More specifically, Pilates fitness can show you how to have better sex. Because of the obvious, and not so obvious, body-strengthening benefits of a regular Pilates routine.

First and foremost, strong pelvic floor muscles equal stronger orgasms - for both men and female. Besides, in a study published in the British Journal of General Practice, 40 per cent of the male subjects who were put on Kegel exercise, attained normal erectile function, and another third showed improved performance at the end of study. Grace Dorey, visiting professor at the University of the West of England, Bristol, and lead author of the research, said that the results showed that pelvic floor exercises should be the first treatment for all men with erectile disorders and weak erections. Such exercises could also prevent impotence in men, and even improve the performance of those who do not have problems. “When men are going through a normal sex life, they should be looking to these exercises to extend their sex life. If you are performing reasonably well, this research would suggest that you may be able to improve your performance further,” the professor said. Pilates strengthen pelvic floor, thus enhance sexual performance.

Next, stronger abdominal muscles help to sustain the actions of sex. Stronger core equals stronger movements for a longer period of time. Isn't stronger and longer means better?

Want to try some of those fabulous Kama Sutra poses, but can’t quite get your leg over your head? Pilates improves your flexibility and overall range of movement at the joints.

Looser hips give you greater ease of movement and a freer feeling body. Nice.

In addition, some of the less obvious benefits of Pilates and how to have better sex have to do with oxygen. Pilates requires very deep, sometimes sustained breathing. This oxygenates your blood and sends oxygen to your muscles faster. The increased blood flow that comes from Pilates exercise can also benefit men who are experiencing some erectile difficulties; and increased blood flow in certain areas of man’s body can increase their feeling of strength., according to experts.

Plus, stronger body also allows for better stamina and an overall feeling of well being.

Last but not least, sex is many times more mental than physical. We all know how a little mental concentration can boost your experience. (wink…nod) Pilates exercise utilizes mental imagery to achieve the correct form and feeling to each exercise and the mental strength recruited during a pilates class can also be used in your sexual workout.

So you see, be the master of your mind and body and you will have control in all areas of your life. Pilates will be the way to an improved sex life.

My Sports Bra Gives me Neck Ache!

It's a shame that, though I practive Pilates regularly, I suffered from bad neck aches.

Sometimes my neck ached so bad that I felt like the whole world was crumbling down my head.

Pilates had already given me a lot of pain relief. So you can imagine how bad it had been.

I changed my mattress, got myself a new memory foam pillow. I am careful with my posture, I have strong back muscles and I stretch regularly. I didn't know what's causing the ache and I even suspected something was wrong with the Feng Shui of my room, so I painted the walls a new colour and shuffled furniture into new layout. But why didn't the neck ache go away?

One weekend I was all alone at home working at my laptop and my neck started to ache badly. I wanted to rub the ache off my neck, so I reached for the massage oil. But the moment I took off my sports bra to make way for the massage, the pain immediately reduced 80%! Only then I realised, gosh, my favourite sports bra was the culprit!

I have been wearing this sports bra for years. I liked it a lot because it gave me very good support (maybe too good support) for my run. Apparently my body had changed over the years and my upper body had grown bigger, meaning the sports bra became tighter. The shoulder straps of the bra acted like super shortened upper trapezius muscles and bound my shoulders and neck uptight. That was what made my neck ached! No wonder all my stretches didn't work.

Besides neck ache, wrong bra size can also cause backache, shoulder pain, tender bust and bad posture. It is not a matter that ladies should take casually.

If you do have neckache (and bra size is not the main culprit), try the following:
1. Isometric exercises

• clasp hands together behind head and press head firmly against hands for five seconds, then relax pressure
• bend head forward and apply gentle pressure with hands for ten seconds, relax pressure once again
• repeat five more times or as needed.
  
• Do not force head too far forward and stop if any pain is felt.

2. Stretching

• bend head to right and hold for ten seconds, then roll gently, head forward, then to left.
• shrug shoulders, hold for a few seconds and then release.
  
• Repeat if needed.
  
• Go slowly and don't force head to shoulders, only go as comfortably as you feel.
  

Anyway, I found this video pretty cool, it gives a short and sweet overview on neckache and pain relief good exercises:

Pilates: How To Prevent And Relieve Neck Ache

Pelvic Floor - on incontinence & sexual health

You might have heard of the term "pelvic floor" during one of your pilates classes, do you know what exactly is it?

Pelvic floor is a group of muscles that stretch like a hammock from the tail bone at the back to the pubic bone in front. It supports the bladder, the womb and the bowel. The urethra, the vagina and the rectum pass through them. It's important to build and maintain strength in the pelvic floor, as it play important role in bladder and bowel control, and sexual sensation (for both male and female).

The easiest way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to pretend to stop the flow of urine, you will feel a slight lifting up of the muscles underneath your pelvis. Another way to find your pelvic floor muscles is to suck your thumb. Bizarre but true!

Though problems relating to weak pelvic floor are more common in ladies, the men are not spared. Because beside pregnancy, childbirth (whether delivered naturally or by Caeserian) and menopause (hormones at work again!), pelvic floor can also be weakened by obesity, excessive weight lifting, constipation (that you have to strain to empty your bowel), and even chronic cough (smoker's alert!).

Besides the famous Kegel exercise, pilates can also help strengthen the pelvic floor. Although the term 'pelvic floor' was not used, the concept was part of the original pilates system. If you pull in your powerhouse and engage your deep trasverse abdominus, then your pelvic floor muscles engage. Next time when you do pilates, try to think of these muscles contracting as part of the girdle of strength.

So pilates can help improve your sex life (of course prevent incontinence too)! Yet another great benefit of pilates that you can add on to the list.

Tom Cruise Get In Shape by Pilates

Some people, especially many men I have met, were not sure if Pilates is challenging or interesting enough for them. Apparently Pilates appears too "static" to them and they doubt if Pilates can help them achieve their fitness goals.

Well many celebrities have chosen Pilates as their main choice of workout, really because it gives the results that they want. See how Tom Cruise finds Pilates:

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National Ledger - Tom Cruise Gets Buff for Katie Holmes
According to a report from Star Magazine the megastar keeps his body in action-hero shape with a grueling 90 minutes of Pilates every single day. "This is a really tough workout, and it isn’t for the squeamish, but Tom likes to really challenge himself,” a friend tells Star. "Tom says he feels younger and stronger with Pilates," the friend adds. “It gives him more stamina.

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So, are you ready to try Pilates now? :)

Injury Prevention for Runners - Part 2

Continued from Part 1 (where I shared about Piriformis syndrome), here I continued with information about other common injuries caused by running (frankly I myself suffered from all these problems before). As before click on the hyperlinks to find out more in-depth details. So let me start this Part II with the Iliotibial Band Syndrome or the ITB Syndrome, one of the leading cause of lateral knee pain in runners:

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Signs and Symptoms: Pain/ tenderness on the outside part of the knee or lower thigh, often worsened by weight bearing movements such as going up or down stairs, or getting out of a car.

Possible cause: Running too much, too soon, without sufficient fitness; a tight ITB which is brought on by 'bowing' the knees and/or foot pronation or flat feet, (which can turn the lower limb inwards).

How to prevent: Stretch the ITB; run shorter distance; avoid running too much up or down hill; gradually build up your training program to avoid overdoing it too soon.

How can Pilates help:
Doing Pilates regularly help maintain the ratio between the length and strength of the muscles around the hip, particularly the gluteus medius and deep rotators.

Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain)

Signs and Symptoms: Pain (maybe vague and non-specific) after exercise or long period of sitting; small swelling in the knee, feeling of muscle giving way; feeling of knee-cap 'giving-way' or knee joint movement restriction.

Possible cause: Imbalance of quadriceps muscles; over-training, -bending, -squatting and -kneeling may lead to the vastus medialis (one of the quadriceps) muscle wasting away meaning that the patellar bone drifts outwards and causes friction against the outside of the femur(thigh) bone; bow legs; knock knees; turning of shin outwards when running; misalignment of the lower limb; foot pronation/ flat feet; tension in ITB.

How to prevent:

Strengthen the quadriceps, particularly the vastus medialis oblique (the muscle inside inside your knee).

How can Pilates help: Pilates helps keep good sense of balance in the muscles (especially the single leg balance exercises) and maintain muscle control through the pelvis and pelvic stability.

Shin Splints

Signs and Symptoms: Pain in the inner side of lower leg, which may stop when u stop the exercise. Eventually the pain continues even after stopping the exercise.

Possible cause: Sudden increase in training; excessive jumping; running on hard surface; knock knee or bow legs (knee mal-alignment); imbalance of muscle in the lower leg especially around the ankles.

How to prevent: Proper footwear; increase flexibility of lower limbs; strengthen the lower limbs

How can Pilates help: Pilates balance and strengthen the lower limbs; impart proper limb alignment during movements.

Read on: Injury Prevention for Runner - Part 3

Injury Prevention for Runners -Part I

Nowadays there are more and more Singaporean take up running as their hobby. They can be spotted, both on weekends and weekdays, in parks or on scenic stretch of the city. My ex-colleagues back in Singapore Sports Council must be very happy as their assigned task to promot sports to Singaporean has taken off successfully. As the year end Singapore Marathon is drawing near, I am sure many runners are increasing their training mileage to prepare themselves for the grueling distances on 2 Dec 2007.

I myself had been preparing for my 2nd marathon too. Contrary to what my friends think, I am NOT a good runner. My body structure is really not meant for running, as my relatively wider Q-angle make my knees naturally injury-prone. But I can't afford to stop running, because running is a great aerobic exercise that keeps my heart and lungs fit. It is also convenient to do, I don't need any special equipment /court rental nor an exercise partner, I can run as & when I feel like getting a good workout.

As I am an injury-prone runner, I read a lot about injury prevention specifically relating to running. Running no doubt can cause injuries in lower limbs (calves, ankles, Achilles tendon, etc) and lower back. These problems usually occur due to poor technique, uneven surfaces, muscle overuse, excessive training or incorrect footwear. In this Injury Prevention series, I will talk about some common injuries related to running, and also how Pilates can help prevent or rehabilitate them.

*However, information presented in P-Latte is meant for your reference only, you should stop from training if you experience pain during or after exercise and seek medical advice*

Piriformis Syndrome

Signs and Symptoms: Pain or numbness felt in buttock that sometimes radiating down the leg, especially when the hip is externally rotated.

Possible cause: Relying too much on one leg (such as when running on uneven surface, poor running posture, or when one leg being longer than the other); minor twisting on one leg due to incorrect running style; and a weak piriformis muscles.

How to prevent: Stick to even running surfaces, avoid turning hips inwards when running, particularly when training on slopes; correct leg length discrepancy.

How can Pilates help:

1. Hip Opening - Strengthen the gluteus medius muscle.

2. Single Knee Kicks - Lengthen the psoas muscle

3. Piriformis stretch - lengthen and relax the piriformis

4. Knee Drops - Stretch external hip rotators, gluteus maximus, obturator internus, gluteus medius/ minimus, psoas,obturator externus and piriformis.

~ More "injuries" in Part 2 and 3,so read on! ~

Do I need Pilates if I'm already Weight Training?

Yes! Weight trainers should also do Pilates, as they have particular benefits to draw from Pilates. Many weight-training exercises tend to concentrate on isolated muscle groups, where the muscle "bulk up" over time. Pilates simultaneously strengthens and lengthens your muscles uniformly, creating supple power.

Moreover, Pilates saves precious time by training all the small (but important) and deep stabilizing muscles along side with the large ones, which would otherwise be very time-consuming to train using traditional weight training method (imagine doing 3 sets of 15 reps of weights for each and every small muscle!)

By training the stabilizing muscles and teaching the body to move in good motor control, Pilates will make every movement more efficient and powerful, allowing the weight-trainer to train harder and reap more benefits from each weight training session. It also help to prevent injuries from weight lifting too.

Reasons Why You Should Try Pilates Today!

Whenever I talk to my friends, somehow or rather I would lead them into health and fitness topics (including Pilates, of course).

For example, last evening I was had a little gathering with 2 other pharma sales rep colleagues over Starbucks coffee, YW complained about her skin condition and she was thinking of resuming her acne medication.

"But that drug is going to dry u up from inside out, then your constipation will get worse, and then in turn it make your skin look bad! it's just a viscious cycle!" the other rep, WW, commented.

YW has previously mentioned to me about her lower back pain. A quick glance at her it was easy to spot the prominent problem - poor posture. Her back muscles (the rhomboids and lats especially) are weak and her shoulders are rounded. Her lower abdominals protrude out and her lower back aches. I "prescribed" her a few simple postural exericses to be practised daily.

I started to wonder if her backache and constipation are linked. Among many other factors, chronic constipation is usually associated with colon health problems, insufficient dietary fiber and roughage, a sedentary lifestyle, dehydration and nerve injury. And if YW has a problem over her lumbar area (ie. lower back pain), wouldn't the lumbar problem in turn affect her bowel moments?

After the gathering I practiced an hour's pilates at home (frankly due to frantic workload, I did not have time to practice pilates on myself for almost 3 months!!). Within half an hour after all the stomach massage from pilates, my intestines started to churn badly and I rushed to the toilet for an emergency defecation!!! I definitely have to share this experience with YW to prompt her to start Pilates asap!

Besides clearing the bowel of waste, let me highlight here ten other reasons why you should try pilates today:

1. Improved posture
Your spine supports the weight of your body and allows your body to move with ease and comfort. That's the theory anyway. But in practice, hours spent sitting in front of a computer screen or slumped in front of a TV means that the spine's natural S shape is lost, resulting in back pain and rounded shoulders. Pilates helps to re-align the spine and with that comes better posture.

2. Relief from back pain
As mentioned above, a great deal of lower back pain comes from poor posture and our daily mistreatment of our spines. By re-aligning your spine and imprioving your posture, lower back pain can often be eliminated entirely.

3. A good night's sleep
Ask anyone to name three things essential for life and you will be told, water, air and food. Few people will mention sleep and yet it too is essential to life. Pilates can help stretch muscles, releasing tension and pain, and it can also help trigger natural sleep responses.

4. Increase your strength and stamina without adding muscle bulk
Pilates helps increase both your strength and stamina without adding unwanted bulk because it focuses on developing your "core" muscles - muscles found in your abdominal and pelvic regions as well as in your back. By toning and stretching these muscles, and by correcting your posture, your nantural strength and stamina will improve in leaps and bounds.

5. Pilates can help prevent osteoporosis
By promoting good posture and balance, Pilates not only can strengthen the muscles, it can also actively strengthen bones, thus preventing osteoporosis, a condition where bones, especially those of the spine, wrist and hips, becoming thin and weak and susceptible to fractures.

6. A great way to relax and beat stress
Pilates is a gentle form of exercise that literally re-introduces you to your own body. And the better you understand your body and how it works, the easier it will be for you to release tension, relax and beats the stresses and strains of modern life.

7. Help with a prevention of incontinence
A common cause of incontinence in women is pregancy, where the pelvic floor mucles can be weakened, but as we get older (men and women alike) muscles in the pelvic area can weaken too. Pilates will help you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, thereby curing what can be a very distressing problem for sufferers.

8. Improve your balance and co-ordination
Pilates helps improve your balance and co-ordination by realigning your spine and strengthening your "core" muscles. And better balance and co-ordination means fewer injuries - hence pilates growing popularity among professional sports people - from dancers to rugby players.

9. Helps aid recovery after injury - and prevent injury recurring
Because of its low impact nature, pilates is widely recognised as being beneficial to people who are recovering from certain types of injury including whiplash and a wide range of sporting injuries. Indeed, many of the injuries that sports people are afflicted with can be avoided - and pilates can play a big part in ensuring correct body movement and core body strength leads to fewer such injuries.

10. No pain plenty gain!
In most gyms you will hear the mantra "no pain, no gain", but you won't hear it repeated in a pilates studio. Pilates is a gentle non-aerobic form of exercise that will tone and strengthen your muscles and transform poor posture without stressing the joints or the heart.