So what exactly is imprint? There's 2 placement of the pelvis. Once is neutral and another one is imprint. Imprint, in Pilates term, means that you tilt your pelvis slightly back so that your lower back is flat on the mat. The muscle being used for this movement is mainly your obliques(the muscles at both sides of your waist). Caution: Do not get confused with pelvic tuck. When you do a pelvis tuck you are actually compressing your lower back to the mat , which means it's more than a slight tilt of the pelvis and the major muscle being used is your butt. You can actually feel the tensing of your butt happening as you do a pelvic tuck.
So why do we do imprint? We imprint our pelvis when we have both feet off the mat. The reason we do this is be cause we are more in control of our back in this position than in neutral. Without imprnting, you are inclined to arching your back and this will strain your back. But as you advance in Pilates, you will be in neutral instead as you have developed the strength to stabilise your back.
It's a common thing to get confused with the word "imprint" since it's so similar to a pelvic tuck. So to all my beloved students out there, you are not alone.
- Regina
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
another picture taken in KK Pilates studio
This is my mother ,who has been a pilates devotee since 2005 ,doing an advanced pilates pose called the High Swan utilising the stability ball.
Pilates Benefits
Beware of Pilates programs that promise dramatic weight loss or overnight transformations. That's not what pure Pilates is about. However, with time and dedication, Pilates practice can:
1.Improve strength, flexibility and balance.
2.Tone and build long, lean muscles without bulk.
3.Challenge deep abdominal muscles to support the core.
4.Engage the mind and enhance body awareness.
5.Condition efficient patterns of movement making the body less prone to injury.
6.Reduce stress, relieve tension, boost energy through deep stretching.
7.Restore postural alignment.
8.Create a stronger, more flexible spine.
9.Promote recovery from strain or injury.
10.increase joint range of motion.
11.Improve circulation.
12.Heighten neuromuscular coordination.
13.Offer relief from back pain and joint stress.
14.Correct over-training of muscle groups which can lead to stress and injury.
15.Enhance mobility, agility and stamina.
16.Compliment sports training and develop functional fitness for daily life activity
17.Improve the way your body looks and feels
Calories Burned: Pilates Exercise vs Other Exercise
General Exercise
The Mayo Clinic conducted a study using several hundred people, weighing around 145 pounds, to find the calories burned during one hour of various forms of exercise. The results were as follows: (8/19/08 The Mayo Clinic seems to have updated their study and no longer use a 145 pound person, if you are checking the study.)
Aerobic Dancing 416
Backpacking 448
Badminton 288
Bicycling (outdoor) 512
Bicycling (stationary) 448
Bowling 192
Canoeing 224
Dancing 288
Gardening 256
Golfing 288
Hiking 384
Jogging (5 mph) 512
Racquetball 448
Rope Jumping 640
Running (8 mph) 864
Skating 448
Skiing (cross-country) 512
Skiing (downhill) 384
Stair Climbing 576
Swimming 384
Tennis 448
Volleyball 192
Walking (2 mph) 160
Walking (3.5 mph) 243
Pilates Exercise
On SELF.com, which I found to be the most thorough source, I found the following information for a 145 lb person doing pilates for one hour:
Beginner level pilates 241 calories
Intermediate level pilates 338
Advanced level pilates 421
The Mayo Clinic conducted a study using several hundred people, weighing around 145 pounds, to find the calories burned during one hour of various forms of exercise. The results were as follows: (8/19/08 The Mayo Clinic seems to have updated their study and no longer use a 145 pound person, if you are checking the study.)
Aerobic Dancing 416
Backpacking 448
Badminton 288
Bicycling (outdoor) 512
Bicycling (stationary) 448
Bowling 192
Canoeing 224
Dancing 288
Gardening 256
Golfing 288
Hiking 384
Jogging (5 mph) 512
Racquetball 448
Rope Jumping 640
Running (8 mph) 864
Skating 448
Skiing (cross-country) 512
Skiing (downhill) 384
Stair Climbing 576
Swimming 384
Tennis 448
Volleyball 192
Walking (2 mph) 160
Walking (3.5 mph) 243
Pilates Exercise
On SELF.com, which I found to be the most thorough source, I found the following information for a 145 lb person doing pilates for one hour:
Beginner level pilates 241 calories
Intermediate level pilates 338
Advanced level pilates 421
Why start from beginner level
The Turned Off Beginner
Posted by thinkpilates
August 19, 2008
You know what to wear, you bought your mat, you went to your first few classes and you… are bored?
In my experience with the pilates method, both as a teacher and a student, I have seen and taught students who are so interested in pilates that they want to jump right into the intermediate or advanced level. They want to feel the burn, walk out of class exhausted, and sweat buckets! They want grunt-style pilates with a side order of long and lean muscles - to go. Are these folks wrong?
Beginner’s Series
Well, why is it that pilates studios often request beginners to enroll in a beginner’s series before jumping into the open group mat, reformer, or springboard classes? Allow me to use an example: Driving. When you were 16 and so eager to jump behind the wheel and take off with Dad or Mom’s shiny car, you were sad to remember you had to endure the dreaded driver’s education classes first and pass a test. Otherwise that first drive would most likely have wrecked the car. Maybe your body awareness was a little more tuned than others and you could steer the car just fine. But, you might not have known that a double solid line meant no passing, and reported back to the folks with a ticket, or from the hospital.
Learning Curve
With pilates, like any new task, there’s a learning process and there are rules. In pilates the same concept applies, like when to use an imprinted and neutral spine, to avoid injury and complement the exercise being worked on. Beginner’s classes do not serve to make a newcomer climb any strange hierarchy, but instead to educate them on the rules and principles of pilates. Not only at this level is a student learning how to avoid injury, but more importantly, a student is learning the principle building blocks which all of the exercises are based on.
If you don’t know that an inverted red triangle means “yield to other traffic”, you might wonder why cars keep honking and swerving every time you merge. With pilates, students who opt to dismiss basic level exercises or classes will often not feel what they are supposed to feel because they have not been educated on how to find the principles within their own body. And this is key. It is at this point that - because the student doesn’t “feel it” - he/she thinks pilates is boring/useless and never returns. A student can read about principles and know they are major assets to his/her practice, but the key is being able to find the principles and healthy alignment in his/her own body. This is what takes time and attention, and what some people don’t have patience for.
Pilates Principles Are The Key
So are impatient, gung-ho students wrong? Not entirely; they’ll still get a workout. But are they really doing pilates? My answer would be, not really.Pilates is a unique system that involves exercises meant to be anatomically healthy for the body and be executed with flow and precision. To attain these types of movements you have to put your mind to the task, and do some learning along the way. Also, if the principles are skipped, then the student will not end up with exercises which facilitate aligned posture, stronger muscles, and a centered body. With pilates like any other complex skill, one reaps what one sows.
Really learning and applying pilates to your body is kind of like baking a cake - you have to follow a recipe. If you only put flour and baking soda into the oven you will end up with flour and baking soda. But if you put in the eggs and the rest of the recipe, you will end up with a cake. How good a cake depends on practice and correct repetition.
Rolling Like A Ball
Concrete example: When I teach a class there is one exercise with which I can quickly tell who in the group has taken time to study the principles within their own bodies, and who has not. Rolling Like A Ball looks easy and fun - and it can be. But if done correctly, it is a truly challenging exercise. Many students just throw their weight backwards to initiate the rolling in the exercise.
The correct way to initiate the exercise is to deepen the lumbar flexion while drawing the navel in towards the spine. The rolling, both going down and coming up, should be seamless, smooth, and controlled. Instead, it’s often a bumpy ride, and on the way up there is a visible/audible clunk which happens through the lumbar region, indicating the student has no control over the movement. Lastly, engagement between the shoulder blades should be maintained throughout the exercise - and it usually is not.
When a student does this exercise by throwing their weight back and haphazardly rolls back up, they miss the work in the deep abdominals, hip flexors, spine stabilizers, and shoulder blade stabilizers. These students tend to think this is a throw away exercise, but really it should be quite a challenge.
So… when I overhear that a beginner student wants a faster class or a more challenging video, they are often searching for a cake made out of flour and baking soda.
Boosting the Beginner’s Workout
Remember, slower paced in the beginning does not mean always-slow-paced. Concentrate on what the instructor is saying and focus on finding the principles within your own body. If you want extra work, ask the instructor if there is something you could work on throughout all of the exercises that you might be having a more difficult time finding in your body (e.g. shoulder blade engagement or neutral pelvis) so you have something extra to focus on in class.
Paying attention to precise detail in the essential exercises and principles, and putting them correctly into your own body will lead you quickly to the intermediate level of pilates, and beyond. Re-align your focus… and your spine will surely follow.
Peace,Zoe
Posted by thinkpilates
August 19, 2008
You know what to wear, you bought your mat, you went to your first few classes and you… are bored?
In my experience with the pilates method, both as a teacher and a student, I have seen and taught students who are so interested in pilates that they want to jump right into the intermediate or advanced level. They want to feel the burn, walk out of class exhausted, and sweat buckets! They want grunt-style pilates with a side order of long and lean muscles - to go. Are these folks wrong?
Beginner’s Series
Well, why is it that pilates studios often request beginners to enroll in a beginner’s series before jumping into the open group mat, reformer, or springboard classes? Allow me to use an example: Driving. When you were 16 and so eager to jump behind the wheel and take off with Dad or Mom’s shiny car, you were sad to remember you had to endure the dreaded driver’s education classes first and pass a test. Otherwise that first drive would most likely have wrecked the car. Maybe your body awareness was a little more tuned than others and you could steer the car just fine. But, you might not have known that a double solid line meant no passing, and reported back to the folks with a ticket, or from the hospital.
Learning Curve
With pilates, like any new task, there’s a learning process and there are rules. In pilates the same concept applies, like when to use an imprinted and neutral spine, to avoid injury and complement the exercise being worked on. Beginner’s classes do not serve to make a newcomer climb any strange hierarchy, but instead to educate them on the rules and principles of pilates. Not only at this level is a student learning how to avoid injury, but more importantly, a student is learning the principle building blocks which all of the exercises are based on.
If you don’t know that an inverted red triangle means “yield to other traffic”, you might wonder why cars keep honking and swerving every time you merge. With pilates, students who opt to dismiss basic level exercises or classes will often not feel what they are supposed to feel because they have not been educated on how to find the principles within their own body. And this is key. It is at this point that - because the student doesn’t “feel it” - he/she thinks pilates is boring/useless and never returns. A student can read about principles and know they are major assets to his/her practice, but the key is being able to find the principles and healthy alignment in his/her own body. This is what takes time and attention, and what some people don’t have patience for.
Pilates Principles Are The Key
So are impatient, gung-ho students wrong? Not entirely; they’ll still get a workout. But are they really doing pilates? My answer would be, not really.Pilates is a unique system that involves exercises meant to be anatomically healthy for the body and be executed with flow and precision. To attain these types of movements you have to put your mind to the task, and do some learning along the way. Also, if the principles are skipped, then the student will not end up with exercises which facilitate aligned posture, stronger muscles, and a centered body. With pilates like any other complex skill, one reaps what one sows.
Really learning and applying pilates to your body is kind of like baking a cake - you have to follow a recipe. If you only put flour and baking soda into the oven you will end up with flour and baking soda. But if you put in the eggs and the rest of the recipe, you will end up with a cake. How good a cake depends on practice and correct repetition.
Rolling Like A Ball
Concrete example: When I teach a class there is one exercise with which I can quickly tell who in the group has taken time to study the principles within their own bodies, and who has not. Rolling Like A Ball looks easy and fun - and it can be. But if done correctly, it is a truly challenging exercise. Many students just throw their weight backwards to initiate the rolling in the exercise.
The correct way to initiate the exercise is to deepen the lumbar flexion while drawing the navel in towards the spine. The rolling, both going down and coming up, should be seamless, smooth, and controlled. Instead, it’s often a bumpy ride, and on the way up there is a visible/audible clunk which happens through the lumbar region, indicating the student has no control over the movement. Lastly, engagement between the shoulder blades should be maintained throughout the exercise - and it usually is not.
When a student does this exercise by throwing their weight back and haphazardly rolls back up, they miss the work in the deep abdominals, hip flexors, spine stabilizers, and shoulder blade stabilizers. These students tend to think this is a throw away exercise, but really it should be quite a challenge.
So… when I overhear that a beginner student wants a faster class or a more challenging video, they are often searching for a cake made out of flour and baking soda.
Boosting the Beginner’s Workout
Remember, slower paced in the beginning does not mean always-slow-paced. Concentrate on what the instructor is saying and focus on finding the principles within your own body. If you want extra work, ask the instructor if there is something you could work on throughout all of the exercises that you might be having a more difficult time finding in your body (e.g. shoulder blade engagement or neutral pelvis) so you have something extra to focus on in class.
Paying attention to precise detail in the essential exercises and principles, and putting them correctly into your own body will lead you quickly to the intermediate level of pilates, and beyond. Re-align your focus… and your spine will surely follow.
Peace,Zoe
Pilates vs Yoga
The Differences Might Be The Tools, But Both Exercises Require Physical And Mental Stamina.
Pilates vs Yoga. The competition is on! I often get asked about the difference between Yoga and Pilates and which one is better. The answer is simple. It’s all good.
Both these exercise methods tend to get smashed into the same category. The truth is, they are different animals, as different as east and west.
Being a Pilates instructor, I naturally have more to say about Pilates than Yoga. Let’s look at the differences:
• Pilates vs Yoga: the heritage
Yoga dates back centuries and it’s eastern roots make it a mindful, sometimes meditative, form of exercise. Though the postures are physical in nature, Yoga is really about the mind and living a balanced, peaceful life.
Pilates got its start in the west. German born Joseph Pilates made his exercise method about physical conditioning. There is great emphasis on breathing, control and basically mind over matter, but his exercises are about physical strength.
• the exercises
Both methods require physical and mental stamina. Getting into a Yoga pose and then holding it dispenses stagnant energy and helps to get your chi flowing again. Tension in the body eases as you center your mind and condition your body.
Pilates conditions the whole body and builds strength, flexibility and balance. Your mind gets a workout too, but the emphasis is on looking and feeling better.
• the tools
Perhaps the main difference between Pilates, Yoga and any other form of exercise, comes down to the tools and toys you get to play with. Pilates definitely wins out. Where as Yoga uses a special kind of mat and a few props, Pilates uses machines, mats, and small apparatus to get the job done. It’s fun. Like a playground for adults.
In addition to the mat workout, the Pilates machine work uses added resistance in the form of springs to make it more like strength training Pilates tends to be more dynamic than Yoga and uses the machines to obtain greater load on the muscles.
• the similarities
Both methods are breath oriented, increase physical strength, increase flexibility, encourage use of your mind and can be done in a group or single settings.
So which one is better for you? The one you will stick with and do regularly. That is the better exercise for you. Try them both and find out for yourself just how amazing both Pilates and Yoga are.
Pilates vs Yoga. The competition is on! I often get asked about the difference between Yoga and Pilates and which one is better. The answer is simple. It’s all good.
Both these exercise methods tend to get smashed into the same category. The truth is, they are different animals, as different as east and west.
Being a Pilates instructor, I naturally have more to say about Pilates than Yoga. Let’s look at the differences:
• Pilates vs Yoga: the heritage
Yoga dates back centuries and it’s eastern roots make it a mindful, sometimes meditative, form of exercise. Though the postures are physical in nature, Yoga is really about the mind and living a balanced, peaceful life.
Pilates got its start in the west. German born Joseph Pilates made his exercise method about physical conditioning. There is great emphasis on breathing, control and basically mind over matter, but his exercises are about physical strength.
• the exercises
Both methods require physical and mental stamina. Getting into a Yoga pose and then holding it dispenses stagnant energy and helps to get your chi flowing again. Tension in the body eases as you center your mind and condition your body.
Pilates conditions the whole body and builds strength, flexibility and balance. Your mind gets a workout too, but the emphasis is on looking and feeling better.
• the tools
Perhaps the main difference between Pilates, Yoga and any other form of exercise, comes down to the tools and toys you get to play with. Pilates definitely wins out. Where as Yoga uses a special kind of mat and a few props, Pilates uses machines, mats, and small apparatus to get the job done. It’s fun. Like a playground for adults.
In addition to the mat workout, the Pilates machine work uses added resistance in the form of springs to make it more like strength training Pilates tends to be more dynamic than Yoga and uses the machines to obtain greater load on the muscles.
• the similarities
Both methods are breath oriented, increase physical strength, increase flexibility, encourage use of your mind and can be done in a group or single settings.
So which one is better for you? The one you will stick with and do regularly. That is the better exercise for you. Try them both and find out for yourself just how amazing both Pilates and Yoga are.
Pilates is for men too
Pilates is for Men Too - Spread the Word!
Pilates has been popular with both male and female elite athletes for many years, but in the mainstream the trend has been that women practitioners have significantly outnumbered men. That trend is changing as more men are inspired by well-known sports figures to explore Pilates workouts for themselves.If you are looking for a little push to check out Pilates, or know a man who could use one, here are a few of the well known men practicing Pilates as reported by USA Today(8/17/06): PGA Tour pro Rocco Mediate; Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl offensive guard Ruben Brown; Rich Beem, winner of the 2002 PGA Championship; Jason Kidd, the New Jersey Nets superstar point guard; Curt Schilling, starting pitcher for the Boston Red Socks and Pro Golfer Charles Nardiello. OK guys, see you in class!
Pilates has been popular with both male and female elite athletes for many years, but in the mainstream the trend has been that women practitioners have significantly outnumbered men. That trend is changing as more men are inspired by well-known sports figures to explore Pilates workouts for themselves.If you are looking for a little push to check out Pilates, or know a man who could use one, here are a few of the well known men practicing Pilates as reported by USA Today(8/17/06): PGA Tour pro Rocco Mediate; Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl offensive guard Ruben Brown; Rich Beem, winner of the 2002 PGA Championship; Jason Kidd, the New Jersey Nets superstar point guard; Curt Schilling, starting pitcher for the Boston Red Socks and Pro Golfer Charles Nardiello. OK guys, see you in class!
About KK Pilates Studio
KK Pilates studio is a small but cosy studio focusing on Pilates. It's located on 2nd floor , right above PKR( Parti Keadilan Rakyat) office, next to Damai multipurpose hall and oppposite SMC hospital junction.It should be easy to locate as it is the only shop painted in apple green if you view from the road side.
I believe lots of people still wonder what is Pilates. It's a foreign word to lots of people. Some thought it is pronounced as Pirates.When people asked me what is it, I just said it is like Yoga, just to make things short, haha. Well, actually, it is a lot different from Yoga.So I am here to educate people about it.Firstly, allow me to start with how to pronounce it.It's actually pronounced as Puh-lah-teez.
Pilates is a form of exercise, developed by Joseph Pilates, which emphasizes the balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility, and awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement.
Pilates is one of the most popular exercise systems in the around.It seems like everyone is either doing Pilates, or interested in starting a Pilates exercise program. Indeed, one of the best things about the Pilates method is that it works so well for a wide range of people. Athletes and dancers love it, as do seniors, women rebounding from pregnancy, and people who at various stages of physical rehabilitation.
The top benefits doing of Pilates exercise that people report are that they become stronger, longer, leaner, and more able to do anything with grace and ease.
Pilates is an Adaptable Method.Modification is the key to Pilates exercise success with a variety of populations. All exercises are developed with modifications that can make a workout safe and challenging for a person at any level.
Core strength is the foundation of Pilates exercise. The core muscles are the deep, internal muscles of the abdomen and back. When the core muscles are strong and doing their job, as they are trained to do in Pilates, they work in tandem with the more superficial muscles of the trunk to support the spine and movement.
As you develop your core strength you develop stability throughout your entire torso. This is one of the keys to how Pilates helps people overcome back pain. As the trunk is properly stabilized, pressure on the back is relieved and the body is able to move freely and efficiently.
The Six Pilates Principles: Centering, Control, Flow, Breath, Precision, and Concentration:These six Pilates principles are essential ingredients in a high quality Pilates workout. The Pilates method has always emphasized quality over quantity, and you will find that, unlike many systems of exercise, Pilates exercises do not include a lot of repetitions for each move. Instead, doing each exercise fully, with precision, yields significant results in a shorter time than one would ever imagine.
Pilates is a Unique Method of Exercise.Core strength and torso stability, along with the six Pilates principles, set the Pilates method apart from many other types of exercise. Weight lifting, for example, can put a lot of attention on arm or leg strength without attending much to the fact that those parts are connected to the rest of the body! Even running or swimming can seem like all arms and legs, with either a floppy or overly tense core. Ultimately those who really succeed at their sport learn to use their core muscles, but in Pilates this integrative approach is learned from the beginning.
Pilates exercises are done on either on a mat on the floor, Pilates Mat Work, or on exercise equipment developed by Joseph Pilates. The workout equipment that we use in Pilates generally utilizes pulleys and resistance from the participants own body weight on the machine and graduated levels of springs. The reformer is probably the best-known piece of resistance equipment that you will encounter at a Pilates studio.
The Pilates Method of exercise was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s. It was originally used as a rehabilitation program for prisoners of war and was later found to be of great benefit to anyone seeking a higher level of fitness. The work was kept alive over the years by a small group of Joseph Pilates devoted students until just a few years ago; when exercise science caught up to the principles that Pilates had been teaching all along, and now we enjoy the rich evolution of the Pilates work that we have today.
I believe lots of people still wonder what is Pilates. It's a foreign word to lots of people. Some thought it is pronounced as Pirates.When people asked me what is it, I just said it is like Yoga, just to make things short, haha. Well, actually, it is a lot different from Yoga.So I am here to educate people about it.Firstly, allow me to start with how to pronounce it.It's actually pronounced as Puh-lah-teez.
Pilates is a form of exercise, developed by Joseph Pilates, which emphasizes the balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility, and awareness in order to support efficient, graceful movement.
Pilates is one of the most popular exercise systems in the around.It seems like everyone is either doing Pilates, or interested in starting a Pilates exercise program. Indeed, one of the best things about the Pilates method is that it works so well for a wide range of people. Athletes and dancers love it, as do seniors, women rebounding from pregnancy, and people who at various stages of physical rehabilitation.
The top benefits doing of Pilates exercise that people report are that they become stronger, longer, leaner, and more able to do anything with grace and ease.
Pilates is an Adaptable Method.Modification is the key to Pilates exercise success with a variety of populations. All exercises are developed with modifications that can make a workout safe and challenging for a person at any level.
Core strength is the foundation of Pilates exercise. The core muscles are the deep, internal muscles of the abdomen and back. When the core muscles are strong and doing their job, as they are trained to do in Pilates, they work in tandem with the more superficial muscles of the trunk to support the spine and movement.
As you develop your core strength you develop stability throughout your entire torso. This is one of the keys to how Pilates helps people overcome back pain. As the trunk is properly stabilized, pressure on the back is relieved and the body is able to move freely and efficiently.
The Six Pilates Principles: Centering, Control, Flow, Breath, Precision, and Concentration:These six Pilates principles are essential ingredients in a high quality Pilates workout. The Pilates method has always emphasized quality over quantity, and you will find that, unlike many systems of exercise, Pilates exercises do not include a lot of repetitions for each move. Instead, doing each exercise fully, with precision, yields significant results in a shorter time than one would ever imagine.
Pilates is a Unique Method of Exercise.Core strength and torso stability, along with the six Pilates principles, set the Pilates method apart from many other types of exercise. Weight lifting, for example, can put a lot of attention on arm or leg strength without attending much to the fact that those parts are connected to the rest of the body! Even running or swimming can seem like all arms and legs, with either a floppy or overly tense core. Ultimately those who really succeed at their sport learn to use their core muscles, but in Pilates this integrative approach is learned from the beginning.
Pilates exercises are done on either on a mat on the floor, Pilates Mat Work, or on exercise equipment developed by Joseph Pilates. The workout equipment that we use in Pilates generally utilizes pulleys and resistance from the participants own body weight on the machine and graduated levels of springs. The reformer is probably the best-known piece of resistance equipment that you will encounter at a Pilates studio.
The Pilates Method of exercise was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s. It was originally used as a rehabilitation program for prisoners of war and was later found to be of great benefit to anyone seeking a higher level of fitness. The work was kept alive over the years by a small group of Joseph Pilates devoted students until just a few years ago; when exercise science caught up to the principles that Pilates had been teaching all along, and now we enjoy the rich evolution of the Pilates work that we have today.
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