Pilates Exercise – Using Your Mind To Control Your Muscles

Who Can Take Up Pilates Exercise?

How Do Pilates Exercises Work?

The main purpose of any Pilates exercise moves is to make our muscle strong and improve our internal system by the cardiovascular activity. Here we can combine yoga and Pilates exercise, as they both are quite similar and effective. Pilates involves controlled breathing which improves the function of lungs, which in turn improves functioning of heart and supply of oxygen, the body postures, and movements are in various exercise targets different body parts and stretches muscles. Specific Breathing combined with body postures has been proved the most effective manner of exercising and Pilates does the same. It improves your breathing mannerism as well as relaxes and stretches your body.

Equipments Used In Pilates Exercise

Pilates Exercise Equipment help as an additional support for any exercise it helps to balance the body and makes working out simpler and easy to learn. Pilates are mostly done on Pilates exercise mat, Pilates Chair, Reformer or by Pilates ball exercises.

In order to maintain or increase our bone mass, we need:

~A~   Most importantly to plug the drain. We need to stop using stimulants like sugar and caffeine, which results in our bones leaching minerals. Stimulants wreak havoc with our adrenal glands, causing systemic problems in the endocrine system. Systemic stress or anything else that can disrupt endocrine function is hazardous to bones. For healthy bones we need a healthy hormonal/endocrine system that is actually secreting adequate amounts of the enzymes and hormones at the right times and in the right ratios necessary to prevent mineral leaching, and to deposit the minerals into the bone matrix.

~B~   The raw materials that our body needs to mineralize our bones in the form of whole food. The exception is vitamin D, which may need to be supplemented in the winter. 
    i)    Calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, cholesterol, saturated fat, protein etc. 
   ii)    Supplementing with calcium without knowing one’s metabolic type can be risky, as some metabolic types need an acid form (parasympathetic dominants), whereas others need an alkaline form (fast oxidizers) for success, and the catabolic types like slow oxidizers and sympathetic dominants actually have adequate calcium and need the synergistic factors to absorb calcium into their bones.  Taking additional calcium will make their situation worse. This is why whole food is the safest choice.

~C~   Adequate mechanical stress exerted on the bones to make the body realize that it is important to strengthen the bones to be able to handle the mechanical stress. The more kinds of forces applied to the bones, and the more unusual the movement patterns for the bones, the greater the likelihood of increasing bone mass.
    i)   Weight-bearing activity puts a compressive load through the bones.
   ii)   Strength training, depending on the nature of the exercise, will put torsion or bending forces through the bones.
  iii)   Stretching along the axis of the bones will put tension forces through the bones.

Most people are quite familiar with the importance of good nutrition and quality exercise for improving bone mass, but if we do not have an endocrine system that is functioning optimally, good nutrition and exercise won’t work, as we need our hormones to actually get the minerals into the bones.

Calcitrol is an important hormone that is involved in calcium deposition into bones. The raw material from which calcitrol is made is cholesterol, so low cholesterol levels may affect the synthesis of calcitrol. Our thyroid, which sits in the front of our neck, secretes a hormone called calcitonin, and when the thyroid is not functioning as it should, calcitonin secretion may be affected, which will have a direct impact on the state of our bones. Proper functioning of the thyroid is very tied in to proper adrenal and cortisol function. Cortisol is your stress-response hormone, so if you are suffering from chronic stress, either physical, emotional or spiritual or any combination of the above, or if you are feeling fatigued on a daily basis, you may be losing bone mass due to endocrine dysfunction.  It is also well established that corticosteroid drugs, both oral or inhaled, cause a decrease in bone mass just like excess endogenous cortisol does, probably through its affects on the thyroid, so if you are on these drugs it may be wise to talk to your doctor about safer alternatives.  If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, get your physician to order saliva circadian rhythm adrenal and thyroid hormone tests, and then do whatever is necessary to rectify any issues through functional-medicine protocols and by adjusting lifestyle. So although osteoporosis, like almost all the degenerative diseases faced by society today, is a complex disease physiologically speaking with a variety of “causes”, it can also be viewed as a very simple disease that is caused by living a lifestyle that breaks the laws of nature.
–Eating fake food, inadequate amounts of quality flesh foods, not exercising enough or inappropriate intensity, not enough dark time, and being chronically stressed.–

Hip Reducing Exercises
There is a wide range of hip slimming exercises varying according to their utilities (benefits) and applicability. We take a look at some of those here. 

Side Lunge Slide
This hip toning exercise works on the gluteus mediums muscle. You can’t do this exercise on a carpet. Smooth floor is better. Stand with feet stretched apart to hip width with one foot on a paper plate. Slide your foot, which is on the paper plate, away sidewise while keeping torso and abs upright. You will need to bend the other knee. Hold it there for a while and get the foot back sliding to original position. Repeat the same for the next foot and then the cycle for 8-10 times. You can rest your hands on your torso.

Front one legged squat
Stand on a step to begin with. Lift your left leg out forward and slowly begin to squat till the toe of the left foot touches the floor. Touch the floor lightly while keeping the right knee in line with your toes. Now stand up slowly and repeat it 8-10 times. Change legs and repeat for 4-5 sets again.

Chair squat
Stand in front of a chair with your feet spread to hip width, hold torso straight and abs tight. Slowly bend your knees without spreading until you are almost sitting on the chair. Hold knees behind toes and for balance you can stretch arms forward. Hold there for about 2-3 seconds and then stand up slowly. Repeat for 14-15 times and of 2-3 sets.

Bullfrog
Bull frog is another of the hip strengthening exercises that also works on thighs. This is not recommended for those of you with joint pains and arthritis. Stand up with feet spread to hip width. Then squat till hips are in the lowest position. Hold there for not more than a second and then in one swift move leap up like a frog does. Repeat this 8-10 times but not on a hard floor to avoid injury. This exercise is also called as squat thrust.

YAwn….. = )

What Is Jogging? Does It Help In Burning Calories?
Jogging is running as a form of exercise that invigorates growth, burning of calories and cardiovascular fitness by high impact on places such as heels and knee joints. Jogging helps burn calories. As per American Council on Exercise, ACE, estimated that a person of 160 pounds weight can burn away 12-13 calories by jogging at about six miles an hour speed. However the rate of calories burning varies with each individual’s weight. There are some interesting statistics that tell us jogging at 5 miles per hr into 15 mph wind increases burning of calorie by 15% as opposed to 5% when you are jogging in opposite direction.

A Brief on Jogging Gears
The most important of all is a pair of jogging shoes. The modern biomechanical wonders, jogging shoes, absorb impact shocks reducing risk of injury. The shoes must have good cushioning soles with all round protection, especially to ankles. You must avoid wearing thin shoes and socks to avoid injuries and blisters. Initially, when you begin, you may not need jogging pants but can think of buying after weeks of practice. When it is time to buy jogging pants, jogging shoes and jogging equipments, you can consult your mates. Always buy reputed brands. Although high priced, they payback over time.

Benefits of Jogging
Jogging burns more calories than walking as you consume more oxygen per mile you run than walking in addition to the impact factor. Circulation increases briefly as does the heart beat. Once you get seasoned enough, you begin to see benefits of jogging. You won’t find sudden thumping of your heart which gets increased and vital oxygen. Jogging tones muscles too. Perhaps it is the best exercise for overweight people. Because of the impact they can burn more calories from hips, thighs and abdominal area. Rotating the torso as you run gives a smoother stride in addition to strengthening waist muscle.

Jogging Tips
Get jogging tips from friends or a coach before getting started. Here are some simple tips on jogging.

1. Consulting your physician is important if you are over weight before getting started with jogging.

2. Give up smoking which, in any case, is detrimental to cardiovascular fitness. Smokers get exhausted fast could lead to palpitations.

3. Get a good pair of jogging shoes.

4. Avoid jogging on hilly terrain to prevent injury. Running downhill, you can tumble down injuring yourself.

5. Take longer and steady strides. Land your steps straight without splaying to prevent ankle injury.

6. Avoid bouncing too much and keep yourself erect. Don’t hunch over.

7. Choose a pristine place to jog.

8. Begin slowly and increase speed as you get used to jogging. As a thumb rule, you can step up speed by 10-12 meters a week.

9. Carry a walkman along. Music helps relax the mind.

Stretching Exercises
Back stretching exercises should stretch the soft tissue, muscles, ligaments and tendons in the back and spine area. By stretching these muscles, greater flexibility will be achieved and the back will be able to move more without suffering from back pain. Stretching exercises should always start slowly. The person should be able to feel the stretch, without feeling a large amount of pain. People with chronic pain or who have very limited movement in their back will need to start with gentle exercises, gradually moving to further stretches as their flexibility increases. It may take some time before this can happen.
Hamstring stretching exercises are a good exercise for people with lower back pain. Many people with lower back pain have tight hamstrings. Hamstring stretching exercises are any exercises that lengthen the hamstring muscle for approximately 40 seconds. They include touching your toes and placing legs out straight.

Other good back stretching exercises include:

• Lie on the floor and pull your knees to your chest.
• Lie face down. Place arms out at the side, with elbows bent 90 degrees. Push up, raising your head and upper torso.
• Lie face down, with hands in the small of the back, palms facing upwards. Arch your back and try to raise your chest.

  Strengthening Exercises
  Back strengthening exercises are exercises that are designed to make your back stronger. Abdominal crunches are a form of back strengthening exercise that people can do at home. Wall slides are also good back strengthening exercises. Stand against a wall and bend your knees, so that your back slides down the wall.
  McKenzie exercises and dynamic lumbar stabilization exercises are two types of special exercises for back pain relief. A physiotherapist usually shows the person how to perform the exercises correctly. However, some books and videos show people how to do the exercises at home.
  McKenzie exercise program works on the premise that exercises that extend the spine can reduce pain. They work on centralizing the pain (moving the pain into a central location). Dynamic lumbar stabilization starts off by finding the position of the spine in which the patient feels most comfortable. The back muscles are then exercises in order to help the spine stay in this position.

Hope this is useful…..^^

Once walking half-an-hour is not challenging, it is time to increase the intensity of the exercise to get continued improvements in heart strength. To know if you are working hard enough when exercising, you can calculate your heart-rate zone by subtracting your age from 220, which gives you your theoretical maximum heart-rate in beats per minute, and then taking 60% to 80% of that number. Now you know the lower and upper limit in heartbeats per minute that you should be exercising in order to condition your heart. (There can be huge variation in maximum heart-rates – if you want to know exactly what your max heart-rate is, ask whether your University physical education or kinesiology department does max testing.) Common forms of aerobic exercise that you can use for exercising your heart include jogging, cycling, swimming, inline skating, cross-country skiing, for example, but if you are injury-free, I would suggest setting up a weights circuit that uses the large muscle groups and do exercises such as multi-directional lunges, cable wood-chops, squat push-presses, pull-ups of some sort, and possibly a Swiss ball push-up prone pike or maybe burpees. By moving quickly between exercises you will keep your heart rate up AND maintain your muscle mass. Use a qualified personal trainer to teach you how to do the exercises correctly. Unless you are an athlete that is training for a cardiovascular event, I don’t think it is a great idea to do more than 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. Too much cardio decreases muscle mass and immune function.

The easiest place to take your pulse is in your neck. Find your Adam’s apple and slide your fingers into the groove just to the side of it and feel for your pulse. Don’t press too hard as you have receptors in the carotid artery that will sense the pressure and slow your heart-rate down giving you a false reading. Count the number of beats you feel in 10 seconds and multiply by six to get the number of beats in a minute. You will get good at taking a tiny pause in your exercise to check your heart-rate. Or those heart-rate monitors are a fantastic tool to help you with your cardiovascular exercise program. As you get into better and better shape, you will have to work harder and harder to get your heart-rate into your zone. Congratulations – your fitness is improving!Take your pulse daily in the morning before getting out of bed to learn your resting heart-rate. If you ever notice that your resting rate is 10 beats higher than usual, your body is fighting something, so don’t exercise that day, do what you can to reduce stress and nourish your body well, and you may avoid getting sick.

Stretching is frequently dropped when time is short, but stretching decreases compressive forces in your body, and can do a lot to reduce pain. Stretching needs to be done at least 5 days a week to get results. Stretch the tight muscles rather than the loose ones. Simple concept, but we often enjoy stretching the areas where we are flexible already, and don’t like stretching where we are not. Stretching the tight muscles will improve muscle balance and help your body function better.
How hard to exercise depends on your health.  If you have no health issues, you jump out of bed in the morning full of energy and you don’t require coffee to get you through your day, you can exercise hard, and high intensity workouts will increase your fitness and wellbeing more effectively than low intensity workouts.  If you have health concerns or you are dragging yourself through your day, perhaps using caffeine or another pick-me-up, exercising hard is a bad idea. You want to train yourself rather than drain yourself.  After your exercise session you should feel energized.  If you feel like crawling into bed, the workout was too hard.
If your stress bucket is overflowing and you are in pain or you have no energy, adding the stress of hard exercise that fires up the sympathetic nervous system will make things worse.  You still need to exercise, but a more gentle approach is necessary. Yoga, Tai Chi, or Qi Gong tend to be calmer forms of exercise that can actually poke holes in the stress bucket and thereby help to heal you.

Rested for a while ^^…..

The shoulder blade or scapula is the triangular bone that sits on the back of our upper ribcage, which houses the arm socket. But unlike the hip socket which really is a cup that the leg bone (femur) sits in, the arm socket is shaped more like a tiny plate. Furthermore, the ball that forms the top of the arm bone (humerus) is a lot larger than the plate of the socket, so it is a bit analguous to a golf ball on a tee rather than in a cereal bowl. Except of course, when we talk about the shoulder joint, the plate is sitting on its rim. It becomes immediately obvious that the joint itself is inherently unstable, and it must largely rely on the ligaments, tendons and muscles that surround it to “strap” the arm to the body.
However, the angle of the plate can make a big difference to the strain the muscles are placed under. If the plate of the socket is angled up a slight bit, the humeral head (arm ball) can rest on the rim, whereas if the plate of the socket is angled down, the humeral head is essentially falling out of the socket, and the muscles have to work much harder to hold the arm in place.

Also, if the glenohumeral joint is pointing down as can be seen in the upper left diagram, usually the shoulder-blade will not rotate far enough when the arm is moved up overhead, and the arm bone (humerus) will bang up against the bony protuberance of the shoulder-blade called the acromion, creating an impingement problem, which may in time damage the supraspinatus (rotator cuff) tendon.Furthermore, if the glenohumeral joint (arm socket) is angled down, the nerves that leave the cervical spine to go into the arm have a very long way to go – much further than if the glenohumeral joint were angled up. Nerves don’t like being stretched, and stretched nerves tend to be painful.
Normally, if someone that has a shoulder socket pointing down with radiating arm pain or sore neck/shoulder muscles , I tell them to relax and then hold the upper arm near the armpit up for a few minutes. Frequently their pain goes away, and then I know that providing an exercise program that improves the position of the shoulder socket will probably work.

So, how do you tell if your arm socket is pointing up or down? Tough to do on your own, but if you have very long, sloped shoulders you can be suspicious. If the outer end of your collarbone is lower than its attachment at the sternum, your glenohumeral joint is pointing down. Most of you will need to ask a friend or partner to look at your shoulder blades from the back. If the bottom corner of the shoulder blade is closer to the spine than the top part of that inner border as shown in the left upper diagram, then your shoulder joint is pointing down.
If you are in pain and you discover that your socket is pointing down, you need to find a good physiotherapist ,or an extremely knowledgeable personal trainer that can teach you how to build muscle endurance in serratus anterior, low traps, and upper traps without overusing levator scapula, rhomboids, and lats, and even more importantly, teach you how to move your arm and shoulder-blade so that you recruit the right muscles in the right order to keep your shoulder, upper back and neck happy.     ^^

First of all,we must understand how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) works. This is what runs our body behind the scenes, not under our conscious control. The ANS regulates our heart-rate, our respiration, our immune system, our temperature control, our organ function, our hormones etc., all in the background while we carry on with our life. There are three parts to the ANS – the sympathetic system, the parasympathetic system and the enteric system. For our purposes today, we will discuss the sympathetic, otherwise known as the “fight or flight” system, and parasympathetic or “rest and repair” system and their interaction.

The SNS and the PNS generally have opposite functions – when we are under stress, the sympathetic system raises our heart-rate, increases our respiratory rate, releases cortisol, our stress hormone to help us cope, shunts the blood from the digestive tract into the muscles so that we can either run away from or fight whatever is threatening us.  If organ systems in the body are unhealthy and therefore stressed for one reason or another, or we are mentally or emotionally stressed, that increases sympathetic load as well.  The sympathetic system by its very nature is catabolic, meaning it breaks down muscle tissue due to the increased levels of cortisol secreted.  High-intensity physical exercise is also sympathetic in nature – the heart-rate goes up, respiration goes up, body temperature goes up, and cortisol is released into the blood stream.Remember…..? Previously, I have talk about how how cortisol turns blood sugar into fat? I’m not saying exercise is bad here, just that you have to deal with the threat first…..
When the threat is dealt with, the parasympathetic system slows our heart-rate and respiration back down, brings the blood back to the digestive tract so that we can digest our food, and works to repair any tissue damage, increases libido etc.  Night time is when the parasympathetic system has lots of time to do its job, provided we go to bed early enough.
The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems should balance each other nicely, and in those people that have a balanced nervous system, high- intensity exercise will lead to fat loss, as the parasympathetic rest-time between workouts is when muscle tissue is
built. 

Those that are unable to lose fat by doing regular high-intensity exercise may have a dominant sympathetic nervous system, and consequently, an inhibited parasympathetic system.   There is too much systemic stress coming from somewhere, and for those people adding high-intensity exercise is counterproductive, as it adds to their sympathetic load pushing them even more out of balance.  Anxiety is very common today, frequently based in financial stressors, poor or inappropriate diet and its consequences, and/or poor relationship stressors, but one does not need to be anxious to be in sympathetic overload. Anything that can be done to reduce the stressors is important for successful fat loss (and pain reduction).  As for exercise, yes, it should be done several times a week, but choose exercise like Qi Gong, Tai
Chi, Yoga etc. Any form of exercise that is done slowly and with the breath, which will increase the parasympathetic system and help balance the ANS. Later, when the body is in balance and healthier, the fat will come off.
If you want to know if you are in sympathetic overload, which organ and glandular systems are stressed, and figure out what to do about it, find a Lifestyle consultant, he or she will give you advise on how to handle stuffs and this and that….. ^^