'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'  
[ Benjamin Franklin ]

Let's prevent those falls, rather than spend a lot of time fearing and recovering from them!

This month, in Pilates for Active Aging, we will be really focused on fall prevention. 

It will still be the same challenging hour full of Pilates-based breathing, full body movement, and fun! 

We will add in some extra attention to:
*how we feel and stand on our feet
*how we use our gaze or eye focus to help as well as challenge our balance
*vary the tempo and pace of our movements to improve our reaction time


This class is safe and challenging for all levels of fitness and skill, including those with osteoporosis. (senior discount available for those 60 or over, please contact Pippa for details)

Happy Fall, y’all!

Here’s the current info for online Zoom group classes, workshops, and a new community event this month. I’d love to “see” you at all of them! 


I’ll be doing some more detailed posts and share more info in the newsletter, but if you have any questions in the meantime please don’t hesitate to connect with me. 

Improve and Enhance Your Pelvic Floor Fitness
(why is this important? click here..)  


When:
Saturday February 8th, 2020 from 2-4:15pm
There was a time change- we will now start at 2pm!
(please arrive 10-15 mins early to get checked in)


Where:
Spirit of Yoga
1420 E Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282


Description:

Your pelvic floor health and fitness can (negatively or positively) affect efficient core activation, continence, sexual health, recovering from pregnancy, and more. It is possible to significantly improve symptoms quickly by learning and practicing these strategies. 


We will explore a general idea of relevant anatomical landmarks without getting too mired up in the details.
With that information in mind, we will explore and create successful ways for you to engage your pelvic floor.
Once you get the hang of that, we will start developing and enhancing the coordination of your pelvic floor, core, and breathing.
You will learn specific exercises to work on at home, and these new skills will translate easily into many everyday movements.


Men and women are welcome! This workshop is open to a variety of fitness levels, but please make sure that you can get up & down off the floor unassisted.


Registration is capped at 20 participants to allow for individualized attention.


Price:
$75 early bird-registration until January 7th, 2020.
$85 January 8-February 7th, 2020
$90 at the door


(If you have taken this workshop before, please contact me directly at pframe@cox.net for a discounted price)


Register now to guarantee your spot!  

What you get:
- 2 hour and 15 minute workshop.
- A coreageous ball that you will use in the workshop and take home with you to allow for continuity in your practice.
- Access to online videos to supplement and support you after the workshop.


*All purchases are non-refundable. Credit may be applied to another workshop at Pippa's discretion.


Register now to guarantee your spot!  

Questions? click here 

New faces are always welcome, returning ones too! 

(If you’re in the group classes and need some extra help, please bear in mind that you can always book a private mat lesson to get some one on one attention and personal corrections. )


The next session starts on 4/3….
Registration is still open!
(There is no class 4/1 for Cesar Chavez Day, there may be some confusion because it is listed differently in a few places.)


Wednesdays 
9:30-10:30am Building Better Bones  4/3-5/22    #60609     $42
($7 drop in)


Mondays
5:30-6:30pm Intro to Pilates 4/8-5/20    #60611    $42
 
6:30-7:30pm Pilates & Stretch 4/8-5/20    #60610    $42
 
 Register Online Today!
www.tempe.gov/brochure
For More Information: 480-350-5200



Current Classes:
Mondays
5:30-6:30pm Intro to Pilates 1/7-3/25    #60608    
 
6:30-7:30pm Pilates & Stretch 1/7-3/25    #60607    
 
Wednesdays 
9:30-10:30am Building Better Bones 1/16-3/27    #60606    
$7 drop in


Have some questions? Click here to contact me directly

Most of us understand the importance or benefits of training for exercise, especially specific practices such as Pilates, Yoga, running, jumping or lifting. We see the direct correlation between good or ideal form and alignment with athletic abilities as well as injury prevention. 


We work our full body movements (squats)  as well as isolated areas. (biceps, quads, abs etc.)


What about the pelvic floor?


How do you feel when you laugh, cough, or sneeze? Is anything else happening?​

Where or what is my pelvic floor?
Imagine the area between your pubic bone and tailbone, then your two sitbones. Then, visualize those 4 points coming in towards center and up towards the sky. That area is your pelvic floor or diaphragm.  Want more detail? Watch this you tube video, it is an anatomically correct 3D tutorial. 


Why is it important? 
This area is responsible for bladder control. bowel control, sexual function, support of the reproductive organs, and is often seen as the foundation or deepest layer of our core. 


Some pelvic floor disorders are overactive bladder (OAB) or urinary urgency, stress urinary incontinence (leaking), pelvic organ prolapse (POP), and chronic pelvic pain. 


Are there other parts of our body or activities we could improve by training this area? Yes! Posture, SI dysfunction, chronic lower back pain, gait, and more. 


Do I have to isolate it in order to work or strengthen it? No! In fact when we use facilitated muscular contraction by recruiting other areas such as the glutes, transverses abdominus, or hip muscles we get a much stronger connection. 


Why do we need to add different forms of training?
The pelvic floor muscles are composed of both fast twitch (fast contraction time, fast fatigue) and slow twitch (endurance) fibers. They require different types of challenges to improve fitness, and we ideally want balance in the ability of these fibers. Traditional plyometric training can hypertrophy or enlarge the fast twitch fibers. Too much bracing or static training isn’t ideal either. We want a dynamic, strong, and adaptable pelvic floor so we train for endurance, coordination, and strength. 


How can I tell if I’m doing it correctly?
There are specific ways to measure contraction or activation of this area, but they aren’t always necessary. When we try different exercises (in different relationships to gravity) and work that idea of facilitated muscular contraction (getting other areas involved to feel more of an action) you can usually start to develop a more fine tuned awareness. 


Once you find your most successful exercises to practice, consistency is key.
Just a few minutes every or most days will have a huge impact! 


Want to learn more?
Register for my pelvic floor training workshop. (click here)
Read my blog post on my Pfilates training. (click here)
Contact me to set up a one on one Pilates session. (click here)

Classes start on Monday 9/10! 

Registration opens 8/13 for residents and 8/20 for non-residents. 



Mondays
5:30-6:30pm      Intro to Pilates      9/10-12/10/18    #58571    $70
No Class: 11/12
 
6:30-7:30pm      Pilates & Stretch      9/10-12/10    #58570    $70
No Class: 11/12
 
Wednesdays 
9:30-10:30am      Building Better Bones  9/12-12/12    #59569     $74
($7 drop in) 


 
Register Online Today!
www.tempe.gov/brochure
For More Information: 480-350-5200



Interested in trying a group class but feel a bit intimidated? or not sure it will work for you?
Click here to connect with me and we can figure it out together