*You might recognize these as "Tick Tock" or "Windshield Wiper Knees"


This exercise quickly unwinds and releases your hips and lower back, while sneakily activating your core & opening your shoulders.


You can do this as a quick movement break, or as a warm up for other activities where you want to be strong in your core and mobile in your hips & lower back.


Adjust your reps & range of motion as needed, please be sure to focus on reaching your knees away rather than twisting down to the floor. Reduce the size of your twists or number of reps if it feels like too much.


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The overall theme this month for my new videos is warming up and releasing the lower back. I’m sure we’ve all seen the horrifying statistics (80%!!)  about how many people experience low back bak on a regular basis… If not, check this out.


I hope you find this warm up useful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I’m happy to help.


Technically, you can check this video out for free! (You get 7 days for free when you sign up)


This 7 minute lower back warm up gets your pelvis and lower back moving , activates your core and hips, as well as working your feet and ankles.


You may want a pillow or rolled up towel for underneath your head to support your neck and shoulders.


If you feel any discomfort, try reducing your range of motion or adjusting the angle of the thigh in the hip joint.


You can check out the video here, it can be rented on it’s own or included in your monthly membership. 


You can sign up for a membership with a FREE 7 day trial here.

How many of these can raise the funds for? As you can see from the pic, every $100 we send in provides 700 meals this Thanksgiving. 

​Every person counts!
Please feel free to invite friends, family, workout buddies, or your social media community to join us. 

Tip: the easiest way to do that is to save and share the graphic below with all the info on it. 

Foam rolling can help restore balance to your whole body, and potentially become an essential aspect of your self-care.  


Saturday 9/19/20  
 1-2:30pm  via Zoom 
$25-35 sliding scale
Register Now! 
(you must use this link and buy only this class to access the sliding scale option,
otherwise it will show up as the averaged price of $30)



In this master class, you will explore and learn how to use your foam roller as an effective self-myofascial release tool. When done mindfully and strategically, it can help relieve chronic muscle tightness or pain, increase circulation to reduce soreness, and improve your overall mobility.



Things we will cover:
- General strategies & tips on how to approach using the foam roller effectively
- How to avoid common mistakes and avoid injuries or preventable soreness 
- Specific exercises with lots of options or modifications for a full body experience
- Question & answer time at the end of the class

*You will have access to a recording of the class for 1 week after it meets live so that you can focus on feeling and learning as we go, then review the information afterwards.*



What You’ll Need:
- Plenty of open floor space
- I suggest a thin yoga mat, especially if you’ll be on a hard floor. 
- Some other padding or supportive surfaces around like a few towels, blankets, or blocks.

- 1 Moderate Foam Roller (definitely not firm, and soft may not give you enough resistance)
Here’s my favorite:
Optp Foam Roller- comes in blue or green

Here's a solid choice at a lower price point:
AXIS Standard Foam Roller- silver


Questions? click here to contact me 

Want to Register Now? click here 

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

It seems like it should be so simple and easy. Right?
​But, most of us struggle to really get the hang of healthy, effective breathing mechanics. There are so many different ways to do it and cue it, it can get really confusing. ​