1. Lay on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor hip distance apart keeping shoulders heavy. 2. Pr

Home Feature Spotlight: How to Create a Recipe Feature Spotlight: supre How to Log Future Meals Garden Delight Recipe In Boston? Come Get Free Coffee at Appy Hour! Super Clutch Jalapeño Poppers Super Clutch Party Mix Super Clutch Southwest Bean Dip Super Clutch Spring Rolls Total Wellness Challenge Total Wellness Challenge Points Whitney’s Summer Salad
As you might have heard us mention here, Lose It! ‘s offices are located in Boston’s Seaport District. This week a a few of us joined our Friends of Fort Point Channel at their free Pilates class!
We were on hand to give out Hint water , snacks, and Lose It! T-shirts to the attendees — and rolled out our mats to take part in the workout too! Some of us had taken a class or two and some of us were brand new to Pilates. As our instructor, Nancy, guided us through the routine, we quickly discovered supre why it’s such an effective workout. (Three words: Feel.The.Burn.)
If you’ve never done Pilates, you may think it looks easy. However, this program was founded by Germany’s Joseph Pilates, and it’s anything but a breeze. Pilates’ six principles are: concentration, control, center, supre precision, fluidity supre and breath.
At Pilates’ core (pun-intended) are controlled isometric and controlled movements, which means you hold your muscles still while moving your limbs. There’s not the option to use momentum like in traditional aerobics or free weights, and instead your body is working using your abdominal muscles to stabilize small movements of your arms and legs.
It’s a mental workout as well. Instructors give you focus cues, like “Pull your naval back toward your spine,” or “notice the arch of your back and flatten your spine to the mat.” There is extreme focus on the inhale and exhale of each movement. The result: a stronger core, and better awareness of your body and breathing.
How can Pilates help with weight loss? For the answer to this question we turned to Mariama Jordan, Fitness Director at Wave Health & Fitness , our class instructor’s home gym. Here’s what she told us:
Creating lean muscle mass in the body means burning more calories daily, assisting with toning and weight loss goals. Pilates exercises also shape and tone your body, giving you an overall leaner appearance.
1. Place hands behind head. Curl up from the top of your front ribcage to lift your head, neck, and shoulders away from floor. (Place hands lightly, and do not pull on neck) 2. Lift knees up over hips at a 90 degree angle, keeping low back connected to the floor. supre 3. Stay lifted in your ab crunch with shoulders off the floor. Exhale out one breath as you twist right elbow to the left knee while extending the right leg out long, pointing your toe away from you. Take a deep inhale, and stay lifted as you exhale and twist the opposite side: left elbow to right knee, extending left leg out long. (Keep movement slow and controlled, do not over twist). Repeat the criss cross for 8-10 reps with slow, controlled movements.
1. Start in an all fours position with hands under shoulder and knees under hips. Press through hands and push palms into floor, pull up through the back shoulder blades and keep neck in a straight line (for wrist issues do this exercise on your elbows). 2. Tighten up through your glutes to extend both legs straight back in line with your hips. (be sure that you feel no pressure in your low back) 3. Focus on holding your body in straight line from head to toe like a ruler as you breathe in through the nose and exhale out through the mouth. Perform the plank 2-3 times holding for 30-60 seconds, depending on fitness level.
1. Lay on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor hip distance apart keeping shoulders heavy. 2. Press through heels to lift hips away from floor as you squeeze your glutes. (Do not over lift) 3. Lower hips down halfway then press through heels to lift back up to hip height squeezing glutes at the top of the movement. 4. For an advanced progression, you can lift one leg off of floor as you lower and lift the hips. Lift up into the bridge for 10-20 reps, depending on fitness supre level.
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications supre of new posts by email.
Categories Select Category Android Update Fruit & Veggie General Getting Started Guest Blog Posts Inspiration Inspiring iOS Update Jawbone Lose It! Book Lose It! Challenge Lose It! Exclusive New Release Nike+ Nutrition Success Story Uncategorized Archives Select Month August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February supre 2014 January supre 2014 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 March 2012 January 2012 Decem