What is it?

A low-impact way to condition your body. Pronounced "pah-LAH-tees," this movement-based exercise technique incorporates aspects of martial arts, yoga, dance, and gymnastics. Joseph Pilates created the method for dancers after WWII but now, anyone can benefit from the workout.

Benefits:

Pilates can strengthen the "core" muscles of the body--the abdomen, back, and buttocks--without stressing joints and ligaments. The concept is that if the center is strong, the whole body will move efficiently. The result is more strength and stability, greater range of motion, flexibility, and muscle balance.

But it's a good exercise for healthy people, and is often recommended for back and neck pain, arthritis, scoliosis, disc herniation, shoulder problems, and knee and other joint injuries. It may also help prevent further injury. Pilates works the deep abdominal muscles (as well as or better than basic sit-ups or crunches), which may help correct the underlying weakness that contributes to some back problems.

Tomorrow I will take you through some pilates exercises. Below is a picture of a piece of Pilates equipment and a woman demonstrating "the saw"on a mat.

So, Spring is officially here and we are on our way to Summer! soon I will posting  about a 6 week get ready for Summer work out plan.

Though it is Spring, some of us still have snow on the ground. Maybe you are trying to train for a duathalon or triathalon this summer. Or, maybe you are just itching to take your bike out of the garage (or where it is hanging from the ceiling if you have a tiny NY apt like me). Don't wait any longer. Get a Bike trainer! Pictured below, you can get one from many places including Amazon.com. They run around $80 and the allow you to experience regular outdoor riding indoors much like a spinning class.

If you have never taken a spinning class then you are missing out! I teach a few classes per week and I can tell you that you will get your money's worth. Spinning is challenging and unique as it is hi intensity/  low impact and burns an average of 500 calories per class. In a future blog entry I will go into greater detail regarding all of the details of spinning and how it will effect your workout.

the moral of the story is don't let the weather hold you back on your workout. There is always an answer for every excuse we can come up with!

Ever walk down the street, listening to your Ipod or walkman and feel like the song that is playing could be your theme music? You know, like if you were starring in a sitcom or drama about your life and you were walking down the street, that song would be playing? Maybe its just me and I live in a silly fantasy world. I live in NYC where walking on the subway platform during rush hour can turn into a tramatic event and entertaining this silly thought helps me get to the stairs without harming someone or being harmed myself. I focus on the song and let it carry me to my destination.

The music you listen to while exercising can offer the same motivation and comfort.

Most gyms pump hi energy music throughout their facilities so why do we see so many people on the treadmills wearing their ipods? Because studies have shown that listening to music you enjoy can improve your workout and therefore help you increase your weightloss success.

It makes sense that listening to upbeat music increases your speed and intensity of the workout. Faster Music = Faster Feet.

You might also find motivation in a slower song with lyrics that truly move you.

Studies have also shown that when listening to music of your own choice, that you enjoy also tends to lengthen the duration of your workout.

So charge those Ipods or grab some batteries for your walkmans and get moving!

You probably already do them but are you doing them correctly? It is important to perform exercises properly or they will not be effective.

Keep your knees behind your toes.

Keep your chest tall

Keep your shoulders below your ears

Keep your abs in tight

Start with 2 sets of 8 if you are a beginner.  3 sets of 8 if you are more advanced.

Here are 3 modifications:

Chair squats:

                                                                                                                                              Ball squats

                                                              Start with legs extended then squat.

                                                                             Knees are taken to a 90 degree angle.

standing squats with weights.

I am not trying to be a party pooper in any way! Just wanted to arm you with some information...

So this marks the first day in a 3 part series of blogs about alcohol consumption.Today I am giving you some nutritional information regarding some of your favorite cocktails and popullar beer choices.  Tomorrow I will talk more about how alcohol may be ruining your diet. Friday will be about hangover remedies and exercise. Not to ruin your weekend fun but here we go...

Beer is a popular drink on St. Paricks Day. Adding green food coloring to celebrate your Irish or most commonly non-Irish heritage usually makes it the most popular drink choice of the holiday. This is followed closely  by Guiness. Below I have listed calorie content for some or the more popular beers out there. Check the other links provided for more beer information out there.

Based on 12 ounce Serving:

Beer                      alcohol%         calories       carb

Amstel Light            3.5                      95                   5.0 

Budweiser                5.0                    143                10.6

Bud Light                  4.2                     95                   6.6

Coors Light              4.2                     102                 5.0

Corona                     4.6                    148         

Corona Light           4.5                     109                   5

Miller Lite                 4.2                       96                  3.2

Guiness Stoudt       4.0                     125                  10

Sam Adams Lagar 4.8                    160

http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/calories.php

http://www.barshots.com/beercalories.htm

http://www.beer100.com/beercalories.htm

 But maybe you are not a beer drinker. So what should you drink? The better choices of alcohol to drink are Vodka, whiskey, tequila because their sugar content is zero.

One shot or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits contain 100 calories

As we count down to drinkfest 2007 aka St. Patrick's Day we will discuss alcohol calories and related topics. But lets ease into the week with our Exercise of the Week.

This week I am featuring the push up on the ball.

It challenges and increases stability, works your core, arms, legs and back. Be sure to keep your abs pulled in tight. Keep your shoulders over your wrists. Keep your eyes looking about 6 inches in front of you to keep your alignment.

Place feet on the ball , keep abdominals tight and ensure back is straight .
Bend at the elbows and lower yourself to a few inches from the floor.
press up and repeat.

Give it a go. You can modify by placing the ball under your knees for more support.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are adding vitamins to carbonated beverages in an effort to appeal to health-conscious consumers.

In order to make up for the hit soda companies have taken due to their link to obesity, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola will be adding vitamins to their soda. You know I will try it when it shows up on the shelves but I have my doubts on its benefits.

The New York Times said Diet Coke Plus and PepsiCo's Tava will be promoted as "sparkling beverages" instead of "soft drinks."

It is interesting to see their marketing strategies. Diet Coke chose to just add the word plus which I think is sorta smart. People are going to be wtf is Tava where Pepsi is concerned. However, maybe distancing themselves from the traditional soda name is a good choice in marketing a "healthier" product. Anyway...

Tava will contain vitamins B3, B6 and E, and chromium, while Diet Coke Plus will contain niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, magnesium and zinc.

Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the new beverages "are certainly a lot better than a regular soft drink" but said consumers are better off getting their nutrients from natural foods, rather than fortified soft drinks, the Times reported.

Here is what you should keep in mind. It is always better to get your vitamins from natural sources such as plants and animals.  Also keep in mind there are other ingrediants in these soft drinks that are less desirable to ingest so I wouldn't go giving up your green  tea. But it is nice to see that the mass has spoken and that our collective heathier choices are being heard by even the largest companies in the US.

Everyday it is something. If you watched Seinfeld there is an episode where the gang is getting a friend an apartment warming gift and George replies with something like "Birthdays, anniversarys, holidays,now apartment gifts...can't I get a month off!!!"

But hell, we women work hard and so why not relish in a day to celebrate that. International Women's Day is a day to celebrate economic, political and social achievements of women. It quickly turned into a day where men give their ladies flowers to score points and probably distract them from the fact that they most likely make less money than they do...

But now in 2007, women are kicking some butt! And like the blog states, they are kicking their own butt for themselves. It's no longer about trying to please someone else, women are working out more to make themselves happier, feel better and to take charge of their health.

No matter where you are in your fitness goals, you are already acheiving success by working out and making better health choices.

So today when you hit the gym, do it for you, because you can and because you are taking time to do something just for you. You work hard to take care of others, take care of yourself.

Nia ~Through Movement We Find Health.

Maybe you've seen it advertised at your gym. Maybe you've gazed in wonderment through the glass of the aerobics room while members dance around with their own improv choreography. What you are witnessing is Nia.

According to the website www.nianow.com , Nia is a body-mind-spirit fitness and lifestyle practice. Through expressive movement—The Body’s Way—Nia empowers people to achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Continued...Our philosophy “Through Movement We Find Health,” means we believe in the power of self-discovery through movement. In practicing Nia you fall in love with being and moving in your body – you experience the power of Self-Healing.

Nia offers a new perspective on how to get fit and be healthy while embracing individual creativity and self-empowerment.

Nia was created in 1983 as a more holistic way of being healthy.

I have tried Nia and for me, I prefer structure and more challanging workouts. I am of the " no pain, no gain" mentality. However, I don't discredit it. I believe there is a fitness option for everyone and maybe this is yours. It is very freeing and you do not have to worry about learning choreography or being on the right foot.  Give it a try and report back to me if you do!

Find your fitness

Overhead extensions aka skull crushers tone your triceps. 

Remember to keep your elbows close together (on either side of your head). It is best to do this move lying on a bench but if you do not have a bench, you may do this exercise on the floor.

Starting Position
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie on a flat bench with the feet flat on the floor. Extend the arms up so that the dumbbells are directly above the shoulders and the palms are facing each other. Keep the abdominals tight and the lower back in a neutral position.

Bending the elbows, lower the dumbbells to the sides of your head. Keeping the elbows in place, extend your arms up to the starting position, pause and repeat.

Sounds like an infomercial gimmick, right?

But medical evidence suggests that there are links between sleep and weight. Researchers say that how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may orchestrate hormonal activity tied to your appetite.

According to an article I read on webmd, "Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full. "

"When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus tells WebMD. "

What?!? Makes sense, huh? Think about it. I know for myself, when I am tired I eat more and I don't care about what I am eating either. I just don't feel full and keep eating.

So, maybe that will help motivate you to try to get to bed a little earlier at night. Or at least you may recognize that you might be overeating on days after you have not had good sleep the night before.

I wish I could take a nap right now...

Seriously? Seriously!

This is a BalanceBall Chair by Gaiam.

The cost is around $100.

Is it beneficial? Sure

Is it going to fly at your office? well... maybe.

This chair allows you to work your core while providing spinal alignment . The trick is to not lean back on the chair's back - that would negate the core work if you place your weight on the back of the chair.

Some testimonials I read regarding the product state that it allows you to keep your posture in check and you are not so sluggish and sleepy after 8 hours of work. So who knows. I want to try it, though!!

The chair also comes with exercises you can perform. Here is one of the stretches:

Fig. 1

• Begin by sitting sideways on lower edge of chair.
• Place hands on ball and support bar for stability.

Fig. 2