Monday, March 22, 2010

Resolution Results

The at home workouts are at an end and my experiment has come to a close. The results are calculated and I hope you agree that my success in a few months is proof that Pilates can change your body in as little as half an hour a day.

Just as a reminder my stats as of 12/16/09:
  • Height- 5ft 4in
  • Weight- 140lbs.
  • BMI- 24.03
  • Waist- 31.5inches
  • Bust- 34.5inches
  • Hip- 39inches
  • Thigh- 22.5inches
  • Upper Arm- 11.5inches
Current Stats as of 3/22/10:
  • Height- 5ft 4in
  • Weight- 133lbs.
  • BMI- 22.8
  • Waist- 30inches
  • Bust- 32inches
  • Hip- 36inches
  • Thigh- 22inches
  • Upper Arm- 11.5inches
As you can see, I've become more narrow overall. I've actually dropped a dress size or two, especially in my jeans! I can't tell you how many compliments I've had over the past month with people noticing my slimmer figure. It feels great to have completed the program just in time for shorts season. Thanks for following my experiment and I hope you try Pilates if you haven't already to uncover a beautiful new you!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Feet First

Did you know our feet consist of 26 bones and 3 arches (lateral longitudinal, medial longitudinal and transverse)? Posture starts with the feet yet we often forget how important they are during our workout sessions.

When standing there should be equal weight distribution over your heel, big and little toe. This functions similar to a tripod. An easy way to tell where excess pressure is on our feet is by looking at the wear and tear on the souls of our shoes. Another indicator can be where your feet tend to get callouses. Try these simple exercises below to stretch and strengthen your base of support.

Feet Exercises:
  • Reformer/Chair/Tower Footwork
  • Foot Articulation (point foot than toes, flex foot than toes & reverse)
  • Franklin Method use of Balls
  • Balance Work (standing lifts onto toes in parallel or first position)
  • Ped-a-Pole Squats
  • Ankle Circles (before single leg circles on mat)
  • Towel Sliding
  • Foot Corrector