Rapid Rehab LA Pilates Based Physical Therapy Brentwood California

With so much emphasis on the physical benefits of Pilates it may seem a little abstract to understand and apply the practicality of how Pilates can improve everyday life. If you have done any research on the benefits or have any knowledge about the “Pilates Lifestyle”, I am sure that the “quality of life” has been mentioned and that Pilates has a unique way of improving the tenure of it.

Pilates, isn’t a Zen meditation technique although it has properties of concentration that dabbles in Yoga inspired practices. So the process, by which someone can tap into its practical advocacy, can’t be categorized as simply spiritual or physical.

Imagine looking down the scope of Pilates’ arsenal of health and wellness, to identify it’s practicality you must focus on where the crosshairs meet, this being between the most spiritual sense of who we are and the most physical sense of what we are.

Pilates is not a religion, but rather a belief system, with strong ties to overall peace, wellbeing, and physical fitness. However, not unlike a religion Pilates wasn’t designed by Joseph Pilates just to be an exercise regime to do in a studio and then go about your life.

It’s meant to be a part of your life. As mentioned before, the abstractness of an exercise program being a part of your belief system isn’t common, and isn’t easily understood without some sort of spiritual motivation. Under the umbrella of “sedentary salvation”, an explanation of Pilates ability to transform one’s life isn’t as “hallelujah” as it may seem.

Mary Bowen, one of the originating elders of Pilates, puts it this way, “As I practice, teach and observe (the Pilates Method), there is always a spiritual uplift and buoyancy that comes from the work. Moreover, spirit is everywhere, isn’t it? The body is a house of spirit. Joseph and Clara Pilates knew and lived that.”

The key concept in order to first understand the practical application of Pilates, outside of a Pilates studio, can be found in the everyday mishaps or inconveniences we are all encounter on a daily basis. Getting cut off in traffic, getting lost in a new side of town while you were already running late, or finding out that you got outbid in the last few minutes of your EBay auction. How we react in life says so much more about who we are, than the situations we often find ourselves privy to.

If we allow pockets of anxiety to build up, our muscles and bones will be the ones that bear the brunt of the physiological strain. Pilates helps redirect this reactionary effect through the course of breathing techniques.

Breathing is a huge component in reconnecting with our thoughts on a deeper level. The health benefits that Pilates brings to the entire physiological networking of our bodies enables us to use our breath as it was meant to be, a life giving source.

When we listen to our breathing, we are acknowledging that our breath is the entire outlet by which we exist. This type of respect and awareness to our breath will then help us regulate emotion and incorporate a deeper sense and understanding of self.

Pilates is a functional exercise. This means that not only does it improve your health, physical appearance, and overall wellness, but it a practical addition that improves the quality of movement in your everyday life. Scapular stability is one of those everyday factors that Pilates improves.

When the shoulder bones are properly aligned with the spinal column and neck and head, this becomes critical. To perform Pilates exercises efficiently and to improve postural habits, shoulder stability will decrease the risk of nerve injury and muscular imbalances throughout the entire upper trunk.

The shoulder bones are irregular shaped bones, almost like wings, located in the middle of the upper back. Otherwise known as the shoulder blades. Not only do the shoulders allow for movement in the upper body, but they also act as protection for the spine and neck. The most common way to conclude how aligned or misaligned your shoulder girdle is, is by first looking to your own posture in the neutral position.

Some of us sit slightly to the left or right, or lean on our elbows, this absent-minded body behavior creates an open position between the shoulder blades, known as adduction. When the shoulders are separated for long periods of time, the upper body can begin to settle into that open space and create a hunched over appearance. In addition, rounding our shoulders forward is a common neutral position that is usually associated with shoulder adduction and can make the condition worse.

Similarly, some people tend to abduct their shoulders, by pulling them tight together. This puts strain on the front of the shoulder as well as increases tightness in the upper back. Pilates discourages both of these shoulder positions. Its goal is to reintroduce the scapular stability to the body, by incorporating physical reminders of how the body should feel at rest, as well as in motion.

Pilates instructors will often say, “Pull the shoulders down. Relax the shoulders.” Having shoulders that lie flat against the back is the ideal placement for the shoulder blades. This type of simple instruction can help us identify what it is that our bodies tend to naturally do on their own, without keeping alignment in mind.

The body is predisposed to improper posture and alignment, since in most sitting and standing positions we tend to slump. This is all a direct result of inconsistent body positioning.

Just like exercise we must be aware of our body positions throughout he day, not just during our workouts. It’s the little changes we make in our body’s improper postures will enable us to see and feel the greatest benefits that Pilates has to offer, balance and stability being two of those.

By redirecting our common day postures we are able to utilize our energy more efficiently, improve bone structure health, and keep our nervous system protected by the framework of our bodies.

Just a few times in a Pilates studio with the correct scapular stability positions intact, and you will be able to recognize when you are allowing your shoulders to round, retract, or pinch when they shouldn’t be. Pilates is all about reintroduce each body part, whether it’s muscle, tissue or bone, back into the working world of your body. And giving each piece of your body the chance to work, act and function just like it is supposed to.

Swinging a golf club, squatting to line-up a put, lugging a golf bag, or simply bending down to pick up a ball, all require constant twisting of the upper and lower body. Since golf tends to be on the lower end of the more cardiovascular challenging sports, participants sometimes develop severe imbalances within their body if they ignore the need for additional conditioning.

“Focus” determines the seamlessness of a golfer’s game, and when their focus is deterred by a nagging injury or improper biomechanics, the quality of the game is compromised. Pilates centers its teachings on proper alignment, breathing, and posture, which result in a more agile and flexible athlete.

Even though Joe Pilates created Pilates nearly a century ago, its relevancy to the modern day golfer is still relevant. It doesn’t get anymore relevant than Tiger woods and Annika Sorenstam, both of whom are avid believers in the benefits of Pilates on their golf game.

One of the trademarks of a golf game is a consistent swing. Every body has a natural way in which they move, carry themselves, and exert energy. While some golfers want to improve their swing, they may be fighting against their own imbalanced routine of daily movement.

Pilates can correct those irregularities and reestablish proper biomechanics within the body. In as little as 10 sessions a new and improved power swing can begin to emerge. This swing should take half the amount of previous effort and yet be executed with twice as much intention.

Golf injuries are often a result of a muscular imbalance. Habitually bad posture or unconscious spinal irregularities are usually the culprits of such injury. However, this can be reinvented through the practice of Pilates. Instead of “spot-training” an injured area, Pilates based rehabilitation focuses on restructuring the body as a whole and its ability to move correctly.

This approach not only alleviates the pain surrounding the injury, it allows the injured to safely assimilate to a level comparable to their original abilities. This approach forgoes any substantial gap in performance.

In addition to a better swing and injury correction there is an entire laundry list of benefits Pilates offers the golfer. The spine is elongated which will provide better stability.

The abdominal muscles as well as the back muscles will be built simultaneously creating a balance within these muscle groups. The range of motion in the hip and shoulder girdle will abundantly increase. And Pilates also encourages the body to increase oxygen intake, the more oxygen in the blood the more energy will be found on the course.

Here are a couple of exercises to try that will benefit the avid golfer. On the Pilates Mat try the Saw Position. It increases mobility of the shoulders, institutes pelvis stability, and deeply stretches the upper, middle and lower back. On The Reformer try: Short Box Abdominals in Round Back and Flat Back.

The benefits of this exercise include: balance between the strength of the abdomen and the back muscles, as well as it stretches the extensor muscles.

Pilates is an innovative approach to exercise that was designed to achieve balance and harmony within the entire “core” of the body. The “core” consists of a group of muscles that surround the spine. When those muscles are used properly, a line of movement, marked by agility stimulates simultaneous muscle conditioning throughout the entire body. This type of training makes Pilates unique to its genre. Not to mention making it one of the fastest growing forms of exercise in the world. The growth of clients has increased by 600% over the last six years.

Pilates focuses on proper body-alignment, elongated movement, proper breathing and flexibility. In contrast to typical workouts, which focus on building one muscle group at a time, Pilates strengthens all muscles at once to avoid overtraining or under training any part of the body. Since muscular imbalance is the leading cause of injury, Pilates bases itself in rehabilitation methods. The natural series of movements works with the structure and function of your body and not against it.

Having roots in the dance and ballet world, Pilates is grounded in the pursuit of heightened body awareness. The gentle yet effective implementation of the exercises encourages gracefulness, protraction and proper expenditure of energy. Spinal alignment and proper body positioning create the platform or “trunk” as to which your body can perform the exercises correctly, gaining the best results.

Many people fear “bulking up” which can occur in traditional gym environments. Standard weight lifting centers itself around shortening muscles, which is associated with the “pump”. However Pilates focuses on deep stretching to create long-toned muscles. Benefits include a svelte physique, increased range of motion, and a renewed sense of wellbeing. Since Pilates is a low impact form of exercise, the joints of the body are preserved while the muscle performance is maximized.

Pilates concentrates on the quality of movement and not the quantity. The “signature” slow-and-controlled movement of Pilates replaces the need for repetition. Breathing plays a key role in enhancing relaxation and engaging the blended balance of mind and body.

Over 500 exercises can be performed through the study of Pilates. Some of those movements can be preformed on a mat, with varying degrees of difficulty. Others are performed with the assistance of highly evolved Pilates machines. Some of the most commonly used machines are the Pilates Reformer, the Pilates Chair, the Pilates Cadillac and the Pilates Barrel. In addition there are numerous Pilates accessories that can be added to any program for a new challenge.

It is highly recommended that Pilates be performed under the supervision of a trained professional in the comfort of a Pilates studio. Pilates professionals are exceedingly qualified to design exercise programs for all ranges and ages of clients. For beginners and advanced clients alike, proper supervision of the body position and alignment ensures maximum results.

This holistic approach to exercise is gentle on the framework of your body, but challenging to its core. Not only does it create a lean, gorgeous physique but it can also “re-train” the way the body functions in its daily routine. Its restorative proponents make it an essential addition to those seeking peak fitness, rehabilitation, posture proficiency and overall optimized health. rapidrehabla.com