EnCORE Pilates and Yoga Studio

Pilates for Golf

EnCORE — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:38:24 +0000

Does this warmer weather have you itching to get back out onto the course? Remember to practice pilates afterwards to greatly improve your swing. Pilates ”retrains the core muscles, including deep stabilisers, hip flexors and extensors, spinal flexors, extensors and rotators for balance and control.” It’s also a mind/body exercise just like golf, that focuses on control, concentration, centering, precision, breath, and core stabilization. Check out this for a whole exercise to get you started! Then make an appointment with Kathleen, who has loads of experience training golfers with pilates.

Victory for Yoga Teacher Training Programs in NYC

EnCORE — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:20:07 +0000

About a year ago, officials in New York City decided to put more regulations on yoga teachers and studios by requiring teacher training courses to undergo a lengthly licensing process akin to other vocational schools such as hair dressing and truck driving. Well, the officials tried. After a huge outcry from the local yoga community that included hiring a lobbying firm and creating a website and setting up social media for ”Yoga for NY”, it appears that the yoga practitioners have won and officials are backing down. Now, instead of facing $50,000 fines for running unlicensed programs, it looks like teachers of yoga teachers will find their courses in the same category as “religion, painting, and athletics”, and remain unregulated.

Yoga practitioners in other states weren’t quite so lucky, though, and official efforts in Virginia, Michigan, and elsewhere were successful in producing greater regulation for training programs.

To the Core: 10 Principles of Pilates

EnCORE — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:52:54 +0000

Here are the 10 essential principles of the pilates method. The goal is to keep these concepts in mind at all times, and integrate them into your practice.

Awareness
Breath
Balance
Concentration
Control
Center
Efficiency
Flow
Precision
Harmony

Pilates brings strength and awareness back to the body in ways that traditional gym exercises do not.

Yoga for Horses

EnCORE — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:47:40 +0000

It makes sense that yoga for horses doesn’t look exactly like yoga for humans. You won’t catch Black Beauty doing downward dog or Warrior II asanas, but while the movements may not be the same, the goals usually are. The yoga that Gloria Hester of Tucson, Arizona uses to heal horses is all about unlearning harmful movement patterns so the animals can enjoy a body that moves freely and without pain. “The light came back into his eyes,” says Hester, referring to a horse who had sustained a serious neck injury, and later was healed with her sessions. This is a very interesting story; be sure to check it out!

Baby and you pilates!

EnCORE — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:18:30 +0000

Parenting is a rewarding yet rigorous, tiring job. Holding and nurturing a child can take a toll on the body, and it’s difficult to find the time to work out and soothe sore muscles. Not to mention the fact that mothers who sacrifice time with their children in order to exercise often feel guilty and soon stop making pilates or yoga practice a priority. What to do? We know that choosing health for oneself translates into choosing health for offspring, but clinging kiddies still make going to class a tough choice.

One trend is offering another option! The newest “thing” seems to be “Mommy and me”, or “Baby and you”, pilates and yoga classes and DVDs. What a fantastic way to introduce little ones to the world – with movement!

Yoga: not just for the ladies!

EnCORE — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:31:21 +0000

Go to a yoga class, and 9 times out of 10, most of the people in the room will be female. Guys just don’t show up as often, which is unfortunate because men are typically less flexible than women, so it would follow that they’d benefit even more from yoga. Thankfully, some men are beginning to add yoga to their workout regimen, and noticing benefits such as better athletic conditioning, less tension in shoulder blades and hamstrings, and a sense of calm that knows no gender.

If you’re a girl, bring your favorite newbie guy in to one of our yoga or pilates classes at regular price, and you’ll get to practice for free! He’ll thank you later, promise. If you’re a guy, bring your girlfriend/wife/sister/mother in for her free class so you have a buddy while embarking on this new chapter. You’ll thank her later, promise!

Have a better workday

EnCORE — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:05:24 +0000

Ever look away from your computer long enough to realize your eyes are bleary, you’ve been hunching over the keyboard, and your legs are starved for movement? Try these suggestions from Women’s Health to bring blood flow and oxygen to cramped extremities, loosen stiff joints, and energize tight muscles. Here’s a sample tip:

The pain: Neck and shoulder Typically, we slouch, rather than sit. Your head is as heavy as a bowling ball, so when you push, drop, or tilt your head forward to squint at your strategic plan, your neck is bearing a lot of weight.

The yoga fix: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on the corners of your lower back with your fingers pointing toward the floor. Rotate your shoulders up, back, and down, bringing your elbows close together without pressing your hips, shoulders, or head forward. Take a deep inhale. Now, root your feet firmly into the floor as you lift up through crown of head and bend back very slightly. Press your elbows closer, lifting up through your heart. Hold for five deep breaths.

We can take care of our bodies without missing a deadline!

Finding balance

EnCORE — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:46:14 +0000

As with any exercise, our bodies can get used to yoga, and that signals that it’s a good time to shake things up. While yoga is an immensely healthy practice, there’s no need to discount other forms of exercise like cardio and weight training. A mix is ideal, and the exercises will work with each other to benefit you more in the long run. Cardio and weight training bring a healthy heart, strong muscles and bones; yoga brings flexibility, injury prevention and mental focus. Just take the suggestion of blogger Maya Henderson and don’t despair if your body resists a little at the beginning. Any new fitness schedule takes some getting used to, and it’s kinda funny because once your body does get used to it, well, that’s when you wanna change it up again. (On to pilates!) And above all, always listen to your body; it’ll tell you if the ache is just soreness or pain from injury.

Fight Stress with Pilates

EnCORE — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:01:47 +0000

When the castles we’ve built around us threaten to crumble, it can be tough to maintain a positive outlook. There’s no magical cure, unfortunately; we just have to keep working at being upbeat. Luckily, consistent exercise improves the mood by releasing feel-good endorphins, so all this pilates is gonna come in handy. Our bodies want to move, that’s what they’re designed for. So turn off the TV, shut down the computer, leave your desk for a lunch-time walk, and when you can, get in here for a class! The exercises in pilates and yoga circulate the blood, release toxins, and help us maintain a healthy weight. The icing on the cake? You’ll leave with a smile on your face.

Sweet Rides and yoga mats

EnCORE — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:44:59 +0000

I’m always interested to know what pro athletes do to cross train. Though it depends on the sport of course, and what one is cross-training for, a routine including weights and cardio seems to be the standby. These days though, more and more athletes are adding yoga or pilates to the mix. Professional snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler is our newest example of pro athlete and yogini. In this NYTimes article, Bleiler remarks that yoga is a key part of her warmup, and that when she travels, a yoga mat is one thing she always packs. Thank you, Gretchen, for proving that yoga is a smart addition to any workout routine!