Polestar Pilates

“The Constant” in Pilates

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Becky Phares, PMA®-CPT is a Polestar Pilates Graduate, Practitioner and contributor to the Polestar Life Weekly Blog.  With more than 10 years of teaching Becky teaches at her studio The Body Initiative Pilates Studio in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Find Becky and her Studio on Facebook: The body Initiative Pilates Studio and Instagram @the_body_initiative_ .

“The Constant”

I have a new theme… “The Constant” . This term shows itself in multiple different ways throughout society. The dictionary defines it as occurring continuously over a period of time or unchanged through time and space. In math constants are parts of algebraic expressions that do not change. In science it is referred to as properties that do not change. If you were to google the word constant you may come up with: a constant burden, constant bickering or constant chatter. Constant is even a name given to babies; in 2016 it was ranked #16,656 for popularity for girls and #13,558 for boys. But what in the world does that have to do with Pilates? Well, it shows up EVERYWHERE in our system. Let’s take a look: In the exercise the hundred, the shape of your spine and legs stay constant as your arms pump. In foot work your spine stays in a constant shape as your hips and knees flex and extend, even though it is moving with the carriage. In rolling like a ball, the whole shape of the body is constant even though the shape changes orientation. But why is it important? I feel that this gives some of my clients feedback if I give them “the constant.” For example during long stretch the spine and pelvis stay constant. The first part of long stretch, the plank position, is fairly easy to keep the shape. However, once you stretch your body back and your arms forward, your spine and pelvis want to change. Because of where gravity is sitting, I get a lot of people who like to create a bigger, lordotic curve in this exercise. It’s understandable because the body goes in the path of least resistance. So could an instructor benefit from cueing the constant? Absolutely! It could help the client understand that the shape does not change even though the spine is in a greater challenge. The constant may change orientation, like tendon stretch and thigh stretch. Sometimes the constant stays in the same orientation but moves along with the carriage such as in stomach massage and feet in straps. Other times the constant stays absolutely stable in space and time but progresses in difficulty because of outside forces, such as leg pull front and chest lift. **see pictures below So is this a new theory? Absolutely not! I’m just sharing different terms that I am currently using with my clients. I like this word/concept because regular people walking through my door easily comprehend it. Other relatable terms are dissociation and stability. We all use what works for each individual client. Try this on and see if it works for you.

**The constant is shown in white**

Exercises that the constant changes orientation to gravity:

Thigh Stretch
Thigh Stretch
Tendon Stretch
Tendon Stretch

Exercises that the constant stays in the same orientation to gravity but moves with the carriage:

Feet in Straps
Feet in Straps
Stomach Massage

Exercises that the constant stays the same in space but grow more difficult through the series:

Leg Pull Front
Chest Lift
Find Becky and her Studio on Facebook: The body Initiative Pilates Studio and Instagram @the_body_initiative_ . Like our Blog? Subscribe to the Newsletter and be the first in the know!

Polestar Graduate Highlight: Vennesa Leopold

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We sat down with Polestar graduate Vennesa Leopold to learn about her Pilates practice, teaching and what she does outside the studio! Polestar Pilates: What do you love about teaching? VL: I have a passion and heart for people. I love getting to know them and helping them get the most out of life. I love sharing my knowledge and restoring health. Pilates and movement in general is a way for me to help guide people. I feel like teaching is way of speaking with them without necessarily using words. I love when someone has an “ah-ha” moment, like they finally connected with a certain body part that hasn’t moved in a certain way in years! Polestar Pilates:  What is your current inspiration? VL: At the moment I am really inspired by my husband. He waterskis on a professional level and is currently training towards breaking the world record. To watch someone you love set their sights high and aim for the stars is incredibly inspiring. Polestar Pilates: What brought you to Pilates? VL: I took up Pilates 2 years ago during my pregnancy. I was very sick with nausea and vomiting for most of the pregnancy and every time I tried to exercise it got worse! Pilates was a way I could move without feeling sick. Also, I worked as a physiotherapist in Australia and saw the benefits of Pilates across all areas of health. Overall, I’m just so intrigued by the human body, the interaction between the anatomy, physiology and gravity… it’s just fascinating to me! Polestar Pilates: What do you hope to convey in your teaching? VL: For me when someone has that “ah-ha” moment and they look at you like, “Did you just see what I felt?” I get so excited. I hope to convey that movement is therapy, for the body and the mind. And that it’s never too late to start moving towards greater health. Polestar Pilates: Where would you love to vacation to? VL: I have always wanted to travel back to Santorini, Greece. It’s such a fun place to be- in the middle of the Mediterranean- amazing food, funny people, incredible sunsets and you can ride around on a donkey if you want. Polestar Pilates: What is your favorite quote? VL: I don’t really have a favorite quote as such, but I did hear something recently that really resonated with me. The pastor at our church said, “There is a reason why the rearview mirror is smaller than the front windshield. The past is small, distant and should not be your focus.  The future, however, is big, vast and right out there in front of you.” Polestar Pilates: Describe your movement style. VL: Athletically aware. Don’t even know if that makes sense but that’s the way I would describe it! Being an athlete on a pro level in a very technical sport you have to constantly be aware of where your body is in space. Small adjustments in body position make a huge difference to performance. Pilates is the same way. I like to move in a strong, intentional and athletic way on all pieces of equipment, just as I do on my waterski. Polestar Pilates: Do you have a favorite apparatus? VL: I actually really love the Chair. You can get a whole body workout and wake up feeling sore the next day! You don’t need weights, just yourself. Feeling sore is rewarding to me! Polestar Pilates: What are you reading? VL:  I like to look at books that have pictures in them, so I read a lot of children’s books to my 16 month-old daughter. You can learn a lot from Dr. Seuss! Like our Blog? Sign up for the newsletter – Polestar Life Weekly!

Mentor Highlight: Becky Phares, NCPT

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Becky Phares, PMA®-CPT is a Polestar Pilates Graduate and a candidate for the Next Pilates Anytime Teacher 2018.  With more than 10 years of teaching Becky teaches at her studio The Body Initiative Pilates Studio in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Find Becky on instagram @the_body_initiative

Polestar: What do you love about teaching?

BP: First of all, I love that I do not have to sit behind a desk to make a living. I love that I have a job that makes people healthy and happy. But most of all, I love that I can wear stretchy pants to work!

Polestar: What is your current inspiration?

BP: I am currently getting inspiration from my husband. When we were first married 15 years ago he started working at a bank as a teller. Now he is one of the most successful commercial lenders in our city. He is proof that if you work hard enough and care about your clients, you can achieve greatness. Being a brand new studio owner, I hope to have the same drive and compassion he does.

Polestar: Why Pilates?

BP: I have the toolbox to work with almost any population because of Pilates. I do not know any other fitness modalities that have the value, history or love that Pilates has.

Polestar: What do you hope to convey in your teaching?

BP: Come as you are. Pilates helps ALL.

Polestar: Where do you hope to vacation?

BP: Machu Picchu. My dad was in the oil field and traveled the whole world. He was the first one to tell me how amazing the ruins are. So it’s my dream vacation. But for now, with our three young daughters, our family is Disney obsessed! It’s also where I met my husband.

Polestar: Describe your movement style:

BP: I am a dancer who refuses to use the word “former.” My love is contemporary dance. Contemporary is based on free and creative movement but firmly rooted in technical elements. That is how I teach Pilates. My classes have a thread that helps my clients achieve the most out of their time with me, but that doesn’t mean we can’t play, be creative and have fun.

Polestar: What is your favorite apparatus?

BP: Reformer. I love how you can simply change the spring setting and it makes an exercise immediately harder for one part of the body and easier for another. It is a genius piece that can be used in infinite ways.

Polestar: What are you reading?

BP: I love fiction. Because I’m so busy at work, then in the evening with my kids, I need to wind down. Reading about fake people’s lives turns off my brain so I can actually sleep. I love anything by Liane Moriarty, Jodi Picoult, Justin Cronin, John Grisham, Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter.

Polestar: Who is your mentor?

BP: Kim Gibilisco. A few years ago I took a session with Kim at the PMA and was blown away by her brain and the ability she had to make us understand what was happening in her class. Then I did some research on her and found out she was the essence of what I wanted to do with my career. I sought her out through social media hoping I can maybe get her to talk to me for 30 min. Now I call, text, or email her anytime I need advice. She has gifted me her mentorship and I’m still unsure how I got this lucky.

Polestar Community Testimonial: Love From Beijing

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We love hearing from our Polestar community about their Pilates journey and training. Check out this recent testimonial from Polestar community member Gamze Gunay from Bejing!  

I remember the times I was working hard until the late hours at the office. No matter if it was the night or weekend, or even a holiday, I was to finish my duties. The workload was increasing continuously and it felt like there were dozens of knives in my back. All I knew was that I needed to move; however, I couldn’t find the time for it. I was just shuttling between office and home. I was feeling totally stressed and I wasn’t supposed to reflect it to the people that I was responsible for as a human resources professional. I couldn’t even get rest when I slept.

The pain in my back was so intolerable that I finally had to see a physiotherapist, and he suggested a 10-day therapy to me. Even though we discussed that 10 days wouldn’t be enough itself and that I had to keep moving, we decided to give it a try. I had to go to therapy during my working hours. While in therapy, I understood that the more I worked, the more workload was given to me and there was no interruption during my absence. So I decided not to work out of working hours and let my manager know about it. Otherwise, I was going to fall out of love with my job to which I dedicated myself passionately. Therefore, I got the chance to start my journey of Pilates that I was so curious about. And I wasn’t wrong about the feeling that there was something for me in it. The equipment, the environment, the feeling before and after the session… they were all making me feel better day by day and I was working at the office in a healthier way.

I was practicing four to five times per week and my teacher told me,

”the happiness on your face every time you get in the studio is priceless.”

We talked about the possibility of me leaving corporate life to be a Pilates teacher. Meanwhile, there was something happening in my life; my boyfriend proposed to me while he was living in Beijing, China, and it wasn’t going to be the final destination as he would be appointed to many other countries all around the world time after time. That meant that I needed a job much more global than human resources and one that would make me happy.

So, I decided to take into consideration my conversations with my Pilates teacher and pursued a path to become a Pilates teacher. Before moving to Beijing, the first thing I did was search for the training options, which led me to the Polestar Comprehensive Training Program here.

Now I’ve completed the program and am getting ready for the certification exam. Pilates is filling the gaps of my new life; it is my best friend; it is my new job; it is my therapy. It is a way of meeting new people and helping the ones that share a similar story with me. By digging down deep into its principles and teaching techniques and gaining more family members through it, I understand that starting my journey with Polestar Pilates has been my best choice. I am proud to be a member of the Polestar Pilates family and am happier than ever!

Love from Beijing as a Turkish member,

Gamze Gunay

Educator Highlight: Lynn Peterson PT, NCPT

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We recently interviewed Polestar Educator Lynn Peterson PT, DPT, NCPT of Jacksonville Florida.  Learn more about Lynn Peterson and her studio Synergy Studio in Jacksonville Florida. Polestar: What do you love about teaching? LP: The sparkle in the student’s eye when they “get it”, the tears that come when a patient/client realizes that they have found the thing that is truly going to change their quality of life when their movement patterns change from dysfunctional to functional. Polestar: What is your current inspiration? LP: My staff, they are an exceptional group of professionals who bring their best game with them every day, they inspire me to give my best to them as well as to our clients. Polestar: Why Pilates? LP: Because my eyes lit up 20 years ago when I “got it” a few minutes into my first Pilates session as the realization took hold that this was how we as PT’s were going to not only get all of those TrAs firing up in our patients but also have it translate in to their functional activities. As a Physical Therapist I love that the creative side of my brain gets to dance with the analytical side every day as the lines between therapy and the pure joy of movement dissolve and the client’s nervous system gets the information that it needs to boost their quality of movement. Polestar: What do you hope to convey in your teaching? LP: I like to make the movements relevant to the individual I am teaching, I take the time to learn what motivates them and build from there. In group classes, I think about telling a story through the movement sequences often guided by 2 or 3 images, adding another detail with each progression. Polestar: Where would you love to Vacation to? LP: Scotland because my grandparents emigrated to Canada from Edinburgh, they were larger than life for me growing up. Pleasing them was my primary motivation to pursue training in Highland Dancing as a wee girl. Polestar: What is your favorite Quote? LP: “Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.” -Martha Graham Polestar: Describe your movement style. LP: Intelligent or perhaps more accurately, as evidence based as possible. I do not regard Joseph Pilates’ work as frozen in time but instead as an ever-evolving philosophy of movement. Polestar: Do you have a favorite apparatus? LP: For my own workouts I have to go with chair because of the unapologetic way that it makes me work on my alignment. For new clients the Reformer because I love how the work makes sense to them so quickly on it. For rehabilitation clients I choose the Trapeze Table. I can’t really choose just one favorite. Polestar: What are you reading? LP: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande and Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Learn more about Lynn Peterson and her studio Synergy Studio in Jacksonville Florida.  Registration is open for the Pilates Comprehensive Teacher Training.

Technology & Health

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In today’s fast paced world, technology is everywhere and serves as a major part of many peoples’ daily lives.  Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, do these sound familiar? Of course they do. We want to introduce you to some lesser known technological gems that may very well help you in your health and wellness goals! We tried the following Apps and games which may help rather than hinder your health. By equipping your smart phone with these Apps you will have instant access to the benefits they provide, so no excuses this time!  We challenge you to find a few spare minutes during the day to test out these resources for yourself.  Give it a try and discover what works for you.

HeadSpace App – Meditation & Mindfulness  HeadSpace.com – “Train your mind for a healthier happier Life.”

This pocket meditation app’s front man Andy Puddingcombe was ordained at a Tibetan monastery in the Indian Himalayas.  With over half a million users, Headspace has one mission: to improve the health and happiness of the world.  Headspace offers a free trial and subscription service to learn the essentials of meditation and mindfulness.  The App offers hundreds of meditations for everything from stress reduction to sleep. We tried it!  We liked the simplicity of the app. We found Andy’s guided meditations (and voice) to be peaceful, relaxing and clear. Headspace offers meditations of varying lengths which made it easy to find one that fit our schedule.  We liked the App’s ability to document how much we meditate.  Also the short meditations “Breathe,” “Unwind,” and “Restore” were fantastic 1 – 3 minute meditation resources for those of us with sometimes crazy schedules.

FitBit – Movement and Exercise  www.fitbit.com – “Find Your Fit”

Have you heard someone ask if you are “counting your steps?” Fit Bit is a wearable technology device that tracks every part of your day – this includes activity, exercise, food, weight and sleep.  The fit bit syncs with your phone and computer and comes in many colors and designs, so you can stay color coordinated. By simply increasing your steps per day you can burn more calories, increase muscle tone and increase cardiovascular health.  The Fitbit app allows you to connect with friends and family to encourage and challenge fitness goals – it makes the process that much more fun! Fitbit was the first to introduce automatic, wireless syncing and offers the thinnest, lightest GPS + heart rate device on the shelf. We tried It! We liked the step counting feature which helped to inform how our steps varied from day to day and how it related to our overall feeling of well-being.  We noticed that on the days we accumulated less steps we didn’t feel as good. Some days we would walk around the block just to get the count to our daily minimum and felt much better from the fresh air and sunshine. According to FitBit – the device helps you lose weight the healthy way.  “We believe — and medical studies prove — that the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to simply keep track of the foods you eat. Gimmicky machines and fad diets don’t work, so we designed a free website and mobile apps that make calorie counting and food tracking easy.”

Pokemon Go – Game for Smart Phones PokemonGo.com – “Catch Pokémon in the Real World with Pokémon GO!”

Hand holding a phone with Pokemon Go openPokemon Go is an augmented reality (AR) mobile game for iOS and Android devices. The game uses GPS to locate, capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, which appear as if they are in the player’s real-world location. This game encourages you to get outside and move as it’s the only way to play. This includes a healthy feature that is a step related game activity.  You are rewarded in the game with extra points, prizes and stats the more steps you take as you walk with your phone. We tried It!  We had fun testing out this game and it actually got us moving more!   We felt more inclined to walk to lunch to increase our game related step rewards and found ourselves encouraging each other to stay outside just a little bit longer each day. We also found we were encouraging each other to go on walks outside of work to achieve small goals within the game. According to the PokemonGo blog https://gamerant.com/tag/pokemon-go/, one dedicated gamer utilized the game to help him lose over 85 pounds.  Before adding weight lifting to his routine, the gamer found the initial encouragement to begin his weight loss journey and found inspiration to go outside and move because of the game.

My Fitness Pal – Nutrition and Exercise Tracking App  Myfitnesspal.com  – “Lose Weight with MyFitnessPal – The fastest, easiest to use calorie counter app”

The My Fitness Pal app is a diet and exercise journal app that allows you to track your daily movement (cardio, weight lifting, sports, and mind-body practices like Pilates and yoga) and food consumption. We tried it! We enjoyed being able to input our workout and see the daily calories shift according to our exercising and eating. We felt a new component of mindfulness growing in our eating habits as we practiced entering our food into the food journal. It gave us a second moment to check in with what we had consumed which allowed us to make future decisions in a more informed way. Now it’s your turn! Let us know what your favorite health technology is and send a few paragraphs to us here  for a chance to be featured on our blog. Happy “teching”!