Polestar Pilates

Akın Saatçi: Educator Highlight

by Leave a Comment

You are here: Home / Archives for Polestar Pilates
Testimonial from Polestar Turkiye Educator Akın Saatçi “I was on Turkey’s national rowing team for over 13 years. During that time, I won more than 100 medals all over the world: world cups, championships, etc. Of course by the end of my time on the team, I had plenty of injuries: shoulder, both knees, 11 disc problems in all levels of the spine. Doctors said that I needed surgery and that there was a risk of me not being able to do any sports again. This was indescribable for me as a young athlete. While attending Boston University and Bogazici University in Turkey, I studied management and marketing business in tourism, like all of my family. But after a year of work I realized that I wanted to do something with sports. By that time I had horrible, chronic pain in my knees, neck, and back. One day I pursued Pilates education. I had no desire to become a Pilates instructor: I wanted to be a personal trainer. However, I thought that if I opened a gym, I would want to offer Pilates as well, so even though I thought I would never do or teach Pilates, I knew I would need to know [Pilates] so I can better manage my studio and staff. In those 2 weeks, all of my pain went away and I fell in love with Pilates. After some time I opened my own Pilates studio. I still took Crossfit education and certification, and without any surgery I started to run full marathons. I became a comprehensive Pilates instructor from a good 450-hour Pilates school. But I wanted to do more and learn more. While I was talking with all of the well-known schools around the world, only Polestar replied with an interest in who I was. Even before participating in the course I felt welcome, valued and worthy. During the course and after it this feeling grew. Of course all Pilates schools value other people, but when I was in Polestar, even on the first day, I felt I was with my family; I felt like I was home. During the course, I also realized how little I knew about anatomy, teaching techniques, principles of Joseph, etc. I knew a lot of exercises, but now I know something deeper than that. Most of all what changed in my life with Polestar is that I realized how little I was doing for the world and for people. Yes, I teach Pilates in my studio, but what do I do for the people with no expectation of something in return? I found out that what Joseph expected from all movement professionals is to be beneficial to the world. Now I know what “impact the world through intelligent movement and lifestyle” means. We as Pilates lovers should impact the world, help people, and do good for the world, not just with our money or donations. We have to impact the world with our body, mind and spirit. “I am Polestar.” Follow Akin on Instagram (@akinsaatci_polestarpilates) and at Polestar Turkiye

Runners Knee: The Science Behind Injury and Prevention

by 1 Comment

You are here: Home / Archives for Polestar Pilates

Runners Knee – Discover the science behind the injury and how to prevent and treat PFPS.

Many of our online followers have been asking us about patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), more commonly known as runner’s knee.  What is it?  What exercises can prevent it?  What exercises can treat it?  With the abundance of conflicting information on the internet, finding answers to these questions can feel like a wild goose chase. We called on Juan Nieto, Polestar educator and co-founder/master trainer of Runity, to shed some light on the science behind runner’s knee and what you can do to prevent and treat it. Among runners, lower extremity injuries are very common– up to 79.3% of runners will experience these injuries, about half of which occur in the knee (Van Gent et al., 2007).  Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also called anterior knee pain syndrome or runner’s knee, describes an overuse disorder that occurs in the patellofemoral region and results in pain behind or around the anterior knee.  The causes of PFPS can vary widely due to the complex interactions between intrinsic anatomic and external training factors (Collado et al., 2010).  In other words, runner’s knee describes the symptoms of a painful knee injury, not the cause of the injury.  The cause is subjective and depends on the runner’s anatomy, strategy, and training. Searching the internet to find specific exercises for your runner’s knee will produce a mixed bag of results due to the subjective nature of the injury.  Depending on whether your injury is associated with vastus medialis/vastus lateralis imbalance, hamstring tightness, or iliotibial tract tightness, the best exercises to treat it will vary.   What can you do to prevent runner’s knee?  According to Juan, there’s no standard set of exercises to prevent the injury since it depends on the person and their movement strategy.  When choosing exercises, it’s important to pick exercises that bring relief and do not flare up pain.  The only true method of prevention is to make sure that the tissue capacity of the runner is bigger than the workload.  In other words, the runner has to be fit enough to run the distance they want to run and allow the appropriate resting periods in between to let the tissues recover.  Additionally, technique retraining could reduce the amount of ground reaction forces that the runner is receiving, meaning they can run the same volume but reduce the workload for the tissues. If you already have runner’s knee, what can you do to treat it?  Again, there’s no magic routine to treat the condition because causes vary.  The best thing you can do is see a movement specialist who can conduct a proper assessment and use sound clinical reasoning to design an exercise plan, test it out, and modify it as necessary to settle on a final selection of exercises that create gradual, positive adaptation (strengthening) without irritation.  If you have runner’s knee, it’s important to remember to avoid irritative exercises and to try to resist running too much too soon.  Most importantly, KEEP MOVING!  Movement heals and having positive movement experiences throughout the body will quicken the healing process for your injury. Want to learn more about efficient, pain-free running, try RUNITY 

The Power of the Breath in Pilates

by 1 Comment

You are here: Home / Archives for Polestar Pilates
When something is very natural it’s often compared to breathing; an implicit trust in an unconscious process.  17, 000 breaths a day is as natural as it comes. That’s why you’ll be surprised to know there are better breathing techniques than regular breath that Pilates encourages. We sat down with our Director of Curriculum, Shelly Power, to set the record straight on breathing for Pilates. There are many ways the breath is useful and integral to movement. Generally, how does proper breathing help Pilates? Proper breathing’ is such a funny expression – as if there are good and bad breathers. We joke that most ‘bad breathers’ are dead. Seriously though, the main thing to remember, is to breathe. Joseph Pilates is often quoted as saying ‘breathe in the air and out the air’. That is great advice. What Pilates brings is breath awareness and control. Students often ask me ‘what is the right way to breathe?’ ‘Should I be inhaling or exhaling?’ What I really want to say is, ‘yes’. At first breath, however, it’s most comfortable. As a teacher, I observe what comes natural and decide when I can use the breath in a different way to assist or challenge the student. Sometimes we use breathing to help the body move and sometimes we use it to help the body stay stable. And, sometimes we move to help us breathe. So, the breath really depends on what you want. There is a quote from Blandine Calais-Germain about spontaneity, “This, in some activities (even very complex ones) there may be a total lack of breath training because ‘only spontaneous breathing will harmonize well with the movement.’ Is there a certain “intensity of breath” across all Pilates movements? How might an instructor cue on the proper amount? In Polestar we like the intensity of the breath to match the intensity of the movement. You don’t breathe the same way walking as you do when you’re running. It’s the same in Pilates. Certain movements require a stronger breath, some require something softer. It often depends on what your desired outcome is. Is the current style of breathing making the movement better or is it getting in the way? If the student is distracted by too much focus on the breath, let it go and just let them breathe comfortably. Eventually, we should really be able to change the breathing patterns with ease. Dr. Larry Cahalin discussing improved breathing habits with Pilates Which Pilates exercises are closely related to breath control? The most well-known Pilates breathing exercise is The 100. It consists of breathing in for 5 counts, then out 5 counts 10 times, all the while maintaining the torso in a rolled up position with the legs outstretched. It’s a challenging exercise, to say the least. There are others but this is the one most everyone knows. Why is too much of a focus on breath a negative? Focusing on exactly when to inhale and exhale often gets in the way of the movement being performed. Especially when a student is new to Pilates. Having students breathe comfortably is sometimes a better approach at first, so as not to overwhelm them. Too much or little of anything isn’t great. Find a happy medium until the student can coordinate the movement and the breath. Can breath for Pilates be applied to other movement disciplines (high-intensity workouts/meditation)? Pilates movements help to create mobility throughout the body which is crucial for good and efficient air exchange. During high-intensity workouts, there is a lot of air that is exchanged. The better our ribs, spine, shoulder girdle and trunk muscles function, the easier it is to breathe. Conversely, resting breath should be efficient and should really just use the diaphragm, the primary muscle in breathing. No need to use a lot of other muscles. Can it improve daily functions around breath or movement? Absolutely. Practicing different styles of breathing can help to both improve mobility in the thorax and strengthen the muscles associated with breathing. If our torso is rigid, it makes it difficult to expand the ribs when inhaling and to narrow the ribs when exhaling. The latter is often associated with people who are obese, women who have just given birth, and in addition to the changes in the lung tissue, COPD. They often lack the mobility and strength to close the rib cage and squeeze the air out of the lungs. Many Pilates movements can assist in restoring better function What are the consequences of poor breathing habits? One of the biggest consequences of poor breathing habits is a lack of energy. The first goal of breathing is gas exchange – to rid the body and CO2 and take in O2. In addition to the physiological needs, we also improve posture with better breathing techniques and can change our mood or state with more energetic or quiet breath styles. Long, slow breaths can bring us toward a more calm state. This is often the goal of meditation and relaxation techniques. A more vigorous breath gives us energy and can make us more aware and alert. Breath should be natural and spontaneous. Shelly and Brent delve deeper into breath in their video on diaphragmatic breathing. It’s always good to take a step back and reevaluate the basics, even if you feel you mastered it centuries ago. Become Polestar trained and study with Senior Polestar Pilates educator Shelly Power at the upcoming Transition Intensive.Transition (Bridging) Pilates Teacher Training

Educator Highlight: Dr. Diedra Manns

by Leave a Comment

You are here: Home / Archives for Polestar Pilates
Polestar Educator Dr. Diedra Manns of Monarch Wellness in Santa Monica CA shares her musings on Pilates, the Butterfly Effect and the “End of the World”. My Hometown / About Me Although I live near Santa Monica, CA now I was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. Go Mounties!  Woman of a certain age, physical therapist, scientist, entrepreneur, speaker/lecturer, content developer, dancer, coach, compassionate people lover who improves lives through movement.   What is your favorite things to teach your clients? One of my favorite tips is to teach my clients how to use the wrinkles in their shirts as a guide to postural awareness. For instance, if the shirt they’re wearing has a lot of wrinkles in the back and not many in the front, they are likely standing in a hyper-lordotic posture (excessive spine extension) which can lead to compression of the facet joints in the lumbar spine, pain and stiffness. However, when the shirt wrinkles are smoother and more symmetrical from front to back it can signal better spinal alignment and can often result in ease with movement as well as standing. Tell us an “aha!” Moment One of the most impactful moments of my life was during my adventure with cancer. During that time, I made the conscious choice to experience the journey as a chrysalis moment and integrated lifestyle adjustments and approaches that created an environment for growth into my next form. This is the time I discovered the “butterfly effect.” The butterfly effect is a term coined by Edward Lorenz a meteorologist, mathematician and one of the major contributors to the chaos theory. The theory can be pretty technical if you choose to go down the rabbit hole but to quickly summarize it says that small, nearly imperceptible changes made in a complex system can have a massive impact on that system over time. The concept is imagined with a butterfly flapping its wings in the U.S. causing a typhoon in the Philippines a few weeks later. I often refer to the butterfly effect when coaching clients. My primary goals are to help them recognize that they may experience some internal and external environmental chaos because they’re creating change. And to generate an awareness that the smallest fluctuations they make in their life (i.e. postural awareness) will likely result in a positive difference in moving towards a life with less pain. For more on the Butterfly Effect check out – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect What are you Currently Reading? I’m on my third read of Explain Pain by David Butler & Lorimer Moseley. What is your Favorite Way to Wind Down? A sunset walk on the bike path at the end of the world (also known as the Santa Monica Beach). Learn more about Dr. Diedra Manns, Pilates and Monarch Wellness at: Monarch Wellness Inc. Santa Monica, CA monarchwellnessinc.com       www.facebook.com/MonarchWellnessInc        @monarchwellnessinc

Unplug & Live in the Moment

by Leave a Comment

You are here: Home / Archives for Polestar Pilates

A funny thing happened to me this week – I was overjoyed to receive my brand new iPhone Plus to replace my “tiny” and outdated iPhone. As a tech lover, it has always been tricky to balance the desire to be plugged into the world as it relates to all the things that interest me with the actual “doing” of all those same things. I thought I had found the solution as I would go on walks, runs, social events, etc. with my little smartphone in tow…ready to report on the latest “experience”, return a quick email, listening to my favorite music, or to take a quick glance at what others in my online Pilates community were doing. It seemed like the perfect balance…I could be outside and “connected” at the same time.   As much as “unplugging” seems like an obvious piece of advice, it’s not always the easiest thing to do when the convenience factor of whipping the smartphone out of your pocket exists.

Joseph Pilates stated that in order to attain full-body health, we needed to have plenty of fresh air and sunshine with a balance in life, work, and play. Wasn’t I getting that? Well, technically I could be outside in the sunshine and getting physical activity, but I would not always be completely present to experience it. So how does this relate to my new ginormous, thin, and dare I say slippery new phone?

I typically make it a point to walk to work most mornings, but this particular morning I didn’t do it the usual way, which typically includes taking care of emails and catching up on social media while on the walk. No, this morning was different. I was terrified that if I removed my shiny new phone from my pocket, I would surely drop it as its larger size makes it more awkward to manage while moving. So, I made the decision to keep it tucked away, and this is where Joseph’s wisdom really hit me.

With my head up, I was in awe of this amazing panoramic view that my eyes and brain had gifted me with. The colors were brighter, the depth of perception was richer, and the light of the morning sunshine danced on everything it hit.  

With my head up and arms able to swing freely, I was more aware of how wonderful my body felt just to move and feel the earth beneath my feet, and I had this enormous sense of gratitude that I could do just that.   With my upright posture, I breathed in deeper and with greater ease which allowed me to taste the sweetness of the air following our recent rain. My breath became more deliberate as though I wanted to cherish each long wonderful breath. A small smile passed through my lips as I felt the cool air moving past them and the breeze against my skin.  With my head up, I was sensitive to all the beautiful sounds of the water, birds, and tiny critters without my earphones blocking their entry into my ears.   In 20 minutes, I arrived at my office with a smile on my face, relaxed yet energized, and feeling alive. My intentions were clearer and my direction more focused throughout the day, and my energy was contagious as my patients and clients seemed to sense a difference. My cues were richer and more effective as if my own increased awareness of my own body allowed for greater awareness and intention in theirs.

I was reminded of the power of Nature and the earth’s energy and how we can use it as a resource to recharge. However, to truly harness it, we need to allow ourselves to be present in the moment to appreciate the effect it has on every system of our bodies, and then, we have the greater ability to pass that energy and intention onto others.   While I’m happy to own my new technology, it is a reminder that some things are best enjoyed separately.

week5

Morning Reflection: Here’s what I noticed when I let the technology stay in my pocket…

POLESTAR® Educator Ada Wells, owner of ProBalance, brings 20 years of Physical Therapy, Pilates, and sports performance expertise to her clients in rehabilitation, fitness, and educational settings.  Ada is a Level 3 Certified Golf Medical Professional through the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) and is a PMA Certified Pilates Teacher and Polestar Pilates Educator. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), PMA, and IDEA Health and Fitness Association.Ada received a B.S. in Physiology with honors from the University of California at Davis and graduated at the top of her class at Chapman University with a Masters of Physical Therapy. 

In addition to her continuous development of specialized sports rehabilitation and performance programs, Ada is a Pilates Educator for Polestar Pilates, teaching the craft to future Pilates instructors.  She provides lectures on rehabilitation and fitness for golf, sailing, and other sports. She presents seminars based on her DVD, “The Cruising Boater’s Workout” for Strictly Sail Pacific and other sailing organizations and events.  For the past ten years, Ada has provided her services to celebrity golfers at the American Century Golf Championship nationally televised on NBC. She has appeared in a variety of publications including: Cruising World, ESPN Magazine, Pilates Style, Dance Teacher, Rehab Management, Health Club Management, and Physical Therapy Products Magazine.  She is also a guest instructor on the Athletic Training Channel of Balanced Body® Podcasts and for Pilates on Tour®.

Wellness in the Workplace: 5 Simple Steps

by Leave a Comment

You are here: Home / Archives for Polestar Pilates
5 Simple Practices to Bring Wellness into the Workplace 1. Take Breaks and Move!
  • Set an alarm to incorporate movement every hour.
  • Bring your own lunch and eat in the office as a group – then utilize your lunch break for an hour long walk – this will increase your daily steps and you will return to work refreshed and in good spirits.
  • Periodic Breaks will help you work longer and be more productive throughout the day.   Try cycles of (50 minutes work / 15 minute break) or (20 Minutes of work / 5 minute break).
  • Challenge:  Experiment with work to break ratios and find your sweet spot. 
2. Hydrate
  • Adults should be drinking 10 to 15 cups of Water Per day.
  • BYOB – Bring your own Bottle and take ownership of your hydration and health! Stop wasting cups and help the environment (it will make you fee good!).
  • Water is still the #1 substance for Detoxification – helping your body flush out toxins.
  • Adding Citrus Fruit Slices to your water can help your digestive system and add a hint of flavor making hydration that much more delicious!  (Most Fruit-juice drinks are Loaded with Extra Sugar).
  • Challenge: Note how often you are drinking and adjust accordingly to meet daily requirements – Knowledge is power!
3.  Bring the Outdoors In
  • Host a DIY Terrarium Team Building experience (we did!) and create a terrarium for your desk.
  • Plants help reduce stress and create a feeling of well-being.
  • The green guys also improve air quality – Reducing carbon Dioxide and certain pollutants, such as benzene and Nitrogen dioxide levels.
  • Not into green? Bring in and display your favorite rocks or gemstones from your travels!
  • Challenge: Find one natural thing that inspires you and bring it into your workspace.
Woman holding arms back4. Love What You Do
  • Find something about your work that you love. Consider bringing your favorite things into the work place (pictures of your family or pets, sports memorabilia, memories of fun times).
  • Work can be a significant cause of stress – Consider career counseling or a career change, it could add years to your life!
  • Read one of our Blog posts about becoming a Pilates Instructor.  Many people in the Polestar community have made career changes and love their new lifestyle in the health and wellness field.
  • Hey Joe! – Know that person you’ve walked by 20 times in the hallway? Learn their name and introduce yourself.
  • Challenge: Say Good-morning to someone everyday before you walk into the office!
5. Try a Standing Desk – Prepare for Optimal Alignment in Seating 
  • Feeling tired? Standing increases your level of alertness and can give you a boost of energy.  It requires alignment of the spine and opens your entire torso encouraging diaphragmatic breathing.
  • Sitting for long period of time can cause back pain.  Taking standing breaks will help, also try raising your computer screen to be directly in-front of your gaze.  We lifted out monitors and felt instant neck relief
  • Standing burns more calories than sitting!  If you stand one hour per day you will start to burn more calories.  Multiply that over 6 months or one year and you could end up burning 1000’s of extra calories.
  • Challenge: Take a pause in your work to notice how you sit – Do you lean to one side more than another?  Try to sit evenly between the sits bones – this will set the foundation for your spine to thrive!
The Polestar Essentials The Essentials are Polestar’s interpretation of Joseph Pilates’ 9 original tenants of the Pilates Method of Health and Wellness.  They include: Movement, Mindfulness, Relaxation, Recreation, Sleep, Hygiene, Work, Nature and Nutrition.  Tune in for weekly updates and Essential tips in the Polestar Life Weekly.