As the confetti settles and the New Year unfolds, the air is charged with the energy of change. I know not everyone is into making New Year's resolutions - but I say anytime is a good time to make positive changes. Opening up a fresh, empty day planner for the year is like standing in front of a blank canvas, inviting us all to ponder how we want to shape our future. It’s an opportunity to create meaningful change. Let's take it!
'EXERCISE MORE' is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. As a yoga and fitness teacher I’ve seen class sizes balloon each January only to deflate by March year after year after year - like clockwork. People kick off the new year with the best of intentions, but enthusiasm fizzles within a few weeks. Why does that happen? Well, a lot of that initial excitement stems from guilt about holiday indulgences and a desire to shed the extra pounds. According to Health Psychologist, Kelly McGonigal, PhD, that’s not the kind of motivation that fuels lasting change. What you need to succeed is intrinsic motivation. The trick to creating an exercise resolution that sticks is to dig deeeeeeeep into WHY you want more exercise in your life. Here are 4 tips to help you get it down this year: 1. Understand Your Motivation – Intrinsic vs Extrinsic When you’re intrinsically motivated, you do something because it feels genuinely satisfying and fulfilling. It’s about the joy you get from exercise itself, not external rewards. Scenario: You choose to incorporate regular exercise into your routine as a New Year’s resolution. Intrinsic Motivation: You’re in it because you want to feel strong, healthy, energized and vital. The sheer joy of movement and its positive impact on your well-being are what keep you going. You might feel a burst of energy after your very first workout, giving you the motivation to stick with it. Movement is its own reward. Extrinsic Motivation: On the flip side, wanting to achieve a specific weight or fit into a specific pant size is what's driving you. Your satisfaction will come from reaching some external goal, not from the act of moving itself. The results you want to see may take awhile. This can lead to frustration and a lack of motivation. In the long run, the intrinsically motivated person is more likely to stick with their resolution because they genuinely enjoy the activity and value its immediate positive impact on their well-being. Setting goals is great, but it’s even more crucial to align your behaviours with your values. Commit to what you really value most ... feeling good, energized, healthy, and vital. 2. Know Your WHY Delve into the motivations behind your resolution. Exercise isn’t just about shedding pounds; it’s a freaking treasure trove of benefits for your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Check out my blog on the Miraculous Healing Power of Muscles for some awesome motivation. Movement is a natural mood booster that fights stress, anxiety and depression. It improves cognitive function and brain structure. On the surface of things, you may want to shed pounds or alter your appearance in some way, but if you dig deeper, what you're likely to discover is that what you really want is to feel good in your body and mind. Let that be your motivation. You can have those results immediately after your first walk, yoga session or dance class. If you resolve to do things that help you feel good in your body and mind, you can be flexible with HOW you achieve that. If it turns out the gym's not a good fit for you, no problem! You’re free to explore other options like a local yoga studio, running group, pickleball club or ballroom dance class. You'll know when you've found the movement practice that's right for you because it'll light you up and you'll want to return to it again and again. Now you've found your intrinsic motivation! 3. Be Compassionate with Setbacks Change is hard. Especially big changes. If you’re planning a big change for the new year, have a realistic vision of what that process actually looks like, and give yourself grace. Change isn't linear; it involves backsliding, obstacles and mistakes. So, expect those. You don’t necessarily change at the moment you vow to make a change. Lasting change requires forming new habits and new habits take time to form. Any meaningful change is probably going to include the day you feel like giving up and the day you don't get your planned workout in because you just plain don't feel like it. That's normal. Remember this: no one day defines the story of you as a human forever. You can always workout tomorow or next week and carry on from there. Sometimes unexpected life events happen – be prepared for that, and be compassionate with yourself when it happens. Getting derailed doesn’t mean you’re not capable of living the life you aspire to live. You can always get back on track. 4. Practice Mindful Self-Reflection Mindfulness is your BFF on the journey of self-discovery and change. Daily self-reflection is a powerful tool to help you assess whether the exercise behaviours you've chosen to change are moving the needle in the right direction. Try and enjoy the process of growth instead of fixating on end goals. As you step into the new year, let it be a mindful exploration of your self and your values, and enjoy the process of creating meaningful change in your life. Embrace the journey. Be compassionate with setbacks, and remember that each day is a new opportunity to move the story of change in your chosen direction. Here’s to a year filled with mindful movement! Additional Reading and Resources The Joy of Movement and The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, PhD
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I’ve been fielding lots of questions about breathing lately – specifically about the differences between the way we breathe in yoga vs pilates, and why. Pilates and Yoga are two deeply loved practices that approach breathing in different ways. As we explore WHY this is, it will help to keep in mind that the goals of yoga and pilates are very different. PILATES is renowned for its transformative impact on strength, flexibility and posture, pairing precise movements with thoracic (rib cage) breathing. YOGA is an ancient practice that includes a mind-boggling array of pranayama techniques (breath-centered practices) that serve to nurture mental clarity, spiritual connection and meditative states. It’s also helpful to keep in mind that both pilates and yoga offer more than one way to breathe. So when we talk about ‘pilates breathing’ or ‘yoga breathing’ as if there’s just one way to do each, it’s a massive oversimplification. But to keep this conversation manageable, we’re going to compare breathing in yoga vs pilates in terms of which area of the torso you breathe into and why. BREATHING 'CORRECTLY'. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Your pilates teacher tells you to breathe into your ribcage and your yoga teacher tells you to breathe into your belly. And they both tell you their way is the 'correct' way to breathe. Who should you believe? Consider that one of the major aims of pilates is for you to strengthen and stabilize your core and the aim of yoga is to quiet and calm your mind. The breath your teacher is telling you to use is likely the correct breath for that particular aim in that particular moment … but not for every situation for the rest of time. To understand this better, let’s look at the idea of ‘Zones of Respiration’, a concept I learned from my Yoga Tune Up® teacher, Jill Miller. When you breathe into different regions of your torso, it has different effects on your muscles, your physiology and your nervous system. Understanding this concept can help you determine which breath is the 'correct' breath for any situation. This graphic illustrates the what happens to your mental state when you breathe into different parts of your torso. Let's break this down in a little more detail. CLAVICULAR BREATHING This isn’t a breathing style that people generally use on purpose. It’s some that happens to you when you feel threatened, stressed or panicked. Though you can breathe this way on purpose and induce a state of panic or anxiety, but why would you want to do that!? Clavicular breathing under-utilizes the muscles designed for respiration (like your diaphragm and intercostals) and over-uses neck and shoulder muscles. It’s also just a very inefficient way to breathe. Consider the clavicular zone of respiration a NO GO zone. If you’re a habitual clavicular breather, this is something you should address. THORACIC BREATHING Also frequently referred to as ribcage or chest breathing. Pilates and yoga both encourage breathing in the Thoracic Zone. When you breathe into the ribcage, it can be helpful to picture your ribs moving like an umbrella opening and closing. On inhalation, all sides lift and spread away from your midline (umbrella opening) and all sides of the rib cage draw in and down on exhalation (like an umbrella closing). Additionally, breathing this way:
In the context of Pilates, thoracic breathing makes a lot of sense. If you engage your abdominal muscles, which Pilates asks you to do throughout the practice, you can't really belly breathe. In order to belly breathe, your abdominal muscles need to be soft & relaxed so they can swell as you inhale. Try to engage your abdominals and swell your belly at the same time. You can't do it! Yoga also incorporates a style of thoracic breathing called Ujjayi (Victorious breath) during vigorous styles of yoga, like Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow. These practices take you through lots of planks, chaturangas, step-throughs and jump-throughs for which you absolutely need your ab muscles engaged. Turning your abdominal muscles OFF so you can belly breathe doesn't make sense in a physical practice centered around strength and stability. Here’s a fabulous thoracic breathing tutorial with Pilates teacher, Amy Havens Here's an Ujjayi breathing tutorial with Ashtanga Yoga teacher, Kino McGregor 3 More Benefits of Breathing Thoracically in Pilates and Yoga
ABDOMINAL BREATHING Also known as belly breathing. This form of breathing is often used in yogic relaxation practices. Part of relaxation is relaxing your abdominals, and when the abs are relaxed they can swell on inhalation. This style of breath:
Deep, intentional breathing is instructed in yoga because it calms and soothes the nervous system and prepares the mind for meditative states. Here’s a video that guides you through belly breathing ABDOMINAL-THORACIC BREATHING There are lots of variations on Abdominal-Thoracic breathing in the yoga tradition. They combine the energizing effect of thoracic breathing with the relaxing effect of abdominal breathing, to leave you feeling calm, but alert. Here’s my teacher, Jill Miller, instructing Abdominal-Thoracic breathing And here's another variation on this breath called Dirgha Pranayama, taught by Kripalu Yoga teacher, Larissa Hall Carlson BREATHING CORRECTLY, YOGA VS PILATES
So, what's the 'correct' way to breathe? It depends on what your goal is! Pilates and Yoga both offer valuable insights into the art of breathing. Rather than searching for a single ‘right’ way to breathe, we can acknowledge that each practice offers a unique set of tools that achieve distinct effects on the body and mind. The ‘correct’ breathing technique is the one that aligns with your goals, intentions and preferences. Why not embrace the complete buffet of breathing styles? Use the breathing practices that guide you towards harmony and balance. Pilates is really having a moment right now -and when a fitness trend is HOT, the internet gets busy churning out buzzwords and bold promises. As a body nerd, kinesiologist, and card-carrying skeptic, I tend to approach any strong fitness claim with curiosity and questions. Lots of questions. The internet really doesn't make it easy to separate fitness facts from fiction. So, when folks started asking me to weigh in about how they can expect pilates to transform their bodies, I went into full geek mode, jumped down the research rabbit hole, and got you all some answers. Grab a comfy seat and put on your logic cap – cuz we’re about to take a trip through the world of fitness fallacies, and get real about pilates' potential to transform your body. Ready? Let’s go. Myth #1: ‘In 30 sessions you will have a whole new body.’ This quote is attributed to Joseph Pilates, the creator of Pilates himself. He is famously known for saying: ‘In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 sessions you will see the difference, and in 30 sessions you will have a whole new body.” This statement is frequently cited in pilates marketing to get people excited about getting fit and to highlight the transformative potential of a Pilates practice. But is it true? As far as experiencing a ‘whole new body’ in 30 sessions goes, think of this as more of an aspirational claim than a scientific one. No exercise system can give you a whole new body. While there are definitely some things you can change about your body, other things you cannot. We’ll dive deeper into this idea in a moment. Let’s assume this statement is meant to get pilates students excited about creating a dedicated practice, and reaping the rewards - of which there are many. The Truth An exercise system can create significant improvements in your physical health, strength, flexibility and overall well-being – but it can’t give you a ‘whole new body’ in the sense of fundamentally transforming your anatomy. Here’s why:
It’s also worth noting that some people may have pre-existing conditions or limitations that affect what they can realistically expect to transform through exercise. And keep in mind that results of pilates practice will not only vary based on individual differences, but on other factors too. Like, how frequently you practice and what kind of pilates you’re doing (HIIT or Classical or Physio Pilates), etc. Keeping Expectations Real Here’s what the science suggests pilates CAN reliably deliver:
That’s a nice looking list of perks! So, even if Pilates can’t grant you a whole new body, it can still be a game-changer for you. You’ll be rocking improved fitness, your mental health will get a boost. You might feel stronger or like you’re standing taller or notice you’re feeling more fabulous in general. Those are all clear signs that something good is happening. Keep going! Ultimately, the goal of Pilates, and any form of exercise, should be to improve your overall health, strength and well-being, though many people come to pilates in search of a specific aesthetic ideal. Which brings me to the next myth. Myth #2: Pilates Gives You Longer, Leaner Muscles Pilates people come in all different shapes and sizes. Though social media might have you thinking that pilates will make you look like a professional ballerina. It won’t. Many women come to pilates because fitness marketing has told them pilates will give them ‘long, lean muscles’ and that pilates is a great way to get strong without getting ‘bulky’ in the process. This idea is so pervasive, it’s accepted as fact and it’s frequently repeated by fitness professionals. Is it true? Nope. Here’s why: The Truth The phrase ‘longer and leaner’ muscles is scientifically imprecise and very misleading. Pilates can’t give you longer, leaner muscles. No exercise system can. Muscles have attachment sites on bones, a point of origin (where they start) and a point of insertion (where they end). These are fixed points. No matter how much you exercise or stretch a muscle, you can’t change where it inserts on a bone. Given that we can’t change where a muscle begins and ends, we can’t make it longer. This image was modified and made from content published in a BodyParts3D/Anatomography web site. The content of their website is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.1 Japan license. The author and licenser of the contents is "BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution-Share Alike 2.1 Japan." You also can’t make a muscle ‘leaner’ by exercising it. Muscle is, by definition, ‘lean’ tissue. Exercising doesn't make it leaner. You can look leaner by changing your body composition - that’s your ratio of muscle to fatty tissue. When you reduce body fat, the muscles beneath your fatty layer become more visible. You can also grow larger muscles with resistance training. This combo of reducing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass makes you thinner and makes your muscles more visible, which makes you appear longer and leaner. However, your muscles are the same length they always were. If one of your exercise goals is to look longer and leaner, and it’s not happening for you, it’s likely because pilates alone can’t deliver on this promise. There are a number of factors that play into your body composition, including gender, age, nutrition, physical activity and hormones. Research has proved time and time again that physical training and making a consistent, habitual change to your diet have the strongest influence on transforming body composition – but you may need to take other factors into consideration as well. A lot of fitness marketing omits this very important detail. Myth #3: It's Not A Good Workout Unless I Feel Sore Afterwards ‘No pain, no gain’ is a commonly used expression in the exercise world. This probably explains why so many people use how sore they feel after a workout to gauge whether or not a workout was good. So, let’s investigate this belief. The Truth Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is a technical term that describes the feeling of soreness you experience in the hours and days after a workout. It’s better known by its acronym, DOMS. Typically, you get a case of DOMS after you’ve done an exercise you’re not used to or you’ve done something particularly strenuous. The theory is that DOMS is a result of exercise-induced muscle damage. Which sounds bad, but isn’t. A little muscle damage is actually necessary to help build larger, stronger muscles. When damaged muscles repair themselves after exercise, they re-build themselves bigger and stronger than before. Once you’ve built bigger, stronger, more resilient muscles, you also become less likely to experience DOMS the next time you exercise. This explains why when you exercise regularly, you don’t generally experience DOMS as frequently or as intensely as you did in the beginning. It also explains why DOMS may not be the best way to gauge whether or not your workouts are effective. If you wake up the day after pilates class NOT feeling sore, it might simply be because … you’re stronger than you used to be! Your body has adapted to the stress of exercise. Instead of using DOMS to measure how good your workout was, you might try gradually increasing the number of reps you do or the amount of resistance you use (try heavier springs in your next reformer pilates class or add a resistance band to your side leg series in mat class). If you can increase your resistance, that’s proof that you’ve gotten stronger! With so much fitness (mis)information floating through cyberspace, it can be really hard to know what to believe. I hope we cleared up some confusion here. Though pilates may not grant you a whole new body, it does hold the possibility of a multitude of other benefits – from improved flexibility to reduced low back pain - and it just might be a total game-changer for you, and your physical and mental well-being. Even if every bold claim isn’t true, you can still gain a lot from practice. Keep rocking those workouts. Celebrate your health and fitness journey. Keep your expectations real, and set some realistic goals. Here’s to stronger cores, better mental health and bodies that move with grace and ease. |
AuthorAmanda Tripp, Yoga/body nerd and woman of a 1000 opinions Archives
February 2024
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