I like to write about my favorite moves and one of them is the Side Plank done on the Reformer. When done correctly, it enhances upper- and lower-body strength, alignment and stability. (To perform this exercise safely, please make sure to check out my previous blogs on how to wrap the rib cage and to learn about scapular depression.)

Here’s how to do the move:

Use one or two springs.

Set up by placing your left hand on top of the footbar, palm facing down.

Place your bottom left foot against the shoulder rest and put your other foot on top of your bottom foot, so your feet are stacked one on top of another.

Make sure your shoulders and hips are aligned.

Wrap the ribs and retract the shoulder blades.

Now, push the carriage away, using your left shoulder and deltoid, starting with a small range of motion. Inhale as you push away, and exhale as you return the carriage home.

Be careful not to lose your body alignment as you move the carriage back and forth:

• Make sure to maintain a neutral spine and pelvis.

• Do not allow your torso to twist.

• Don’t worry about making the move big—just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Three to four repetitions on each side are plenty for a beginner, as this is an advanced move.

I’ve received a bunch of emails from you about how to bring in new clients, and having just embraced the idea of doing a huge marketing plan, I’ll write about my experiences next time.

Stay well and stay in practice.

I’m receiving a lot of questions from all of you readers, including this one: How can I help my clients with balance and body awareness?

I begin by teaching my clients the importance of balance and body awareness, especially as we age. You must have both to achieve true strength. One of the exercises I use to teach balance and body awareness is the Single-Leg Press on a ball.

Ariel demonstrates the advanced position for the Single-Leg Press using a ball on the Reformer.

Let’s set it up:

1. Use one red spring.

2. Have clients lay supine on the reformer, head near the tower and feet facing the footbar.

3. Ask clients to find and maintain a neutral pelvis and neutral spine.

4. Have them place both feet on the ball, with the ball in the center of the footbar.

Now let’s move:

1. Tell your clients to wrap their ribs, then inhale to press away slowly, and exhale as they return.

Tip: The spring is very light so if they push away too fast and with little or no control, the ball will slide up or down. This is where balance and body awareness start to play a role.

2. Ask them to repeat the move about 10 times to build awareness, and after they are able to do it well—with no shaking—have them progress to the single-leg version, with the other leg in tabletop.

Tip: Remember that transitioning from one move to another is in itself a move and should be done using all of the Pilates principles. Don’t let clients get sloppy.

Moving on:

1. Now have your clients walk the ball to the left side, making sure the ball is in line with the left hip. So the alignment is hip-knee-second toe.

2. Have them put the right leg into tabletop (maintaining neutral pelvis and spine).

3. Have them start pushing away with the left leg, slowly and with small moves at first, if needed. As your client develops balance and body awareness, they will be able to straighten the leg completely (don’t rush this process).

Tip: I can’t stress this enough: Just because they can push all the way out at first, doesn’t mean they should. Keep the integrity of the move and stay true to the Pilates principles.

4. Have them perform the move about 10 times on each side.

As your client improves, have them add more challenge by straightening the leg that is in tabletop toward the ceiling.

You can challenge them more, later on, by asking them to close their eyes.

Keep the questions coming. Hope to see some of you guys in Dallas where I will be teaching for DCAC April 12-14.

Be well.

The bold Ciera Fox volunteers to do the splits right in the middle. You go girl!

We started out the class with the Call Me Maybe Squat Challenge. Man was that a good warmup! Have you tried the workout yet? If not, do it now before you keep reading on:

Okay, thank you.

We did tons of ab work!

LOTS of butt work. Oh yeah, it was painful!

We even had people sharing yoga mats! How cute!

It is always so great to spend some time chatting with fans I am so happy to see that you’ve found a way to workout that WORKS for you! I love seeing your smiles and watching you work your butts off in real life!

Peace!

Here I am with friends Matt Cedeno and Erica Franco, the people behind Body Language Sportswear who helped organize the meetup for you guys.

If you’re ever bored of taking a static photo, have everyone turn backwards and have the photographer countdown 3-2-1 and on 1, turn around and strike a pose! These were our poses to WHAT’S YOUR BODY SAYING!!??

Is that a pic of Miley? Yes it is. I was on Tumblr today and saw this photo of Miley’s abs and noticed she was wearing my BL scrunchy pants! I was like what!? OMG. I totally got that SAME pair after the meetup yesterday…can’t wait to sport them in one of my next videos or printables. How cool! I am also extra excited for BL because I know that in the world of advertising, and PR, it is a mystery when trying to get your stuff on celebs, especially the ones that are being talked about in all the mags. What a fabulous moment – I was so happy to send this picture over to Matt and Erica this morning.  I still remember the feeling I had when I first found my oGorgeous pleated pocket yoga bag in SHAPE Magazine…I was at Target. I literally melted down to the linoleum floor and cried.

A month later, I quit my job

I mean, I am sure BL didn’t cry since they’re used to having major celeb fans like Kim Kardashian and J.Lo sweat it out in their stuff, but still, it always gets you pumped to see customers sporting your gear and loving your product. I mean, it’s your baby!

Anyway! I asked BL if they could extend a discount to my fans who wouldn’t physically attend the meetup and they said yes of course! Woohoo! Now we can all match in our scrunchy pants!

The code you’ll want to use is “POPSTER” and it is for 15% off your entire purchase. You can visit their website here.

I hope everyone enjoyed the livestream on BlogTV or the physical meetup. Thank you for coming out to play and I hope to do more cities soon! It is always soooooo fab to meet y’all in person. Your energy is invigorating.

Remember to find and tag yourselves in the facebook album! Also, don’t forget to upload your photos if we took one together! I wanna see!

Much love,

Cassey

PS – I am headed back up north tomorrow. Less than 2 weeks til bikini competition time. I bought all my jewelry yesterday! Will have to show you later! Sparkles, sparkles, glitz n glam!!!!

“I’ve been high, I’ve been low, I’ve been people that I don’t know,” sings Jeff Bridges in the movie Crazy Heart. Indeed, each of us is a high and low crazy quilt of possibilities that we explore in many ways as we perform our Pilates day after day. Pilates helps us become people today that we wouldn’t have known or imagined yesterday. And in the best possible way, as long as we use our imagination.

Smart exploratory eating also helps us to push our boundaries at mealtimes. Because just as Pilates is not just about flatter abs or more flexibility, feeding yourself is not just about filling your stomach and/or amusing your mouth.

If you come to Pilates without imagination and you’re fixated on one take-away—like getting more flexible or flattening your belly—you may not take away all Pilates has to offer. Similarly, if you come to the table to get less hungry or feel less bored, you may miss out on the amazing life-enhancing chemistry that a good meal (or snack) can provide both your mind and body when you are eating imaginatively.

Food in point? Berries. The most nutrient dense of the warm-weather produce bounty are berries—red, black, blue and purple. When you get off the mat, Reformer or Tower, use your bean, and think berries. Here’s why and here’s how.

Juicy Fruit Benefits: Berries, especially blueberries, provide manganese to keep bones strong and vitamin C to strengthen immunity. Thanks to their ellagic acid (and that vitamin C content), cranberries, raspberries and strawberries all help suppress the growth of several cancers and provide cardiovascular protection. Eating more berries can reduce your risk of arthritis, specifically of the knee (where arthritis is most common). And don’t worry about the caloric damage. Most berries, when eaten fresh, deliver between 50 and 70 calories per cup, along with plenty of fiber. What to reach for? Eat raspberries for the most fiber, blueberries for the highest antioxidant content, strawberries for the most vitamin C and fewest calories, and currants and blackberries for the most potassium, a nutrient essential in preventing stroke, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Boost Night Vision: Bilberries (also called European bilberries) are at the top of the ocular health list, enhancing microcirculation in the capillaries, which in turn strengthens the retina, improving everything from macular degeneration to glaucoma, night vision and cataracts. Take between 400 and 2,000 milligrams daily of standardized bilberry extract. (It takes 100 pounds of bilberries to extract l pound of extract.) Second most therapeutic berry after bilberries? Blueberries, their American cousin.

Blueberries for Eyes, Allergies, and More: During the Civil War, soldiers drank blueberry juice to ward off scurvy. We still drink it for the vitamin C and a whole lot more—to protect eyes from the damaging effects of sunlight, prevent and treat allergies, and help with varicose veins. Blueberries are also known as “the brain berry” because studies have shown that daily consumption dramatically slows age-related impairment in memory and motor coordination. Blueberries also help lower cholesterol, promote urinary tract health, halt cataract progression and protect against glaucoma. Blackberries are a close second.

Take a Strawberry Shortcut Against Arthritis: Strawberries, perhaps our favorite summertime berry, are grown in twenty different varieties and are a good low-calorie (45 per cup) source of quercetin, a flavonoid that fights free radicals. The anthocyanins in strawberries help protect against inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

EMS for UTIs: Fresh or dried cranberries fight urinary tract infection (UTI) by preventing harmful bacteria such as E. coli from adhering to bladder walls and H. pylori bacteria from causing ulcers. The anthocyanins in cranberries (as in oranges, which cranberries partner well with) also help normalize cholesterol and improve blood circulation. (Blueberries provide the same benefits.)

Breakfast Berry Pops

8 servings

1–1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen strawberries

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

1/2 to 1 cup frozen white grape juice concentrate

1/2 cup plain yogurt or plain kefir

Puree ingredients in blender until smooth. Optional: Strain mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Ladle into ice pop molds or small paper cups, and freeze for 4 hours. If using cups, insert small plastic spoons or sticks after 30 minutes in freezer.

Variations

Stir in 1/2 cup crushed walnuts or whole-grain cereal.

Use 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peach slices in place of 1 cup berries.

I will be in LA in just a couple days!!!! Did y’all sign up for the POP Pilates meetup yet? It’s free! Grab your tix while they’re still available. We had to change the venue 3x because so many of you wanted to come. I REALLY hope to see you all, and get ready for a super cool butt kickin’ routine. Please bring your own yoga mat! And thanks to Body Language and HINT water for sponsoring this event! Remember you get to shop BL at 25% off after our class, which is pretty much unheard of.

>>GET YOUR FREE TIX HERE<<

DATE: Saturday April 21, 2012

TIME: 2PM-5PM

WHAT ARE WE DOING? A 1 hr full length POP Pilates class! Get ready to get sore!!! Then a Q&A Sesh and time for meet and greet! And an exclusive shopping event with Body Language!

WHAT TO BRING? A yoga mat! Your enthusiastic self!!

LOCATION:
Hollywood Dance Center
817 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 90038
(North of Melrose Ave.)

LIVESTREAM: Just tune into http://www.blogtv.com/People/blogilates on Saturday April 21st around 2:30PM (Pacific Standard Time in California) for the start of the session.

Back before I had a kid, I used to take weekly Pilates classes at a local studio. While many of the moves bore passing resemblance to those we do in my yoga class, it was unabashedly a workout—a sweat-inducing, core-honing, fast-paced workout. I loved it (and so did my abs). But then my daughter came along and something had to give, so I said goodbye to Pilates, but I missed it!

So when I had the opportunity recently to test out two home Pilates systems, I was delighted! Here’s what I discovered:

Portable Pilates Studio by Empower Fitness
Pros: This deceptively simple system (it’s just a bar with a resistance cord and foot strap at each end) is easy to put together, and you can follow the workouts on the DVD or just go free-style, twisting, curling, and lifting in all sorts of directions. The DVD is versatile, offering three workouts (plus a bonus arms sequence) that you can mix and match. Instructor Gin Miller gives excellent direction, and while the routines are pretty simple, they’re still challenging.
Cons: The quick-reference poster only offers six exercises.
Cool extra: The moves are often shown in split screen, from two different angles—really helpful when it comes to getting just the right form.
Cost: $ 25 (a real bargain) at EmpowerFitness.com

CoreBody Reformer by Nautilus
Pros: Where do I start? I loved this! It’s sturdy and easy to assemble, and the end bar unscrews to store inside the body of the system (called the Roller) when you’re done. The cords have three levels of resistance, and you can switch from one to the other with, literally, the press of a button. I can’t say enough about the accompanying DVD—trainer Jennifer Galardi gives terrific, detailed instructions (she’s very likeable), and the workouts combine strength, cardio, balance, and lots of core work for a true full-body challenge. But don’t get me wrong—you don’t have to use the DVD. My daughter and I had a blast using it as a balance beam, then making up our own moves with the resistance cords. More good stuff: It also comes with a track-your-workouts poster, a collection of workout cards, and a washable cover.
Cons: There’s a carrying strap so you can schlep the Reformer around, but it’s pretty heavy, so you may not want to go far. Also, the two Stabilizers that hold the Roller in place don’t fit inside the unit for storage.
Cool extra: Use it like a foam roller for an awesome massage. You can either follow the “Renew” part of the Stretch & Renew routine, or just do whatever feels good on your deserving muscles.
Cost: $ 249 (worth every penny) at CoreBodyReformer.com

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