Date: 11/13/99 1:10 PM Received: 11/15/99 10:42 AM From: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group, list@bodymind.net To: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group, list@bodymind.net http://www.bodymind.net Matwork, Exercises, and Equipment Developed by Joe/Clara Pilates This digest contains the following messages: 1. Re: More Info 2. Re: pregnancy 3. Re: Video for Chair 4. Pilates Equipment. 5. PILATES CHAT ROOM 6. Re: Pregnancy 7. Re: pregnancy 8. polestar mat and small apparatus workshop 9. back mobility 10. Re: programs & equipment 11. Re: Pregnancy 12. Re: Pregnancy 13. Re: Pregnancy 14. scoliosis -------------------- 1 -------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 17:56:57 EST From: Pilates1@aol.com Subject: Re: More Info Hi Christine: I can relate to your question...I have had three back surgeries, and after the last that left me with a nerve injury, I started to seriously do Pilates for rehabilitation. My research led me to Moira Stott in Toronto, and I now have a studio in Bloomfield Hills that is a Stott Training and Certification studio. Our teachers are extensively trained and certified or certifying in the Stott method. I have had my neurosurgeon visit the studio and observe a client being trained in the Stott method. He was impressed! It is absolutely key to your rehabilitation to strengthen your core abdominal and pelvic muscles and all of the back muscles, including the small intrinsic muscles of the spine that this method addresses so efficiently. We also have two physical therapists on staff at our studio, both with masters degrees, both university instructors, and available for continuing education of our teaching staff, and for consultation with clients who are rehabbing an injury. Call me to discuss this further...but YES, you should be doing this type of exercise. Have your doctors discussed degenerative disc disease with you? We have many new training courses starting in 2000, with several people attending from Ohio. You should talk to people in your department about sending someone to get trained. Good luck. Nancy Hodari Equilibrium Bloomfield Hills, MI 248.723.6500 -------------------- 2 -------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 18:04:15 EST From: Pilates1@aol.com Subject: Re: pregnancy Hi- Did you ever try foot work on the chair...an excellent alternative for a large pregnant woman, or obese clients. Just a thought. Nancy Hodari Equilibrium -------------------- 3 -------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Nov 1999 17:41:45 EST From: Pilates1@aol.com Subject: Re: Video for Chair Hi- If you can wait until December, Moira Stott has 20 videos, including chair videos. You can call Stott directly, or if you are in the Michigan area, our studio is a Stott training and certification center, and we look forward to having all of the new videos available for sale. Thanks, Nancy Hodari Equilibrium 248.723.6500 -------------------- 4 -------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 16:10:40 -0500 From: jimconners@juno.com Subject: Pilates Equipment. Is there a book available that shows how to construct the various Pilates equipment?? Jim ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. -------------------- 5 -------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 19:44:04 EST From: ONEONONEFT@aol.com Subject: PILATES CHAT ROOM PLEASE LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE WILL CHAT ROOM EVERY TUE AND WED AT 7.30 WESTCOAT TIME ON AOL HOST WILL BE ONEONONEFT\GIL ROBERTS,NAME OF THE ROOM WILL BE PILATES EVOLVED, THEY HAVE TO TYPE THAT IN UNDER SPECIAL INTERESTS. FOR MORE IINFO CALL 559-4353488FROM 5.00AMTO 6.30PM WEST COAST TIME. THANK YOU, -------------------- 6 -------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 21:24:20 -0800 From: "Heidi Kling" Subject: Re: Pregnancy Dear Kempe, After being away for quite awhile I finally retrieved my e-mail and was very intrigued by your offer to "look up" any special health requests. I have been doing pilates for 5 years now and have recently become pregnant. My Doctor highly suggested I stop for the first 3 months because he wanted to rest my abdominals - fearing I would have a miscarriage. Is there any information out there revealing when exactly a pregnant woman should quit working her abs? When she should stop lying on her back for her work-outs? Any substantiated pregnancy work-out guidelines would be much appreciated... Thanks, Hilda ----- Original Message ----- From: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group To: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group Sent: Monday, October 25, 1999 9:10 AM Subject: Re: Pilates presentation, large audience, any ideas? http://www.bodymind.net Matwork, Exercises, and Equipment Developed by Joe/Clara Pilates Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 09:25:57 -0700 From: "D. Kempe Jacobowitz Ames" Subject: Re: Pilates presentation, large audience, any ideas? Hi Judith, Good luck on the presentation! I am responding to the list because I thought that others might be interested in the search results for the primary database for medical research and practice. Here are the three articles listed in Medline for pilates: Harvard Women's Health Watch 6(5):7 January 1999: "Conditioning by Pilates." Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise 30(10): 1543-7 October 98: "Improved leaping ability in rhythmic gymnasts." Sports Medicine 19(5): 341-57 May 1995: "Overuse injuries in classical ballet." By the way, this is perhaps the time to let you all know that I work for a medical library. If there is any subject that you would like references for in the health or life sciences, please, just let me know. My job is to provide medical information to the public so it is not problem at all. In fact, it might give me a chance to further research an interest or allow me to learn something new. If you have difficulty finding these articles, you might contact your local medical school or ask for them through interlibrary loan at your local public library. The info I provided should be sufficient to retrieve them through interlibrary loan. If not, let me know and I will provide more complete references. Take care, Kempe To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to list@bodymind.net Individual messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) Grouped messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE DIGEST (or UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST). __________________________________________________________________ -------------------- 7 -------------------- Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 20:11:51 -0500 From: "Lisa Mercer" Subject: Re: pregnancy Charles:I am apre-natal exercise instructor, as well as a Pilates instructor.. Your question depends upon whether the student is experiencing supine hypertension syndrome,which would make her feel uncomfortable when lying on her back. Also, some women develop a diastis recti split, which makes it difficult to perform many abdominal exercises. Keep in mind, every pregnancy is different and since ethics makesit impossible to test theory on human subjects the research [which, by the way is done on PREGNANT SHEEP!!]is not an exact science. I have devolped some highly effective modifictions. Feel free to e-mail me at lisa @mercers.com or check out my site at LisaFitness.com for pre-natal exercise info. lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group To: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 6:47 PM Subject: pregnancy > http://www.bodymind.net > Matwork, Exercises, and Equipment Developed by Joe/Clara Pilates > > > Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 08:12:28 -0400 > From: Charles > Subject: pregnancy > > Thank you for a very informative website. Is matwork OK to practice > during pregnancy (if one has already been doing it) ? If so, during what > stages is it relatively unsafe to practice? > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to list@bodymind.net > Individual messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) > Grouped messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE DIGEST (or UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST). > __________________________________________________________________ > > -------------------- 8 -------------------- Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 20:56:14 -0500 From: "Lisa Mercer" Subject: polestar mat and small apparatus workshop I recently took Polestar education's Mat and Small Apparatus workshop with Brent Anderson and I can not come up with enough superlatives to describe this course ! I have studied with many Pilates instructors,and have been teaching fitness since 1973 , so I am not easily impressed,but Brent is truly an instructor extradinaire, with amazing insight into the subtlety of the method. I highly recommend this course to anyone in health club industry, where the purchase of a reformer is not practical. The small apparatus is an excellent alternative which is both economical and creative. Polestar is at www.polestareducation.com. -------------------- 9 -------------------- Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 10:36:04 -0000 From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?Nuno_Gusm=E3o?=" Subject: back mobility {NOTE from Judd: Those of you who would respond to this message with perhaps a book title to read, I'll collate all answers and put them in both a response to the group and then add a special page on the web site that will focus on all available books on the subject of Pilates. ....} Hello, I'm starting to experience some of Pilates exercises. I'm doing it by myself (with the help of videos and books) because were I live there is no other way to do it (I live in Portugal). I've done exercise very regularly for the last ten years, mainly in fitness centers. I'm a fitness instructor now. In Aerobics, though we do lots of things wrong, there is a tendency to "protect" the column by imobilizing it, that is by not alowing column bending or stretching without support. In my point of view we tend to be very conservative in wath regards back work and mobility. After looking at methods like Pilates my opinion is even stronger. I have the "feeling" it is rigth, I have the evidence from peoples reports it is rigth, I just need theory (knowledge) to support it and to defende it (to defende myself). Am I rigth? Can anyone advise me readings on the subject? Or can anyone give me explanations (supported on science findings) for most of the back streching and flexing Pilates exe! rcÌses? Thank you all in advance. (I'm an exercise student) Nuno Gusmao -------------------- 10 -------------------- Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 11:28:30 -0500 From: "J. Christopher Potts DPT" Subject: Re: programs & equipment Joey and any other Gratz aficionados: If you like Gratz equipment, fabulous, continue buying it and happy trails to you and yours. I don't like it and that's just my opinion, all it has ever been. Here are my bona fides: Teaching Pilates since 1982 (long before anyone even considered certification), doing Pilates since 1981, MFA in Dance, professional dancer for 15 years (the last 5 years for Erick Hawkins Dance Co. in NYC), Doctor of Physical Therapy and liscenced PT, building equipment first for Movement Science, then for myself since 1991. My teachers include Mary Bowen, Jean Claude West, Romana and all the other instructors I have had the good fortune to trade notes with. I have used Stott, Gratz, Movement Science, Current Concepts/Balanced Body equipment of all types in many settings over the years, as well as some pretty strange knock-offs by individuals unknown to me. Here is the biomechanics of the reformer the body: -The springs provide pull in the direction of inward travel of the carriage at ALL times when they are attached, no matter how many are attached. -You control the carriage, in both directions, with your legs, and only indirectly with your powerhouse as lumbo-pelvic stabilization as part of the closed chain between your feet on the footbar and your shoulders on the shoulder blocks. -Your powerhouse CANNOT pull the carriage inward in the supine position. It is not possible biomechanically, despite common mythology to the contrary. Your powerhouse works in the following anatomic movements: lumbo-pelvic stabilization, lumbar flexion, extension and rotation if the legs are fixed, and leg flexion and extension if the spine is fixed by the action of the iliopsoas only (which I would not consider part of the powerhouse.) Unless you anchor the feet under the footbar, the powerhouse can't do what you are inferring. -Likewise, your glutes (butt muscles), hamstrings, quads or any muscles in the leg cannot PULL the carriage inward UNLESS your toes are gripping the footbar fiercely or you have anchored or hooked your feet under the footbar in some fashion. -During inward travel of the carriage, your legs do work by eccentric contractions in the upper hamstrings, glutes, and lower quads to control the inward travel of the carriage, and resist the inward pull of the springs. The springs DO NOT resist the inward travel of the carriage. If you squeeze your butt as hard as possible it will only serve to EXTEND the hip and straighten your leg, which won't pull the carriage in. If you pull your navel to your spine as hard as possible (i.e. use your powerhouse, it will only serve to give you a posterior pelvic tilt at best, which also won't pull the carriage in. Now, just what muscles do you have that no one else does that WILL pull the carriage in? -If a machine has additional friction secondary to inferior casters, it has that friction in both directions, inward and outward. During inward travel of the carriage, this additional friction actually lessens the work/effort the body must exert to control the springs, it does NOT increase it. The additional friction offsets some of the pull of the springs during inward travel. How is this helping increase the work the body is doing? I agree that the additional friction does increase the effort in pushing out, forcing the client/patient to muscle through the exercise and excessively grip in the quads and glutes. If that is desirable to you, go for it. I attempt to have my clients use a balanced action of the quads, hamstrings and inner thigh in all leg motions. Its much more efficient and promotes better alignment of the legs, and thereby decreases the likelihood of injury. As for your statement about working the apparatus or the apparatus working you, I can't address it since it doesn't make sense. All the equipment from all the manufacturers works as outlined above, even Gratz equipment. And finally, whether you sweat a little and/or flow from exercise to exercise has nothing to do with the equipment, but is teacher/client specific. And sorry to pop one more bubble of yours, but New York does not corner the market on that either. Hope this helps increase your understanding of the equipment at least a little. Joseph Pilates Discussion Group wrote: > http://www.bodymind.net > Matwork, Exercises, and Equipment Developed by Joe/Clara Pilates > > Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 23:02:36 EST > From: PilatesJoe@aol.com > Subject: Re: programs & equipment > > To J- Christopher, actually J, in regard to your question about Gratz's > equipment, when your feet are on the foot bar you use your powerhouse to pull > the carriage in not the resistance of the springs, if a newbie does not get > it, then we take out 1 or 2 springs so they can feel there bottom, with Gratz > equipment sometimes less is more. And also with Gratz, you work the > apparatus, other equipment I have used, the apparatus works you, in other > words the other will bring the carriage home. Also in regard to Gratz you > flow nonstop from movement to movement so you can get your heartrate above > RESTING and sweat a little bit. You know that New York style of Pilates. > Joey Greco > > To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to list@bodymind.net > Individual messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) > Grouped messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE DIGEST (or UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST). > __________________________________________________________________ -------------------- 11 -------------------- Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 18:01:34 -0800 From: "D. Kempe Jacobowitz Ames" Subject: Re: Pregnancy Hi Hilda, First of all, I have to say that I am not a doctor and do not know your medical history. What I have done, below, is to list a number of articles that have appeared in peer-reviewed medical journals. There are literally hundreds on this subject and I have tried to select out those that are more general--and yet answer your concern regarding exercise and pregnancy. One suggestion I would have is to consult a midwife on these matters. I know that my midwife was extremely encouraging and only warned me against impact, overheating and not working out so hard that I was not getting enough oxygen. What I found when searching for research is: The most directly what you asked for, but kind of old: Yeo S. Exercise guidelines for pregnant women. Image J Nurs Sch. 1994 Winter;26(4):265-70. Review. The newest on exercise and miscarriage: Latka M, et al. Exercise and spontaneous abortion of known karyotype. Epidemiology. 1999 Jan;10(1):73-5. Ecker JL. Just do it. Epidemiology. 1999 Jan;10(1):6-7. Older, but perhaps useful: Stevenson L. Exercise in pregnancy. Part 1: Update on pathophysiology. Can Fam Physician. 1997 Jan;43(1):97-104. Review. Clapp JF 3d. The effects of maternal exercise on early pregnancy outcome. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1989 Dec;161(6 Pt 1):1453-7. The newest on pregnancy and exercise: Hartmann S, et al. Physical exercise during pregnancy--physiological considerations and recommendations. J Perinat Med. 1999;27(3):204-15. Other interesting articles: Misra DP, et al. Effects of physical activity on preterm birth. Am J Epidemiol. 1998 Apr 1;147(7):628-35. Kardel KR, et al. Training in pregnant women: effects on fetal development and birth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998 Feb;178(2):280-6. Sampselle CM, et al. Effect of pelvic muscle exercise on transient incontinence during pregnancy and after birth. Obstet Gynecol. 1998 Mar;91(3):406-12. The journal, Am Fam Physician. 1998 Apr 15;57(8), had two articles on pregnancy and exercise. They are: Wang TW, et al. 1846-52, 1857. Review. and Khanna N. , Effects of exercise on pregnancy. 1764, 1770-2. Kardel KR, et al. Training in pregnant women: effects on fetal development and birth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998 Feb;178(2):280-6. Bell R, et al. Exercise and pregnancy: a review. Birth. 1994 Jun;21(2):85-95. Review. Sternfeld B. Physical activity and pregnancy outcome. Review and recommendations. Sports Med. 1997 Jan;23(1):33-47. Review. Sternfeld B, et al. Exercise during pregnancy and pregnancy outcome. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995 May;27(5):634-40. Please let me know if I can help in any way. Generally, your public library can order copies of these articles through interlibrary loan. I think I have listed enough information that they should be able to figure out exactly which articles are needed. If they ask what the source of reference is then let them know that these are all taken from PubMed/Medline. I hope this helps and I wish you great joy with your pregnancy. Kempe -------------------- 12 -------------------- Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 21:54:51 EST From: Pilates1@aol.com Subject: Re: Pregnancy Hi Hilda: Have you asked your OB/GYN?? My husband is an OB, and I have a Pilates studio, and I was interested in your question. What does your teacher/trainer tell you? Most doctors feel that you should not lie on your back starting in the fifth month because of the possibility of constricting blood flow to your uterus. It is safer to be on your side but not an absolute must. Why don't you continue until then, and then do chair and cadillac work? I think your body will give you feedback...I have been pregnant four times, and felt quite wonderful and energetic during most of my pregnancies. I usually did more swimming than anything else in the last trimester, because of how wonderful the "weighlessness" felt. Our studio features the Stott method and I believe that Moira Stott just competed a video on exercises for pregnancy.. Call their 800 number or call me at our studio and I will find out for you. Nancy Hodari Equlibrium 248.723.6500 -------------------- 13 -------------------- Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 21:35:38 -0500 From: "Lisa Mercer" Subject: Re: Pregnancy Some women experience what is called supine hypertension syndrome. It is related to the fact that the vena cava, which controls the flow of blood from the legs to the heart can sometimes become blocked by the growing fetus, cauing a feeling of breathlessness in the mom.This occurs in some pregnancies, but not all. the good news is that not subtle;if it is something you should not do, you will know immediately. Should this happen, just roll on to your left sideand you will be fine.I've been teaching pre-natal exercise for many years, and have seen women perform exercises in the supine position throughout their pregnancy and others who were not able to lie on their backs at all. Keep in mind it is a good idea to follow the advice of your physician, since they know your body[hopefully] better than anyone on the internet. I have some pre-natal on my site at LisaFitness.com. Good Luck! Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group To: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group Sent: Monday, November 08, 1999 7:37 PM Subject: Re: Pregnancy > http://www.bodymind.net > Matwork, Exercises, and Equipment Developed by Joe/Clara Pilates > > > Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 21:24:20 -0800 > From: "Heidi Kling" > Subject: Re: Pregnancy > > > > Dear Kempe, > > After being away for quite awhile I finally retrieved my e-mail and was very > intrigued by your offer to "look up" any special health requests. > > I have been doing pilates for 5 years now and have recently become pregnant. > My Doctor highly suggested I stop for the first 3 months because he wanted > to rest my abdominals - fearing I would have a miscarriage. > > Is there any information out there revealing when exactly a pregnant woman > should quit working her abs? When she should stop lying on her back for her > work-outs? > > Any substantiated pregnancy work-out guidelines would be much appreciated... > > Thanks, > Hilda > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group > To: Joseph Pilates Discussion Group > Sent: Monday, October 25, 1999 9:10 AM > Subject: Re: Pilates presentation, large audience, any ideas? > > > http://www.bodymind.net > Matwork, Exercises, and Equipment Developed by Joe/Clara Pilates > > > Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 09:25:57 -0700 > From: "D. Kempe Jacobowitz Ames" > Subject: Re: Pilates presentation, large audience, any ideas? > > Hi Judith, > > Good luck on the presentation! > > I am responding to the list because I thought that others might be > interested in the search results for the primary database for medical > research and practice. Here are the three articles listed in Medline for > pilates: > > Harvard Women's Health Watch 6(5):7 January 1999: "Conditioning by > Pilates." > > Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise 30(10): 1543-7 October 98: > "Improved leaping ability in rhythmic gymnasts." > > Sports Medicine 19(5): 341-57 May 1995: "Overuse injuries in classical > ballet." > > By the way, this is perhaps the time to let you all know that I work for a > medical library. If there is any subject that you would like references for > in the health or life sciences, please, just let me know. My job is to > provide medical information to the public so it is not problem at all. In > fact, it might give me a chance to further research an interest or allow me > to learn something new. > > If you have difficulty finding these articles, you might contact your local > medical school or ask for them through interlibrary loan at your local > public library. The info I provided should be sufficient to retrieve them > through interlibrary loan. If not, let me know and I will provide more > complete references. > > Take care, > Kempe > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to list@bodymind.net > Individual messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) > Grouped messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE DIGEST (or UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST). > __________________________________________________________________ > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to list@bodymind.net > Individual messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) > Grouped messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE DIGEST (or UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST). > __________________________________________________________________ > > -------------------- 14 -------------------- Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 14:32:12 +0200 From: lanie waldman Subject: scoliosis I am 44 years old and have a fairly serious scoliosis, which I have known about for twenty years. I recently started Pilates work, and was wondering if there are specific exercises which are helpful for scoliosis. Also if there are books or videos which are helpful specifically for this I would appreciate a reference. I am also thinking of buying a reformer. I am 5'2'' and in very good shape, due basically to yoga and working out. I would appreciate any information on which of the bewildering array of reformers might be best for me. Thanks. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to list@bodymind.net Individual messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE) Grouped messages: Set Subject = SUBSCRIBE DIGEST (or UNSUBSCRIBE DIGEST). __________________________________________________________________ ----------------- End Forwarded Message -----------------