Are you looking to tone and lengthen your muscles?

This is how we increase muscle strength - which leads to a more toned appearance AND increases our range of motion, at the same time. 

If you have been sitting this whole winter and are ready to spring back into fitness, you are in for a treat.  If you are spending too much time in a winter fog today's blog will get you moving!

“Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies caused by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body".- Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Governator 

In Pilates, we use small weights and focus on correcting muscle imbalances.  In traditional forms of strength training, more weight is added to simple moves in an effort to build muscle faster.  But faster is not always better.  

Pilates chooses to focus on building more complex movement patterns that involve more joints and more stability.  This allows the support muscles -the rotators of shoulders and hips, to strengthen at the same time as the larger ones. 

Long term this will increase your body awareness as you retrain those abs to support your spine.  Mindful movement prevents repetitive stress injuries and keeps you pain-free!

This is how to build core strength and relieve aching muscles and feel vibrant!

Facts about Strength Training:

• Helps to increase metabolism by increasing your lean mass, 
• which in turn raises your rating metabolic weight and 
• increases your caloric needs.  Muscle needs calories to survive while fat doesn’t. 
• muscle takes up less space then fat!  And without weight loss or diets exercise can help your clothes fit better as you shrink! 
• Reduces your risk of osteoporosis by building bone mass, which we lose as we age
• Reduces risk of heart diseases which is the leading killer of adult women. 
• Can help fight depression by increasing your sense of confidence and well being. 
• Can help to alleviate back pain
• Reap the benefits by adding strength based workouts in 3 times per week. 

Even though I do most of my workouts at home, I utilize small props to facilitate strength gains. Many of my free youtube workouts include props like dumbbells, Circles, bands and other tools to increase the load on your muscles and elicit change in your body from the inside out.

I am using Pilates-inspired moves with dumbbells to pump up your body!  This workout is super challenging and meant to challenge advanced exercisers, so beginners beware!  

Use the above video to get stronger,  keep reading below to get stretchy!

I don't know about you but sometimes life can seem like a pain in the neck!  I spend a lot of time on my phone and at a computer and the effect is "text neck". 

This happens from sticking your neck out to read your text messages instagram and angry birds.  Over time your muscles melt into a forward head position which puts strain on your neck, chest and shoulder muscles.

Flexibility can be defined as "the ease of movement or how well we can bend or stretch without limitations"

Treat yourself to a shoulder opening stretching routine. Let’s build mobility and flexibility in the upper body to fight the dreaded neck stiffness and tightness!. I am using a yoga strap, but you can use a towel as a substitute. 

You can do this workout anywhere anytime you have started to develop upper body tightness.

We'll be using some dynamic moves (also called mobility drills) and gentle stretches.  Let's move your arms, neck, shoulders and torso to  find perfect body alignment for .better well being.  Your body will thank you for this and you will feel taller, lighter and energized after.  

Stay tuned for my 21 day Core challenge on YouTube! 

I am busy filming and editing all the videos now but this plan will help you strengthen and stretch using Pilates, Strengthe training and Yoga techniques.  If you have been looking to spring back into fitness, this is your chance to do it for FREE with a smile!

Click the button below so you do not miss a single workout!