One of the biggest misconceptions about exercise is that it’s only “working” if we are sweating. People think that sweating makes us more flexible and/or “detoxifies” our body. But this isn’t how the body works.
Why We Sweat The average person has a baseline core temperature of between 98 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While our body has some flexibility with temperature, if we get too far to one end of the spectrum or the other, things can go badly. In order to keep us in range, our bodies thermoregulate--or maintain our core temperature--by heating us up or cooling us down.
How We Detoxify Despite popular belief, sweating itself doesn’t “detoxify” the body. While there are very small amounts of toxins released through our sweat, sweat is made almost entirely of salt and water, and its primary function is to cool the body. The liver and the kidneys are the true detoxers in the body, which filter and then release--through urine and feces--the harmful substances we encounter. In this way, exercise DOES detox the body, by maintaining liver and kidney health. It's all about taking care of your body's natural defenses and processes. The Mental Detox One form of detoxification that is often overlooked is a mental detox. A mental detox is like a vacation for our mind. Over the course of the day, we encounter countless stressors—at work, home, and personally. And when we’re running from one thing to the next as we so often are, these stressors can start to pile up, adding to our baseline levels of stress and anxiety. We might start at a relatively low baseline when we feel relaxed and calm, but each stressor we encounter “ups” our baseline to make us a little more stressed each time. We’ll continue this way, carrying all that extra stress, until the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back– some seemingly small stressor will set us off completely–because our levels are just too high. We need a mental detox- a chance to reset. Turns out exercise, especially mind-body exercise like Pilates, is an excellent way to mentally detox. While you are active, your body naturally releases feel good chemicals (remember I wrote about these last month?) called endorphins that relieve stress and elevate your mood. These endorphins, combined with the sense of accomplishment that often accompanies finishing a good Pilates workout, bring down our stress levels to a more healthy baseline. The Bottom Line The bottom line is you don’t have to sweat for Pilates to work wonders on your body (though you often will sweat!) When practiced regularly, Pilates DOES detox the body by maintaining both physical and mental health. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!
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Ritual N. The established form for a ceremony. A way of doing something in which the same actions are done in the same way every time.
The transformative power of ritual can transform not just your health but your whole way of being. It’s about celebrating the habitual and making a ceremony out of the everyday. A ritual doesn’t have to be complicated, it could simply be a moment of pause, repeated daily or as often as you can. It could be a nightly bath, a walk through the park, or a daily Pilates session. In our busy, fast paced world, carving out pockets of pause and pleasure is a necessary act of self care. Joy is not a “nice to have '' but a key Ingredient to building resilience and good mental and physical health. Pilates is perfect for this, especially a one-on-one session, where it’s just you and the instructor. For that hour, you can shut out the rest of the world and focus only on what’s in front of you- the stretch and tone of your muscles, the deepness of your breath, the warmth of your body as you move from one transition to the next. This mind body exercise can become a meditation of sorts, a beautiful and peaceful ritual where you give your body and mind the message that you are worthy of love, worthy of self care, and worthy of the strength and resiliency you are building on the mat. Pilates restores. It gives me purpose, not just because I run the studio but because Pilates is a way of life, a way of moving with ease through the world with my head up and my posture strong. Pilates is just one of my rituals, but one I can't live without! Whenever you find something that is restorative and life-giving, set aside time for it whenever you can and return to it whenever you are feeling stressed, drained, burnt out, or in need of something more. Whether it's through movement, meditation or another form of self care, don't forget to prioritize yourself. You can only give others what you pour into yourself. How do you practice self-care on the regular? It's natural to feel moody (yes, it really is!). Our brains are incredibly complex, and it's quite natural to feel a spectrum of emotions. Our moods can be affected by so many things, and while we can't control them all, there ARE some that we can control- especially the feel good chemicals that flood us with love, joy, happiness, and calm. And couldn't we all use a bit more of that in our lives? So, how can Pilates play a role in boosting these chemicals?
There are four main brain chemicals that regulate those feel-good feelings in our brains: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Dopamine: The Reward Chemical You feel it when you master a really hard transition on the reformer, or when receive a high five for a job well done, or even just in anticipation of something exciting. That rush of pleasure or satisfaction- that's dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in your brain's reward system and your feelings of motivation. When our brains feel it, they want more of it, and it makes us motivated to do the things that gave us the rush in the first place. Getting dopamine naturally, like through Pilates, initiates a positive feedback loop to keep doing more, which keeps us healthier in the long run. Dopamine does more than just make us feel good, it helps with getting good sleep, assists us with learning and concentration, and even helps with memory. Ways to Boost your Dopamine: -Enjoy pleasurable activities- listen to music you love, meditate, hang out with people who bring you joy -Exercise- Pilates is a great way to get that dopamine boost, but if you can't get to a class today, try taking a walk outside; preferably while it's sunny for added benefit -Work toward your goals- I've had the honor of watching so many Pilates students excel in their practice, and while everyone has down days, overall they experience the reward of a strong sense of accomplishment -Eat a healthy diet: foods rich in l-tyrosine can also help boost dopamine levels. These include almonds, bananas, eggs, avocados, tofu, chicken, and beef Serotonin: The Mood Stabilizer Serotonin plays an important role in our mood, sleep-wake cycles, appetite, digestion, and sexual desire. Low levels can leave us feeling flat, while consistent and optimal levels leave us feeling focused, emotionally stable, and calm. Ways to Boost Serotonin: -Get Active- (Are you seeing a pattern here!?) Exercise is one of the best things you can do to release serotonin -Get Outside- Some studies suggest that sunlight can trigger the release of serotonin -Meditate- Meditation or other relaxation activities to you quiet your mind can boost serotonin Oxytocin: the love chemical When you hug or kiss someone and you get that warm feeling of bonding and closeness, that's oxytocin. Oxytocin influences our feelings of love, connection, trust, and loyalty How to Boost Your Oxytocin -Stay socially connected: Spend time with people who fill you with joy (as oppose to drain you). Connecting with your instructor in private lessons or the camaraderie experienced in group classes are great ways to connect socially. -Enjoy physical touch- if you're partnered up, find opportunities to hug, holds hands, and be with each other intimately. If you're not partnered up, get a massage. Research suggests massages can both boost oxytocin and also lower your stress hormones leaving you calmer and happier. Endorphins: the runner's high Endorphins are the body's natural pain relievers, flooding us with good feelings in response to discomfort or stress. Our bodies create them when we do things that exert ourselves, or in response to activities that feel good like enjoying delicious food or having sex. How to Boost Your Endorphins: -Get Sweaty (Definitely a pattern here!) Exercise is a sure fire way to release endorphins. -Laugh- there's a reason they say laughter is the best medicine. Watch a comedy, listen to a funny podcast, or come take a group class with friends. Laughter helps release endorphins for that high feeling -Indulge a little- enjoy the things that bring you bliss- your true guilty pleasures. Whether that's watching your favorite reality TV show or getting an extended massage, indulging in your favorite activities release endorphins for that feel-good feeling. It's a super common phrase these days: "I just don't have time!" We're rushing from job to job, family function to family function, and we're lucky if we're able to do our hair, finish the grocery shopping, and get a healthy meal on the table each day. Research shows that time-poor individuals who feel constrained by competing priorities often become less active and less healthy. "Time" is the number one reason people give for making unhealthy food choices and exercising less.
Spring is upon us, and with the flowers starting to bloom and nature coming to life all around us, I can’t help but feel a bit more positive, a bit lifted, like there’s a spring in my step! I’m such a big believer in the mind-body connection, so it will come as no surprise that I largely credit Pilates with giving me such an optimistic mindset. Pilates will change your body, yes, but it will also change your life. The principles of Pilates are the mind-body gift that keeps on giving. There are six of them, but I’m going to focus on three here.
Principle 1: Breath Breath is literally how we live and exist. But do you live and exist to your fullest? The breath is so powerful. It is a direct pathway to our para-sympathetic nervous system, the system that can bring us calm when we need it. I don’t know about you, but calming down is a great skill to have when you have kids, a job, a husband/wife, a house, family, pets, and a million other things to juggle. Couple a calmed nervous system with a boost of endorphins that you get from moving your body in Pilates, and hello happiness. That’s why Pilates is addictive: it makes you happy from the inside out. It keeps you calm and sane–on and off the reformer. Breathing also heals, by sending oxygenated blood all throughout your body. When you heal and calm your body in Pilates, you take that healing and calm out into the world, and it's powerful. Principle 2: Centering In Pilates, your Center is also referred to as your Powerhouse. Your Powerhouse is all the muscles from your ribs to your hips in the front, in the back and around the sides. These are the girdle of muscles that we want to strengthen to help stabilize your spine and pelvis. And, we let’s not forget about the booty muscles- they are part of the Powerhouse too! In Pilates, the premise is working from the center first. It’s the place from where we draw our strength and stability. There is SO much focus on this because we always want our movements to be initiated with a strong Powerhouse. This is powerful because in the chaos of life, it’s Centering that we need. We want to think and behave and live from our core values- our Center- a grounded place where we are more self aware, kinder, less triggered and more positive. Pilates makes us aware of this place of strength in a physical way, but the ripple effect makes us aware of it in our lives. Principle 3: Control Did you know that before Pilates was called Pilates, it was called Contrology? It’s wasn’t until Joseph Pilates died in the 1960’s that his method was named after him. We’ve all been there: as we get older, if you live a sedentary life and overall make poor health choices, your body starts to be in control of you. Whether that be with illnesses, ailments, or injuries, these things start to dictate your life and the choices you make. You start to participate less in life, less in the activities you once enjoyed, because of the illness/pain/ailment. Pilates puts you back in control of your body. It’s “stretch and strength with control”, and the control part is important because it’s the part that uses your mind. When you can exercise control over your mind, you can execute exact movement in your body. And it’s that exact movement that will increase mobility, break bad habits, and fix poor alignment. All of this means you’ll be able to participate in your own life more. I love Pilates- what it does for my body, my mind, and my life. Come join me for a session, and you’ll reap the benefits too. Why is Hydration Important?
Drinking enough water throughout the day is important for a number of reasons, some of which might surprise you! Hydration regulates our body temperature, lubricates our joints, keeps our immune system strong, delivers nutrients to our cells, and keeps our organs functioning properly. When we’re optimally hydrated (notice I didn’t say the MORE water we drink– because too much is a problem) we have better sleep, mood, and brain function. So How Much is “Enough”? Many experts recommend drinking approximately 11 cups of water a day for the average woman, and 16 cups of water a day for the average man. Another way to calculate optimal hydration is to divide your weight by two to get the number of ounces you should strive for: a 160lb person would set a goal to drink 80 ounces of water per day. Don’t overthink it: you’ll know you’re drinking enough water if your pee is consistently clear throughout the day. What to do when you don’t like drinking plain water
Back Pain. UGH. Most of us will either have it currently or have experienced it at some point in our lives.
It’s pretty common– low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide–and the number of people with low back pain has doubled in the last 25 years. Whether it’s our jobs (more sitting) or our lack of time (no time to strengthen the muscles that keep that pain away), low back pain is a growing problem for so many of us. The truth is, I experience it too! I know, I know, the Pilates teacher who has built a career on making people stronger, longer, and more mobile is a back pain statistic. These days, I feel it most when I spend too long working at the computer, or my shoes are too high, or I’ve done too much yard work. The only thing that makes it feel better is more Pilates. A bit of rest doesn’t go astray either. But when it comes to movement, Pilates literally keeps me together. I usually need to do LESS running and LESS HIIT workouts when it gets really bad (other physical pursuits I enjoy), but never less Pilates. Sure, Pilates at the top of its game can have you swinging from straps and bars and all sorts of fancy things, but at its foundation, Pilates is a series of simple principles that build the skills necessary to support your spine. How does it do this?
Whatever kind of back pain/discomfort you are experiencing, let me teach you the Pilates basics and foundational movements to nurture your spine back to a place where you feel stronger, more mobile, and most importantly, more pain free in the future. Book your class here today! You asked, we answered! I’m rounding up 3 of the most frequently asked questions I get from students, or people thinking about starting Pilates.
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Heather GradkeI'm a BASI Certified Pilates Instructor by day, somewhat competent housewife by night. I used to have hobbies but then CHILDRENS. I am married to the love of my life and somewhat charismatic Rustin Gradke. I have 4 kids that are wonderful sometimes but mostly they just eat a lot. I'm a lover of God and movement and the occasional bowl of queso. Archives
April 2024
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