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Pilates for the lumbar spine

Stephanie Oldre started the MOVE instructor training program in 2017 after falling in love with Pilates and what it did for her body. That same year, she had x-rays taken of her back showing hyperlordosis, an exaggerated curve of the lumbar spine. Two years later, she’s celebrating a new and very different image of her lower back and putting her love of Pilates into practice on behalf of her clients.

From diving, swimming and weight-lifting to Pilates

Stephanie first fell in love with fitness and working out as a swimmer and diver in high school. She practiced twice per day and was encouraged to lift weights two to three times per week. She recalls, “We were encouraged to lift heavy, and I built up quite a bit of muscle. But stretching was never really taught or prioritized.”

During her time diving, Stephanie ended up hyperextending her back while attempting a reverse dive, which resulted in some lower back pain. She was able to get some massage therapy but otherwise maintained her usual workouts and continued to lift weights beyond high school.

Pilates, pregnancy and weight gain

In 2008, Stephanie had her first child through cesarean section. And over the course of the pregnancy, she gained an unexpected amount of weight. At 5 feet 2 inches tall, she had started her pregnancy at 130 pounds. At the time of delivery, she was 205 pounds, going down to 185 pounds shortly after. 

“I had never been overweight before and this was really hard for me to deal with. I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror.”

While Stephanie did slowly lose the extra weight through returning to everyday activities like walking and waitressing, she quickly noticed that she’d also lost much of the strength she once had.

Around the time her son turned three-years-old, Stephanie joined a gym. But this time she had an interest in toning her body rather than simply building muscle, and heard that Pilates was the thing to do.

A passion for Pilates practice and efficient exercise

Stephanie was hooked from her very first Pilates experience. She practiced Mat Pilates regularly and saw differences in her body she’d never seen before.

“I fell in love. It felt as if I had core strength for the first time ever. Which is nuts considering I’d been so active with weight lifting in the past,” she says. “I was going to the gym just twice a week for Pilates and some cardio and ended up being my smallest size and lightest weight ever.”

Early on during Stephanie’s Pilates work, her instructor Ginger noted what a natural she was at it and suggested she might consider becoming an instructor herself. Stephanie, despite loving this new experience, had to laugh. With a young child and a very necessary full-time paycheck from her traditional desk job, it just didn’t seem feasible. 

“Over the years, Ginger continued to encourage me to look into it. She could tell how much I loved it. But I continued to laugh it off as a dream idea.”

Deciding to become a Pilates instructor

Five years after the birth of her first son, Stephanie had a second child. And after a brief interruption to her new favorite fitness routine, Stephanie found her way back to Pilates and added some weight training back into her routine as well. But something still felt off.

“After I went back to work after maternity leave, it never felt right,” she remembers. “I was always wishing that I could somehow work a more flexible schedule so that I could be home with my kids. But when you have a good job with good money and benefits, that’s hard to do.”

However, Stephanie and her husband eventually decided that a change was doable and it was time for something else. And it didn’t take long for her to realize exactly what that something else should be.

Stephanie went back to her Pilates instructor and asked about next steps. Ginger sent her to Elaine Economou at MOVE Wellness, where she was able to join the new instructor training class. “I loved mat Pilates and loved helping people, but I didn’t know anything about Reformer or other equipment. I suddenly realized I had all these new tools at my disposal for helping people. It was intense and a great learning experience.”

That passion for learning and helping others was also evident to Elaine. “It was obvious Stephanie would make a great trainer. She told me this story about helping her father-in-law develop a fitness routine that eventually improved his health.”

Lower back pain, tight muscles and the lumbar spine

Over the course of Stephanie’s instructor training, she noticed some lower back pain and tightness, which she’d experienced for much of her life but had always dismissed as “normal.” But working through and analyzing posture during her training helped her see just how tight her lower back really was.

And Elaine noticed the same thing. “Stephanie was strong. But she had extremely tight hamstrings, hips, lower back and shoulders. Her erector spinae muscles, which run along either side of your spine, were really tight and that made it difficult for her to articulate her spine and get balanced movement.”

The same year that Stephanie began her training at MOVE, she started seeing a chiropractor who took x-rays of her spine that confirmed exactly what they had been seeing during her posture analysis in Pilates. 

“I was only a little surprised to see that my tailbone was practically parallel to the floor.” But Stephanie knew that she now had the knowledge and tools at her disposal to do something about it.

From lordosis and a desk job to Pilates powerhouse

The bright side to Stephanie’s lordosis diagnosis was that she had the power to change it. Elaine notes, “I think that Stephanie’s lordosis was probably always there, but that her muscular imbalance and tense tissue, compounded by several years sitting at a desk job, gradually pulled her lumbar spine into a deeper curve.”

During her instructor training, Stephanie diligently chipped away at the tightness and tension she’d developed and brought balanced movement back to her body. She worked on integrating smaller muscles into stabilization, mobilizing her spine, and ultimately lengthening her back and relieving tension on those larger back muscles.

“For Stephanie, it truly was as simple as doing the exercises in a way that she could actually feel her body moving the way it was supposed to. Once she did that, her dedication and consistent practice took her the rest of the way,” says Elaine.

Stephanie had a clear, new goal. Stretch out that lower back and correct the degree of her lordotic curve using the Pilates principles from her training. She worked hard for the next year and noticed an increase in flexibility and mobility. She could sit up tall on her sitz bone without having to bend her knees and could feel the difference in the reach of her spine during certain stretches.

New spine x-rays and a new Pilates trainer

In April 2019, Stephanie went back to her chiropractor and had new x-rays taken of her back. The images spoke for themselves. The extreme curve to her lower back had been corrected. “I am living proof of what Pilates can do. And more important, I now know how to help other people with the same issues and can confidently say, “Yes, I CAN help you with that!”

For Stephanie, making a difference for her clients by helping them be more mobile and pain-free is the best part of her new job. And she’ll be the first one to tell you that experiencing limited mobility in her own body helps her relate to what others are going through. 

“My favorite thing about teaching Pilates is knowing that I’m making a difference in so many lives. Hearing stories of what they can do now and what they weren’t able to do before. That never gets old.”

Elaine agrees that Stephanie’s own experience paved the way for a bright future in teaching and healing. “Stephanie really came to this work enjoying it in her body and with a desire to help others. She realized during instructor training that she could actually unravel her own unique postural issues. That, to me, is a great pathway to becoming a trainer.”

Consistent Pilates practice can heal your body

One of the biggest takeaways from Stephanie’s experience is that consistent Pilates practice with the help of a supportive, knowledgeable trainer can have a life-changing impact on your fitness. Having that set of expert eyes on your body and working toward relieving pain and increasing mobility, rather than just treating symptoms, sets the stage for aging well.

Recently, Stephanie was asked if she had a favorite Pilates exercise or apparatus. And true to form, her love of all things Pilates made it impossible to decide.

“There are so many good ones. I love the versatility of the Reformer and the challenge involved with chair exercises. Oblique work on the chair is awesome. Feet-in-straps on the reformer is just the best. But I love mat work. It’s what I first fell in love with and nothing can replace that. Side-lying leg work on the mat gets me every time.”

Ready to bring out the best in your own body? Find out what Pilates can do for your own fitness and health needs today.

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Menopause myths and management

Being part of a continuum of care network in and around our Ann Arbor community is an essential part of the wellness experience we provide at MOVE. And we are so grateful for partners like the healthcare professionals at IHA who are committed to providing people with opportunities to have open discussions about their health.

A special women’s health series event on menopause

On Tuesday, May 14, MOVE and IHA are co-sponsoring a free event at MOVE Wellness in Ann Arbor focused on managing menopause. To help frame our conversation for that evening, two of the event’s speakers offer their initial thoughts on menopause and sexual health, and their connection to overall wellness. Event details can be found below as well.

Common myths and misconceptions about menopause

Having open conversations about powerful phases of our lives is important to us at MOVE. There are so many women’s issues that simply don’t get afforded the time and honest treatment they deserve. Being able to have in-depth discussions about issues like menopause is empowering. It helps women care for themselves and live healthier, happier lives.

  • Elaine Economou
  • G. Bridget Long, MD

A conversation with Elaine and Bridget

ELAINE

Menopause is a remarkably profound phase of life for women. For many, it coincides with children leaving home and the fundamental effect that has on our identity. It’s also characterized by reflection and can lead to more substantive considerations of our quality of life.

Dr. Long, what are four or five of the biggest misconceptions or myths about menopause that you see or hear regularly?

BRIDGET

First and foremost, that life will never be the same and that menopause is something to dread. And that’s underscored by additional misconceptions such as “my sex life is over” and “it’s too late to get healthy or lose weight.” Many women also believe that prescription hormone replacements are dangerous, which isn’t the case, and meanwhile ignore abnormal uterine bleeding during menopause when they should be having it evaluated.

All of these myths can cause harm to women because they can lead to a range of health issues including depression, fatigue, osteoporosis, cardiac disease and even cancer in some cases.

ELAINE

How individual of an experience is menopause for each woman?

BRIDGET

Although many symptoms are commonly shared, menopause is a completely unique experience for each woman.

Increasing strength and health during and after menopause

ELAINE

In my 20 years as a trainer, I’ve seen countless women at age 50 or older get as strong as they’ve ever been in their lives through Pilates and GYROTONIC®.  Every one of them wished they had started ten years earlier because of the powerful impact on their fitness and strength. So, I’ve seen firsthand the misconception that you can’t be fit and healthy after this phase of your life proven wrong.

We have female and male clients we train with who are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s and even some at 80 or 90 who have been working with us for 10 years, many of whom feel as fit as they’ve ever been in their lives. And it’s such a gift for our team to be a part of that experience.

Do you have a specific example of a patient you’ve worked with who successfully moved past one of those misconceptions about menopause and how she did it?  

BRIDGET

I specifically remember a delightful patient in her late 50s who was moderately overweight and had a family history of osteoporosis. Her bone density showed significant osteopenia, which is bone loss. After extensive counseling regarding her life risk of cardiovascular disease and bone fracture, both of which had the potential to limit her independence, she chose to join a gym and work with a trainer who designed a program customized for her needs. She presented to my office a year later and told me she felt like her life had been saved. She realized that what she ate and what she did had major impacts during menopause.

She was happy she’d lost weight, but mostly she was happy about being strong. She was really enjoying life as she headed into her 60s, maybe more than ever before.

Overcoming the stigma and fear of menopause

ELAINE

“Menopause” can be such a loaded word. Do you find that the word itself is a stumbling block for women? Do you ever find yourself working to help women redefine the word? Or do you find yourself steering them toward a different word or phrase entirely like “sexual health”?

BRIDGET

From what I’ve seen, the word sparks dread in women. I try to explain to them that menopause is simply a life phase – much like puberty. It can be miserable, or it can be empowering if you embrace it and take control of it.

Menopause is a time in life, perhaps more than any other,  when you “reap what you sow.” If you prioritize a healthy lifestyle, the benefits are significant. If you don’t, the problems can be exponential.

Managing menopause with family members

ELAINE

As a woman married to a man living in a house with my three sons, I’ve worked hard to help them understand the various cycles and phases in a woman’s life so that they might be in touch with any of their own life transitions.  And it isn’t easy. Because the cultural pressure to qualify what being a woman is or isn’t or should or shouldn’t be is complicated. But I keep it simple and try to share the biochemistry of the process to help normalize conversations and topics.  

Can you talk a little bit about the role of family for women experiencing menopause, particularly when it comes to any men in our lives?

BRIDGET

Relationships, particularly with a partner during menopause, require a lot of communication. It’s challenging, and I find that women often just give up. I feel that having the opportunity for open communication with their physician and realizing there are options to ease this transition can be life-changing. Intimacy is important and can make for a happier life, but I always tell my patients that they can define that intimacy with their partner. And it’s not the same for everyone.

The role of community in aging and menopause

ELAINE

How important do you think having access to a supportive community is for women experiencing menopause?

BRIDGET

It’s incredibly important. There is power in numbers, and opportunities to learn from one another.  It makes us realize that we’re normal.

ELAINE

I completely agree. Connecting with other supportive and accepting women helps in so many ways. And I believe that building a supportive community around fitness can help with accountability and troubleshooting. We love watching women support each other in classes as they move deeper into the Pilates repertoire. We regularly hear them say that they’re doing things they never thought they could do.

The relationship between sexual health and physical activity

Can you talk a bit about the relationship between women’s sexual health as they age and physical activity? What are the benefits of movement for women experiencing various symptoms and challenges related to menopause?

BRIDGET

There’s a direct relationship between physical activity and sexual health. The endorphins make us feel good, and exercise makes us feel good about ourselves. Women are complex, especially when it comes to sex drive. We need to feel “sexy” and good about ourselves.

ELAINE

Agreed. Our mission is to help people move their bodies in ways that they enjoy so that they can lead a life they love. Research shows that we commit to those healthy behaviors that we enjoy and that make us feel good.

This has impacted me personally. Feeling strong and moving my body in ways I enjoy, rather than how I feel I “should” has impacted how I feel about myself overall. It feels a bit like shedding a skin, leaving behind the pressure to conform. It’s wonderful to experience what we’re always working to help other women feel at MOVE. What a gift.

What movement instructors and trainers can do to help during menopause

ELAINE

Do you have any advice for movement instructors working with women experiencing the symptoms of menopause? What can movement professionals do to better support clients in this space?

BRIDGET

I think as our bodies transition through menopause, movement that focuses on core muscle retention and flexibility is most important for maintaining our health and feeling good. Keeping our pelvic floors strong and working to maintain abdomen and back muscles are super important.

ELAINE

Right, and from the training perspective, there are clear dos and don’ts which is why working with instructors and trainers with a deep knowledge of the body and these issues is so important. For example, many people are afraid to exercise after menopause if they’ve received an osteoporosis diagnosis. But with proper, safe training, you can actually mitigate further bone loss.

Demystifying pelvic floor health and the role of Pilates and GYROTONIC® method

ELAINE

What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about pelvic floor health?  

BRIDGET

It requires maintenance like any other set of muscles in your body. You must exercise it to maintain its strength.  

ELAINE

I couldn’t agree more. Pelvic floor health is important, and often misunderstood in everyday practice. Especially because each woman’s body and how she carries it is unique. Many women do a ton of kegel exercises, which could help in particular instances, but could also cause more of a problem in others. As Pilates and GYROTONIC® instructors, we work to help women at all stages of life understand how to care for their pelvic floors in a more organic way. Improper training can lead to low back pain, SI joint instability and other issues.

What are some of the other resources available to women experiencing sexual health challenges that you’d like to see more people take advantage of?

BRIDGET

IHA has started a new genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) program that I feel is incredibly innovative in its approach to managing sexual health during menopause. Our consultants will discuss symptoms, causes and management of sexual problems in menopause with patients.

ELAINE

That’s actually great to hear. Quite often we hear women (who may not have even mentioned incontinence when they started working with us) say after a few weeks or months of training that they no longer “sneeze and pee.” Which is a funny diagnostic, but also a very pragmatic one.  Pilates and GYROTONIC® help with this because they focus on organizing breathing and spinal movement to support core training.

Why is tackling this particular topic important to you personally?

BRIDGET

I am now a menopausal woman. Life is short, and I want to enjoy every day of it!

ELAINE

Yes! As a woman experiencing perimenopause, I feel like the last year has brought a wave of new physical experiences and symptoms, many of them surprises, and all of which have made it necessary for me to stop and reevaluate the “why” behind my own fitness and movement.

If you could provide women with one simple takeaway about menopause and their sexual health, what would it be?  

BRIDGET

That there is help! Managing the symptoms requires work, but the rewards are well worth it.

The healing power of movement

By working toward a healthy relationship with their bodies, women can move through menopause with the strength and knowledge they need to care for themselves and celebrate the power and beauty in their bodies during this unique phase of life.

It’s also important to remember that slow and steady wins the race for healthy behaviors and a joyful life. Moving slowly and intentionally as we take steps to move more, eat well and love our bodies for all that they’ve done for us is foundational … at any stage of life.

We hope you’ll join us for this very special evening of honest conversation, empowerment and perhaps even enlightenment.

Managing Menopause: Improving Your Sexual Health

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

6 p.m. – Wine & hors d’oeuvres, 6:30 – 9 p.m. – Presentation

Location: MOVE Wellness Studios, 3780 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor, Michigan

Speakers:

Elaine Economou, MOVE Wellness co-founder and CEO

Jody Jones, MD, IHA Canton Obstetrics & Gynecology

G. Bridget Long, MD, IHA Associates in Gynecology & Obstetrics – West Arbor

Lisa Morris, MD, IHA Associates in Gynecology & Obstetrics – Arbor Park & Brighton

Topics: Vaginal pain with intercourse, vaginal atrophy, MonaLisa Touch® treatments, pelvic floor dysfunction, mindfulness and breathing exercises

Register for the event today.

Interested in learning more about how MOVE can help you start your own health and wellness journey through movement? Sign up for an introductory package today or contact us at 734-761-2306 or office@movewellness.com.

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MOVE Trainer Mary stays healthy with GYROTONIC®

This week, we meet GYROTONIC® trainer and former client Mary Falcon. In retirement, Mary stays flexible, healthy, and mobile and supports her clients to do the same. She chats about her initial hesitancy to try GYROTONIC® which quickly transformed into an obsession, and shares some tidbits about her life.

Introduce yourself. What is your background? What brought you to MOVE?

My name is Mary Falcon. I have worked for the VA for much of my career, most recently in the field of patient safety. It was a rewarding career with the best mission in the world; serving those who served for us.

I came to MOVE as a client with my youngest daughter. We had taken Pilates at a studio across town but it wasn’t convenient after I moved to Dexter.  From the moment we first met Elaine and Robin and they shared their story about starting Move, we knew we found a good fit.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I’m not sure if people would be surprised that I have a 47-year old daughter, but it SHOCKS me.  

What about GYROTONIC® appeals to you? Why are you drawn to this movement system in particular?

When Robin suggested that my daughter and I try GYROTONIC®, I was a little hesitant.  I love Pilates and the way it helped strengthen and lengthen my body, so I was concerned about trying something new. I’m not very coordinated so it’s always a bit intimidating, but after the first GYROTONIC® session we were hooked! Sitting behind a desk for 40+ years, this form of movement was exactly what my body needed; it felt expansive and opening.  It was then that I knew “what I wanted to be when I grew up.” I wanted to be able to provide this movement to others in my age group who perhaps lived behind a desk as I did and were as limited in their movement as I was. So I became a GYROTONIC® instructor when I retired from the VA.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting GYROTONIC®?

I would suggest they just feel the movement and not get caught up in concepts at first because it all begins to make sense to the body after a couple of sessions.

What are you inspired by?

People and their stories.

What is your favorite exercise?  

The Arch and Curl Series with the handles in GYROTONIC®. It’s so opening.


“This form of movement was exactly what my body needed.” – Mary

Fun Stuff

What is your favorite food?  

Guacamole, but of course you need chips with that.

What is one conversation in history or now on which you’d like to eavesdrop?

Any of the conversations with our Founding Fathers. I’ve always been in awe of the minds that formed this nation.

Give us a recommendation. Can be anything.  

SMILE and of course MOVE.

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How to Succeed at New Year’s Resolutions: Healthy Habits for 2019

How to Succeed at New Year’s Resolutions

We seem to have become a culture that has taken the good intentions of a fresh start in the New Year to the extreme pressure of reinventing yourself. Phrases like “New Year. New You” abound as people sell fitness and healthy-eating programs. These phrases resonate with us because – for many reasons – shedding a few pounds, eating more leafy greens, and taking care of that achy shoulder seem like valid goals.  

Indeed, those goals are valid if they are approached in ways that bring out the best in you and use your strengths, values, and knowledge of yourself to fuel the change. The science of behavior-change informs us that by understanding yourself and reflecting on the essence of who you are, you will be better able to achieve self-efficacy, or the ability to set and achieve goals.  

Why New Year’s Resolutions are set up to make you fail

As a Pilates Instructor and Wellness Coach I get frustrated by the pressure for people to “change” into a “new you,” and I regularly want to run around and tell each of you your “you” is just fine. I believe that negative health behaviors are sometimes seeded in an inability to care for ourselves. Either people don’t know how or there is some negative belief system in place. The irony is that it’s through understanding and affirming ourselves (and NOT denying who we are) that we can move toward our healthiest selves.  

The good news is that the reflective process that helps you shape your new behaviors and habits is one that will enrich your entire life. This commitment to yourself can lead you not only to new healthy habits, but toward your fullest life.  

Trust This Process: The Reflection Framework

Below is a simple framework for reflection and a few suggestions to get you started, similar to the process we use with all of our clients. You can spend a few minutes or a few days reflecting on each prompt. Grab a journal or some paper and sit with each question below.  

The initial step is to trust the process and know that by attempting to reflect on these items, you are on your way to knowing yourself better so that no matter what you choose to do moving forward, it will be with a stronger sense of self. There is no right or wrong.

  1. What does wellness mean to you? Take a minute to define this as it relates to your life.  Is it healthy in mind, body, spirit or some variation? Write out your thoughts as you think this through.  
  2. Imagine you at your best self. Take a couple minutes and close your eyes to see what that looks and feels like. Use your imagination to experience the vision of you moving through life. Write down all the details and feelings.
  3. Why?  What are your key motivators for being healthy and well?  You might think you want to look a certain way because our culture tells us that is what’s important, but try to connect to your personal why. Do you have children or grandchildren you’d like to play with? Do you want to travel? Move pain free? Live a long healthy life?  
  4. Pull your toolkit together. Write out your best experiences or what has worked well in the past as it relates to wellness. What are your character strengths and values? Your support systems?  
  5. Think about what you love to do in life. Do you love to walk outside? Garden? Dance or run? Do you have a hobby? Maybe you aren’t sure, and that is ok too.
  6. What are your barriers or challenges? We all have unique challenges in life and acknowledging them will help put them into perspective.  
  7. What are your gaps?  From where you are now to where you’d like to be in your vision of your best self. These are the goals you will work on.  
  8. Slow and steady does win the race. Choose one or two simple healthy behaviors that you feel 100% confident that you can bring into your life that will move you toward your goals. Choose things that will help you feel good and that you enjoy. Move slowly and notice how they make you feel. Whatever you choose, try to jot down a few notes each day or week about your progress. Set reminders and schedule these each day. Use your support system to check in for accountability. The key is to make these achievable, simple and small steps. This is the key to self-efficacy and setting and achieving larger goals.  

Choose Your Healthy Habits

Not sure where to start?  Below is a list evidence-based simple, healthy behaviors that can energize you, help you lose weight and get moving. Email me (elaine@movewellness.com) if you have questions.  

  • Start a gratitude practice – write three things you are grateful for each day before bed
  • Practice self-compassion  – cultivate an inner voice of support, just like you would for a friend
  • Start a mindfulness practice – there are several apps and online resources to help with as little as 3 minutes per day
  • Drink more water
  • Get 8 hours of sleep
  • Add one serving of fruit into your day
  • Add one serving of leafy greens into your day
  • Swap out a processed food for a whole food (i.e. sugar-filled snack with an apple and peanut butter)
  • Swap out a sugar or additive-filled drink with water or herbal tea
  • Take a 5 minute walk
  • Get up from your desk once in the morning and once in the afternoon
  • Eat your vegetables before your main meal
  • Make a doctor appointment or research an issue to help you move with ease
  • Add simple exercises into your day.  

There is no quick fix for any fitness or wellness goal, but through the process of knowing and supporting yourself, 2019 can be your best year yet.  

Elaine Economou, PMA-CPT, is a certified Pilates and GYROTONIC ™ trainer, wellness coach and President & CEO of MOVE Wellness, a local fitness and wellness studio that offers specialized training in Pilates, GYROTONIC™, and wellness coaching. She can be reached at elaine@movewellness.com or 734-761-2306.

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Recipe: Bon Appetit Cajun Cornbread Stuffing

We love this time of year because of all of the holiday and wellness inspired food and fitness in the spirit of gratitude. MOVE does its annual gratitude challenge and owner Elaine Economou is hosting a FREE Thanksgiving Gratitude Class on the morning of Thanksgiving. 9 AM at MOVE Westside. Join our Thanksgiving Class. 

Spice up your Thanksgiving table with this delicious cajun cornbread stuffing recipe. Made of andouille sausage, corn bread, red bell pepper, and cayenne pepper, this cornbread recipe will add a colorful kick and excellent side dish. 

Stuffing

Makes 10 servings (about 14 cups)

  • Buttermilk Corn Bread (Recipe below, but it can also be store-bought)
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound andouille or other spicy fully cooked smoked sausage, diced
  • 3 cups chopped red bell pepper
  • 3 cups chopped green onion (about two bunches)
  • 1 cup chopped shallots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon minced bay leaves
  • 4 large eggs, beaten to blend
  • 2 cups frozen corn kernels
  • 2 cups low-salt chicken broth (can be store bought)
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange corn bread on large baking sheet. Bake until slightly dry and toasted, about 20 minutes. Transfer to very large bowl; cool.
  2. Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Add sausage, pepper, green onion, shallot, celery, garlic, thyme, sage, allspice, cayenne, and bay leaves and saute until vegetables are just tender and mixture is very moist, about 15 minutes.
  3. Stir vegetable mixture into corn bread. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mixture can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Mix eggs into stuffing.
  4. To bake stuffing in turkey: Add ½ cup chicken broth to stuffing and mix thoroughly. Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into remaining stuffing to moisten. Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover tightly with buttered aluminum foil. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover stuffing and bake until top begins to brown, about 15 minutes.
  5. To bake stuffing in pan: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 13×9 inch baking dish. Mix 2 cups chicken broth into stuffing. Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with buttered aluminum foil. Bake until stuffing is firm and heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover stuffing and bake until beginning to brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Buttermilk Corn Bread

You can make this tender corn bread a day ahead.

  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup sifted all purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ baking soda
  • ½ cup chilled unsalted butter, diced
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter bottom of 9×9 inch baking pan. Mix first six ingredients in food processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off to pulse, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat buttermilk and eggs in large bowl to blend. Add cornmeal mixture to egg mixture and blend. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until corn bread is light golden brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

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Using Anatomy Knowledge to Learn About Our Bodies

Rectus Abdominis? Transversus? Psoas? If you find yourself wondering what in the world your trainers mean by these muscles, or why anatomy knowledge is even important, then this blog is for you.

Below, Julie Simpson PT, DPT, OCS, talks about the power of anatomy to uncover some amazing things about our bodies. She also talks about how being a Pilates trainer has made her a better Physical Therapist and some fascinating things we can learn about our own bodies. If you’re still on the fence about taking Julie’s Anatomy Course this November 17th, you won’t be after reading this.

How do you think a deeper understanding of anatomy (compared to just knowing superficial knowledge) enhances one’s practice, whether that be as a fitness trainer, PT, or simply someone trying to improve their health?

Pilates is a wonderful system to work the body but by knowing and understanding anatomy, how it is related, what the different muscles do and how they actually have to work systematically opens a beautiful world of knowledge.  It takes a trainer from moving through the paces with a client to actually understanding so much more and then

ultimately helping the client achieve a different level of success.  For example you have a client walk in with their shoulders to their ears (this is really common because so many of us hold our stress in our shoulders and necks.)  As a trainer without the anatomy knowledge you know you need to cue them out of their elevated shoulder posture. You also know a handful of ways to do this but the piece of the puzzle you are missing is that there are specific muscles that downwardly rotate the scapulae, there are muscles that depress the scapulae, and there are muscles that retract the scapulae; by knowing what muscles you are working or need to work the exercises are endless.  It is like fixing a car without actually running a diagnostics test.  When you know your muscles, attachments and actions you can actually solve the problem at hand a whole lot faster.

 What are some things people would be surprised to learn about their own anatomy? (e.g. do we all have a shorter foot? extra bones? etc)

We are all connected!  No really, we are all connected!  I know everyone knows that and says that but I cannot tell you the number of times I see someone with an ankle issue that actually started at their pelvis.  Or that someone with limited shoulder flexion may actually have a rotation at their tailbone.  I am in awe everyday by new connections I see or connections and strategies that bodies use to compensate.  Everyone chases the pain, what I mean by that is you try and stretch the pain, put pressure on the pain, strengthen the area of the pain but the pain is a response to a problem somewhere along the system.  Do not chase the pain, strengthening what is weak, stretch what is tight.

 Often, there’s this idea that our anatomy is mostly genetically-determined. To what extent is this true? What about cultural influences? Besides losing body fat and gaining muscle mass, what else about your body can change? 

So much in our lives can determine our anatomy.   If you sat rotated to the right typing on your computer all day long for 5 days a week you will likely have a mid-back rotation to the right.  When we sit in a posture ALL day long our bodies adapt that posture while we are standing, cooking, walking, etc.  We have the potential to both evoke change for the positive or negative based on our movements and positions.

 As a physical therapist, you are able to bring that deeper perspective to Pilates which I’m sure has been so important to the quality of care your clients receive. If we flip that – has Pilates influenced the way you approach PT at all? Has your experience as a Pilates trainer taught you things about the human body that PT has not? 

ABSOLUTELY!  Pilates is a system that allows me to look at the body as a whole, it allows me to teach clients how to work their entire body and not just one area or zone.  Every one of my PT clients learns many if not all of the Pilates principals.  Pilates trainers have such a gift at doing this naturally.

 Name top 1 or 2 important muscles that people would never think to work out but that play a huge role in our biomechanics. 

Multifidus – Now this is not a muscle I “work-out” per say but it is a muscle that commonly needs to be retrained.  The multifidus will quickly atrophy with back pain, surgery, or a small shift in the spine.

Foot intrinsic muscles with the posterior tibialis – Again there are not little weights for those little muscles. It is about training the brain to understand how the foot needs to work to avoid placing extra stress or strain through the knee, plantar fascia and hip.

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Cardio Have No Fear

Cardio, you say?

Yes! We know that cardio training has a positive impact on health at every age and stage of life and want to support our clients to bring this training into their routines on a regular basis for optimal health.  

Research shows that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the most effective way to exercise for cardio training:

  • Improves insulin sensitivity
  • Improves post-exercise energy expenditure (E.P.O.C.), in other words, it increases the amount of calories you burn all day
  • Causes a spike in two key hormones: epinephrine and norepinheprine, which play an important role in fat loss. These two hormones (sometimes referred to as adrenaline and noradrenaline: the fight or flight hormones) are responsible for driving lipolysis, which is the breakdown of fat.

What is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?

While there are different types of HIIT training, a great deal of studies characterize HIIT training as bursts of working to your maximum output for 30 seconds to a few minutes and recovery periods. Traditionally people thought that the longer you workout the better. But we know now that’s not the case. With HIIT you can maximize benefits of an hour workout in 20 minutes. 

Cardio Could Save Your Life

Cardio workout significantly improves your VO2 max. This is the max amount of energy consumption your body can use effectively during working out. Why does this matter? VO2 max is a factor in predicting cardiovascular disease and mortality. According to a study in the Journal of Sport Science Blair, et al. report that “risk of low fitness comparable to smoking.” Moderately or highly fit populations can bounce back from illness and disease better than low-fitness individuals. This is irrespective of other factors like obesity, body mass, elPilates-for-Menevated cholesterol, and smoking.

How should I approach my next cardio class?

  • Self-selected pace – work at your body’s pace, not your neighbor’s
  • Listen to your body – do not work through pain
  • Try to have fun – community makes working out easier  
  • Slow and steady wins the race. 

Feeling ‘the burn’ 

In general, when we refer to feeling the burn we’re talking about lactic acid in the muscle groups that we’re working out. But in the cardio world, the burn is a full-body experience. You’re sweating a ton, breathing rapidly and deeply, and your blood is flowing fast.  Some people enjoy this feeling (see runner’s high) and others hate it. Both of those reactions are completely okay. If you’re someone who can’t stand the panting and the exhaustion that comes from a cardio workout,  have hope! Long term, it gets easier and much more manageable. You may even get to that point where you crave a good cardio workout. If you don’t see that happening anytime soon, HIIT in a supportive environment is a great way to knock out your cardio fast.

Articles of interest

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/026404198366678

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Post-Pregnancy Fitness: Sharon’s Pilates Journey

From journey to getting fit post-pregnancy to a becoming a Pilates trainer, meet MOVE Wellness Pilates apprentice Sharon Hillenaar!

Sharon never considered herself particularly athletic. In fact, she says that “hard, core exercise was always a little bit of a struggle.” Given that core exercise is one of the most fundamental components of Pilates, we find Sharon’s story really inspiring for those who are a bit nervous about beginning Pilates.

Staying motivated post-pregnancy

A brand new mom living abroad, Sharon committed herself to post-pregnancy fitness. She started visiting the gym regularly and running, eventually signing herself up for a half-marathon. But the goal to lose weight transformed into a much deeper desire to become fit and live a healthy lifestyle. Sharon started exploring different avenues to becoming fit. She went to the gym, started taking spinning classes, and doing exercise programs like PiYo and Yoga. Her love of spinning became Sharon’s motivation for eventually getting certified as a spinning instructor.

I realized that I really enjoyed being in this type of environment and decided that I would pursue my personal trainers certification, which eventually led to other certifications such as PIYO, Cardio drumming, Schwinn, and a host of other mini classes I took over the years…. As I explored different avenues that would help my career but more importantly my clients, I decided to explore a Pilates Certification. Not knowing ANYTHING about Pilates, I did not realize how intense this form of exercise is for the body, mind, and breath.  I feel like this will be a perfect addition to my experience and training background and will allow me to offer more to my clients not only in a pilates class scenario but also to my overall trainer education.

What was it about Pilates?

One evening during a yoga class I was teaching, one of my clients approached me and mentioned that she had been doing Pilates and how much she enjoyed it. She spoke so enthusiastically about it that I was compelled to go home and read more about it. The more I read, the more I was able to see how beneficial Pilates could be for clients. I was specifically intrigued by the vast repertoire and how effective the movements were to effectuate change within the body especially from a strengthening, mobilization, toning and rehabilitation stand point.

Pilates Benefits for Post-Pregnancy Fitness

For Sharon and many others, Pilates exercises became so beneficial to add to any workout routine. Pilates benefits a wide demographic of people. Pilates can help increase strength, lose inches, heal from injuries, and maintain flexibility and mobility.  Pilates emphasis on deep abdominal connection and pelvic floor health makes it perfect for pregnant and post-natal women.

Finding MOVE’s Instructor Training Program

As I began researching studios that offered the Pilates instructor training program, I stumbled upon the MOVE program. It was perfect for me because the course was offered over the weekends and was in Ann Arbor.  However, that wasn’t the only deciding factor.  After having an extensive conversation with Elaine Economou, who address my lengthy questions and concerns, I truly felt like this program was different. The modulated program, the apprenticeship program and availability to mentors and trainers was exactly what I was looking for.

If you’re a newbie and feeling apprehensive, Sharon offers this advice:

Not having done more than a few Pilates classes myself, I was truly a newbie. Even though I had a background within the fitness industry, there were many occasions when I felt like I was learning things for the first time. At those moments, I reminded myself to breathe and not to be hard on myself. The program is information rich, and at first it will feel like a mumbled heap in your brain. Then all of a sudden, the program comes full circle and it all makes sense.

“This program is not just an instructor training course, it’s an education. Trust the process, believe in yourself and remember, the MOVE program will walk you through, one step at a time.” – Sharon

Start Your Pilates Journey

Sharon is on her way to becoming a Pilates instructor through the MOVE Instructor Training Program and we know she’ll do great! If you have any questions about pilates classes, the MOVE Instructor Training Program or becoming a Pilates instructor, we’d love to chat! Please email us at office@movewellness.com. You can also stop by one of our MOVE Instructor Training Coffee Chats this fall to have your questions answered over a cup of coffee with MOVE Wellness founder and president Elaine Economou.

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Why Health Isn’t the Goal We Think It Is

One U of M professor’s powerful work on motivation and exercise

Simply put, Dr. Segar writes “Logic doesn’t motivate us. Emotions do.” The psychology behind exercise, and why some people stick with it long after PT while others drop off is explained by a powerful reward system that has been a focus of University of Michigan researcher Dr. Michelle Segar’s work and book No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness

Dr. Segar’s work suggests that the goal to be healthy may be adequate to initiate a behavior but not to sustain it because people do the things that gives them the most immediate benefit. Better health is hard to notice immediately. This “larger, distant reward” (2015) isn’t as fueling as immediate rewards such as more energy, an endorphin high, mood boost, alertness, etc.

People don’t necessarily want to be healthy, they want the things that health affords them – “good health is only valuable because it helps us live our daily lives well,” she notes in the Journal of American Society on Aging. So where do we go from here?

What’s the right goal?

Motivation is unique to each individual but Dr. Segar suggests that as health and fitness specialists, we rebrand health as well-being because when individuals are motivated to feel better, they engage in self-care behaviors that immediately give them rewards.

Sustainable self-care behaviors are made up of multiple decisions every day. Research shows that people often don’t do what is in their best interest, and that willpower depletes with use (Ariely, 2009; Vohs and Heatherton, 2009)…To better motivate consistent decisions that favor self-care and health, it is helpful for people to notice immediate, experiential rewards, which can be tied to well-being and enhance the areas of life that are most meaningful. Consider these as better reasons, or Whys, for creating sustainable behavior. (Segar, 2015).

As professionals we know that consistency and frequency, or cadence, is the best way to make lasting behavior changes. At MOVE Wellness, our clients tell us how they never thought they would be able to commit to an exercise program, but they soon love how they feel and they are in 100 percent.

If you’ve been contemplating your goals and creating sustainable behavior change, come in and talk to us! Email elaine@movewellness.com and introduce yourself.

Source: Segar, Michelle. (2015). The Right Why: The Surprising Start to Cultivating Sustainable Behavior Change. Journal of the American Society on Aging. Vol. 39(1).

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Your core is more than a “six-pack”

This blog was originally published in ClickOnDetroit.com on August 2, 2018.

When we refer to our “core,” most often we imagine a defined set of abdominal muscles referred to as a “six-pack” and the image of a tight, magazine cover or Instagram-ready abdomen, male or female.

You know the one.

Posts or covers with catchy phrases and how-to instructions for core training draw us into buying the magazine and to thinking that the hard defined muscles shown are our ideal. It is also part of our common understanding of training the body that in order to achieve the six-pack one must execute many, many abdominal crunches. Here’s the truth. And some good news.

What is the core?

Core strength or stability actually refers to a set of muscles that stabilize and mobilize the spine against the movement of the body.  This includes not only the “six-pack” muscle — rectus abdominis (which I’ll just refer to as rectus moving forward) — but also the deeper abdominal and spinal muscles, the pelvic floor and the diaphragm. This inner unit needs to be strong, responsive and resilient to support healthy breathing and movement, which in turn allows for an optimal movement system for whatever you love to do.

One image that works with clients is to imagine a balloon that is about ⅔ full of air. The balloon has a band around the middle. The top of the balloon is your diaphragm, coming up into the lungs, and the bottom of the balloon is the pelvic floor. The band around the balloon represents your deepest core stabilizer (called the transversus abdominis). It looks very much like an old-fashioned corset, with fibers that run horizontally from your spine to the front of the body.  This means that when it contracts it cinches or draws inward toward the spine, just like a corset. This may be why, Joseph Pilates, who developed the system named after him known for its connection of breath to core strength said, “Above all, learn how to breathe correctly.”

Core training through breathing

I know. What? Core training includes the diaphragm? Breathing? Pelvic floor? How on earth do you build up a sweat training then? Here’s the first bit of good news.

You breathe all day long. By focusing on breathing for a few minutes each day, maybe before you work out, you can bring attention and awareness to the coordination of your breath and any muscular tension in the body. Simply put, you allow the muscular support system to reset by noticing where you feel expansion when you inhale and releasing any tension when you exhale, directing the breath into a complete expansion of the rib cage. This diaphragmatic breathing will allow you to initiate the body’s natural muscular organization so that when you do train for tone and strength, you are doing it with a balanced activation of the system.

Plus, there are side benefits to focusing on breathing. The physiological response that occurs when you focus on the breath are similar to that of a mindfulness practice. Quieting and focusing the mind for as little as two minutes decreases stress hormone production and calms the nervous system. You are also bringing your awareness into your body so that your workout can be more efficient and effective. There are many, many benefits to a mindfulness practice so combining it with movement and exercise is a win-win.

So what about the core?

In addition to building awareness through breathing, training the core includes abdominal work with attention to your unique posture. The key here is to train your body.

I like to describe our body through the lens of two postures. First is our genetic posture, or the alignment we have naturally.  We may be built just like our mom or dad or like me, my sweet short Greek grandmother. The second lens is our cultural posture, lifestyle or what you do all day. Do you sit or stand for a living and do we love to run, dance, garden or bike? Both postures have an influence on how your muscular system is organized and should be taken into consideration as you train.

Once you think for a bit and understand your body, you can better put a plan together for your own workout.  For example, if you like to run and sit at a desk for any part of the day, core training will include being sure that any abdominal work you do does not engage the hip flexors. That means really focusing on the sensation of your abdominals and being sure they are working when you do your ab work.

So are crunches bad?

No! The good news is that crunches done with proper alignment and with attention to your unique body are VERY EFFECTIVE. In Pilates, we do an exercise that looks a bit like a typical crunch as one of several ways we strengthen the abdominals. There are different bodies of research about types of contractions of the abs and suffice to say you should include a variety of them in your workouts.

For example, if you are doing an oblique crunch when you cross one shoulder over to the opposite hip with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, be sure that your tailbone stays anchored on the floor, your chin stays off your chest and that you actually feel your obliques as you slide one rib toward your opposite hip. Neck, back or hip strain means the obliques are not the emphasis. Adjust your alignment until you feel the target area. Do enough repetitions to feel fatigued but without compromising form.

Correct form for an oblique crunch

Incorrect form for an oblique crunch

Looking at the inner unit as I have described here is foundational to effective core training. I would be remiss to not acknowledge that the muscle balance of the pelvis, movement of the spine and shoulder blade stabilizers all play a role in training the core efficiently because our body really is a system. Overtraining or only focusing on one area does not create the balance we need to function in an integrated way.

The terms “core” and “core training” should conjure images of balanced stability and mobility of the spine as opposed to that post or magazine cover. Those images may not be steeped in sex appeal, but lifelong health and mobility can indeed be sexier than a magazine cover. I would like to challenge you to reframe your idea of what “fitness” looks like.

To me, fitness is the capacity for a resilient, responsive, strong system. Defined muscles are great but shift away from the external pressure to look like that airbrushed cover, toward building the body that supports living a life you love.

Train your core, do your crunches, listen to your body.

Start strengthening your core through group classes or private sessions with Ann Arbor’s trusted local trainers at MOVE Wellness.

CLICK HERE to book an appointment.

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