P. ila T.es- Physical Therapy & Pilates

Pilates 5 Day Challenge- Day 2! Spine Twist! I LOVE this exercise! It is so good for improving my stiffness! I also love the way it makes my obliques work, while it also challenges me to gently and actively stretch my hamstrings by holding my body upright, (nice and tall)! When I first started Pilates, I had to bend my knees quite a bit and/or sit on a cushion. Now, it is challenging to perform without slight modifications, but on good days, I can do it! ... Pilates works wonders for the body with focus, persistence, dedication, and of course regular PRACTICE! @christa gurka @pilatesinthegrove: thanks for the inspiration, and for the nice workout today! Nice modifications and cues for those who need it! #moveyourbody #5daypilateschallenge #learnnewthings #communityiskey #improveyourself #striveforbetter #dopilates #shelterinplacepilates #pilatesmatwork #ptpracticepilates #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapistsdopilates #physicaltherapist #cashpt #pilates #healthandswellness #oakland #temescal #temescaloakland See more

I LOVE TO LEARN!!!! Learning makes you a better person. And without it, where would the FUN be in life?!? There are endless possibilities to always learn new concepts and ideas! That is why I love to go to classes, seminars, workshops, and generally just collaborate with others in my profession, both in physical therapy and Pilates! ... I am so thankful to have feedback, insight, knowledge, and community that @christagurka and @pilatesinthegrove share with me, and all of the other lucky female entrepreneurs she skillfully guides. So I am taking this time to participate in her 5-day Pilates challenge! Not only do I get a bit of exercise during our shelter-in-place here in Oakland, CA, but it is fun! And I already learned a very cool alternative version of the Pilates hip roll! Thanks for everything, Christa! #5daypilateschallenge #learnnewthings #communityiskey #improveyourself #striveforbetter #dopilates #ptpracticepilates #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapistsdopilates #physicaltherapist #cashpt #pilates #healthandswellness #oakland #temescal #temescaloakland @ Oakland, California

Pilates 5 Day Challenge- Day 4! Plank and Leg Pull Front! Pilates in the AM: what a great way to improve my day! This week’s Pilates challenge by @pilatesinthegrove has been awesome!!! ... But back to the above exercises: I’m loving these full-body challenges! These exercises both really challenge your shoulder girdle, as well as being an amazing stabilization challenge for your abdominals, gluts, and even the legs! TIP: It is important to create good stability through your shoulders, as well as your trunk in order to get the best workout, and also to protect your joints and body! Two of the most common mistakes I see (that really make me cringe) when people do these exercises is: 1. Sinking in of the body in the shoulder girdles, otherwise known as winging of the scapula (shoulder blades). This is because they are not stabilizing well with specific muscles of the shoulder girdle. 2. Hanging in too much extension in the joints of the lumbar spine (lower back) because they are not stabilizing well with the abdominals. Don’t worry! A professional can help guide you on how to perform these exercises properly! There are countless modifications that can be made to them to help improve your form. The most important aspect of these exercises is to perform them with QUALITY and GOOD FORM, NOT TIME!!! As you get stronger, you can build up time, and there are even other ways to amp these exercises up for additional challenges! If your body needs more strength to be able to perform these very difficult exercises with proper form, there are also many other amazing exercises to help build your body’s strength! The journey is part of the whole process!!! As I said before, Pilates has helped me improve the balance in my body in so many ways!!! Pilates works wonders for the body with focus, persistence, dedication, and of course, regular PRACTICE! @christa gurka @pilatesinthegrove: again thank you for the inspiration, and for another AMAZING workout today! #plank #legpullfront #moveyourbody #5daypilateschallenge #learnnewthings #communityiskey #improveyourself #striveforbetter #dopilates See more

Pilates 5 Day Challenge- Day 3! Modification of Tree with another Twist! As I mentioned before, I love twists since they are great for improving my flexibility!!! This exercise is particularly challenging for me because it requires good movement/flexibility in the spine, as well as great hamstring flexibility! But there are modifications for this exercises to help performance. Over time with appropriate practice, it will help improve these issues! As you can see, in... the second picture, I lost some of the stretch I had on my hamstring when I added the twist! To put it simply, that is because it is a challenging pose for me (for many reasons), and I was really concentrating to hold the position! When I incorporated the twisting, I lost some of the form! But with more PRACTICE, I can assure you, I CAN improve this!!! Pilates has helped me improve the balance in my body in so many ways!!! As I said before, Pilates works wonders for the body with focus, persistence, dedication, and of course, regular PRACTICE! @christa gurka @pilatesinthegrove: again thank you for the inspiration, and for the AMAZING workout today! It was a great abdominal burn today! As always, nice modifications and cues for those who need it! #pilatestree #moveyourbody #5daypilateschallenge #learnnewthings #communityiskey #improveyourself #striveforbetter #dopilates #shelterinplacepilates #pilatesmatwork #ptpracticepilates #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapistsdopilates #physicaltherapist #cashpt #pilates #healthandswellness #oakland #temescal #temescaloakland See more

Pilates 5 Day Challenge- Day 2! Spine Twist! I LOVE this exercise! It is so good for improving my stiffness! I also love the way it makes my obliques work, while it also challenges me to gently and actively stretch my hamstrings by holding my body upright, (nice and tall)! When I first started Pilates, I had to bend my knees quite a bit and/or sit on a cushion. Now, it is challenging to perform without slight modifications, but on good days, I can do it! ... Pilates works wonders for the body with focus, persistence, dedication, and of course regular PRACTICE! @christa gurka @pilatesinthegrove: thanks for the inspiration, and for the nice workout today! Nice modifications and cues for those who need it! #moveyourbody #5daypilateschallenge #learnnewthings #communityiskey #improveyourself #striveforbetter #dopilates #shelterinplacepilates #pilatesmatwork #ptpracticepilates #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapistsdopilates #physicaltherapist #cashpt #pilates #healthandswellness #oakland #temescal #temescaloakland See more

I LOVE TO LEARN!!!! Learning makes you a better person. And without it, where would the FUN be in life?!? There are endless possibilities to always learn new concepts and ideas! That is why I love to go to classes, seminars, workshops, and generally just collaborate with others in my profession, both in physical therapy and Pilates! ... I am so thankful to have feedback, insight, knowledge, and community that @christagurka and @pilatesinthegrove share with me, and all of the other lucky female entrepreneurs she skillfully guides. So I am taking this time to participate in her 5-day Pilates challenge! Not only do I get a bit of exercise during our shelter-in-place here in Oakland, CA, but it is fun! And I already learned a very cool alternative version of the Pilates hip roll! Thanks for everything, Christa! #5daypilateschallenge #learnnewthings #communityiskey #improveyourself #striveforbetter #dopilates #ptpracticepilates #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapistsdopilates #physicaltherapist #cashpt #pilates #healthandswellness #oakland #temescal #temescaloakland @ Oakland, California

I always LOVE proving people wrong when they say I can’t do something! Today’s message is short but sweet. Everyone questions themselves. (Some a bit more than others.) But don’t let your own doubt, or anyone else tell you what you can’t do!... BELIEVE that you can. Take it one step at a time. Practice is the new perfect. #pilatesstrong #strongerthanyouthink #practiceisthenewperfect #standtall #staystrong #strenghshines #dopilates #ptpracticepilates #physicaltherapy #physicaltherapistsdopilates #physicaltherapist #cashpt #pilates #healthandswellness #oakland #temescal #temescaloakland See more