Studies have shown that running can help prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers, and a host of other unpleasant conditions. What’s more, scientists have shown that running also vastly improves the quality of your emotional and mental life. It even helps you live longer. Here’s how: 6 Science-Backed Ways Running Improves Your Health 1) running makes you happier, 2) running helps you lose or maintain your weight, 3) running strengthens your knees (and other bones and joints), 4) running will keep you sharper even as you age, 5) running reduces your risk of cancer and 6) running adds years to your life.

Although a psychological condition, the physiological basis for anxiety can be found in the limbic system. The ‘fight or flight’ response to perceived harm is a natural and healthy response, anxiety becomes a disorder when this fear response is uncontrolled, excessive and persistent (Schmidt et al., 2018). Anxiety disorders can have a huge impact on someone’s life affecting social relationships, work, home life and physical wellbeing (Dye, 2018). Originating in the brain, anxiety effects the whole body through the sympathetic nervous system. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system can help to control symptoms of anxiety. Research has shown that exercise and specifically mind body interventions can reduce symptoms of anxiety (Gok et al., 2018). By promoting breath, enabling movement and providing sensory input Pilates can improve quality of life for people with anxiety disorders.

This paper will address the use of Pilates for a ruptured plantar fascia. Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common soft tissue injuries of the foot. About one in ten people will struggle with plantar fasciitis at some point during their lifetime. 1 The pain associated from this injury can be excruciating and inhibit your day-to-day activities. Plantar Fasciitis is the beginning stages of a plantar fascial rupture. This case study looks at my journey, a 25-year-old professional volleyball player with chronic plantar fasciitis that developed into a ruptured plantar fascia. Through 2 years of Pilates, I was able to deter new injuries in the foot and stabilize the muscles around the ruptured ligament to help my foot and entire body stay healthy. I have added two Pilates apparatus classes, and one mat class a week into my training regimen, and with this I have been able to stay on the court.

The population of golfers is exposed to many injuries in different areas of the body, as a result of poor body alignment, lack of strength and incorrect recruitment of muscles, necessary to execute the basic moves during the game. Contrary to what it may look like, golf is a challenging sport which requires a great deal of strength, coordination and flexibility. Many players often lack those capabilities, thus oftentimes, the severity of the injuries keeps them away from golf course for extended periods or causes them to give up the game altogether. The most common golf related injuries occur in lower back, hips, upper limbs to name a few. A well-designed Pilates program addresses postural faults and imbalances, incorrect muscles recruitment, at the same time contributing to gaining overall strength, improving balance, coordination and flexibility, so vital not only in golf but any other sports.

Water Canoe Polo is a relatively new sport, but its popularity is increasing rapidly. It is played by men and women. Players are allowed to push or tip each other into the water; to ram or ride up on an opponent’s boat; or to sprint frantically after the ball. It is described as a combination of water polo, basketball and kayaking. Players sit in a canoe which is manoeuvred by means of a paddle and the aim is to score a goal into a net suspended two meters above the water. It’s a sport that combines a high level of individual skill with teamwork; it is fast, energetic and challenging. Water canoe polo demands agility, muscular endurance, strength, power, flexibility and core stability.

Un hombre de 52 años, corredor y jugador de padel no profesional visita nuestro estudio para fortalecer la musculatura y de corregir su postura. El Sr. padece una rotura parcial de menisco, condromalacia grado III-IV, y Quistes de Baker de 8cm en ambas rodillas. Se ha sometido a una intervención mediante artroscopias de ambas rodillas, en los años 2016 y 2017 respectivamente, y infiltraciones de Células madre. Lleva unos meses ya practicando Pilates con máquinas con repertorio sin carga hasta conseguir estar sin dolor en carga. Cuando yo comienze a trabajar con el cliente mis objetivos ya no eran el dolor sino fortalecer la musculatura de las piernas, mantener una buena forma física y limitar la tensión en ambas rodillas y poder correr y jugar al padel con moderacion sin consecuencias. Después de unos meses de trabajo pudimos cuantificar las mejoras, confirmar los beneficios que los ejercicios de Pilates estaban teniendo sobre su bienestar físico.

After childbirth it is often a long journey to tighten up the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles. The body can become elongated or stretched in some areas, tighter in others, creating a significant imbalance and pain. New mothers can experience, urinary incontinence, pelvic floor and abdominal conditions that can impair daily function; These conditions can take a significant time to heal and it is important to utilize correct breathing patterns and recruitment of muscles with exercise and activity. This information will outline the anatomy and explain the mechanisms that can exacerbate or help to heal the postpartum body, followed by a progressive Pilates program. Childbirth is life changing in so many ways; we give our whole being to our child. It is possible, however to get strength and function back. With time and knowledge, we come back together and stronger for it!

Ashley, age twenty-four, is a hobbyist ballet dancer who suffered a fourth-metatarsal stress fracture on her right foot. After wearing a boot for twelve weeks and rehabilitating with Pilates over a six-month period, Ashley showed signs of externally rotating her right femur and tibia when walking and during Pilates exercises. Ashley also complained of being weaker through her right side during ballet classes. When starting her private Pilates sessions, I chose a program that focused on “single-side” series to treat the imbalance of her left and right sides of the body while also working in parallel for hip work. As she had a background in Pilates and dance, I focused on intermediate and advanced work so that she could continue to lay down foundations for strengthening her entire body. In just six months, the external rotation of her right femur and tibia improved.

After evaluating numerous individuals during practical teaching hours, a conclusion was made that greater trochanteric bursitis is a relatively common condition. This research shows that greater trochanteric bursitis does not discriminate and can occur in a wide variety of individuals regardless of fitness levels, body type, gender, age, etc. Greater trochanteric bursitis pain can be quite severe. It is characterized by pain over the lateral side of the hip and it prevents many from lying comfortably on their sides. Pain may radiate down through the outside of the thigh towards the knee. Pain might also be present over the gluteal area and related soft tissue surrounding the bursae. Most people complain about having trouble at night when lying on the affected side. This nocturnal pain can cause sleep disturbances and is often one of the reasons for seeking treatment. Although it is recommended to rest the affected area, I have found that the symptoms do not really clear up after resting the area. My personal experience was that hip bursitis responds very well to most types of exercises in the BASI repertoire and the people that I trained felt a definite improvement after starting doing Pilates for this.

As generally we know, ankle sprain and instability are one of the most common injuries in sports activity. More than 3 million per year in “at risk population” and 25,000 people sprain their ankles every day in the U.S (2018, WebMD base). “One of the most common injuries” in ankle indicates of that ankle joint is used tremendously in daily activities and reflects the importance for functional movements. When I work as physical therapist for patients with chronic pain, ankle rarely seems like the way to figure out the symptoms or pain is connected to ankle function and position with ease. For instance, the client with neck or shoulder pain has poor alignment of body or dysfunction, most of them have ankle problems. Because when we walk or move our legs, it occurs with pelvis’ movement, which is affecting movement pattern of upper body and upper extremity such as trunk rotation and arm swing. Also, core muscles and pelvis that we generally mention as body stabilizers are strongly related to ankle stability. In this page, I aim to focus on why ankles are important in our functional movement and how it is linked to the body anatomically and functionally. Also I will mention what body factors are involved with injury and dysfunction and how they can be healed. Pilates is whole body exercise that focused on core muscles and balance of the body, using effective resistance with spring aiming not only to develop stretching but also to build muscle strengthening without injury. When I consider connection between ankle and whole body, Pilates would give positive effect for the people with ankle instability.

Social media platforms has become a must in our every day lives. We use it in many forms from connecting with our loved ones near or far, searching for the closest Pilates studio in your area, promoting your business or even promoting yourself as a blogger or social media celebrity. It enables you to gather and send a lot of information at a very fast pace. While there most certainly are benefits of the social media platform, we must also acknowledge the negative impacts in which it has caused in the Pilates industry for clients, practitioners, and teachers alike. This case study is about a client whom I have come across who has been particularly challenging to teach because of how she compares her Pilates sessions and her body image from viewing other peoples “workout” sessions on social media.

El hombro es considerado una de las articulaciones más móviles pero con una estructura compleja, conformada por la unión de tres huesos al esternón, a la caja torácica y tejidos blandos. Al ser una estructura inestable, suele ser una de las dolencias más comunes entre la población. Claramente la edad puede influir en el deterioro, pero la mayoría de los casos provienen de lesiones producto de la práctica deportiva. Aproximadamente el 70% de los pacientes con dolor de hombro son debido a una lesión en el manguito rotador provocando un deterioro y llegando a afectar las vidas tanto a nivel social, emocional y económicas. A través de este trabajo comprendido como a través del Block system puedo ayudar a un colega a cumplir sus objetivos, de fortalecer y ganar mayor rango de movimiento en su hombro y así evitar que regrese su malestar mientras practica crossfit.

The focus of my paper is to examine postural imbalances for a truck driver and to recommend a Pilates program using the BASI Block System. Ralph is one of my clients and he has been a truck driver for over 30 years. My goal for Ralph is to increase his core strength to create a better support for his lumbar spine, to develop back extensor strength to decrease the rounded shoulders and to stretch the pectoral muscles, hip flexors and hamstrings all while improving his overall flexibility and mobility of the joints. There is also an emphasis throughout the program to improve body awareness and postural correction so as to be mindful of the posture while driving and lifting and also in everyday activities.

Low back pain is one of the most prevalent disorders today. It is estimated that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Statistically, it is the most common cause for missed work days in the US. In this current digital age, daily activities are putting us into constant spinal flexion for long periods of time. As I’m sitting here writing this paper, I am adding myself to those statistics. Sigh! There are many different causes of low back pain, including a specific mechanism of injury, structural issues, postural misalignments and emotional manifestations, just to name a few. The schools of thought as to treatment are equally vast. In this paper, I will focus on low back pain caused by lumbar disc herniations and the use of the BASI block system to alleviate it.

Surfing is a rigorous sport that is not only physically challenging but also repetitious in nature. These elements put the surfer at risk for a multitude of injuries. Knee injuries are extremely common amongst surfers due to the dynamic and technically challenging manoeuvres that are performed. I have been working with a client who is a keen surfer and has a Grade 1 medial meniscus injury. Throughout this case study I will give an anatomical description of the knee joint, discuss my client’s injury of the medial meniscus and how muscle imbalances in the body can cause such injuries. I will also describe the conditioning programme given to my client and how regular Pilates practice can help clients recover from injuries and also improve physical performance in their chosen sport.

The sport of GAA in Ireland involves both hurling and football. The modern GAA game is like a mixture between soccer and rugby. And Hurling(boys) /Camogie (girls) is like a mixture of hockey and lacrosse. Players need to be very skillful, the need to have quick reaction times, run fast, stop, start, change direction, jump, catch. In order for the body to be fit for the sport the mechanics need to be right. The player needs keep their muscles agile. Flexibility but also strength is crucial to being fit for the game. ‘The modern game is fast, multi-directional where there is a lot of twisting and turning, watching the game is fantastic stuff, but you’re not too sure how beneficial it is from the long-term health of, in some cases, the immature hip, the immature muscular skeletal structure of a lot of these young players’ Carolan, R, 2014. Bodies Never Lie - Learning.GAA.ie/Bodies Never Lie In my paper I propose to address the issue of core stability along with increasing strength and flexibility in the hamstrings to benefit the young player to remain injury free throughout matches and training as well as enabling the muscles to recover quicker after sessions. Pilates provides balance and stability through the core while also enhancing lumbo pelvic stability which creates strength, flexibility and stabilisation throughout the lower half of the body. I will show how pilates can provide a holistic balance key to any sports players body which keeps them strong, fit, flexible and injury free. In any rotational sports the spine must move segmentally. Hurling, like tennis, the power of the swing begins from the legs. Hamstring strength and activation is vital.

WE HAVE DIFFERENT BODY SHAPES AND SIZES , BROAD OR NARROW SHOULDERS , LONG OR SHORT TORSO, BIG OR SMALL CURVES, IT’S A LONG LIST. IN PILATES THE GOAL IS TO CONDITION AND STRENGTHEN THE BODY YOU HAVE TO A GOOD ALINEMENT. THE DAILY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SITTING OR STANDING FOR LONG HOURS, CARRYING HEAVY LOADS , WORKING AT THE DESK FOR MANY HOURS MAY CAUSE SPINAL MISALIGNMENT AND TENSIONS IN BACK AND SHOULDERS . AS A RESULT BODY COMPENSATES FOR THE DEVIATION CREATING MUSCULATURE IMBALANCES. POSTURE WILL AFFECT EVERY ACTION . IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOOD ALIGNMENT OF BODY WHICH HELPS NORMAL AND EFFICIENT FUNCTIONING OF THE INNER ORGANS.

The majority of people begin the early youthful stages of their lives in an optimal physical and emotional state. However, modern life has a way of taking a toll on our bodies and slowly eroding our health. Whether we are hunched over our desks, stooping our necks all day on computers, or our eyes glued to our phone screens, we most likely don’t pay active attention to our posture throughout the day. This paper emphasizes the importance and benefits of proper posture. It also exemplifies how BASI Pilates conditioning repertoire can strengthen back and abdominal muscles, therefore supporting the spine and enhancing neutral spine alignment. In simpler terms, it prevents slouching and can potentially undo the damage and appease the pain that years of bad posture has caused.

The golf swing is a dynamic and extremely complex movement. It requires most of the joints in the body to move through a large percentage of their maximal range of motion, and the muscles moving and supporting these joints must perform at a high percentage of their capacity (Davies). Much like Pilates, the building blocks of the golf swing include mobility, balance, and stability. A golfer must first focus on building a strong core that supports range of motion and trunk stability prior to striving for speed, power, and accuracy. Adding Pilates to a golfer’s exercise routine can assist in achieving the range of motion and control needed for a successful golf swing. Increasing range of motion while maintaining complete control is fundamental to performing any exercise effectively and efficiently in both golf and Pilates.

As a unborn baby grows, the pregnant body is forced to carry additional weight that shifts the mothers center of gravity forward. The shift challenges the lumbar spine leading to postural problems. According to Holly Rossi stated in “What Causes Lower Back Pain in Pregnancy”, “the biomechanics of pregnancy involve the growth of the belly away from the body, a process that pulls the lumbar spine (the flexible vertebrae that compose the lower back) forward along with it. The result of this extra pressure is often a lordosis, or an exaggeration of the lumbar spine natural inward curve. Lordosis can result in the vertebrae compressing and the lower back muscles shortening, both of which can cause pain”. In addition to the postural changes, during pregnancy a hormone called relaxin is released loosening and softening of ligaments to prep for childbirth.