As we grow older, the importance of regular exercise increases. Our currently physically unchallenged and convenient lifestyles help us gain weight and decrease muscle tone. We have computers we can use for just about anything, from shopping to communicating with friends and family.  We have TV to entertain us, laundry and washing machines, elevators, escalators, as well as convenient devices such as wireless phones, PDAs, laptop computers, and kindles.  All of these save us time and make our lives more efficient, BUT these efficiencies are killing us! We need a more balanced lifestyle that includes balance: good nutrition, healthy relationships, and regular exercise are among the most important factors. While Dionne gives us monthly nutrition tips, Zeina recommends regular exercise. If you don’t have the time to go hiking, running, playing sports, cycling, etc., here are a few tips that can help you.

1)      Stretch:  It feels so good to stretch!  Stretch your arms and legs away from each other before rolling out of bed. Stretch in your desk chair by reaching up to the sky and leaning back to open your chest and upper back.

2)      Crunch in Bed. Before you even get out of bed in the morning, do 10 upper abdominal curls while lying flat on your mattress. Add one exercise each week from your Pilates mat sessions until you build a 10- 15 minute repertoire.  Think you can’t commit to doing it? Try it. It may be addictive! You may eventually want to wake up 15 minutes earlier- a small price to pay for a happy body.

3)      Balance: Do calf raises while you brush your teeth.  If that is too hard, start by standing on one leg.  Progress all the way to single leg calf raises.

4)      Park and Walk. Whenever you have an errand, park your car as far away as you can and walk to the store. At the mall, park at the farthest end and walk the length of the mall. Use every opportunity to walk. At the end of the day, it all adds up to better fitness. Park the car farther away from work and walk the last few miles instead of parking right up the front door. At the office, park the car as far away from the front door as possible.

5)      Do the stairs. Walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator and escalator. Some research suggests that 5 minutes of stairs is equivalent to burning 75 calories.

6)      Leg strength: Walk on your toes around the house or when you get a private moment. Try the heels instead.  What about backwards on your toes- just don’t forget to scan the room behind you before you begin.

Some signs that you should seek expert help from a doctor or Physical Therapist for the treatment of your shoulder include: 

• Inability to carry objects or use the arm 
• Injury that causes deformity of the joint
• Shoulder pain that occurs at night or while resting 
• Shoulder pain that persists beyond a few days
• Inability to raise the arm 
• Swelling or significant bruising around the joint or arm

The treatment of shoulder pain depends on the cause of the problem. Therefore, it is very important to understand the cause of your symptoms before embarking on a treatment program.  There are, however,  some things that most everyone can do to maintain the health of their shoulder and minimize pain.

Exercise!: It may seem counter-intuitive. Your shoulder hurts, so your doctor or physical therapist recommends exercises. Yet, why go through more pain? The truth is that exercising an injured shoulder at the appropriate time and with the appropriate intensity will reduce and cure pain.

Practice Pilates to strengthen your core: Lack of core strength can lead to poor posture, specifically a rounded back and forward head. This creates a significant imbalance in the muscles of the shoulder and neck. Pilates is all about posture!  The more you apply what you are learning in your pilates sessions to your daily life, the less chance of injury, and better chance for healing post injury!  Pilates should help you gain the strength and flexibility you need to properly align your joints and body in order to minimize injury and allow your body to heal.

Two exercises that you can do at home are:

1. Rowing: Using a theraband,  pull your elbows back, retracting your shoulder blades. Repeat between 10 and 30 times as you can tolerate without any discomfort. (Therabands are available for purchase at the studio.) 
2. Wall push up: Face a wall with your hands on the wall and your feet about a foot apart. Slowly push out from the wall. Repeat 5 times, holding for a count of five. Repeat twice daily.

This is not a complete shoulder program, just and example of some shoulder exercises.  We are happy to work with you individually to design a program that is appropriate for you!