Dear Friends,

New York Pilates is soooo excited to announce we have signed a lease on a brand new studio space. Whoa, So much work!

The new studio will be located at 64 W 3rd street in greenwich village. And its really big. I wont scare you with any photos until we can do a before and after (like a diet drug). But let me say, I have my work cut out for me.

Brion and I have been working on the designs, I promise it will be awesome!

We plan on opening in the new space The first week of May 2013, so check back soon!!

xoxo
(Heather + Brion)

As you plan on hitting the books, or are just back to the office after your awesome summer vacay, those old aches and pains start to rear their ugly head. And by that I mean your ugly bird neck. No really, we have got to do something about that.

This book-worm neck not only makes you look like a dork, it can have serious repercussions. If un-attended this neck will become painful, and eventually may result in a disc herniation, just from doing nuthin’. Weird, right? So lets fix it.

1) Loosen – lay on your back, bent knees with feet on the ground. Put a small, partially deflated ball under your head (if you don’t have that available, try a small pillow).  Begin drawing circles on the ceiling with your nose, make sure you don’t skip the part where you feel …

I have been spending my summer at Sunset Beach, and wanted to share some beach butt secrets.

Do Your Clamshells! Jane Fonda was totally on it. Mr. Pilates did it in the ’50s. Side legs never fail your butt!

Lay your side, knees bent, legs stacked on top of each other:

1) External (clamshell): heels stay together, open your top leg so the knee goes up toward the ceiling, close. repeat 10 or 12 times

2) Parallel: keeping knee and ankle equal heights, lift top leg to hip height, lower. repeat 10 or 12 times

3) Internal: knees stay together, heel is up toward the ceiling. lift leg up, then lower. repeat 10 or 12 times

4) Internal/ External: combination of 1 & 2, knees come together with heel up, then switch, heels together knee up. going back and forth. repeat 10 or 12 times.

5) Straight …

For all the ladies (and gents, don’t lie) who have ever envied another’s collar bones, I am happy to report that they are not just a product of genetics or excessive skinniness. As it turns out, visible collarbones have much to do with the posture of your shoulders.

Here are 3 Simple exercises to help you achieve your new sexy shoulders:

1) Stretch your pecs & chest:  stand in a doorway with elbows on either side of the door frame and let your body weight sink through

2) Back extension: lay on the floor face down, with hands directly under shoulders. draw shoulders away from ears and lift up head chest and hands. hold for 5 breaths. repeat 10 times. (your upper back should start burning, make sure your shoulders are down!

3) Triceps: (rotator cuff): using 2 lb weights, stand in a lunge …

Its Monday again, so lets make a check list of the stretches we are going to do this week to undo the office neck.

1) Trap stretch (upper trapezius muscles)

Stand upright with good posture, tilt your head to the right, and take the right hand and gently pull to the right side. this will stretch the left side of the neck. take five breaths and repeat on the left.

2) Shoulder Rolls

Lift both shoulders all the way up to your ears, then roll back so that your shoulder blades come together, then drop down to neutral. repeat 10 times.

3) Pec stretch (pectoral muscles)

Stand facing a wall, take your left hand diagaonally up and place it on the wall. Then turn away from your arm until you feel a stretch through your chest.

Once an hour stand up to do the these stretches …

According to a recent article in the New York Times Magazine, exercise
can actually make you smarter!

Researchers took three groups of mice– some got to run, some got good
food and cool toys and some were just straight up bored. The
exercising mice got smarter but the ones with toys and good food fared
no better than the bored ones with no stimulation. (Researchers
didn’t mention this, but we can also assume the first group got way
hotter too.)

Likewise, a study of elderly people had test subjects in two groups–
one went on long walks and the control group did not. The walking
group showed significant signs of new brain activity, while the other
group showed the anticipated signs of decreased brain function for
their age.

Pretty powerful.

Exercise: better brain function.

It’s science, so stop being stupid and get moving.

xoxo
New York Pilates

Gothamist broke some bad news today.  A study says bikes decrease pelvic floor sensitivity making for bad sex. Bad sex makes for no sex. No sex means the entire species of cute cyclists could die out!!!!

But there’s hope.  This is the sort of discovery that reminds me what great work I’m doing for the universe. Since Pilates strengthens the pelvic floor and increases sensitivity, I’m pretty much saving the human race– or at least the sort with cute butts from biking.  Spread the word otherwise the entire species of babes on bikes might die out!

xoxo
New York Pilates

Facebook makes you feel fat.  Science says so, as the Daily Mail UK reports.

They make Facebook the problem but come on. The real issue you gain weight, you ignore it and then someone tags you in pics from a really cool party but you’ve got like three chins in all of them!  You go cra-cra untagging, go on some gross crash diet and all the sudden you’re hiding from every camera, skipping girls’ brunch and still get chubbier.

This vicious cycle is dumb and boring and soooo predictable.  Get over it and get back in shape.

Book a session and we’ll get you working that core and back into the short shorts you know you wanna wear.  All the cute boys will thank you.

xoxo

New York Pilates

Dear Heather,

As I’ve whined about over the years I have quite a few problems coming from injuries, love life woes, etc.  Then you went and told me I had a weak pelvic floor.  As if I didn’t have enough to whine about???

Okay so this gets better. I started doing kegels.  I got pelvic weights (a box of three– they’re really pretty and I’d show you if it weren’t, like, inappropriate.)  As you know, fixing that has been a major help with my running (to tighten abs and take the strain off my hip flexors), making my belly look flatter, etc. etc. etc.

But guess what??? There’s an added benefit.  SEX!

So I got laid which hasn’t happened since before I got serious about my kegels. Now I’ve always tried to work those muscles in bed, like any self-respecting Cosmo reader does.  But …