What's up?  ....with the instructors and clients at The Pilates Body!

Jodi Adamo (Owner / Instructor) 

*  Appeared in a commercial as an extra for Zumba Fitness 2 Wii game.  Released November 2011. 

* Can be seen in the Dec. 2011 Issue of Pilates Style Magazine in an Ad for BASI Pilates Education. 

* Completed her AFAA (Aerobics & Fitness Association of America) certification in Nov. 2011.  

Carol May  (Office Manager / Instructor)

* Appeared in a commercial as an extra for Zumba Fitness 2 Wii game. Released November 2011

* Completed her AFAA (Aerobics & Fitness Association of America) certification in Nov. 2011.

Shaylene Benson (Instructor)

* Made the 2011-12 Laker Girls

Kelley Brown (Instructor)

* Teaching for United Spirit Association, summer camps in California and Utah.

A Pilates Tip  

The hip flexors are a group of muscles that bring the legs and trunk together in a flexion movement. The hip flexors are not technically abdominal muscles, but they do facilitate movements during several ab exercises.

The muscles that make up the hip flexors include:

• psoas major
• illiacus
• rectus femoris
• pectineus
• sartorius

Many of the exercises being promoted as "ab exercises" actually work the hip flexors more than the abs. The hip flexors are strong powerful muscles that often overtake the abdominal muscles when performing some variations of abdominal exercises. In order to isolate the abdominals you need to minimize the involvement of the hip flexors and maximize the contraction of the abdominals.

One example of an ab exercise that actually focuses on the hip flexors includes the full sit-up exercise, especially when the feet are held down. This movement primarily involves the hip flexors and may cause the lower back to arch. This could increase the risk of back pain, particularly if you have weak abdominal muscles. Therefore, the full sit up is not recommended for beginners.

Another example of an ab exercise that works the hip flexors is any leg-raising exercise done in a supine (laying face up) position. Again, this movement works the hip flexors far more than the abs and shouldn't be done until you have good abdominal strength.

Keep in mind that the best way to isolate the abs is by minimizing the involvement of the hip flexors while doing your ab workout.

 Muscle Imbalances

Many injuries are caused by muscular imbalances within our bodies. And many things cause these imbalances - our posture, the way we walk, bend over, sit, lie down, or work out - basically the way we move. Most of us move incorrectly in some way or another, which puts too much pressure on some muscles and weakens others, causing an imbalance.

Take the back, for example: the way we move, such as bending, reaching, lifting, twisting, doing sports and exercise may put too much pressure on the spine, while weakening the pelvic muscles in the front of the body or vice-versa. Either scenario creates an imbalance, which means the body is much more perceptible to serious strains, pulls, tears or worse.

Pilates exercises promote an even musculature throughout the body by strengthening the core. The core is considered the “center” of the body and consists of the deep abdominal muscles along with the muscles closest to the spine. Pilates also stresses spinal and pelvic alignment, which is critical in getting us to move the way we‘re supposed to move to avoid injury.

Article by Ken Endelman (Founder and CEO of Balanced Body)