heading in to new territory

I get asked for recommendations on all kinds of things fitness and non-fitness related. Thus far I’ve stayed away from most of the non-fitness topics, I’m getting ready to not stay away and head into that territory. I will try to at least keep them health/wellness related….how’s that?!

One of my best friends, Ariel, shared this link with me today and I felt like it should be shared with you all.
It’s the kind of information that can be depressing, but is completely usful on a daily level.
As we all try to take better care of ourselves and become more diligent about wearing sunscreen daily in order to prevent skin cancer, want are we actually putting ON our skin and what are the effects of those chemicals seeping in to our bloodstreams. Afterall, our skin is THE largest organ in our body.
So, this link allows you to check out which suncreen does the LEAST amount of damage…..about all we can ask for nowadays.

Comprehensive Sunscreen listing HERE

Recommended Home Equipment

Typically the things I blog about are direct questions for students and fans. This is a driect request;)
Here are the pieces, in order of greatest investment to smallest investment, that are in my opionion the ‘best’ home choices for pialtes apparatus. It’s really only my opinion. I endorese no ONE company and I get NOTHING for recommending these pieces.
There is a link for each and a short blurb from yours truly.

1. Peak Pilates MVe+ Tower System $4,590
Peak Pilates in home version of a studio convertible system. You get a mat, a refomer and a tower. 3 pieces in 1. It’s pretty, sleek and sturdy. It will last through thousands of workouts without upkeep or repair. I trained a client on it for a year and it works fabulously. The only real draw back is that you are spending such a substantial amount of money on it that you might just as well by the ‘real’ thing. A studio version. The bonus of this ‘home’ version is that it ‘collapses’. It is designed to fold up and be pushed out of the way or put in a closet. There’s a catch 22 to this one, the equipment is so great and sturdy, that is actually makes it a little heavy and akward to ‘put away’. It truly depends on your practice, amount of space and time. You may pick this one, for the value of what you get with it, and just leave it open and out.

2.Balanced Body Allegro Reformer $2690
The Allegro is one of the original in-home pieces of equipment. It’s small, flat and does everything you need to on a reformer with a pretty decent lifespan. It can easily roll under a bed for storage if you do not orfer the ‘feet’.
It’s also a great piece of equipment for men. the carriage is wider as well as the foot bar. So if you typically feel jammed into a reformer, this one is much roomier and comfy. It’s also really safe to do standing work on because it’s so close to the floor. (so GREAT if you’re after booty and leg work.)

3.IPilatesReformers Stamina AeroPilates $378.99
I will admit, I’ve never worked on one of these. BUT from what I can see and what I’ve watched on the home shopping network (hey, at least i am TOTALLY honost with you) This one looks like a decent piece. It’s sturdier the other home pieces, it comes with instructional dvds, it’s flat for storage, looks modern and sturdy ‘enough’, great price AND a jumpboard!!! If you are looking to add cardio to your pilates workout the jumpboard (or as they call it, free form cardio rebounder) is the only traditional way to do it. It’s easy on the joints and FUN! It does look like the AMOUNT of uses could be short lived. the smaller and cheaper the pieces, the more likely they are to break and not be repairable.

4. Pilates Stick Kit $149.99
I dig this one a LOT, a collegue of mine in LA helped develope this and it’s truly ingenious. You are getting a the roll down bar, leg and arm straps from the tower in a completely portable, put away able system. If you love mat work and you want to up the anti at home, this is your gear. plus, if you hate it and never use it again, it is relatively inexpensive and easy to put away. It also comes with an instructional dvd.

as a side note, I recieved an inquiry about Proform CoreTech Pilates Reformer $162.37 This is not a piece I could give kuddos to. There was one in a space i trained out of years ago in St. Louis (don’t ask). This one has a great price tag and promises too much. It falls apart instantly, had no foot straps so you will miss a significant portion of the repitoire, it’s tiny and most people dont’ comfortably fit on it. Also, the ‘footbar’ is highly unstable and no chance at doing standing work. sorry to report on that one….but wanted to answer the initial question.

There are MANY other home choices. Most depend on your budget. I’m still a fan of the magic circle and therabands to add resistance and caloric burn to mat work. I also have a series with gliders or towels that mimic reformer work on a hardwood or tile floor. You don’t HAVE to drop a chunk of change to get the variation and resistance…..although you may need me and my mat workouts on video……..

Resonably Priced Heart Rate Monitor.

More than a few people have asked me lately. Polar works with nearly all cardio equipment and my opinion is definatley that EVERYONE should wear one to train. It’s too simple and TOTALLY works to produce results. ESPECIALLY when you’re ’stuck’ and your body isn’t changing.

Cheap. Polar Heart Rate Monitor

online content

I surf the web a lot, scour rather. I’m a stay at home mom now (most of the time) and I’m getting a LOT of emails and facebook hit ups on downloadable workouts, best dvds, and online resources.
I’m highly judgemental. I’m aware. I belive, for the MOST part, if makes me a discerning eye and a critical analyst. I can dig through the bulls#$*t pretty quickly and find whats good, or rather, Great.
The sad truth is, there is a lot of not-great out there. And although there is science to FItness, there is also art. Each body is so wonderfully different and variation is key to getting each person their ‘best’ body. What is best for me, at this point in my life even, was not BEST 3 years ago.
I am working on content to fill the holes, per se for the online market. I’m absolutely working with new clients, via email and refining my ’schtick’. so stay tuned. In the meantime, as much as I LOVE livestrong their pilates content is struggling I’m an instructor and these cues confused me as to what exercise they were aiming to share.
Also, what is that a picture of? It certainly isn’t a pilates teaser or a yoga boat pose. livestrong, may I please assist you?

My Friend Steph

Has a great sculpt video, there are sample bits of The Ultimate Body Shaper

Stephanie is one of the most genuine and excellent teachers out there. Try her out!

SEEEEEEEEEEEE, I Told you so.

Your Office Chair is Killing You. Bloomberg Business Week has an article this week that I hate to see but love to pass on. All the many reason why sitting down is bad for your health, in general. And for all you Angeleno’s, also insert “car’.

Read it. It also gives you a list of more appropriate choices for sitting at a desk hours on end.
If you can try to arrange your office/computer to where you can stand. Mine used to be at our wet bar in our house. Lol, no alcohol, lot’s of technical media.

July LA Dates

It’s shaping up that I’ll be back in LA to teach Monday July 19th- Thursday July 22nd
I’ll be back at Juliet’s gorgeous space to teach privates with a potential workshop at Swerve and Master classes at Equinox. And MAAAAYBE a class at my favorite lululemon in Beverly Hills.

As the events shape up and are confirmed, I’ll post them.

Please email prefered times you would like to book your privates, and I’ll confirm from there.

Lesson times will be:
Monday July 19th 8am- 4pm
Tuesday July 20th 8am - 3pm
Wednesday July 21st 8am - 3pm
Thursday July 22nd 8am - 2pm

If you are waiting on homework from me, it’s in the makings as we speak, hoping to have them done by the end of this week.