My Local Pilates - Classes and courses Online & in Hackney, Homerton, Hackney Wick, Clapton
  • Home
  • Timetable & Booking
    • Timetable
    • Class Prices
    • Online Booking
    • How to Join an Online Class
    • Important Info
    • Health Questionnaire
    • Term Dates
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Latest Newsletters
  • Locations
    • Victoria Park Harriers, Homerton
    • Chats Palace, Lower Clapton
    • HBC Community Centre, Homerton
    • Pilates in the Park
  • Classes
    • Group Classes
    • Initial Assessment
    • Private Classes
    • Corporate Classes
    • Teachers
      • Sam White - Founder and Principal Teacher
      • Danai Pappa
      • Sophie Balaam
      • Caroline Kinch
      • Emma Illingworth
      • Testimonials - Client Feedback
  • About Pilates
    • Pilates Background
    • Back Pain Pilates
    • More About Low Back Pain
  • FAQ's
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Timetable & Booking
    • Timetable
    • Class Prices
    • Online Booking
    • How to Join an Online Class
    • Important Info
    • Health Questionnaire
    • Term Dates
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Latest Newsletters
  • Locations
    • Victoria Park Harriers, Homerton
    • Chats Palace, Lower Clapton
    • HBC Community Centre, Homerton
    • Pilates in the Park
  • Classes
    • Group Classes
    • Initial Assessment
    • Private Classes
    • Corporate Classes
    • Teachers
      • Sam White - Founder and Principal Teacher
      • Danai Pappa
      • Sophie Balaam
      • Caroline Kinch
      • Emma Illingworth
      • Testimonials - Client Feedback
  • About Pilates
    • Pilates Background
    • Back Pain Pilates
    • More About Low Back Pain
  • FAQ's
  • Contact

Everyone Loves a Good Massage!

10/7/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
With current courses drawing to a close, it's time to reflect on progress made over the past few weeks. I hope attending classes has given everyone a much welcomed kick-start in becoming more active and achieving health and fitness goals. I didn't want to finish the course without the opportunity to introduce the Foam Roller to my regular classes, so this week has included a lot of low-level stability work by incorporating the roller into the some of the basic exercises. I think you'll agree that Toe Taps are taken to a whole new level! I do also so enjoy Spine Curls with Feet on the roller - get that butt working! The next course will include a Foam Roller class too, for anyone that missed out! 

In my last post I mentioned using the roller for myofascial release work, or self-massage. This has less to do with Pilates, but as a teacher with a bias towards recreational sports, I love to use and talk about it! Now there's no real scientific evidence that using a roller to release tight muscles or trigger points (knots) really works, but from personal experience (I tore my hamstring a few months ago playing silly party games!), daily use made a real difference to me, when nothing else was helping. 

The aim is to use the roller (or a tennis ball or even a golf ball if you're tough enough!) to apply pressure to the muscle, in a slow, deliberate rolling motion in order to restore post-workout muscles to their original state; supple, tender, elastic (think about how you might bash a steak to tenderise it!) and ready to perform at a moments notice. The more it hurts the more you probably need it! With the roller you might have to contort yourself into a few strange positions to reach the part you want to.   Now I'm not a massive fan of home-made exercise videos with step-by-step guides on what to do, for fear of promoting bad practice by the reader, but feel free to do a google browse (type in Foam Roller Exercises) for some exercises to try yourself. Reputable sites to try are running publications like Runners World. Just ensure you are rolling muscles and NOT over joints e.g the knee joint if you are rolling your hamstrings. 

I use a high density EPP Foam Roller from Fitness Mad. It's 90cm long so good for Pilates and massage, but if you're only going to use it for the latter, you can get shorter rollers, and even versions with knobbles on which are amazing! (if you like that kind of thing). I do recall a teacher of mine telling me about a chrome roller (that's not a typo!) with a casing that goes into the freezer...hmmm..!!
Picture
One of my personal favourite positions is pictured here. This targets the ITB (not a muscle in itself) and the muscles that feed into the ITB, Gluteus Maximus (the buttock muscle) and the Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL). As a keen runner this is a must-do, as it can help to keep knees functional for longer! Again do a google search if you want to know how to do this. 

If this interests you but you would really prefer some hands-on guidance, try my next Foam Roller Workshop - we cover both Pilates and a little Self-Massage. Just subscribe to my newsletter and you'll be informed of the next 2015 date!      
1 Comment

    Author

    published by Sam White, pilates teacher, runner, newbie rower, qualified ski instructor and lover of the good things in life, like homemade  brownies, natural wine and peanut butter!

    Archives

    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Body Control Pilates is a registered trademark and used under licence. © 2020 My Local Pilates and mylocalpilates.com
Hackney Pilates London Fields Pilates Homerton Clapton Stratford Body Control my local pilates mylocalpilates.com matwork
  • Home
  • Timetable & Booking
    • Timetable
    • Class Prices
    • Online Booking
    • How to Join an Online Class
    • Important Info
    • Health Questionnaire
    • Term Dates
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Latest Newsletters
  • Locations
    • Victoria Park Harriers, Homerton
    • Chats Palace, Lower Clapton
    • HBC Community Centre, Homerton
    • Pilates in the Park
  • Classes
    • Group Classes
    • Initial Assessment
    • Private Classes
    • Corporate Classes
    • Teachers
      • Sam White - Founder and Principal Teacher
      • Danai Pappa
      • Sophie Balaam
      • Caroline Kinch
      • Emma Illingworth
      • Testimonials - Client Feedback
  • About Pilates
    • Pilates Background
    • Back Pain Pilates
    • More About Low Back Pain
  • FAQ's
  • Contact