Scoliosis

What is it? Do you have it? What can you do?
Here are two pictures I got off of the Internet that shows you the two different types of Scoliosis one can have. The picture to your left is a C curve and the picture to the right is an S curve. You can have these curves at different parts of the spine and you can also have them at different degrees of curve.

I will start with the question what is it? Scoliosis is simply the "curvature of the spine." What happens is that the vertebra's are actually turn. So those little poky parts on the spine are facing one direction or the other, this causes a ton of compression and discomfort in your back.

Do you have it? We all have some degree of curve. This is because of everyday habit, crossing your legs, leaning to one side, etc. This goes into explaining that there are two types of Scoliosis, one is Functional, and the other Structural. First, Functional- this type of Scoliosis, is from "habit" or everyday function. I see functional scoliosis among the hairdressers. This is from leaning over to wash hair, cutting, and blow drying. The good thing is that with the right stretches and exercises it can be kept from getting any worse.

Structural- means you were born with it. You may have found yourself at the doctors office at about 13 years old. This is about the time that it really starts to show up. Through the years, it can get worse and you may have to wear a brace. It is important to do stretches and toning, so that while it's getting worse you can slow down the processes.

There is a lady by the name of Kathy Corey, who has Scoliosis herself and has done a ton of Pilates work with herself, she has said, and has done X-Rays, that show her structual scoliosis has decreased in degree of curve! Isn't that is amazing?! I had the honor of taking a class with her on the subject at the last Pilates Convention. She is getting doctors behind her to support Pilates work for Scoliosis.

What can you do about it? Well, if you have it, you should find out, is it functional or structural, by going to a doctor- Either way you wan to start taking care of it ASAP. Bodies only start to break down as we get older, so the sooner you treat it, the more likely you will stand upright when you are 80 years old.

This is a common issue that us Pilates trainers deal with. Pilates is great for scoliosis, because we balance out both sides of the body, particularly the back, we stretch the side that needs to be stretched and we tone the side that needs to be toned. This would be a ideal for doing the Injury plan that I offer. Working with only your scoliosis.

For me this is exciting to work with- When I was in high school was the first time I heard about Scoliosis. I have it to some degree, due to my leg length issue. While at UCI I learned more about it, and then while getting Certified in Pilates, I learned how to work with it. It can get really overwhelming and confusing, but if you stick the to fundamentals and not think too much about the whole anatomy of it, you can get tons of relief and hopefully, stop the curving from getting worse.

I think the first time that I finally understood and put all the pieces together was when I went to a Human Body Exhibit. I got to see an actual spine that had it. What happens is that the vertebra's are actually turned. So the Spinous process, those little poky parts on your spine, are facing one direction or the other, this causes a ton of compression and discomfort. So, if you are in pain due to it, if when you lay down "straight" you feel like you are in a C curve or and S curve, you want to give Pilates a try.

Commitment

Most people steer away from this word, but today I'm asking you to face it head on. You come and visit my site for either of these reasons, 1) you are killing down time. 2) You want to know more about Pilates. 3) you are seeking help for various physical issues. 4) you love me and wonder what I'm going to post about next :) I am hoping that out of all those reasons your main one is about Pilates.
I was going to wait three weeks to talk about this subject, since it takes three weeks to either make a new habit or break your commitment to that " New years physical fitness goal". I've been thinking about why the three week mark... in my opinion I think the three week mark, is the fact that 1) you can't see the BIG result 2) your body is slowly changing, but had you given it three more weeks you would have seen where you could have gone. Whenever I give my clients their new 6 week plan, they moan and groan because it's hard! The body is shocked out of what it just got use too and mastered, and most of us don't like change. How do we get over this hill? Well, you have to face it head on and get past these three weeks.
Here's my idea on how to keep it going for all of 2010!.

• Write a commitment sentence and put it where you can see it every day. Either on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, or if you have a phone, you can write it as a ongoing appointment that you read everyday. Your commitment sentence should say:

I ___________________ am committing myself to ( physical fitness goal) twice a week from (your start date) to ( only put three months out).

Why three months out? Because by three months this should be habit and then you are going to bump it up to more often during the week (you write out three times a week, or four times a week). So every three months you make a new commitment to yourself. If you want to change your physical goal, go for it. Maybe your first three months you want to work on walking, then abs, or walking and abs. You have ENDLESS possibilities on how you want to obtain your physical goal.

• Positive talk- I want you to write out one positive in the present tense sentence. It can be as simple as I AM Doing it! I always feel great when I workout. My Abs are Rock hard! Those jeans look great on me!

Repeat this sentence to your self for the WHOLE year! You want to write it, think it, and say it everyday.

• Get a journal. Write down either, food, what physical activity you've done, new goals. Something that you have to come back to, that will help you get back on track when you slip from your goal.
• Think simple! There are many ways to get to these goals. One way, it get out more, take a walk, find small time frames that you are sitting there, and do a couple bicep curls, or heel raises. You could join a gym ( I will turn the other cheek) or you can get a personal trainer, like myself :) to help you stay on your goal.
• It doesn't always have to be about weight either- It could be just getting out of stress, getting yourself active again, or just feeling good about you-

I know you can do it! And remember all things are possible!

January News letter

I will someway find out how to just have my newsletter on the site, so that you don't have to download it... For now, here it is you can download and read...

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GET BACK TO WORK!

That's how I felt this morning. Even though,I did work a little over Noah's vacation, it was still hard to get up this morning. Before, I start blogging back to good 'ol Pilates and fitness, which I am sure, you have already set your 2010 fitness goals, maybe some of you don't mind be gabbing about how the two weeks went by so fast and what Noah and I did together, and if you read along you can see the Christmas gifts that I did for my family :)

One of the first things Noah and I did together was go downtown and see Christmas in the Park. We do this every year, but Noah was especially into it this year, and they had WAY more rides than years past. So, he was very into those too- This is about the only time he will take me by the hand. He is still hold my hand, but you know.... he's growing up and doesn't want any P.D.A.

Something else was was exciting at about Christmas in the park, was the some of the rides where from Michael Jackson's ranch. It was so cute, Noah kept asking me if I was going to go on the ride with him, but being at the end of my 7th month of pregnancy , I had to turn him down. Very sweet though- We made cookies for Santa.. That was fun

Here are scarves that I made for my mom, my sister and my three sister-in- laws...

And the Calendars that I made for my Dad, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my brother and Peter... I had Noah sign his name on the front of them and signed them, "Noah #6" At school he is #6, so on everything he puts Noah #6.

Here are Peter's sisters wearing their scarves...

The gram cracker house I made for my brother, Bill. I did this totally on my own, no directions. Noah helped by eating the leftovers :)

Here is my sister-in-law, Jen, my sister Heather, and my mom... Best thing ever, Jen pulled hers out and said, "WOW you made this! I didn't know you knew how to do something like this!"
On New Years, we went over to some friends of Peter's and his Mom. It was the lowest key thing Peter and I ever have done...Except for 6 years ago when I was pregnant with Noah.. LOL Here is Noah ready for the count down to 2010!

I have TONS of Photos with me and Peter kissing! I LOVE it :)

And in case you were wondering what I looked like at 33 weeks pregnant- Here you have it... Could I possibly get any bigger.... oh Lord, help me lol....

Be thinking about your 2010 Fitness goals. In the next blog we will talk about staying committed to them, how to not give up after 3 weeks and how you can carry it out past 2011.

DANCE OFF!

Out of the many reasons that I LOVE my husband, one of my favorite's is the pure fact that he loves music and loves to dance. No, nothing technical, just for the funk of it. Sometimes when a song comes on the radio he will say," eeewwww sick! I had a routine for this one." while moving his head. One of the things we used to do, was go up the city and dance. If we tried doing that today we would fall asleep before we even get into the car to go up there. Funny how being 30 something is different than 20 something. LOL Well, it was only to come that having a Mom who was/is a dancer and Dad who loves to dance...., Noah LOVES to dance! Anytime there is music or even if there is no music on, he has to move. I'd like to think it 'cause I was dancing the whole time I was pregnant with him, and he was around dance for the first 3 years of his little life.

At this point (as I write this ;)~ )about a week or so ago...we had gotten back from Noah's Christmas program at school , and Peter says to Noah, " Son, you want to have dance off?" Oh Noah was ALL about having a dance off. He's ego was way high on this subject, because just earlier that week we went to a birthday party, and a song come on, and he went into his step... He had a circle around him and high 5's were being given out. So, Peter tells him, put your outfit on and meet me downstairs.... Here is what I got of that night-

Dad started with the challenge

Noah right away, shows off his one arm push-up... He is NOT joking around here...

He switches off to the other arm to show his strength... He is serious about winning this competition..

Dad comes back to show that he put together some mean Choreography...

Noah again, comes back with a flying jump on to land and jam on the beats... his movements.. UNPREDICTABLE....

WATCH OUT did Dad really bring this move in!!! DANG....this tough, this ... is... tough...

Noah ends on a strike that CAN NOT BE BEATEN DOWN!!!!!

yes, we are this wild and fun! I LOVE MY family. If we aren't doing "family hugs" which we do often, then we are staying up way to late, dancing, laughing about farts (it's a boy thing.... I still don't get it ) or DANCING... Sorry Miss Zahn, I promise when school starts back up I will do my parent duty of getting him in bed at a "normal" time. LOL Hope everybody enjoyed their Christmas holiday!

Christmas in the eyes of 1st graders

aawwww to be a Child again and to be only thinking about the exciting part of Christmas- I am so blessed to have Noah in my life, because when I get really stressed out about whatever. He brings me done to what life is really all about... excitement, family, friends, putting the decorations up on the tree, making cookies.... and SANTA! I know alot of Christian's don't like even bringing Santa into the picture of Christmas, but I think it's OK! He is learning that Jesus came as a humble baby, but there is a wide eye wonderment that happens when I tell him I talked to Santa, or when he asks me questions about Santa. So, if you have children I am sure they also look like Noah in this picture... supper Excited about what is to come on Thursday night.

Noah goes to a small Lutheran School, Apostles Lutheran where I too went. I really had no question in my mind that when I had kids they would be brought up in the Christian faith, and going to a Christian school. As a 31 year old women, I am still growing in my faith everyday, but I can honestly say, you don't want to mess with a child's faith! And Noah LOVES the Lord. He is the one who starts our dinner prayer every night. You can guess where I came up with name, but really, I had no question about it.

My mom, Oma, was requested to come to the Christmas party. He actually didn't even want me to come, but like I was going to let that happen. This is one of my true joys about owning my own business, I get to be more apart of my son's life. They are only young once, and the past six years has past by so fast. They are moments that are frozen in my minds eye that if I could I would go back to them in a heartbeat.

After lunch prayer and pizza it was time to start the games! The first game was Winter Memory. If any of you have been to a baby shower, you might of played this one- You have a tray with items on it, you see it and then you have to write them down. Whoever get the most written down wins! Here comes the try!

I wish I could say this is Noah's handwriting, but we are still working on it :) I like how they spelled ortamint :) LOL. If only we could get away will misspellings, people are not that forgiving on that one ;)
They were to whisper in their group what they saw... of course their whisper was loud enough that all the groups could hear one another.... Too funny... an then you would hear..."NO!!!, Oh Yeah!!!, A Bell a Bell!!"
The next game on tap- was "snowball" race. Done with a marshmallow- Two teams, scoop the snowball onto the spoon and run to the other bowl. They had TONS of fun with this one.

Miss Zahn even join in on this one! That's another thing about 1st graders they are totally cool with their teacher joining in on the game-

They came back in and played, musical chairs! Talk about tension rising kicking in. Am I going to get a chair, am I not, am I getting a chair, am I not!!??!!!?? Tons of laughter, pointing, pouting, and screams on this game!


Don't touch the chairs!! that's cheating! LOL


Then last but not lest was pictary.... This would be Noah's donkey... that would be Marry on the donkey. The whiteboard at home has really gotten him into his drawling artistic ability. :)


After that game, it was time to call it Christmas break! One parent commented to Miss Zahn, "break for you, work for us." Yes, it is trying when they are home or when you have to bring them to work with you, like I do, but I enjoy him home. He would like to be home schooled, but I can't see that I'm a candidate for that one. :)

And the teacher's desk... now this makes me feel good- I'm not alone! my office desk is cleaner than my home.... but this looks like something I can relate too.

I can't believe that 2009 is just about over, what a year it has been- a very blessed year at that. May you find yourself back in the studio at the start of 2010!

Long Time No Blog :(

Since Thanksgiving my life has been a whirl wind. Because money is tight this year, my side of my family decided to make each other's Christmas gift- Sorry can't show them yet, but come back after Christmas and you can see what has taken up my free time. However; in other news I have sad news. Sad in a way, but seeing it as a positive part in my life. We've all met Lisa-


Lisa is a US traveler in her own Right, living all kinds of different states. I think it is awesome that she can just live in one place, and when the opportunity comes up to move elsewhere, she GOES for it. She is also at the end of finishing up her PH.D. which, I also find totally inspiring. Well, sad to say Lisa is now moving to San Diego where she will be employed, and with how everything is going in the job area- this is awesome for her. I am always sad to see any of my clients leave, not just due to the fact that this is my job, but more importantly because of what all I put into their training and vis versa.
Every six weeks I write out a new Pilates program, that will take my clients to a new level of strength, balance, understanding, and fun for their Pilates workout. I don't just mindlessly think of programs, I think about their bodies, their mindset, their stress level, and give them a workout that takes the hour into something they can walk away with, and say, "wow, that is just what I needed." In some respect I'm a body healer, weather it's taking my client out of pain, stress, or making them see they are strong and they can do it! I LOVE IT!
The last client that left that totally effected me was my client of 5 years. Talk about the growth she and I had together. She was my first client. By the time she left, due to moving too, her form and her strength was incredible. I cried for about a month knowing that she was leaving and that I had to move on without her. So, I do get every attached to my clients.
Lisa, I wish you all the blessings to you! I know you will LOVE San Diego, I know you will be very welcomed in any Pilates studio. May you continue to grow in yourself as a physically active Lady that you are! You were awesome to train, you were an awesome client, and I if you ever find yourself in San Jose, stop by.
Heidi