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Posts Tagged ‘Pilates’
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
 Q: Can you recommend any move to strengthen the neck for 100s? Mine aches during 100s & crunches. – Pamela
A: Hi Pamela, If you have a healthy yet weak neck musculature, it can be too hard core to start with hundreds and a lot of Pilates moves. When practicing Pilates it’s important to slowly progress with the moves and in that way strengthen all the muscles connected to your neck. Also, there might be a weakness because the neck is tight from stress, which is very common.
A few easy tips for better Pilates practice:
1. Do neck stretches on a regular basis, 2 to 3 times a day, if you know you have a tightness problem.
2. When doing Pilates exercises, progress slowly. Instead of going for the full hundreds right away, back off and do 50 in a row, break, do another 50. Next time progress to 60 in a row, etc.
3. Core strength is imperative!!! Learn how to properly engage the core WHILE doing all the exercises and also learn how to keep the neck in the proper position so that it is not leaning too far back for it to be heavy, or too tucked in for it to be in a compressed position. A rule of thumb is to keep the chin as far away from the chest as if you were holding an orange between your chin and chest.
Hope this helps! Please let me know how it goes.
Live Life Loud!
Tanja
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Tags: hundreds, neck, Pilates
Posted in Ask Tanja, Fitness | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
Q: Hi, Tanja. I can’t seem to get rid of my love handles and flatten my stomach. What should I do?
– L.
A: Hi L., Love handles are deposits of excess fat, and the best way to battle them is to do fat-burning cardio workouts (have you done my Reebok Bootcamp DVD yet?!) and slowly start excluding processed sugars, grains, and other unnecessary foods from your diet. If you have gone on many yo-yo diets, the love handles and other deposit pockets might be more pronounced and harder to get rid of. DON’T GIVE UP!!! The same goes for excess fat on the stomach but you can also do Pilates exercises for the core and abs! The Pilates Core Challenge DVD with Ana Caban is a good one.
Best,
Tanja
Do you have a question? Don’t be shy – ask it here!
Tags: abs, cardio, core, love handles, Pilates, stomach
Posted in Ask Tanja, Fitness, News | No Comments »
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
 Q: Hi Tanja, I am a HUGE fan of your fitness and workout DVDs; they are the perfect level for me and I LOVE your upbeat yet calming attitude. Do you have any recommendations for yoga or Pilates DVDs for pregnancy? Thanks and keep up the amazing work!
– Anna
A: Hi Anna, Thank you for your question and kudos! Gaiam definitely has some good yoga and Pilates DVDs, but the most important thing for you to remember when you are pregnant is to really listen to your body. It important to FEEL comfortable, so if a workout or a move makes you feel nervous and insecure of doing it – just don’t at that time. Maybe you will feel different next time. Also, twists are not recommended during pregnancy so it would be useful to find yoga DVDs that are specific to prenatal and pregnancy. There is tons of material out there!! Try Shiva Rea’s Prenatal Yoga DVD and Kit. Have a beautiful pregnancy!
Best,
Tanja
Do you have a question? Don’t be shy – ask it here!
Tags: DVDs, Gaiam, Pilates, pregnancy, yoga
Posted in Ask Tanja, Fitness | No Comments »
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Q: Hi Tanja, I’m 36 and had a child four years ago. My stomach is less than toned now than two years ago and I’m a thin, petite person. Besides yoga, hiking, and jogging (once a week) and cardio videos, what would you recommend? I am aware that diet has its positive health benefits, too. Thanks.
– Heather
A: Dear Heather, Thank you for your question! Congratulations on being a healthy mom!! For many, there is always a little stretchy skin that remains after having a baby but, that said, everyone is different when it comes to the elasticity of the skin.
I think strength training could be a great new thing for you to explore, and with that a lot of core and abdominal work based on Pilates. In this way you will strengthen the abdominal structures from the inside out, so to speak. Balance Ball ab work is great for that (click the video preview link for my 8 Minute Ball Workout). Also, Ana Caban has great Pilates DVDs through Gaiam!!
Of course, diet as you know is crucial here!! If you want tips on how to recharge and restructure, refer to my 10-Week Transformation here on the blog! It might help you on the way. 
Best,
Tanja
Do you have a question? Don’t be shy – ask it here!
Tags: abs, Ana Caban, baby weight, balance ball, core, DVDs, Gaiam, Pilates, stomach, strength training
Posted in Ask Tanja, Fitness | No Comments »
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