"Wow, I can feel that spot you're working on radiating down my shoulder. What is that?" It’s Neuromuscular Technique being applied to a trigger point. NMT is a wonderful muscle-releasing technique that allows your massage therapist to help your muscles release effectively without overworking them. What is also wonderful about this technique is that it can keep working even after the session is over. After your massage session is over, your nervous system will continue to react to the therapy for a while.

READ MORE ABOUT TRIGGER POINT TECHNIQUE

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”

This ultra-popular, hip, ‘workout for the stars’ form of exercise didn’t originate in Hollywood or New York. Actually, a young man named Joseph Pilates invented this exercise system in Germany in the early 1900s. As a child, Joseph suffered from asthma and rickets but was determined to create a healthy body for himself. So he designed a system of exercise and called it the “Art of Contrology.” The focal points of his work were to increase lung capacity, improve core strength, and use one’s mind to control body movements.

During World War I, he taught Contrology to the internees to keep them healthy through the deadly influenza epidemic of 1918. Later, he also worked as an orderly at a hospital on the Isle of Mar. Working with bedridden patients, he attached springs to the hospital beds to support and strengthen the patients’ weak limbs. These spring-based exercises became the groundwork for the apparatuses later designed by Joseph called the Cadillac Reformer and the Universal Reformer.

Joseph immigrated to the United States in 1926 with his wife Clara, and together they set up the first official Pilates studio in New York City. Pilates training has captured the attention of dancers, like Martha Graham and George Balachine, since the late 1920s. Now, Pilates is a household name, and classes are widely available in every major city.

“Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase.”

Purpose: Swimming stretches and strengthens the muscles along your spine.

Lie on your stomach, arms reaching forward, palms down. Squeeze the backs of your legs together, and slightly turn feet outward (Pilates stance). Pull your navel up into your spine, and lift your head; then lift your right arm and left leg off the mat. Switch arms and legs by lifting your left arm and right leg. Alternate lifting your limbs without shifting your body weight. Inhale for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts. Complete 2 to 5 sets of 5 deep breaths. Sit back on your heels in “child’s pose” when finished.

Checklist: Hold your gaze high without crunching the back of your neck. Keep your arms and legs as straight as possible without letting them touch the mat.

Special note: If you have a tender lower back, make sure to pull your stomach in deeply. If swimming still bothers your back, leave it out.

Goal: Swim briskly but avoid rocking from side to side. Keep control from your center.

Progression: Speed it up! This challenges coordination and torso stability.

Contact Jocelyn Paoli at 206-443-1111 x216 for your Pilates inquiries.