let's talk about the tush

over the past couple of years "barre" classes have taken over like wildfires spreading all over southern california. the reason why these types of classes are so popular is because not only are they fun and allow people to work out like dancers - who, not coincidentally, have some beautiful behinds - these classes yield great results, especially when it comes to tushies.

well-conditioned behinds, formally and simply speaking, your gluteals - maximus, medius and minimus, are not only sexy but functionally very important. not only do round, toned, gravity-defying tushies look good, they help support our backs and keep our hips from tightening up. in addition, they stabilize our hips in cooperation with our abdominal core and are therefore crucial to maintain healthy postures as we go about our daily lives walking, standing, going up stairs, etc....

the main purpose of the gluteus maximus, the most well-known, outermost muscles of all the gluteals, is to extend the hip, i.e. when we bring a leg back when we walk. it also turns the leg outward and lifts it to the side. underneath the maximus, the medius helps bring the leg out to the side, turns it inward & outward; it pushes the hip forward and also flexes it (like when we bend over). the innermost the minimus also flexes the hip, helps pull the leg out to the side and also rotates it inward.

it's no wonder, therefore, that there are so many different ways to work these all important muscles. they move the leg in so many directions! and how often do we rely on our legs? all the time!! it might be easy to forget to condition them, letting fatty tissue in the area take over (ever heard of the phrase "secretary spread"?) as we spend so much time sitting - at our desks, in our cars, having dinner with friends, etc...but thankfully, there are many fun options in which we can get them nice and healthy.

so now you know a little more about what's "behind" you, get up off of it and find a class near you (mine are at the equinox club in west hollywood on friday mornings at 9a). your back, hips and not to mention, your significant other, will be very happy you did!

getting to know your diaphragm as part of your core

the thoracic diaphragm (or simply “diaphragm”) is the primary and most unique umbrella-like shaped muscle for respiration that lies between the thoracic (chest) and abdominal cavities. while difficult to perceive in the body at times, it is also a very important muscle in with respect to exercise, posture and in daily existence. what does this ultimately mean for your workouts? it means that because of its distinctive positioning, this muscle also affects your core conditioning.

the diaphragm’s muscle fibers attach to bones at inner surface of our bottom six ribs, at the front of the body at the sternum and at the back of the body at lower vertebrae. these muscle fibers converge at the central tendon which is attached to the connective tissue that surrounds the lungs. during inhalation and exhalation, the diaphragm (along with the muscles of the ribs) contracts and expands to create a suction to draw fresh oxygenated air into the lungs and then returns to its original shape to expel used air.

with respect to core muscles, the diaphragm is also connected to the postural muscles such as the transverse abdominus (your body’s own built in corset/weight belt), quadratus lumborum (back stabilizers) and iliopsoas (the hip flexors), creating an “upper roof” for these core muscles. its contraction not only affects lung capacity, but also affects the pressure in the abdominal wall and the activity of the abdominal muscles! so, you see, your breathing is indeed affected by your posture and vice versa. when we are aware of the diaphragm and consciously integrate our breathing into our workouts, we are maximizing its function and collaboration with our entire core.

when your fitness instructors remind you about your posture in cycling class or suggest ways in which you can manipulate your breath in yoga or pilates classes, it is more than just what it might seem. they are asking you to condition your core muscles by mobilizing one of the most influential muscles in respiration, posture and core abdominal conditioning. so listen carefully to what they say and key in to what your body is doing on the inside and out. with this focus, you will be able to find this important muscle and get it to work for you!

how a strong core helps your play

one of my newer students shared a great story with me the other day. after a couple months of pilates, apparently he was able to use his newly found core muscles to prevent a small basketball injury!

prone to turning his ankles, during one game, he caught and re-centered himself just before he was about to land improperly. he said that before, he would have just landed and then hurt himself (and in turn, putting himself out of commission, unable to enjoy more play time with his friends). since he felt more centered and stronger with his core, he quickly recognized the danger and avoided landing wrong all together. after several lessons, he had quickly developed more control over his overall movement.

pilates is amazing for applications in cross diagonal, multi-directional movement, as in playing basketball. this is why pro-basketball players like kobe bryant, lebron james and jason kidd practice pilates. the more stable your core muscles are that support the movement of your limbs around your spine and torso, the more control you will have over your body. it all makes perfect sense, the better functioning your axis, or midline is, the more control you will have over movement around this axis.

it's pure physics. think about a spinning top. a top that is spinning upright on its tip will spin much longer than one that is spinning on an angle. as a matter of fact, the one spun on an angle will quickly topple over. a strong core is analogous to the straight axis upon which the top spins by centrifugal force. the stronger the core is, the faster and more effective the spinning movement is and can be.

whether you're a recreational athlete or one that makes a living off of your sport, pilates will not only help your execution, more importantly, it will help you with injury prevention so you can keep playing for a long time!

what we mean by "core"

i often sense that the word "core" is misinterpreted and sometimes misused. when pilates teachers refer to one's "core", i remind you that we are referring to the innermost muscles that support the trunk of the body. some people think that the word "core" means just your abdominals. we mean way more than that. imagine what an apple core is like when the rest of the apple has been eaten. the shape that it makes is actually a little similar to how we want our clients and students to envision their own core. when we speak of the "core" in pilates (and yoga) we mean those muscles that support the spine, the muscles that connect the ribs to the hips and other muscles that connect the spine to the hips.

we speak of creating a girdle for oneself, pulling all of the surrounding muscles in to establish a strong foundation. abdominal muscle groups like the rectus (along the front), the obliques and transverse (along the side of the body) are included in this definition, but so are the other muscles along the back of the body like the inner spinal erectors and quadratus lumborum as well as the latissmus dorsi which run close to the surface along the lower back. all of these muscle groups with many more, support the torso.

imagine how many muscles work together and how strong the many layers could be as they work together. with this strong core, your posture is at its best and you stand upright. when you stand upright, the benefits are endless to your body and overall well being. your lungs are able to fill with ease, your diaphragm is positioned to contract and relax maximally and your spine is stacked to serve most efficiently. with this posture, you have the capacity to take in the most oxygen as you breathe, therefore, increasing the circulation of blood throughout your system. with more blood and fresh oxygen through the system, the heart and brain work well. and yes, you guessed it, when your heart and your brain work well, you make the best decisions for yourself and you are confident with what you do.

a strong core in pilates will yield so much more than a 4- or 6-pack (so much of that is diet, anyway!), it will yield a strong spirit and strong foundation for living. and that's mind body connection at its best.