Tight hamstrings are weak hamstrings. Tight hamstrings can cause the pelvis to tuck. The upper connection of the hamstrings becomes weaker as that connection becomes tighter, preventing its proper function in keeping the pelvis properly aligned. A tucked pelvis leads to a stooped or rounded upper body which can involve a misalignment of the spine as the trunk cannot be properly supported from below. Shoulders are unable to sit squarely over the hips and, as a result, abdominals cannot be properly engaged in daily activities let alone Pilates exercises.

Further more, a tucked pelvis will also cause the lower abdominals to be compressed and prevent their successful engagement. A body with weak, tight hamstrings will develop a compensation pattern that strengthens the quadriceps (on the front of the legs opposite of the hamstrings) ultimately creating a muscular imbalance in the legs. One of the most extreme symptoms of weak, tight hamstrings is compression in the lower spine, typically between L5 and S1 and sciatica. Aside from its connection in the L5 /S1 area, the sciatic nerve also intersects the middle hamstring muscle, Semitendinous.

Many of us have had the experience of attempting a Teaser on the long box, the Cadillac, mat or chair and feeling like: “I just can’t straighten my legs.” With every attempt to straighten the legs, one may experience the burning sensation of a stretch in the hamstrings, a pulling stretch in the lower back, or the inability to pull the upper body into an upright position atop the hips. Essentially what is happening is a tug-o-war between the hamstrings and lower back muscles, the pelvis being the fulcrum between the two forces. The answer: work on increasing the strength and flexibility of the hamstrings and work on strengthening the lower abdominals.

Exercises like Tree on the Short Box, Short Spine on the Reformer, Ballet Stretches on the Ladder Barrel or Cadillac, Going Up Front on the Chair, Leg Springs, and Push-Through on the Cadillac not only work on increasing the strength and flexibility of the hamstrings, but also focus on balancing the push-pull effect on the pelvis caused by the imbalances between the hamstrings and lower back. This push-pull effect can often be felt with the effort to square the shoulders on top of the hips. How could such a simple exercise be so challenging and cause such discomfort? Blame poor ergonomics and body patterning: hours spent in a car, sitting at a desk, or years of squeezing Gluteus muscles in an effort to make the butt smaller.

Even the most athletic can fall victim to an imbalance in the hamstrings as often the easiest way to go from point A to B is to use what is easily accessible. A runner will typically have strong Quadriceps and weak Hamstrings as pulling from the front side of the leg and not fully rolling through the foot with each stride will cause one to run with a tucked pelvis using mostly the front part of the foot and therefore the front part of the leg.

The shoulders will round forward as a result of the pelvis being tucked and the lower abdominals being compressed and weak. The most successful athletes will train to balance the musculature of the body, strengthen the abdominals, and pattern the body to perform with structural integrity.

The three dimensional movement of Gyrotonic can also aid in balancing the hamstrings. With large circular, diagonal and lateral movements, the legs are able to complete movements allowing the femur heads to fully express their full natural range within the hip sockets. A weighted cable pulley system allows for traction and resistance making for a perfect balance between stretch and strength. As the bones are tractioned from their sockets, the pelvis is decompressed and the hamstring can lengthen and engage, providing for a safe environment to expand the hamstring muscles to their full capacity. Gyrotonic can feel like you are literally scrubbing out the joints and creating space which provides relief from compression and an overall sense of muscular balance from front to back, side to side.

It is all too common that I clients that complain of lower back discomfort, herniated discs, tight hamstrings, and weak lower abdominals. It is easy to expect that these issues can be easily remedied with some stretching and a few lessons; however, the reality is that keeping the hamstrings strong and flexible takes commitment and dedication as the cascading effect of imbalances in the legs usually means that greater structural imbalances exist within the body.

Every culture has societal norms that predicate how we communicate with one another through movement. From the earliest recordings of human life, movement has been used in the forms of dance, religious rites, hunting and gathering, and the building of villages and cities. A greeting with a kiss can make an American blush while it is the norm in Europe. In today’s modern world, everything is a mouse click away and human interaction and movement has become limited to answering the phone, takeout, and email. Just within the past twenty years, human life has been “advanced” to objects of convenience.

How does this relate to Pilates and Gyrotonic? As dedicated practitioners and teachers of these movement practices, Jessica believes that with each session, we are delving deeper into the integral connection between mind and body‐the relationship between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Beyond the effort to bring the mind into the body, Pilates and Gyrotonic both work to strengthen our Kiesthetic or Bodily intelligence and our Spatial intelligence. Beyond identifying the self as either logical or liguistic, as a professional or a spouse, each individual has unique expressions and qualities that help to deBine our personalities.

By freeing up the body and having a sense of the physical self in health and well being, each person has the potential to positively affect those around us. Positive healthy movement can manifest itself in posture, how we reach out to others, our physical capabilities to help one another in manual tasks, gestures and expressions in conversations, and the sense of self worth. We encourage you to look further into the power of the right hemisphere of the brain the power of movement.

Pregnancy can present physical challenges such as lower back pain, rib discomfort, sciatica, pubic synthesis, gait impairment. heightened nerve sensitivity, and cardiovascular difficulties. With customized workouts that address the body as constantly changing, symptoms of pregnancy can be managed and lend to an easier birth experience.

My Pregnancy Workout with Pilates & GYROTONIC©

Focusing on keeping the base strong, alignment is reinforced relative to the changes occurring in the body. Core strength is emphasized without causing strain to the loosening ligaments. Flexibility balanced with strength. Arm strength is a great focus as strong arms are important for holding, llfting, and supporting the baby post partum.

GYROTONIC© uses traction and weight to assist and guide throughout workouts. Oppositional movement,, spinal movement, and supported movement serve as the foundation for conditioning the body throughout pregnancy.

Pilates helps to build alignment and core strength.

LEVITY™ teaches the principles of opposition and serves as a guided aid for home use so that private sessions may be bridged and reinforced.

Pilates & GYROTONIC© After the Baby

Post partum, movement is so important for mental and physical support. As the body adjusts to life postpartum, sleepless nights and hormonal shifts can lead to aches, pains, and a tendency to resist physical activity in exchange for nesting. One of the best things for both baby and mother is to resume physical activity as soon a medical practitioner allows.
Movement may start with walking and light half hour workouts. These workouts are geared to help the body realign as the skeletal system adjusts and hormonal levels change. Focusing less on flexibility, postpartum workouts are geared towards initially establishing stability in the body. As the body allows, core strength and more cardiovascular movement are integrated.

By six months post partum, all the pieces come together –flexibility, strength, toning, and cardiovascular movement. Movement at studiolevity balances the postpartum body and mind with complete sensitivity to how every body is different.

The THORACIC SPINE is made up of 12 vertebrae that increase in size from top to bottom. The thoracic spine anchors the ribcage, helps with twisting, bending, side extension movements. The longest segment of the spine, the thoracic can often become stiff from long hours in front of a computer or when discontent exists above or below . In addition, with arm or shoulder injuries, the cervical and thoracic can very often react or become involved as a great deal of arm and shoulder function is dependent on the upper spine. There are 5 vertebrae in the LUMBAR SPINE and they serve the important function of supporting a lot of the body’s weight-especially when sitting for long periods of time. The lumbar curve does not develop until a child begins to walk THe lumbar spine is connected to many small and large muscles in the lower back. When compressed, the lumbar region can?sucomb to gravity and lead to pinched nerves, slipped or bulging discs and general stiffness. The most common lumbar injury is compression between L4and L5, sometimes S1.

This leads us to the SACRUM-a triangular bone just below the lumbar. The sacrum is 4 or 5 bones in a child that then becomes fused by age 26. The sacrum is the back wall of the bony pelvic structure and can actually move from within. Sacral issues can arise with tightness or compression in the pelvis and especially with tight or weak hamstrings Finally, the COCCYX or tailbone is at the bottom of the spinal column and consists of 3-5 bones that fuse together by adulthood. Many muscles of the lower half of the body connect to the tailbone. Together, the coccyx and sacral curve also known as the pelvic curve, allows humans to stand upright and maintain balance with the upper body.

The healthy spine should maintain 4 basic functions with ease. Back bending, forward bending, reaching side to side and twisting. These basic movements will aid not only the health of the spine but support the health of the whole body. By moving the spine daily and supporting its basic functions, you will condition your nervous system, organs, muskaskeletal system, and circulatory system. When not doing Pilates or Gyrotonic, add theses basic spinal movements to your daily routine, several times a day. By simply getting up from a desk or even before bed, give your body a friendly reminder by bending in all directions. You are helping to pattern the body with good habits to counter the effects of months or years of bad habits. Awareness is bliss.

Portland, Oregon – August 19, 2010–How many times have you wished there were an exercise tool
that would fulfill all your strengthening and toning needs—not just for your abs or arms or calves, but for your whole body? Well, wish no more.

The new LEVITY™ Board, which is an ergonomical weight with leather holds, can help you strengthen and tone your entire body. Operating on the principles of weight resistance and traction, the LEVITY™ board, designed and created by Jessica Talisman, owner of Studio Levity in Portland, OR, allows you to put together a fitness routine that is simple, unique, and tailored to your personal goals. “For years I had been searching for a viable tool to inspire clients to feel confident with a home workout program,” explains Talisman, who is certified in Bikram Yoga, Classical Pilates, and Gyrotonic. “Most existing tools aren’t user-friendly; they’re bulky, cheaply made, or designed to target only specific areas, or they’re attached to a specific discipline such as Pilates.”

Rather than sticking with one exact form of movement, the most important factor in achieving strength and fitness is creating opposition in the body, Talisman says: When you create a push and a pull dynamic simultaneously, using the LEVITY™ board, this gives critical feedback to the joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nervous system all at once, challenging them to work together to create proper alignment, integrity, and strength throughout the body. “Just like a builder uses scaffolding to renovate an existing structure, the LEVITY™ Board accomplishes strength and integrity in the body by using a simple 3 pound, 5 ounce weight with leather holds,” Talisman explains. The LEVITY™ Board can be placed on the hands or the feet. “The lateral spacing of the crossed straps is configured so the user’s limbs are appropriately aligned, creating a strong, straight connection,” Talisman explains.

You can use the LEVITY™ Board across a broad spectrum of movements while standing, sitting, kneeling, and lying on your back or belly. Because it is weighted, it also is a strength-training tool. (An added perk: Its size allows for easy travel and storage.) Whether you’re doing a standing twist, a forward lunge, or a sphinx leg lift with the LEVITY™ board, you’ll use core strength with every movement.

If you do the LEVITY™ workout for half an hour 3 times a week for a month, you’ll gain increased flexibility, a stronger core, better posture, more toned arms, and greater overall muscle definition.
The LEVITY™ Board costs $119, plus shipping and handling. It can be purchased from LEVITY™ LLC, or by calling 503-449-6806.

Free instructional videos will be available here for a limited time.