MyNouschka and I will be heading East to spread some holiday cheer/shenanigans. We have 6 weeks to get our butts in gear to become total bombshells, so we are on a strict exercise plan. I am leaving our healthy meal plan up to our glorious goddess of greens, and I will be handling our workouts. We live on opposite sides of town, so when I arrive to work I deliver virtual moral support (read: do this or I WILL find out and I WILL kick your ass) via morning workout regiment emails. I have prescribed an hour of cardio per day, 4 days a week, either in the gym, or around town. I'm tempted to count shoe shopping because nothing gets our hearts racing like a curvy heel, a little toe cleavage, and that peek-a-boo fiery soul! (Sorry boys, our hearts belong to Monsieur Louboutin.), but in the end nothing sculpts like a Pilates session.
In my last post I gave you guys a peek into the lofty world of competitive pole dancing. I have the distinct privilege of teaching these aerial Titanias, and as a fan of the style myself, I can attest that this skill comes at a price. In January of this year I started a pilates instructor certification program, in part to rehab myself, and with the long-term goal of helping others prevent pole shoulder. Akin to frozen shoulder, it is the nemesis of flexibility, and completely debilitating to anyone who needs to extend their arms by their ears for any reason. In essence pilates teaches practitioners to move from their powerhouse (comprised of the abs, lower back, pelvic floor and smile muscles otherwise known as your glutes - smile muscles sound much cuter!), but I've found that people are confused about what the powerhouse really is, and what it means for healthy movement. I once described it thus: having had a martini or two, I looked down at my pinky, which I have a hereditary habit of sticking out when I drink "pilates is knowing how to move your pinky finger with your abs." This got me thinking about all the other movements I would miss that originate from the powerhouse:1. That little scoop in the belly I do every time I walk by a cutie.
2. That little tilt of the head and shy smile I get when I see my crush that says: "Come talk to me."
3. The swagger - no explanation necessary!
4. Anything that involves hip movement like salsa dancing, belly dancing or the horizontal tango.
I bet your thinking: Gee, there really are some things I'm gonna miss if I'm not connected to my powerhouse! Well you should try pilates, ladies and gentlemen, and you might learn to feel a thing or two you've never felt before!
