Besides looking good, strong abdominals or strong core helps you to maintain optimal alignment of your body, reducing body aches and pains, and ensure you can go about your daily activities with ease.
[qode_simple_quote text_title_tag="h3" author_title_tag="h5" simple_quote_text="If your core is weak, nothing else can be strong." simple_quote_author="Justin Maguire"]
Here are several important reasons why your strong abdominals matters:
Strong abdominal muscles, particularly the deep transverse abdominis, provide stability and support to your spine. This helps maintain proper posture and alignment, reducing strain on the back muscles and preventing chronic back pain. Strong transverse abdominis are particularly important for those with slipped disc, degenerative disc disease or scoliosis.
Your core muscles act as a stabilizing force for your entire body, allowing you to perform movements efficiently and with better control. Strong abs contribute to overall stability, balance, and coordination, reducing the risk of falls or injuries during daily activities or sports.
For athletes, powerful abdominal muscles provide a solid foundation for generating power, transferring energy effectively, and maintaining proper body mechanics during dynamic movements like running, jumping, throwing, or weightlifting. A strong core maximizes athletic potential and reduces injury risk.
Strong abs make everyday tasks like bending, lifting, pushing, or carrying objects easier by providing the necessary support and stability. This reduces strain on other muscles and joints, making daily activities more efficient and less physically taxing.
Weak abs can lead to imbalances and excessive stress on the spine and surrounding structures. A strong core acts as a protective shield, stabilizing the spine and preventing injuries. It also plays a vital role in rehabilitation after injuries like lower back pain or even preventing issues such as knee pain.
Get strong abdominals with these 5 quick and effective mat Pilates exercises - simply join us as you watch the video. Complete full video once daily and feel your abdominals get stronger by week 2!
This abs workout can be done anytime, anywhere on a Pilates/Yoga Mat or a firm surface.
For faster results, Pilates Fitness provides specialised high intensity Reformer Pilates classes such as Weight Loss Pilates, Cardio Jumpboard & AbsBurn classes.
Click here for our class schedule and sign up online today! See you in our next Reformer class soon!
If you have lower back pain, then lateral flexion (also known as side bend) exercises are the best exercises for lower back pain.
Lateral flexion of the trunk (also know as side bend) is a movement that is rarely used in our day-to-day activities. Yet, go to any type of fitness class and you will find side bend stretches included for almost all warm-up and cool down routines.
This is because side bends help to improve lumbo-pelvic stability, provides lower back pain relief and trim your love handles. An unstable lumbo-pelvic area will lead to acute lower back injury, sharp lower back pain, spinal disc degeneration or even knee pain issues as the force from the feet is unable to travel up the whole spine.
Imagine if you stomp your feet hard on the ground and that force generated by the stomp get stuck in your lower back area instead of being cushioned by every vertebrae of your spine as the force travels up from ankle, knees, pelvis, lower back and upper back. You will experience lower back pain simply due to excessive pressure created when we walk or sit. The lower back vertebrae may also degenerate faster than other parts of the spine due to excessive erosion of specific lower back vertebrae when that pressure is unable to travel up to the upper spine.
A deep side bend also helps to open up the sides of your ribs, thereby allowing you to breathe deeper into the lower lobes of the lungs instead of shallow breathing. Shallow breathing may create tension in the neck and shoulders.
What muscles are involved in a side bend exercise that makes lateral flexion so important?
Last month, we covered the importance of having strong obliques and proper rotation patterns. Our focus for this month is on Lateral Flexion of the torso.
The primary muscles used in a side bend are: External/Internal Obliques, Quadratus Lumborum and the Erector Spinae.
Quadratus Lumborum (QL) are muscles located deep in the sides of the lower back. Contracting one side of the QL results in a side bend, while contracting both sides of the QL muscle results in a spinal extension. The QL plays an important role in the stability of the lumbo-pelvic area as it connects the pelvis to the spine.
Erector Spinae (Spinalis Group) is a group of muscles that extends vertically up the length of your back, and are involved in both lateral flexion and spinal extension. Weakness/tightness in the Erector Spinae may result in overworking the QL muscles to pick up the slack, hence resulting in back pain. If left untreated in the long run, shoulder pain and kyphosis may also occur due to tightness in the QL, erector spinae and obliques.
Our body always tries its best to perform any movement we want. However, performing the movement correctly visually does not necessarily means that the right muscles are used to do the job. Any muscle compensation will lead to imbalances and ended up with back pain or knee pain.
Remember, your muscle is painful because it is overworked, not because it is weak! The overworked muscle is often the stronger muscle. If you push the stronger and painful muscle to work further, it will lead to injury or a total breakdown (sprain or tear) - so that it do not need to work anymore (same goes for our mind!). Hence, to relieve any painful muscle, you have to train the weaker muscle to start working to reduce load on the painful (and stronger) muscle. Once the weaker muscles tone up and share the load, the stronger and painful muscle will learn to work less and the ache will naturally go away! It's almost like magic.
HOW CAN FLEXION OR SIDE BEND EXERCISES HELP ME?
Flexion helps to stretch and stabilise jumbo-pelvic area and relieve issues such as:
1. Tightness in your lower back that may lead to lower back pain
2. Acute lower back injury (eg some people can sprain their lower back with just a hard sneeze!)
3. Chronic lower back pain aka pain that is always there but cannot be diagnosed with MRI or Xray. Doctors will tell you, your back is fine. However, you know it is not fine since it is always sore! 🙁
4. Accelerate spinal disc degeneration. An unstable lumbo-pelvic area means an unstable spine and you may be excessively moving only particular vertebrae thereby causing premature spinal disc degeneration. A stable lumbo-pelvic area utilise the whole spine to perform the movement instead of only a few specific vertebrae
5. Knee pains - when the force from the ground (as you walk or jog) travels upwards from feet to ankles to knees to lower back and get “stuck” at the lower back area due to unstable jumbo-pelvic area, the force shoots right back to the knee instead of being cushioned by vertebrae of the entire spine. This is usually described as knee pain after a jog. If the jumbo-pelvic area is stable, the force travels up from lower back and cushioned up all the way to the upper back, thereby reducing pressure on any particular joint.
A basic stretch you can do daily at home is the seated mermaid.
If mermaid seating is uncomfortable for you, perform this exercise in a cross-legged seated position instead.
To strengthen the muscles involved in lateral flexion, try the side plank:
If you find it difficult to balance with the legs stacked, bring the top leg forwards on the mat instead to increase stability.
Simply take 5 mins a day to do these 2 exercises daily (6-8 reps on each side) to increase lateral spinal flexibility and strength, and eventually build a better posture!
Here are some tips to ace this month's side bend flow in class:
If you want to improve your lower back pain or knee pain, our Instructors can help you to accelerate your recovery and performance by using Pilates Reformer machines.
Give us a call/whatsapp us to book your next Pilates Reformer Flow class! See you soon!
Find out about the Flow Challenge and how you can get FREE CLASSES every month!
Do each of the exercises 8 - 10 times for each side. It will take you 5 - 8 minutes. You should do it on the floor with the support of a Yoga/Pilates mat or a soft towel on a carpeted floor. These exercises should not be performed on the bed! You can do these exercises first thing in the morning to increase flexibility of your spine or at the end of the day to stretch out those tired muscles.
If you want to improve your lower back pain or knee pain, our Instructors can help you to accelerate your recovery and performance by using Pilates Reformer machines.
Purchase your first Reformer Pilates class offer here! See you soon!
In recent years, Miley Cyrus has undergone a remarkable physical transformation, and one of the key factors behind her toned and sculpted physique is her dedication to Pilates, particularly reformer Pilates. As a pop icon known for her energetic performances and bold fashion choices, Miley's journey to achieving her "new Pilates body" has inspired fans worldwide. For those in Singapore who are intrigued by Miley’s transformation and want to achieve similar results using Reformer Pilates here in Singapore, this blog will dive deep into the benefits, mechanics, and reasons why this fitness regime is worth the hype.
Miley Cyrus is popular not only for her music but also her dynamic personality and bold presence in the music industry. In recent years, her physical change from teen to an adult has attracted a lot of attention. Way back in 2013, when Miley Cyrus was transiting from Disney star to adult pop sensation, she first learned about the benefits of Pilates! As she progresses her fitness journey, she credits Pilates—especially reformer Pilates—for helping her achieve her goals of strength, flexibility, and general wellbeing.
Miley is open about her love for Pilates on social media, and she has been spotted exiting Pilates studios in Los Angeles on multiple occasions. Miley has expressed her love for pilates in a number of interviews and socials over the years, sharing how the exercise made her stronger, more energized, and in tune with her body. She often quotes how reformer Pilates allows for a full-body workout while providing the flexibility to adapt to different fitness levels, making it suitable for everyone—from beginners to seasoned athletes.
While Miley incorporates various forms of Pilates into her routine, reformer Pilates has been a game-changer for her. The reformer, a bed-like Pilates apparatus with a sliding carriage and adjustable springs that provide resistance, offers a unique and challenging workout that targets multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
Unlike traditional Pilates mat exercises, reformer Pilates offers a unique advantage by allowing practitioners to modify and intensify movements. This versatility means that it is suitable for beginners to advanced practitioners. Working out regularly on the Reformer can lead to improved core strength, muscle tone, and overall body alignment, making it an effective choice for individuals looking to enhance their fitness regime.
Miley's dedication to Pilates has resulted in a visibly toned and lean physique. Her abs are more defined, her arms more sculpted, and her overall posture has improved significantly. This transformation hasn't gone unnoticed, with fans and fitness enthusiasts alike admiring her "new Pilates body."
While the physical changes are evident, Miley has also spoken about the mental and emotional benefits of her Pilates practice. The mind-body connection fostered by Pilates has helped her manage stress, improve focus, and boost overall confidence – essential attributes for a performer of her caliber.
Thanks to a recent Netflix series titled Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones where Singapore was named a sixth Blue Zone 2.0 this year in the four-part documentary on Netflix, Singapore’s fitness community has come a long way in supporting our longer healthspan. Covid outburst has further propelled Singapore’s fitness community to lookout for workouts that combine effectiveness with sustainability. With increasing interest in fitness programs that are both low-impact and transformative, Reformer Pilates has quickly become a go-to for those looking for results without the risk of injury.
Here’s why more Singaporeans are hopping onto the Reformer Pilates train:
One of the reasons Miley Cyrus may have opted for Reformer Pilates is that it fits perfectly into a busy lifestyle. As someone constantly on the go, Miley needed a workout that offered maximum benefits in a limited amount of time. Similarly, in a fast-paced city like Singapore, many professionals find it hard to dedicate long hours to the gym. To help you understand better, gym workout dedicate one session to one to two body parts - this means that to get a full body workout, you need to dedicate at least 3 - 5 days of 45 minutes sessions. In comparison, as most reformer classes target full body with resistance training, you can train your whole body in as little as one class a week.
Reformer Pilates is a time-efficient workout. A single session works multiple muscle groups, and its high intensity ensures that you’re burning calories long after your workout has ended. For those in Singapore juggling work, social commitments, and family, a Reformer Pilates session can deliver results in under an hour.
Ready to try Reformer Pilates for yourself? Whether you’re inspired by Miley Cyrus or just want to take your fitness to the next level, there are several factors you need to consider when choosing the right Pilates studios in Singapore to start your Pilates journey.
Don’t be intimidated if you’re new to Pilates—most Pilates studios in Singapore welcome beginners and can modify exercises to match your fitness level. Singapore's fitness scene has embraced the reformer Pilates trend, with numerous studios offering classes for all levels. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you can find a class that suits your needs and helps you work towards your own "Miley-inspired" Pilates body.
If Miley Cyrus' transformation has piqued your interest, there’s no better time to explore Reformer Pilates. Miley Cyrus's journey to her "new Pilates body" serves as an inspiration to many. Through dedication to reformer Pilates, she has achieved a balanced, toned physique that complements her dynamic lifestyle and career demands. The good news is that you don't need to be a pop star to reap the benefits of this transformative workout. Whether you're looking to tone up, improve your posture, or simply find a workout that fits into your busy lifestyle, Reformer Pilates offers something for everyone.
By incorporating reformer Pilates into your fitness routine here in Singapore, you can work towards your own version of a "Pilates body." Remember, the key is consistency, proper technique, and patience. Whether your goal is to tone up, improve flexibility, or boost your overall well-being, reformer Pilates offers a path to achieve these objectives, it’s never too late to start!
So why wait? Take inspiration from Miley Cyrus and start your Pilates journey today. Check out Pilates Fitness 3 Classes at $89 and experience firsthand the workout that has transformed not just Miley, but countless individuals around the world. Your own "new Pilates body" might be just a few sessions away!
Having a hard time to decide on what to wear for your Pilates class without looking boring? After all, wearing a comfortable yet stylist outfit while working out will motivate us further. No matter what exercise you are doing, you would want to look good and feel comfortable at the same time. Here are some styling tips and suggestions that we have gathered to turn the dreadful feeling of getting ready for an exercise into a fun one instead.
Knowing the colour combinations that look good together can up your outfit by a huge notch. Here are some outfit suggestions that are in trend right now! Shop at GymWearMovement to get your stash!
Having appropriate Pilates attire is important in order to get the best out of your exercise. Then you do not need to worry about clothes being in the way of your Pilates movements. In a Pilates class, we want our attire to be relatively fitting so that our posture can be easily visible by both ourselves and the instructors. This way, proper correction can be done if required. In addition, we would definitely not want the ends of our top to get caught in the springs or straps! Wearing leggings or joggers are also recommended since a lot of the movements require leg raises.
On top of having an awesome outfit, finishing up the look with extra accessories that are appropriate and relevant will be an added bonus. We suggest the following.
It is a watch and a workout partner all in one! We are spoilt for choices, get one that complements your personal style and allows you to track all type of physical activities.
You know how annoying it is to have your hair in your face as you are doing your elephants on the reformer. Keep it away with a stylish headband that complements any outfit!
c) Anti-slip Socks
Socks are a must at Pilates classes. Socks help you to absorb sweat and also provides friction on the machines. We highly recommend anti-slip toe socks for mobility and grip. You can get grip socks at $6 a pair at our studio vending machine.
d) Water Bottle
We recommend you to drink up at least 3 litres of water everyday. Carrying your bottle around with you will ensure that you drink up to 3 litres of fluid daily.
e) Fitness Gloves
For folks whose palms may get sweaty during exercise, anti-slip fitness gloves can be useful. Sweaty palms may cause unnecessary accidents while working out on the reformer. Hence, wearing anti-slip fitness glove that can not only absorb our perspiration but also to provide us with the friction for stability during class will be recommended.
Getting new Pilates attires may be part of your ritual to getting started with a regular fitness regime. If you are running out of class credits, top up your Pilates classes here.
Remember to block book your classes to clock at least 8 classes a month to earn your FREE Reformer class at our Monthly Flow Challenge!
No, you do not need to book online for your prenatal Pilates classes.
Our Couple Prenatal Pilates classes are offered every Sunday at Serangoon studio. Once you made the payment, your slot is confirmed.
Sign up for your prenatal classes here.
When I first started practicing Pilates Reformer 14 years ago, I didn’t have a chance to do Jumpboard classes as they were not available in Singapore. I experienced my first Jumpboard class during my Instructor Training course.
Honestly, Jumpboard class is a godsend to peeps like me – those who dislike cardiovascular / aerobic exercises. I get to enjoy my strength training and squeeze in some cardiovascular exercise at the Jumpboard class. When I started Pilates Fitness, I ensure that we offer Cardio Jumpboard class even though it was quite expensive (as a business owner) to buy the board (couple of hundreds per board) just to conduct one class type!
To keep your heart healthy and delay the effects of aging, we need both cardiovascular and strength training. Most participants of Pilates Reformer/Chair classes love strength training and usually neglect their cardiovascular training. Attending at least one Cardio Jumpboard class a week will give you that cardio dose to keep heart diseases and stroke at bay and a healthy, glowing face.
WHATSAPP US NOW TO BOOK YOUR CLASS!Your blood circulation system is responsible for sending blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout your body. When your blood circulation is poor, you may experience symptoms such as tingling, numbness, throbbing or stinging pain in your limbs, pain or muscle cramps. If you ignore these symptoms, reduced blood flow and plaque in your arteries may result in a stroke or heart attack.
During Cardio Jumpboard class, you breathe faster and more deeply, and your heart beats faster. Your organs become more efficient at circulating oxygenated blood and nutrients to the rest of the body. You will also recover faster from your other workouts with improved blood circulation. Hence attending one Cardio Jumpboard class is a good reset to enjoying the other Pilates class types.
WHATSAPP US NOW TO BOOK YOUR CLASS!Your metabolism increase when you engage in moderate to high intensity workout. Cardio Jumpboard class not only increase your heart rate but also all the chemical processes that convert carbohydrates, proteins, and fats from your food into the energy that your cells need to function – your metabolism.
Note that if you can talk, but you cannot sing while you exercise, you are maintaining moderate intensity. If you cannot talk while exercising, then you are doing high intensity workout.
WHATSAPP US NOW TO BOOK YOUR CLASS!WHO and Singapore Health Hub recommends the following amount of physical activity based on your age:
Children and adolescents aged 5-17years
Adults aged 18–64 years
Adults aged 65 years and above
As Cardio Jumpboard combines both moderate to vigorous intensity movements and muscle strengthening exercises from head to toe in the same class, one will be able to hit two birds with one stone by attending a single Cardio Jumpboard class.
WHATSAPP US NOW TO BOOK YOUR CLASS!Cardio Jumpboard class is performed at a much faster rate than regular Pilates class. Essentially, it feels like you are skipping while lying down. As the movements are faster, you need better coordination to manage all the various movements.
We also use the Jumpboard for deep stretches for the lower half of the body as a form of warm up. Cardio Jumpboard class is an excellent choice if you have tightness in your lower back, hips and legs.
Book in your Cardio Jumpboard class today! If you are on a weight loss journey and feel that your results are plateauing, I'd suggest that you attend 3 Cardio Jumpboard classes a week for at least 2 consecutive weeks to get your system up and running at full speed again!
WHATSAPP US NOW TO BOOK YOUR CLASS!
