A space for movement, reflection, and healthy living.
May 1, 2022
Movement For When You’re Not Feeling Your Best
Even as summer approaches, those winter/spring colds can linger…and what does it mean for your workouts?
I’m feeling sick, when is it ok to work out?
For this question, Andrew Huberman has some great guidance on his podcast, THE HUBERMAN LAB. His episode on when to work out advises that if you're experiencing symptoms “above the neck” like a cold, then light exercise may even be a good thing for the immune system. But, if symptoms are “below the neck,” like chest congestion or body aches, it's best to rest and avoid strenuous activity. Doing intense workouts when you’re “below the neck” sick can deplete your immune system and prolong illness.
Does Pilates count as strenuous exercise?
For the most part, no. You can make Pilates more strenuous by increasing the consecutive number of full body exercises like planks, squats, lunges, etc…that increase your heart rate, but for the most part, our classes are gentle enough to do while you’re “above the neck” sick.
No matter whether you’re mentally or physically feeling down, typically a little bit of movement will make you feel better on the other side. And remember, something is better than nothing, so take even 10 mins to gently move your body and you might surprise yourself and be happy you made it!
RECIPES
June 16, 2023
Movement Do’s and Don’ts for Pre/Postnatal
A comprehensive guide for moving your body in the months leading up to and and after delivery. You are strong, you are resilient AND your body is changing every day. Let me help you cut through the noise and explain how to safely strengthen and support your body with a focus on education, so you can confidently challenge yourself at every stage of your journey.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
June 2, 2025
When my fridge is empty and I need a high-protein meal in a jiffy I go to this 5 min cold tofu scramble on toast. You can assemble it with pantry basics, and it covers all your bases. High in protein, high in fiber, and enough fat to keep you full for hours.
Benefits of Tofu?: Tofu comes from soybeans so it’s a natural source of both protein and healthy fat, coming in at 14g of protein and 7g of fat for an extra firm serving. I used to be deterred from making tofu because I would always forget to drain it ahead of time, but ever since I realized you can skip that step in this recipe…it’s been a quick and easy go-to!
Instructions:
Toast bread while assembling other ingredients
Tear up tofu with hands or fork into bite sized pieces
Add tofu to bowl and break up with a fork
Add salt and optional spices and salsa and stir til combined
Spread avocado on toast, then top with spinach and tofu scramble
Top with nutritional yeast (gives a cheesy finish). Eat and enjoy!
Tofu-Avocado Toast
LIFESTYLE
June 2, 2024
Pilates for Hip Mobility
This month we’ll be focusing on increasing hip mobility for increased strength at the end range of movements. This will be extra helpful for injury prevention and to produce more control in single leg stability. We want to increase the flexibility of your hip flexors while building strength in your glutes, hamstrings and abs going into the summer season where you’ll be participating in more outdoor activities that will test your strength and endurance. Being able to strengthen these end range muscles on the mat sets you up for success to take this work confidently into the real world!
Muscle Focus: For mobility, we’ll lube up your hips with moves that stretch your hip flexors and make more space for your hip joints to properly function. For strength, we’ll focus on pelvic stability using your glutes and low abs so you don’t overcompensate with your hip flexors and quads. Your obliques and glutes are gonna burn so good!
Thoughts for Class:
Bridging
A GREAT place to actively stretch quads and hip flexors while practicing glute activation. Only go so high in your bridge as you can keep your pubic bone higher than your belly button. That way your butt and low abs do more work than your hip flexors and quads.
Abs
If your hip flexors grip in ab work while laying on your back, try imprinting your lower back into the mat. That will help your lower abs engage and build strength and endurance. Over time, you’ll be able to move into a more neutral position of the pelvis without your hip flexors and quads dominating.
Squats
We'll focus on squats with a few different positions of the feet to help target your different muscle groups in the hip and create more range of motion in the hip joint. Push into your heels to use more butt and less quad!
