Core. Pilates is about strengthening the core. And the core is where, exactly?
 
Five weeks ago, my knowledge of pilates could be summed up in two words, “It’s core”.
 
The difference is now I know where that core is. Since beginning my workouts with Diane of Compassionate Body Pilates, I have discovered which muscle groupings were related to core strength. Some of which I did not even know they existed.
 
At my session today, I was not only aware of them; they were sometimes called upon to hold me in a position or move me through some deliberate poses.
 
“This is not so bad”, I said to myself five weeks ago, after my first somewhat bumbling attempt to rotate an outstretched leg while standing, balanced on the other. “I would hardly call this exercise”, I smugly thought.
 
Then of course Diane discovered which parts of the workouts were easier for me, which needed adjusting and which were literally pains in the butt. And through gentle encouragement, progressive challenges and mindful coaching, I am starting to see the difference.
 
Now, after so many sessions on my own, in a class or with Diane in a one-on-one situation, I (and Diane) see progress in my stamina, balance, breathing and coordination.
 
I am seeing my squats come easier, even with this bad knee of mine. The standing leg circle mentioned above felt much better and so long as I kept my eyes open I could balance through it for the most part.
 
My shoulder positions are acceptable and the various planking positions are being held longer and longer. It is getting so I am starting to think about recommending Pilates to my friends.
 
Diane gave this series of blogs a name. She called them, “Dan’s Journey”. I took that name to heart and realized that Pilates could be the first part of a longer process of getting fit in mind and body and spirit.
 
I can’t help but consider this to be a sort of rehabilitation plan for me. While I didn’t suffer an immediate trauma that required convalescence medically, you could consider the decade of decay I suffered at my corporate desk job a train wreck in slow motion, taking ten years to come to it’s crashing, grinding halt.
 
As I near the halfway point of my 12-week program, the exercises are becoming more familiar and I glide between them with more grace than before. I challenge myself a little and when that is not enough Diane challenges me more.
 
I began thinking that Pilates was going to be a breeze but with the progress I have encountered, I think that I was wrong about everything. It is not about hard or easy, about strengthening the core.
 
It is about personal development. Learning new ways to relate to your body and enjoying small successes. Holding a plank position for ten (OK, three) breaths matters when last week it was two - and last month it was zero.
 
Every time I get a little better, Diane makes it a little harder. I won’t be finished with Pilates in the 12 weeks it takes to complete this program, but I will be more prepared to take on the next step of my journey.
 
P.S. Why not join me Tuesday October 18, 2016 for a “Taster Class” at the Lake/Carlton plaza? For only $10 you can try out some of the positions and movements that I have been on about. If we are “lucky” maybe Diane will bring out the Big Balls.

By Dan Willis
www.publicita.ca

Old Man Starts Exercising, Writes Blog, Part 4:
​The most important fitness class to go to is the one you don’t want to go to.

Looking at my reflection in the working mirrors during the Compassionate Body’s Pilates Class is not such a great idea. There I am reminded of my faded youth and vigor. The unblinking view of my middle-aged form is mildly depressing.
 
Stepping out of the house on Tuesday, I quipped that I really didn’t feel like going to this week’s Pilates class and my partner, ever the cheerleader for health and fitness returned with, “the most important fitness class to go to is the one you don’t want to go to.”
 
I lugged myself from the house to the car to the class with a fresher outlook than I had been feeling. By the time I got to the studio for my weekly in-class session, I was ready to participate.
 
Though the first chin-drop, roll down exercise is a simple one I notice that the simple act of regulating my breathing and being aware of my body puts me in a contemplative head-space. It is going to get tougher during the class but right now I feel relaxed. I am sure my blood pressure, which is high normally, is getting lower.
 
I can tell that I am improving as I work with Diane and the others in the class. Balance and strength, range of movement and outlook all improve with each session I undertake.
 
In the everyday, I sense more flexibility. Bending to work on my partner’s bicycle wasn’t such a chore and this morning I noticed in the middle of putting my socks on that I wasn’t using the dresser for balance.
 
The thrice-weekly regimen that includes a class, a one-on-one session and a solitary session seems about right. It doesn’t take up too much time and I don’t feel like I am always in the gym.
 
This week, I made time for the at home, solitary session. My partner, whom I affectionately call “She-Ra” , asked to join in and I was happy to oblige.
 
Something happens when one turns from a student to a teacher. Explaining, as I did, the positions, the breathing, the movements and objectives focused me on what I was doing. It was definitely more enjoyable with her there.
 
Thankfully, I won’t have any difficulty getting her to work with me in future and the solitary session will no longer be the session I don’t want to do.

By Dan Willis
www.publicita.c

Old Man Starts Exercising, Writes Blog
Part 3: 5 Reasons Why I Can't Do Pilates

“Did you get a chance to do Pilates this week, Dan,” asks Diane, the Compassionate Body Pilates instructor as she comes through my door.
 
“No”, I say and immediately begin excusing myself for not holding up my end of the bargain. She is all business, preparing the equipment as I catch myself apologizing.
 
“I’m really busy”, I say - not believing what is coming out of my mouth. Then before I know it, the hour is over and I am supine.
 
There is no place better than being stretched out on your back. Breathing.
 
Week Three. I have already missed two classes. I have to have a word with myself.
 
Diane is providing me with one-on-one sessions. I can’t express enough how I look forward to the end of the workweek when I book early on Friday afternoons for Pilates. Plus I get a studio session with a small group.
 
It’s my end of the bargain to do 1 or 2, forty-five minute sessions every week, in the meantime. And I haven’t done it.
 
My struggle, as I sense my first improvements in motion balance and stamina, isn’t scheduling a time. I can do that. I schedule times, all the time. Say:Sunday morning. See?
 
I like the workout. It is pretty clear that I do. Am I just lazy?
 
Whatever the excuse, the point is that Diane, in asking me to write the Blog is expecting that I put the effort in to help make the program work. Because making the program work for me would, ostensibly make for a better blog.
 
Oh, how I rationalize. And I haven’t even started about self-interest as a motivator.
 
It is even worse to think about being non-compliant when it is against my self-interest. To avail myself of a dedicated trainer and instruction in a new exercise regime is a good thing to do and it will be over by Christmas.
 
So that is my struggle. I can’t seem to work in the 1 or 2, forty-five minute sessions every week.
 
I had hoped that writing about my missed opportunities to practice before a class would help me deal with why I am non-compliant.
 
I think it has.

By Dan Willis
​www.publicita.ca
​

P.S. From Diane:
I have been truly enjoying working with Dan through the first 3 weeks of the Post-Rehab Pilates Intensive Program. I always find it refreshing to work with someone who has a good sense of humour, isn't afraid to make mistakes, and truly wants to learn. His blogs are honest, thoughtful, and quite entertaining. I do of course want him to do the extra session on his own but, like anything, this is a process and there are always issues that crop up. My son, for example - he keeps me from my plans for the day with remarkable consistency. You just have to move on and be happy with what you actually managed to accomplish, otherwise you'd be terribly unhappy all the time ;-) I'm already seeing progress from Dan and I plan to write about it this week- stay tuned to hear more!

So I've started running again.

If my mother reads this, she will probably freak out. (NOT AGAIN! Didn't you learn your lesson all those other times you tried?!?)

I come from a family of bad knees, caused by ill fitting patellas. I've had runners knee on and off over the years. More seriously, I tore the meniscus in my right knee about 4 years ago- just as I was about to start training to become a Pilates teacher. I travelled to Birmingham for my first weekend of practical training and I could barely walk. I spent almost all my time in my hostel room bed, reading. I took a taxi to the training centre and hobbled about... I felt like such a joke. Fortunately, Pilates can be modified for every injury... it's true! So I was still able to participate the in training that weekend. :-)

But I keep coming back to running. I started when I was in my mid-twenties, off and on until 4 years ago when I truly stopped.

Here's the 2 main reasons why I love running:


1. Mindfulness.
I prefer to run outdoors, in a beautiful place. A nice day is even better, but even rain is ok. I've been fortunate to live near beautiful trails and rivers with paths, so I almost always run there. It feels so free in my head when I am jogging outside- I am simply looking at the world, and smelling the scents, and feeling the air on my skin. This picture is from my running route in Norwich, beside the river. So beautiful there. :-)



2. Measured cardio endurance.
I am not a fast runner. Seriously, I am super slow. My crowning achievement was running 5km in 28 minutes. Anyone who runs seriously would laugh at how slow that is! But I measure my time- from my first run wearing old track pants and a t-shirt, armed with a digital watch, I timed how long I could jog without stopping. That first time, I ran 1 minute and walked 1 minute. But the most amazing thing happens when you run and time yourself- you can run for longer EVERY TIME you go out. There's something so satisfying about running for 28 minutes straight when you worked up from 1 minute 6 weeks ago. (Incidentally, I'm only up to 5 minutes right now!)

I am taking it real easy this time around. No pushing too fast and too far without testing out the knee first with short runs. I've been pleased to note that I have no aches in my knee either during or afterwards. I credit this to my recent post-rehab protocols training with Body Harmonics. I took away so much from their hip and knee course, and I created a series of exercises specifically for my knee. Every time I do Pilates, I include about 8 minutes of specific exercises for my knees. So it's ok Mom, this time, I know what I'm doing! Maybe experience and knowledge can conquer all? 

Do you love to run? Please share in the comments why you love it! Happy running to you :-)

Old Man starts Exercising, Writes Blog.
Part 2: This is Just for Me.

​There is lots of “stuff” that surrounds taking care of your self. The media and self help gurus are quick to tell you that you don’t quite cut it and with just a little more effort (or one of their gadgets or new info just released) you can be a better person.
 
Listening to that chatter doesn’t have the effect they think it does. I have never been motivated by some stranger telling me to eat healthier, exercise more and be more mindful. As a matter of fact, those messages come at me with such amazing frequency and zeal that they sound like the propaganda of a despotic ruler. I call it the Tyranny of the health industry.
 
My healthiest days were when I was in training for league soccer. Starting in March and working out until September we would go twice a week for training plus 14 weeks of matches and play-offs, if we were lucky. I loved that.
 
Then from October to February, I continued riding a bike or when I was living in the Snow Belt, cross-country skiing. Solitary pleasures that get me out of my head in into the world.
 
I wasn’t “getting fit”, I didn’t give two shakes about my diet and no one, not even Richard Simmons himself could convince me that I should do more.
 
Fast Forward half a lifetime later and I find myself pursuing a healthier lifestyle by eliminating (read: reducing) poor food choices and taking up a course of pilates with Diane Archer of Compassionate Body Pilates.
 
Today, after spending 8 hours hunched over my workstation I was knotted and tired and in a pretty crappy mood after a workweek full of stress and doing things for other people.
 
Not long after my one-on-one session with Diane started, I began to feel that stress slip away. Just the controlled breathing and stretching that came with our first few moves was enough to change my perspective to “this is just about me”.
 
I was opening up my lungs, checking my body positions, deliberately moving through the routines and feeling my body doing a little more of what it was meant to do. It brought me to a place where I was finding selfish pleasure; observing where I was pushing through the tightness and coming out the other side.
 
Blood was flowing better and my mind began to clear. I was relaxing into the work-out with the Diane’s gentle corrections making my efforts all the better.
 
What a luxury this was. It dawned on me that a private session in my home with a Pilates instructor was worth the expense. That the “selfish” just-for-me attitude wasn’t wrong-headed, but something that truly matters as my life-style choice.
 
Now as I write this, once again at my workstation, I am sitting taller, my posture is correct and I focus a little more on my breathing. I am relaxed and mildly rejuvenated.
 
My energy level is a little higher and my outlook brighter.
 
I came to an exercise program in my mid-life because I want to share activities like hiking and cycling with my uber-fit partner. But in the midst of today’s session with Diane, it struck me that I should have been doing this sooner.
 
It’s not about hiking in the mountains of Mexico, or our next cycling tour of the wine regions or finally kicking her butt at Racquetball. It’s about treating myself to some time for me, tossing off the stiffness and crankiness and getting to a place of balance in my body and my mind.
 
That last bit sounded like what a typical fitness guru might have told me.
 
I just wish they had told me earlier.

By Dan Willis
www.publicita.ca

I'm so excited to introduce my contest winner from the Post-Rehab Pilates Intensive Contest! Here's a little bit about him:

Dan (aged 55) is a self-employed business consultant that was in pretty good shape until he turned 40. Formerly, Dan played soccer for 15 years and was an avid cyclist. It was a desk job with a giant corporation that contributed to his gaining some extra weight. At 55, Dan wants to take control of his health. He wants to live long enough to become a burden on his children and grow old with the uber-fit love of his life.
​
He hopes that in twelve short weeks he will be more flexible, have better balance and learn an exercise routine that he can return to time and time again.
 
The words he is trying to live by are:  “I will be the best version of myself that I can be.”

Stay tuned to this blog for weekly updates on his progress with the program. I love Dan's can-do attitude and I can't wait to see what amazing changes we can make to his fitness level in only 12 weeks! :-)

So I went to Toronto a few weeks ago to finish up my training on Post Rehab Protocols with Body Harmonics. This final one was on the spine. Over the last year I have attended both Hip/Knee and Shoulders, and these were fantastic but I was always thinking, "hey I really want to do the spine one!" I always expected this one to be more challenging and complex than the other two... but boy was I surprised. There was a lot to it, of course, but compared to Hip and Knee it was a breeze. The reason is that all the info we learned basically boiled down to a central theme: wake up the local muscles in your body and the spine will be properly supported. 

For those of you who find these terms unfamiliar, it's like this: we can classify muscles into two groups: local muscles and global muscles. Local muscles are buried deep in the body, switch on automatically before movement occurs, and are able to hold and stabilize for long periods. An example of a local muscle is the pelvic floor. Global muscles are located on the surface of the body, and help perform big movements. An example of a global muscle is the bicep in your arm.

I learned many amazing things on this course about the local muscular system. Here's a few for you:

If you activate one local muscle, the others in the system fire up automatically.
Local muscles are less likely to activate during situations of pain, stress or fatigue (ie. your back hurts!)
When your local muscles are working, you are likely to feel relaxed and invigorated.

Now I know why everyone feels better when they leave my pilates classes- it's because I switch on the local system of muscles and they feel great as a result! I always emphasize breathing in my classes and I learned that simply breathing deeply switches on your local system. Isn't that fantastic? 

I'm going to follow up this blog post with a series of simple exercises you can do on your own that will wake up those locals for you. You can try it when your back is feeling a bit sore, or even if you are just feeling tired or fatigued. Taking a minute to wake it up will reinforce those overworked global muscles and make you feel invigorated. Like my fb page and you can see it all over the next few weeks. I'll be putting up videos and photos for you to enjoy and follow along with at home.

Yay for Pilates! It's amazing how everything I keep learning now is just an explanation of what I already knew- it's an absolutely fantastic exercise system... and it will make you feel great. 

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment below!