a matter of teys.t

… somewhere else in your body, is that possible? Methinks that this is true. Case in point, hubby. Since he started becoming more “health” conscious (not “weight” obsessed LOL) he started swimming as regularly as possible. But one of the things that I noticed is that although his waistline was noticeably getting smaller ( hello, ‘ga :D) his chest area was expanding and his weight was still not decreasing. So while he was losing fat in certain places it was being replaced by muscles in other areas. I’m not a nutritionist or a health professional and I can’t say if my observations are absolutely valid but if you are somehow wondering why you seem to be gaining weight even if you are on a regular exercise program, it’s probably because you are gaining muscle - which is actually good. Even the best diet pills, no matter how much you take them cannot produce a single muscle in your body except through regular exercise. So don’t despair if you step on the scales and throw it out the window because you think it’s lying to you about your weight. You might have gained some muscles after all.

Now streeeetch!

Read Full Post »

I remember many pounds ago when I did a little ballet, we attended a summer dance workshop held in Baguio and one of the classes that was taught was basic Pilates. Did you know that one of the forms of therapy for injured dancers is to do Pilates? 

Pilates trainer Sarah Aimsworth, a Pilates instructor at the Joffrey Ballet School, has tried various therapeutic systems and concluded that Pilates, with its stress on minimal repetitions, is right for her dancers, and not just physically. Pilates, she believes, is designed to keep the mind active while activating muscles without injuring them.

“You do something three times and you do it right. Repetition is mindless and goes against ballet, which is so mindful.” She also says that she finds that Pilates irons out her dancers’ physical problems.

Now, I’m no longer in dancing form, mind you, but I’m slowly trying to make up for lost time ( I wish it were pounds :P ) not really to dance again but for the long haul. I want to enjoy my kids for as long as I can and still have the endurance that Joseph Pilates had even when he was already in his eighties. Having said that I need to stretch my “pakpak” again. 

Read Full Post »

I woke up this morning with a sort of “stiff” arm. I think I had ignored my not so ergonomic computer workspace for so long and now my joints are giving me away (take note: i didn’t say age LOL). So I asked hubby if he could give me his own version of Thai massage mixed in with a little bit of Pilates to relieve my aching “pakpak”. Who would have thought that exercising with your spouse could be fun, eh? I was trying to do a little bit of rowing exercises on my own but when hubby helped me do it (well, he was kinda pulling my arms out of the sockets for a while… aguy!) and we did it together using the other one’s weight as resistance, it was surprisingly effective. I had my very own “human” exercise equipment for free - with free massage to boot right in my own home! Isn’t that a bargain? Cheap ko noh? lol

Read Full Post »