KX Pilates Fitzroy: Barre Class

Shannon (front) and Natalie

Great people, great studio, great location. I convinced Natalie to come with me to KX Pilates Fitzroy studio to do the morning Barre Sculpt class at 10am. The studio is an upstairs location on Brunswick Street with, thankfully, plenty of parking options on a weekday mid-morning.
We booked via an easy online system that ensures the class doesn't exceed the maximum number of participants. With around 8 of us, plus mats and the barre, this feels like the ideal number. It also meant our instructor, Shannon, could keep an eye on our technique and make suggestions or corrections discreetly.

Shannon (Instructor)

The other participants were experienced in both barre and pilates so Shannon gave us challenging moves, advanced options, and little rest. Perfect - heart rate soared, muscles grimaced in the most satisfying way!

If I had to find a gripe - which I don't, but bear with me - it would only be that I indicated my vulnerable hip condition and there were several moves I couldn't comfortably (or safely) do that I wasn't offered an alternative for. This is my fault though, as I assured Shannon at the start that I would modify as I needed to PLUS Shannon knows that I instruct Ballet Sculpt and instructing instructors isn't a fun prospect for anyone.

While Natalie loved the plies in fifth position (Leg-achingly good!), my
favourite move was the tricep push-ups followed by a modified "Scorpion" move from yoga.

Tools for Sculpting

I am going to return for the Pilates Reformer class - the studio and the facilities look amazing, plus the instructors I met today were really down-to-earth, friendly, funny and encouraging.

If Fitzroy isn't your local 'hood, there are KX studios in Malvern, Ascot Vale, Richmond, Camberwell and Port Melbourne. Head to the KX Pilates website for locations, bookings and more class details. You can also join in the conversation on their Facebook page.

KX Pilates Fitzroy
Level 1, 360 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065

(03) 9419 4129
fitzroy@kxpilates.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/kxfitzroy

All White On The Night: Andy Howitt from Ausdance Victoria

Andy Howitt

Andy Howitt is the Scottish-born Director and CEO of Ausdance Victoria. He took time out of his busy day to talk to me about the role of Ausdance in Victoria and his own history with dance. Oh, and that exciting all-night dance event that will be a major feature of White Night Melbourne on 22nd February.

Andy is coming up to his 30th year in the dance world, having performed and worked all over the globe. After many years of dance, he realised his body would better thank him for moving into a management and direction capacity - a hard decision, but one that is inevitable for dancers and performers in any physically taxing profession.

Andy joined Ausdance in March 2013, so this will be his first White Night Melbourne. He gave me the insider info on the 12 dance styles to feature at I Could Have Danced All Night:
7pm: Disco
8pm: Zorba The Greek 
9pm: Polynesian dance
10pm: Salsa
11pm: West African Dance
12pm: Anna's Go-Go Academy
1am: Bollywood dance
2am: Hip Hop
3am: Beyonce's Single Ladies dance
4am: Body Electric
5am: Dancehall
6am: Vogueing

Professional dance companies and individuals include Demi Sorono (SYTYCD), Sid Mathur, Todd Patrick, Adam Wheeler and the Salsa Foundation.

Andy's advice for dancers young and young at heart is to focus on preparation - eat well, stretch, train for cardio fitness and endurance, and pay attention to your body when you're sitting, lying and moving. Basically, take care of your body - it's the only one you'll get.

Alignment and Movement:Biomechanics for the Non-Scientist

Morning!
So, I was lying in bed in the ridiculous heat lastnight and my energy level allowed me to press play/pause on my iphone. This gave me the enormous benefit of listening to an interview between fitness guru Ben Greenfield and Biomechanist and blogger, Katy Bowman.
Katy gave me a whole new perspective on how important posture is and mostly, being aware of our body in space - how we sit, stand, move and even lie down to sleep.

In her own home, Katy has booted out the furniture and instead, she and her two sons use bolsters, pillows and even an in-home monkey bar! Why? If you try sitting on the floor and standing up, you will find it is MUCH harder than plonking on a sofa and then getting up. It also encourages you to move more. Change position when you're sitting. Transfer loads from one side to the other.

This does more than get you a gold star in alignment and posture. It means you are awakening and using ALL the cells in your body. Nothing goes to waste from underuse and you avoid injuries from overuse.

I highly recommend that you listen to the interview - Katy is far from your whitecoat, technotalk scientist. She is fun and generous with her responses.

Toe separators

At one point, she talks of sleeping in special "alignment socks". The same idea is used in yoga to expand the toes out after spending ALL DAY in shoes that squish your toes together. Don't go the whole hog and wear them overnight to start. Maybe half an hour while you're reading or wandering the house. You don't need special socks. You can use those dividers that Kmart sells for next-to-nix in the beauty aisle to separate the toes for painting.

To the left, toe separators available at Priceline for $4.49

Ben says of the podcast:

-Why your alignment matters…

-The extreme importance of your “psoas”…

-Why high heels are destroying you…

-Why Katy doesn’t use furniture…

-Why standing can sometimes be a bad thing…

-Special socks you can wear at night to fix your feet…

-Why Kegel exercises may not be all that good after all…

-Why you shouldn’t suck in your stomach…

-How your boobs can be a biofeedback device (yes, I said boobs)…

-Why you should care about your earwax…

-What the best stretching and sleeping positions are…

-How we can get our kids stronger…

Without further ado, listen or download here.

Which Milk For Me?

It occurred to me, standing in the supermarket aisle today, that there is an incredible variety of milk brands, flavours, sources and sizes. I am a bit of an experimenter, but I have non-negotiables when it comes to milk so that's where I can knock down my choices.

For me, milk has to be: 

• high in calcium
• low calorie
• satisfying (higher protein helps)
• yum

I usually go with So Good soy milk because I like the texture and it's quite sweet, which appeals to me. I also like almond milk. Both options are excellent as far as the amount of calcium, protein and kilojoules per 100mL.

I have seen Rice Milk, Chia and Quinoa Milk, Coconut Milk and let's not forget the milk most of us know, plain old Cow's Milk.

If you have any diet intolerances (ie. lactose, gluten) start there. Look at the label - know what's in your milk! Compare products based on the quantity per 100mL rather than the "suggested serving size" which can differ markedly between packages. Here's a rundown of Calories/Fat/Protein and Calcium - the major factors on which to base your choice. From there, try different brands because So Good soy milk tastes very different to Vitasoy and everyone has a favourite.

Team Up

VicHealth has made an app available that allows you to find sports and activities in your local area. You can then connect with other locals to get active together. If you're not overflowing with self-motivation (hello 95% of the world!) then this is for you.
Spread the word to friends and neighbours. Maybe even suggest starting up a walking group or find a tennis partner.
Download the app for free at www.teamup.com.au 

On another VicHealth note - they are hosting a major dance party for White Night (the free, all night Melbourne event that promotes the arts).

VicHealth has said, "Ausdance Victoria and their professional dancers will be on hand to guide audience members through the moves of each dance style.

From synchronised swimming to live music, fashion to tattoos, illuminations and projections, White Night Melbourne 2014 will thrill and captivate when it returns to the city on Saturday 22 February."

Visit the White Night website

Unilateral Training: Why and How

Unilateral training involves focusing on one side of the body at a time. The benefits of this training method are that you build and require greater core strength to balance when one side of the body is bearing greater load than the other. You can really assess whether one side of the body is stronger than the other. When you do deadlifts with a barbell, if your left leg is much stronger than your right, you'll still execute the move because the stronger leg will compensate. If you're doing single leg deadlifts, however, you will know straight away if your right leg has been asleep on the job!
Why does it matter? If you keep compensating and ignoring that one side of the body is weaker,
you'll end up with over-use injuries, poor posture, soreness and fatigue.
If you do notice that one side of the body is weaker, you can plan your training to allow for extra work on that side. An extra set or extra weight to build. If you're not confident in doing this, or the difference in strength between left and right seems unusually great, see a physiotherapist! They can assess your movement and posture to diagnose what might be causing the issues and give you a program tailored to your needs.
Try:

• Single Arm Chest Press
• Single Leg Deadlift
• Renegade Row

Protect your Tresses!

If my hair were able to speak, it would say, "Stop ironing me, pulling me and leaving me unwashed after going to the gym!"
It would also be deeply crabby and fatigued thanks to the amazingly searing heat in Melbourne the past week or so. Just like our skin, hair is sensitive to the sun and if you've been by the pool or the beach, hatless, you'll be feeling the frazzled damage.

So, after the expense most of us spend on dyeing, cutting, styling and maintaining our mops, consider making the wisest investment you can for summer. Kerastase Soleil protects your hair from environmental damage and is especially formulated to provide a shield for colour-treated hair.
I can also swear by Oleo-Relax masque for seriously nourishing naturally curly, dry hair. Find your nearest Kerastase stocked salon in Australia.