Articulate Bodies
1920 Yonge Street Suite 100C Lower Level M4S 3E2 Toronto, ON, Canada

Sending lots of love to Meredith!

In the last post I suggested that a joint may be more flexed than extended at rest and taking this into account over many joints will contribute to the resting ...posture you currently hold. It's ok to say I have a forward head posture, flat feet and a sway back... but is it really enough? Such terms lead us to cookie cutter exercises that seek to improve the posture. But we can be doing way more. Instead of thinking about it as just your posture, what about thinking about it as your perceived centre? A sum total of the resting position of each joint in the body. This is what I call your 'Perception of Centre' (POC). Despite us talking about having bad posture, we might want to consider that the posture you currently hold is the most efficient way to hold your body and move around in given the outcome of each joint's placement along it's respective spectrum. Begs the question why we don't all stand up tall and perfect as that naturally would be our most efficient posture - the answer is we can't, otherwise we would - so what's holding us back? We all stand in our perception of centre. If this perception of centre is not challenged (using a cookie cutter approach), it will likely remain the same. One way to begin to unravel this is to begin to pay attention to all of the structures in your body and assess where they are resting on this spectrum. See the red line on top of the image...? That is your new overall joint range potential given the change in POC along the spectrum of what is possible at the joint (in this case towards being more flexed). The absence of red line towards the extension end of the spectrum is what we call "What's Missing!" Your job, through movement as a practitioner or a patient taking ownership of their own body, is to re-educate and re-experience that missing part of the movement. Ideally you would eventually piece all of the "What's Missing's" together to make lovely long chain integrated movements. This re-education of the whole body's movement potential encourages each joint to find it's new POC and is what ultimately lends itself to finding a new posture and taking any existing pressures off the system. To be discussed further.

There follows a series of five posts to come over the next eight days Movement lives on a spectrum. A spectrum in this case being a line between two extremes. ...In each plane of movement, there are two options for movement of a joint towards each extreme within the plane. FlexionExtension Adduction Abduction Internal RotationExternal Rotation There are other ways of describing the planes of movement at different structures in the rest of the body too. What's important is where you sit on that spectrum/continuum. In the picture I show my way of thinking about this. You have two extremes either side of a central midpoint. A healthy joint, would easily be able to access both ends of this spectrum AND to have the best chance of doing so, would rest easy in that central position (in all three planes). Why? Well, this is where all of the muscles have equal opportunity to lengthen and shorten and all joints have equal access to both ranges. Where it becomes useful is to notice where on the spectrum you sit. Are you more flexed than extended in your spine? Or your hip? Or your shoulder? If you are more flexed than extended, the amount of flexion left available to you is reduced, and while it may seem that you have more extension available, the opposite is in fact true, by virtue of a reduction in overall joint range in both directions. As all joints are interconnected, no joints can now be resting in that preferred centred position and so all favour one extreme or the other. Putting all joints together, this equates to a description of your overall posture. One joint too flexed, another joint too extended, a third joint more internally rotated etc. You are the sum of all your parts. What this means is that your posture is an outcome of your movement potential within each joint and equally that your movement potential in the joints is at the mercy of your posture. #garywardsanatomyinmotion #whatthefoot #wakeyourbodyup #wakeyourfeetup #findingcentre #flowmotionmodel

Hello everyone, Due to the most updated Covid-19 restrictions our in person classes are cancelled starting Tuesday October 13 until November 7. We will update everyone as soon as the province allows us to offer in person classes again. We continue to offer our online classes through Zoom. We look forward to guiding your movement practice, exercise and workout through our live streamed classes daily. https://ArticulateBodies.as.me/onlinematworkclass

The Pilates Chair was originally designed to double-duty as a furniture . It is a box with one side that has a pedal with springs for resistance. In some Chairs the pedals are split into 2. There are also vertical handles on the sides. The spring resistance is up to 83 lbs. But sometimes using the lighter spring settings gives you a more challenging workout. The Chair strengthens your core musculature and legs, mobilizes and works the hip joints and the spine. Book for ...a Pilates Solo Prelude with Emily Einsmann and join her Equipment classes. https://ArticulateBodies.as.me/?calendarID=4284095

We are excited to welcome Emily Einsmann as part of the Articulate Bodies staff family The studio has 4 types of Movement Classes where there’s 5 maximum number of participants and are able to physically distance themselves by the mark on the floor. We ask that attendees bring their own mat. Core Mobility is based on finding centre , intentional joint motions and breath supported movements. This class is designed to challenge the core of your whole body (midline and spin...e) by moving around its edges, while seated, on your back, stomach, side and standing. Small equipment such as the Foam Roller, Duet Roller Accessory System, dowel or weighted bar are used to support and intensify each movement exercise, resulting in a connection of your centre through mobility rendering a full body workout. Reserve you spot in the class here https://ArticulateBodies.as.me/coremobilityclass #articulatebodiesstudio #movement #pilates #movementawareness #bodyawareness #fascia #fascialfitness #fascialstretching #fascialfitnesstraining #skeleton #bones #toronto #midtowntoronto #midtownyongebia #torontopilates #pilatesgroup #privatepilates #fletcherpilates #midtownyongeto #pilatesbenefits #midtowntoronto #pilatesmachines #pilatesequipments #pilatesreformer #corestrength #coreworkout @midtownyongebia