Pilates for Golfers:

By Deborah Preachuk
Egoscue University Affiliate Instructor & PAS Certified
BRS, BPE, STOTT Pilates Comprehensive Certified Instructor
Post-rehabilitative Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist
ACE Group Fitness Instructor

Today many professional golfers can be found incorporating Pilates training regimes into their off the green conditioning programs. With players like Rocco Mediate, Rich Beem, Phil Mickelson, David Duvall,  and yes, Tiger Woods, adding to the growing list of celebrity endorsements, Pilates is fast becoming a household name in the golf community.

Pilates (Pi-LAH-teez), an almost 100 year old form of mind/body exercise first developed by German born Joseph H. Pilates (originally titled Contrology), is an off the off-the-green conditioning program of choice for golfers of all ages and abilities.

A whole system of restorative and strengthening exercises designed (with or without equipment) to have students move from the center of their bodies, Pilates can help golfers increase their range of motion in the spine and load joints, build core strength, enhance performance and reduce risk of injury.

It’s been said that the  most important piece of equipment a golfer can bring to the game is the body.  The best piece of equipment then?  A body that is balanced front to back, side to side with flexibility and strength in the load joints and surrounding muscles.

Unfortunately, that body is a rare find on the golf course.

It’s been reported that “more than 60% of all recreational golfers will suffer one or more golf related injury during the course of their playing career.”  Golf related injuries are one of, if not the leading reason why players leave the game.

The golfer’s best piece of equipment, the body, is not producing productive golfing outcomes and therefore prone to injury.

The majority of injuries result from overuse, repetitive faulty swing mechanics, generally poor physical conditioning for the game and postural limitations from forcing the body into positions it is not achieving with ease.

Enter Pilates. Touting benefits such as increased strength for the back and abdominal muscles, increased flexibility, enhanced muscle recruitment and improved posture to name just a few, Pilates and Golf are truly a synergistic match!

Golfers who regularly practice golf specific Pilates training see improvements in postural alignment, muscular strength and endurance, spinal flexibility and pelvic stability. It’s also common to see increased driving distance and accuracy, decreased pain while playing, reductions in injuries, and increased muscular endurance to play more rounds.

Golf and Pilates share the same basic principles and complement one another perfectly. Pilates is a form of mind/body exercise where just like golf, all movements come from the center of the body. The foundational principles consist of:

• Concentration – Pilates heightens the mind/body connection. As with golf, Pilates enhances body awareness, teaching students to focus mentally and consciously control movements.

• Control/Precision –Students learn to establish proper form repetitively for safe, effective movement.

• Centering/Stabilizing – Pilates is work from the inside out! By learning to engage and stabilize the torso (abdominals, pelvic girdle, lower back, gluteals, spinal muscles and shoulder girdle) students develop a strong core enabling the rest of the body to function efficiently. All movements come from the trunk and flow outward to the extremities.

• Balance – Pilates retrains the body to overcome postural, muscular and flexibility imbalances and minimize compensation movements. This reduces the risk of injury, and aids in overall health.

• Breathing – Pilates incorporates diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing aids in activating the abdominals, pelvic floor and lumbar spine muscles, and helps keep you focused.

• Alignment – Pilates teaches students correct postural alignment of position of the head and neck on the spine and pelvis, as well as correct positioning of the major load joints (shoulders, hips, knees, ankles).

• Fluidity – Pilates exercises are graceful and smooth, with emphasis on fluid continuous motion versus jarring repetitions

• Integration – Pilates simultaneously engages several different muscle groups to control and support movement.

A certified Pilates instructor who specializes in golf specific Pilates conditioning will be able to identify and address issues such as:

• muscular imbalances (strengths/weaknesses)
• postural limitations in the spine
• deviations in the four major load joints
• flexibility problems

which in turn cumulate in many of the common swing faults, pains and injuries common to golfers.

For example, a golfer who loses any spine angle or alters his/her posture from the original set up during the swing, known as  ”Loss of posture at swing“ would benefit greatly from Pilates mat work exercises selected specifically to address the issue.

The golfer who presents any load joint deviations in the ankles, knees, hips and pelvis, has limited flexibility in the hips and/or shoulders or is unable to separate the upper and lower halves of the body will experience a Loss of Posture at Swing.

The result is a  significant alteration of the body’s original set up prior to hitting the ball.   All aspects of the golf swing (timing, balance and rhythm) will be affected and since golf is a game of repetitive movement, over time, the golfer is suspect to pain, fatigue and ultimately injury.

Pilates mat work exercises such as the Single Leg Stretch and Saw both address the limitations and weakness in the upper body and help increase strength in the oblique abdominals and pelvic floor stabilizers.

The Single Leg Stretch exercise specifically strengthens the abdomen and hips while the Saw exercise helps increases flexibility of the torso and rotational muscles and aids in improveing posture and alignment.

By working with a Pilates instructor who specializes in restorative movements, A golf specific Pilates program will be designed to  meet your unique on the green postural and conditioning needs.

The result? A stronger, more flexible body from the inside out.  That makes for longer drives, better concentration and control, and ultimately an improved game.

When searching for an instructor, look for one with a reputable certification from organizations such as STOTT Pilates or the Pilates Method Alliance.   In addition, a background in injuries and special populations and experience teaching sport specific programs is a must.

If you’re looking to take your golf game to the next level, or struggling to overcome pain and postural limitations on the green, a Pilates conditioning program by a certified Pilates golf specialist can help you achieve your goals.

Deb Preachuk is a STOTT Pilates certified instructor with over 12 years of Pilates and 20 years fitness training experience. She is the owner of Pilates Integration MBS and Pain Free Posture MN.   For the past 3 years Deb has partnered with LPGA Teaching Pro Sheryl Maize to present Pilates on the Green and Pain Free Posture Seminars at the American Express Women’s Golf Expo held at Crystal Lake Golf Course located in beautiful Lakeville, MN.

Hello altMD.com Enthusiasts!

Hope this blog post finds you all in good health, mind, body and spirit!  I was blessed beyond measure to receive this lovely client testimonial the other day, and would like to share it with my readers.  Enjoy!

I am a 53-year old woman and I began seeing Deb 9 months ago for private sessions in the Egoscue Method.  I have an athletic background as a gymnast, followed by running, group exercise classes, and weight training until age 45 or so. 

Increasing pain in my right hip and a bone scan that showed I had a minor scoliosis encouraged me to switch focus to Pilates, yoga, and walking.  Over time, my hip and overall posture improved but I decided to try the Egoscue work with a trainer in South Minneapolis to see if I could keep progressing. I met with her about once a month for a year, doing the prescribed exercises on my own.  Again, I was gaining more insight into my body and moving with more ease.  Then my trainer moved to Japan.

 

A while later I went online and found Deb's website.  I was so impressed, but a little dismayed that she was located in Lakeville, as I live in Fridley, a 45-minute drive at least.  My intuition told me it would be worth it, and it was so right!  I was discouraged when she took pictures of my alignment - I still looked like a banana from the side, just like the ones my first trainer had taken of me.  I had been aware of not letting my shoulders round forward, but had accomplished this pushing my hips and ribs forward of the plumb line. 

 

I met with Deb once a week, and it was apparent that I had been unable to get the full potential benefits from my prior exercises as they exceeded my ability to execute well. I was pretty strong and tight in my compensations, with gravity and time making them more and more entrenched.  She used her extensive technical training combined with intuition when creating my program.  I am continually moved by how she watches and listens to me.  She has a plan for the session when I walk in her door, but will often toss it out when she sees my body not getting the desired results and figures out a different angle/approach on the spot.  The next day she e-mails my new program with pictures and detailed explanations of the exercises and their purposes. 

I see she has thought about the session and often adds more revisions that she feels would be of benefit. It is fun to see changes and have "aha!" moments as I do the work on my own. While it takes discipline to keep at it, I can do it at my convenience in my own home, which helps greatly with the consistency and repetition that is essential to making deep, neurological changes.

 

The value of the exercises is that they are deceptively simple movements.  There are guidelines that you can feel whether or not you are actually carrying through on - for example, standing against a wall with your heels, buttocks, upper back, and head against the wall.  I can feel as I do an arm exercise that I'm pulling away from the w all, and adjust my approach to correct that impulse.  Don't laugh, but just standing against the wall and tightening my buttocks takes all my concentration, but now I can feel I'm using those muscles as I walk.  The program includes a balanced variety of positions and movements.

My latest side-view picture shows a more erect posture, objective proof Deb uses to check our work. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing is a keystone of this training and is a big help in sharpening one's focus and adds a meditative aspect to this practice that I appreciate.  This is truly a mind-body-spirit program enhanced by a gifted guide and teacher. 

 

In my view, other exercise methods may be more well-known and popular, but don't address the alignment issues as effectively, and this is the key to functional movement and less stress.  It frees your energy to live a kinder and gentler life.  Whether you are in pain now or seeking to prevent pain down the road, it is never too early or late to start training with Deb Preachuk.  You will look back at it as the best investment in yourself you have ever made!

 

Renee McCoy

Call today to schedule a session for yourself to see what Egoscue Posture Alignment Therapy can do for you!  You can be Pain Free!

 

 

Gratefully,

Deb Preachuk

Hello altMD.com members, viewers and bloggers!

I hope that this new post finds you all in continued health and wellness in mind, body and spirit.

I'd like to share YogaMaendy's blog spot from September 22nd, 2009 in which I had the great privilege to be featured as an inspirational instructor within her circle of influence.  Please visit http://yogamaendy.blogspot.com/2009/09/meet-one-of-minnesotas-most.html

Hope you enjoy reading more from YogaMaendy.  Please visit her company www.YogaDirect.com for fantastic pricing on yoga, pilates and mind/body equipment.  I've had nothing but excellent experiences with the company!

Peace and health,

Deb P

Hello altMd.com members, bloggers and viewers!

I've been tremendously blessed with another client testimonial that I'd like to share with you all.  I can't say enough about the wonderful benefits of Posture Alignment Therapy in the Egoscue Method.  If  you've never experienced the profound results of doing corrective exercise, I encourage you to seek out an Egoscue Clinic or affiliate in your area and schedule yourself for a session.  Enjoy!

"I can't say enough good things about Deb and the Egoscue Method of Therapy.  If you are struggling with pain and are at the end of your rope like I was, HAVE HOPE, because you can and will get better. After years of struggling with pain from repetitive sports injuries and a car accident, I am feeling better than I have ever felt. I am pain free and doing activities that Dr.'s told me I should never do. Deb is a wonderful therapist and I assure you she will take you through the process with ease.  Therapy with Deb has transformed my body and has given me the ability to live my life to fullest PAIN FREE!" ~ Anne W.

Hello altMD readers!  Hope the world is well with you all.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive this Egoscue Posture Alignment Therapy client testimonial in my inbox this morning.  These are the moments I truly take a step back and give thanks for the gift of helping others.

Thought some of you might enjoy reading it too.  Here it is:

I discovered Egoscue through a friend in Los Angeles and, as I watched him heal his back through the realigning movements rather than accept major surgery, I decided I wanted the experience for myself.

 

I didn’t have anything ‘wrong’ with me, but I was convinced Egoscue offered me the opportunity to take care of myself in a most fundamental way. It was a preventive choice.

 

We moved to Saint Paul soon after I discovered Egoscue and I wondered if I would ever find someone as wonderful as the therapist I had witnessed. In Deb, I found someone even better.

 

I’m thrilled with her gentle, encouraging, practical guidance. She is stunning in her capacity to describe the moves and make them personal. She is beautifully intuitive, well-trained, and experienced. I am convinced I’ve found the very best facilitator in this healing, empowering therapy.

 

And, within days of my starting my routines, my husband noticed the difference, not only in my movements, but how relaxed I had become. He is now as crazy, happily enthused as I am about this process that allows us to feel flexible, comfortable, and re-connected to our bodies.

 

Deb has been our guide and cheerleader. Our time with her was as much fun as it was challenging. In fact, we loved our experience so much, we have asked her to continue working with us… even though we have recently relocated back to the west coast. And Deb, in her open, delightful way has agreed.

 

If I could give my friends, family, and children any gift in the world, I would give them some sessions with Deb. In her spirit, enthusiasm, and expertise, she would change their world.

~ J. M.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a posture alignment or restorative pilates session with me, please email or call at your convenience.

Peace and health,

Deb Preachuk
www.pilatesintegration.com
www.painfreeposturemn.com

 

 

Hello altMD readers.  Hope this blog finds you all healthy and well today, and enjoying life to it's fullest!

I received a message from Emory University this week sharing a new video detailing one woman’s struggle to overcome the effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.  The short clip is an inspirational account of how a stage four breast cancer patient found the strength to fight the illness and to open up her own pilates studio.  

The link is below:

This morning, I read a wonderful comment by blogger Craig Harper (Australia).  He posted a link from Time magazine on the topic of Benefits Seen in Postcancer Weight Lifting. 

I was so happy to read this article, and see the blog.  Here is my reply to Craig via Facebook.

Thank for sharing Craig. I teach post-rehabilitative breast cancer exercise, and couldn't agree more. A breast cancer survivor and those working with them need to understand the ramifications of lymph node removal, as well as have a thourough understanding of how the different cancer removal and reconstruction surgeries affect posture, mobility and activities of daily living. Although there are many precautions, it so so important to move and re-introduce exercise, range of motion, muscular strength and conditioning as soon as possible (or even better, maintain a light amount of stretching and strength while undergoing treatment). One of the most empowering thing a woman can do for herself while undergoing treatments and then recovering is to engage in a physical activity program. The benefits of better self-esteem, decreased fatigue, are just a few. I recently blogged about the benefits. To see this blog go to http://www.altmd.com/Specialists/Pilates-Integration-MindBodySpirit

To read the article in question please visit:  http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1915975,00.html?xid=rss-health

If you have any questions about post-rehabilitative breast caner exercise, or any other cancer and exercise related questions, please contact me Deb Preachuk at www.pilatesintegration.com at your convenience.

Thanks for reading!  Peace and health,

Deb Preachuk
www.pilatesintegration.com
www.painfreeposturemn.com

Recently a favorite online Pilates magazine I subscribe to posted a fantastic article on building successful client/instructor relationships.  I was so struck by the article that I posted a reply based on my own experience as a pilates student now instructor..

I'd like to share the article with you, and my reply.  Enjoy!

http://www.pilates-pro.com/pilates-pro/2009/8/6/5-ways-to-build-successful-clientinstructor-relationships.html?lastPage=true#comment5095674

Here is my reply to the article:

I couldn't agree more with this article Devra!

Well written. With the economy "souring" so to speak, I have not experienced any of this at my studio.

In fact, business continues to porsper and grow for me and I can directly attribute it to many of the pointers you succinctly pointed out in the article.

Pilates and all mind/body practice is built on a foundation of creating successful client/instructor relationships. When you invest time into your clients personal needs, their pilates practice increases in value in all areas of their lives (mind, body and spirit).

Taking time to know your clients, their needs, encouraging growth make it easy for clients to justify the cost of classes and private instruction because it is aiding in keeping the student healty and whole.

I think back to my first days as a pilates student prior to becoming an instructor. My first mat class was an absolute horror. I could not do anything right, and was verbally reminded of this repetition after repetition in front of a group of experienced students. I felt ridiculed, and almost ashamed to be honest, yet something kept me on my mat and moving as best as possible. The instructor was unable to help me stay positive, made me feel stupid for being unable to produce the finished product, and could not/did not show me how to modify or change the movement to help me be successful. Why did I stay?

Although I can never answer this question, I'm grateful. Something within me realized that pilates was life changing. I was able to tune out this negative instructor, his lack of care, and focus on myself and my progress. I never went back to this instructor, but my pilates journey began.

Even though it was a bad experience emotionally, I still came away with a sense of physical change and was able to acknowledge that there was something extrordinary about pilates. It made me investigage further, take more classes, work on my mind/body technique and eventually become an instructor.

What I learned from that terrible session was what not to do with a client. My bad experience has made be a better instructor, and very aware that the client/instructor relationship is first and foremost about the process of change and what I can do to facilitate growth and success for my client.

Thank you for posting such an encouraging article and for the opportunity to post a reply.

Peace and health,
Deb Preachuk
www.pilatesintegration.com

I am posting some notes I shared with the Lung Cancer survivior's group at a local hospital here in Minnesota this week.

The topic of discussion was on the benefits of exercise with a cancer diagnosis. Here are some of the key points shared.

Activity is the key to avoiding debilitating effects of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and adjuvant therapy.   

1. Exercise is Safe
   • Studies repeatedly show that exercise is safe
   • Well tolerated
   • Beneficial
   • Post-surgical and During chemotherapy, radiation , immunotherapy, bone marrow transplant
2. Exercise helps combat Fatigue
   • fatigue #1 side effect
   • Profoundly negative effect on quality of life
   • Studies show that exercise reduces fatigue
   • Aerobic exercise during chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, bone marrow transplant has a positive effect on reducing fatigue
   • Same effect with patients with metastatic disease
3. Too much Rest during treatment can be debilitating 
   • Myth - Too much rest – quickly become weak and debilitated
   • On average patients who are inactive lose
     • 5% of functional ability during 7 weeks of radiation therapy
     • 16% during first 9 weeks of chemotherapy
     • 19% during high dose chemotherapy (for bone marrow transplant) in 3-4 weeks
   • Physical ability decreases, simple activities become more challenging = feel tired more easily
   • Decreased ability has a negative effect on emotional and social function
   • Leads to muscle wasting
   • Bone loss
   • Sarcopenia (increased fat accumulation in conjunction with increased muscle loss)
   • Decline in heart & lung function
4. Exercise can aid in maintain Functional Ability
   • Able to improve fitness with modest exercise during treatment
   • Able to do ADL and have some energy to do other pleasurable things important to you
5. Exercise can aid in maintaining a healty Body Weight
   • Help offset weight gain due to treatment
   • Can decrease risk of recurrence in some cancers
   • Offset of other serious illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, bone and joint problems)
6. Exercise can aid in maintaing Bone Health
   • Treatments & inactivity increase rate of bone loss
   • risk of fractures increased
   • can reduce amount of bone loss during chemotherapy
7. Exercise can aid in: 
   • Reducing Anxiety & depression
   • Difficulty sleeping - aids in promoting better sleep
   • Self-esteem - increases
   • Body image - improves
   • Relieve/reduce nausea
   • Improve appetite
   • Decrease pain
   • Helps cognition “chemo brain”
   • Better patients tolerate treatment
   • Discharge from hospital sooner
8. Moderate exercise
   • as little as 10 minutes
   • Every other day
   • Sufficient to reduce fatigue
   • Divide into short sessions – 2 minutes
   • Just as effective in reducing fatigue vs. struggling to complete a sustained period

If you have questions about how to incorporate an exercise program while unergoing cancer treatment, please contact me at your convenience.

In good health,

Deb Preachuk
www.pilatesintegration.com