As a physical therapist and wellness professional, I have always been aware of the vast health benefits of Pilates. Recently, however, my own personal experience has opened my eyes to the integral role this exercise form can play in life’s greatest challenges.

Over the past few months, my husband has undergone various stages of cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. During this time, I have witnessed firsthand how a Pilates-based exercise program can ease and expedite the cancer recovery process.

When navigating the path of cancer recovery, one faces unique hurdles and challenges. Cancer patients often battle muscle weakness, decreased mobility/flexibility, stress and fatigue all at once. Regaining strength and range of motion, as well as increasing energy levels and reducing stress, becomes imperative to promote a positive healing process. Those undergoing cancer rehabilitation, therefore, must find a way to accomplish all of these health goals simultaneously. The Pilates principles of centering, control, flow of movement, breathing and concentration help cancer patients address each of these recovery needs.

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Thoughts of outrage, unfairness, disbelief, and ultimately grief consumed me while I was doing this investigation. A list of ingredients that are banned across the globe but still allowed for use here in the American food supply recently made news. While I have written about some of those ingredients before, this list inspired me to look a little deeper and find out how pervasive this issue is for us. Could these banned ingredients be contributing to the higher mortality and disease rates here in the U.S.?

The health of Americans is downright grim according to a report just released by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. It declares “Americans are sicker and die younger than other people in wealthy nations.” The United States spends 2.5 times more on health care than any other nation, however, when compared with 16 other nations we come in dead last in terms of health and life expectancy for men and near the bottom for women.

Here is the breakdown for you:

• More than two thirds of United States citizens are overweight – 33% being obese.
• 32% of children are either obese or overweight.
• 43% of Americans are projected to be obese in 10 years.
• After smoking, obesity is America’s biggest cause of premature death and is linked to 70% of heart disease and 80% of diabetes cases.
• And 41% of Americans are projected to get cancer in their lifetime!

These reports and statistics scream the word HELP!  Read more here

They’re a group of specialized physiotherapists and movement specialists trained to incorporate Pilates in rehabilitating injuries and chronic pain. They build relationships with their patients, becoming extra sensitive to their mood and behavioral changes, encouraging them to keep on going but, more importantly, also knowing when to set restrictions.

This is physical rehab, 21st-century style. This is Clinical Pilates.

“It’s Pilates in business class." This is a highly specialized discipline. We provide first-rate rehab service based on principles that are grounded on scientific studies. We make sure everything is positive here. The muscles need to be activated, but emotions have to be corrected, as well,” said Ole Eugenio, founder and program director of Options Studio.  Read more

If calorie counts won’t deter people from overeating, maybe the threat of exercise will. In a recent study, diners who ordered from restaurant menus that listed the amount of brisk walking required to work off each dish were less likely to overeat than those with menus that listed calories or no health information.

“We found that the menu with the exercise labels lead to significant reductions in calories ordered and consumed,” said Meena Shah, an associate professor of clinical nutrition at Texas Christian University and an author of the study, which was presented last week at the Experimental Biology 2013 meeting in Boston.

Furthermore, diners ordered and consumed roughly the same number of calories whether or not their menus included calorie counts.

Menus that list calories are becoming common in the United States thanks to a handful of state laws and the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which requires restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to provide them (the Food and Drug Administration is still working out the details). But the research on whether such menus actually prevent overeating is mixed.

Displaying the amount of moderate exercise needed to work off food might make the consequences of poor dietary choices easier to grasp, Dr. Shah said. “Everyone can relate to brisk walking.”

The study consisted of 300 men and women ages 18 to 30 who were randomly given one of the three menus, all of which contained the same items. Dr. Shah says she hopes to expand the study to a wider age range.   From NY Times

Like the “fiscal cliff,” the “fitness cliff” has already come and gone—impacting millions of Americans. But unlike the fiscal cliff, which received an abundance of media attention and was eventually addressed by lawmakers, the fitness cliff occurs each year without any attention, much less a viable solution.

The term “fitness cliff,” as dubbed by Gold’s Gym, describes the date on which millions of well-intentioned people across the country with newly established ambitions of increased health and fitness for the New Year succumb to old habits of inactivity. This year’s fitness cliff occurred February 7th, placing millions of sedentary Americans, already exasperated and unable to enjoy the basic joys of life, at further risk for excess weight related illness, pains and chronic disease.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/198246-america-has-gone-over-the-fitness-cliff#ixzz2tKa2C8TL

Advertisements for vacation destinations often paint couples’ massages as the premier romantic activity. It’s true that massages can be relaxing and sensual, making such sessions ideal gifts come Valentine’s Day. Yet, massages aren’t just sultry oils and New Age music. They can actually be very good for overall health.

Massage therapy is beneficial in various ways. Massage is no longer just available in upscale health clubs or luxury spas. Massage spas have cropped up in malls, hospitals, clinics and even office buildings, making massage therapy that much more accessible.  Read more here.

We don't stop moving because we grow old, we grow old because we stop moving.

Many people assume that they're too out-of-shape, or sick, or tired, or just plain old to exercise, so they avoid it completely. Others believe they should lower the intensity of their exercise due to compromised balance, coordination and strength that come with age.

They're wrong. The real danger to your health is not exercising at all.

At any age, you can increase muscle strength, preserve bone density, improve balance and improve your overall health. However, only a combination of regular exercise and sensible eating can help you achieve this, so don't let your age scare you away from the gym.

Before you join a health club, know what to look for and ask about. Here are some helpful tips for starting and/or maintaining your path to healthy aging: Read more at HuffingtonPost

(Living in an Ohio winter and looking on the bright side! - Sarah)

This winter’s frigid temperatures could be having one desirable side effect. They may be revving up your metabolism.

Shivering in the cold sparks a series of biochemical reactions deep within the body that alters fat cells and bolsters metabolism, much as formal exercise does, according to a fascinating series of new experiments. The findings intimate that exercise and shivering are related in ways not previously suspected.

For the new study, which was published Tuesday in Cell Metabolism, scientists affiliated with several branches of the National Institutes of Health recruited 10 healthy adult men and women and invited them to the lab on three separate occasions. There, the researchers drew blood and obtained small samples of muscle and fat cells.  Read more at NY Times

Many of you have spent the first few weeks of 2014 getting back to the gym, or starting a new diet and/or fitness program. Getting a jump-start with health and fitness in the new year can be daunting.

Here are a few basic guidelines you can follow to make 2014 successful for your health and fitness.

The most important part of getting your health and fitness back is changing your overall lifestyle - everything from how you view life to what you eat, cutting back on additive behaviors, how often you should workout, what type of activity to do, etc. The one sure-fire way to fail right out of the gate is to try and change everything all at once. It took years for most of you to develop the habits, gain the weight and generally become less healthy and fit than you want to be.

So to master better health and fitness, you need to know where to start.

Let's start with 10 basic starting points: