If you are anything like me, you have at one time or another, falsely believed that it’s not a “real” work out unless you run a few miles and sweat like a pig. I guess you never had back pain or have taken a pilates class either? I’ll admit, I’m the classic reluctant gym-goer, exercise class-taker…until I’m there. I’ve experienced all kinds of back and neck pain in my life and spend the majority of my day sitting at a desk in front of a computer – not exactly a recipe for alignment.
When you are in pain, you are often willing to try anything. I was curious about all of this “core” talk. And I’m happy to say – I am a self-proclaimed convert, as I have made the connections between my core strength and my physical wellbeing, not to mention the added benefit of decompressing my mind with some self-care – “Me” time.
I had the pleasure of convincing my pilates teacher, the beautiful Renata Halaska, founder of Balance Pilates, to create a 30-minute video for our Best Self readers – a little sampling of things you can do at home to stretch, strengthen and decompress your spin. She has kicked my core, but in the process I have been the beneficiary of pain elimination, improved posture and all around muscle tone. Give it a whirl and you will see why she has such a loyal following. Go forth and engage your core!
~Kristen Noel
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