Class Descriptions
Through our Movement Education Center, we use the science and research of physical therapy to help you understand your best alignment, both in exercise and in daily functional movements. Using the common theme of Find Your Best Neutral, your APT physical therapists have created the following courses to ensure your muscles and joints are working correctly for optimal fitness results and injury prevention.
Neutral joint position enables deep stabilizer muscles to support joints in a way that minimizes stress and keeps you active, balanced, and free from pain. All classes are taught by physical therapists and will explore fitness trends and tools that will help you reach your health and wellness goals. We look forward to sharing this exciting information with you.
- Yoga Basics
- Pilates for Aging Gracefully
- Pre- and Post-Natal Pilates
- Healthy Body Pilates
- Nordic Walking
- Total Control: Pelvic floor exercises with Pilates
Yoga Basics
Enhance your strength, flexibility and improve your posture with yoga at APT. With a focus on proper breathing, we will flow through a series of poses to increase your strength and flexibility while helping quiet your mind. This class combines the benefits of yoga with our anatomical cuing to help you learn how to keep your body in the correct neutral position during the poses. Props will be used when modifications are necessary to keep you in neutral alignment.
Class taught by Jennifer Thornton
Cost: $60 for five week class
Call the clinic at 773-907-3599 to register
Pilates For Aging Gracefully
This class is for individuals with mobility limitations as a result of the natural aging process who would like to increase strength and flexibility SAFELY. The class is a gentle workout that can be performed by all ages and ability levels -- while exercising mostly from the comfort of an armchair. By targeting pelvic, abdominal, back and shoulder muscles, this program will enhance your level of functional fitness and therefore help you to perform daily activities with greater ease. Additionally, we will be performing standing balance exercises with the support of the chair or walking poles to help eliminate individuals at risk for falls.
Class co-taught by Rachel Weeks and Pat Staszak, PT
Cost: $120 for eight week class
Call the clinic at 773-907-3599 to register
Pre- and Post-Natal Pilates
This class will focus on correcting common musculoskeletal patterns that develop as a result of pregnancy and caring for infants/young children. Emphasis on developing strong core and postural muscles will help prevent common aches at pelvic girdle, low back, and neck. Pelvic Floor Muscle strengthening and home programs will be discussed to facilitate healthy pelvic floor and deep abdominal functioning, which is essential for a new mom. All stages of pre-and post-natal are welcome; modifications will be given as appropriate, and participants will learn how to appropriately modify their exercise programs to allow them to work out effectively and safely whatever their stage of pregnancy or post-partum.
Class is taught by Catherine Lewan, DPT, STOTT PILATES Instructor
Cost: $120 for six week session
Call the clinic at 773-907-3599 to register
Healthy Body Pilates
Participants can expect to learn the Five Basic Principles of STOTT PILATES, practice mat exercises, and discuss practical applications for injury prevention. You will also learn how to find neutral joint position and correctly engage your deep stabilizing muscles. This will help you keep your body in a healthy alignment during the exercises and in everyday life. This class is based on the principles and exercises in the STOTT PILATES Rehabilitation program. STOTT PILATES uses biomechanical principles and current theories in physical therapy to improve body awareness so you can get the most out of your exercise program.
Class is taught by Catherine Lewan, DPT, STOTT PILATES Instructor
Cost: $120 for the six-week session
Call the clinic at 773-907-3599 to register.
Links:
http://STOTTPILATES.COM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stott_Pilates
Nordic Walking
This class will teach participants Nordic walking, or walking with specially designed poles for a total-body workout. Originally an off-season training program for skiers in Finland, this new form of exercise improves balance, agility, coordination, efficiency of movement, and visual acuity.
This class will review the use of the equipment, the technique, and special skills.
Class is taught by Patricia Staszak, PT, certified ANWA Nordic Walking Instructor, STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer.
Cost: $120 for the six-week session.
Call the clinic at 773-907-3599 to register.
Links:
http://www.leki.com/
http://www.anwa.us
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_walking
The Physical Therapy Perspective: We love Nordic walking because it requires an upright position that encourages your posture muscles to continuously engage, which in turn provides dynamic stability for your joints. Using poles eases stress on painful joints that might have prevented you from enjoying the benefits of walking, an excellent weight-bearing exercise. It is also an excellent tool to develop upper-body strength and shoulder stabilization.
We also use Nordic walking to evaluate and improve the mechanics of your walking style, or in the biomechanics world, your gait. To experience the maximum benefits from your Nordic walking program, we will teach you to become more aware of your posture, body alignment, and movement. You then can use this information to improve your gait mechanics. Nordic walking also improves the strength of your core stabilizers, improves hip mobility, and increases strength through the legs and feet.
Nordic Walking: The Basics
Benefits
• Full-body fitness—the poles connect the entire body to the ground and redistribute the force from your lower body to your upper body and core. When Nordic walking, 90% of your muscles work, instead of just 50% with normal walking.
• Improved cardiorespiratory fitness.
• Improved posture.
• Reduced impact on joints—studies show 25% less strain on knees and improved support at back.
• Increased bone density.
• Improved dynamic balance, coordination, visual skills, strength, and power.
• Reduced stress. Exercising outside is good for the soul!
Equipment
Apparel and Shoes: This is an outdoor sport; participants should dress appropriately. Wear layers and rain gear if necessary. Materials that are light and dry quickly work great. Participants should wear lace-up shoes with a supportive yet flexible sole and a wide enough toe box that your feet do not feel constricted. Shoes should be replaced every year or after 500 miles of walking or running. If possible, use a good walking or running shoe, not a hiking shoe, since they usually have very stiff soles.
Poles: The correct pole length for beginners is found by holding a pole in the hand with the upper arm next to the body. In this position, the angle of the elbow is 100 degrees. As skills improve, the poles can be lengthened an inch or two. As the poles get higher, it becomes more work for your upper back and shoulders and allows for a greater stride length.
Leki (http://www.leki.com) seems to have a large variety of poles, and they are also the only brand that has the gloves that detach from the poles. There does not seem to be a site that carries specials on these poles. The Leki website appears to be the best option for purchasing poles, but Amazon carries them, and there are many smaller retailers in the country. REI carries the tips, but not Nordic walking poles. The following products are made by Leki:
• Sprint — $90. This is the most cost-effective good pole.
• Traveler — $150. Adjusts small enough to fit in a carry-on bag.
• Instructor — $150. Slightly lighter, nice release from poles.
Other well-known brands, most of which are based in Europe, are Excel, SWIX, and Komperdell. These companies specialize in fixed-length poles. Since fixed-length poles have no chance of slipping and giving out, they are considered more secure. These poles are more common in Europe, are slightly less expensive than adjustable poles, and eliminated the need to set pole length. The disadvantage is that if you purchase a pole that is too short, you will be unable to lengthen the pole as your Nordic walking stride lengthens.
Some class participants have found less expensive poles. The most important characteristics of a Nordic walking pole are the diagonal tips and gloves that connect to the pole. If you plan to do a lot of Nordic walking, it makes sense to have nice poles. It is a small investment in your health, and the benefits far outweigh the costs.
Total Control: Pelvic floor exercises with Pilates
This class introduces basic Pilates and fitness exercises with an emphasis on the pelvis. A growing body of research indicates that the pelvic floor muscles and deep core muscles play an important role in our everyday functioning.
Total Control is a class format that was developed by the Women’s Health Foundation to help women suffering from incontinence and other pelvic floor dysfunctions, but we would like to offer this course to all women and men interested in pelvic wellness. As such, we will discuss pelvic floor exercise as it relates to maintaining optimal pelvic health, preventing onset of dysfunction, and also relieving current symptoms you might be experiencing.
Participants can expect to learn how to isolate and engage pelvic floor and deep core muscles—from this foundation, we will learn basic Pilates mat, core stabilization, and fitness exercises with strong lumbopelvic support.
Clinical research has shown that this class can reduce symptoms of incontinence and restore healthy pelvic floor functioning. Additional research suggests that pelvic floor training can decrease low back and pelvic pain, enhance sexual health and athletic participation, prevent pain, and increase quality of life.
This class is vital for anyone who has had trauma to their pelvic floor (childbearing, surgery, etc.) and is also recommended for anyone who has ever wondered what a Kegel is—or whether they’re doing it correctly—or what their Pilates instructor is talking about when she says, “Lift your pelvic floor muscles!”
Class is taught by Catherine Lewan, DPT, STOTT PILATES Instructor.
Cost: $120 for the six-week session.
Call the clinic at 773-907-3599 to register.
Links:
http://www.totalcontrolprogram.com
