George - Pilates Walk Tips, Techniques, and Exercises for a Healthy Stride

This Pilates-Walk health improvement project has been 20 years in the making! Id like to thank the thousands of clients Ive had the privilege to work with over the past twenty plus years, as weve used Pilates training as a tool to improve whole-body health and worked together to develop healthier movement habits.

Walking is something we take for granted when our body feels great. But its something that we find painful and life-altering when it hurts to walk, or if we cant walk due to an injury or accident. Whether its in our foot, knee, hip, back, shoulder, or neck, when pain affects our ability to move around for daily life activities, theres not even the thought of walking for exercise!

Even before I started teaching Pilates, I helped clients in the health club learn to walk more efficiently to get better results from their workouts. For the past 22 years, I have taught Pilates and foot fitness workshops, worked with both clients and teachers in the studio, and have done various other sports and physical activities which form, posture, and gait were key elements. It has become clear to me that there is so much to be gained from teaching people how to get the most out of an essential activity that they do countless times a day: walking. Piece by piece, as Ive had the privilege to work with each and every one of my clients, this Pilates-Walk training system has been born.

Special thanks to my mentors and Pilates teachers:

David Mooney, my first Pilates teacher, who taught me the value of breaking down exercises and building them back up to deepen the mind-body connection and really help find and feel the right muscles working.

Romana Krayzanowska, who mentored my initial Pilates certification program for showing the value of working the body with rhythm and pacing. She gave me an understanding of the systematic order of exercises in the Pilates workout program as well as the multiple progressive levels that continuously challenge and condition the body. My experience as her student was truly enlightening; it has increased my understanding of the value of the Pilates method for improving whole-body health and has helped me develop safe and effective training programs.

And finally, Dianne Miller, who is not only a mentor, but dear friend, who has shared her insights for improving functional movement and developing better body mechanics for Pilates and life. I am so lucky that our paths have crossed in this lifetime! Everything I have learned from you has helped me become a better teacher, and teacher-trainer, and has truly made the difference in my ability to see and correct clients to help them connect mind, body, and spirit and enjoy lasting results from their Pilates training programs.

I cherish every second of time Ive had learning more about Pilates and the body. And I absolutely love how Pilates principles transfer to everyday life, and can be so easily practiced to improve whole-body health and wellness thru walking.

Thank you for letting me share my passion for Pilates-Walk with YOU!

Aliesa George

Disclaimer

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. Please consult with your doctor before beginning this or any exercise program to ensure your safety and reduce the risk of injury. The instructions presented herein are in no way intended as a substitute for medical counseling. If you have had a joint replacement, or if you have osteoporosis, are recovering from an injury or accident, or have any other special medical conditions, follow all exercise guidelines and precautions as outlined by your physician.

Introduction

My Mission, and the Pilates-Walk goal is to give you lots of helpful information and exercise tips so that you can find and use the right muscles when you walk.

Walking is one of the best whole-body wellness activities (when your form is good). But with poor posture and bad body mechanics even a leisurely stroll can leave you feeling worse instead of better.

To help you maximize the benefits of your walking technique, Im going to share with you some simple common-sense strategies and exercises that Ive found helpful for myself and my Pilates clients to fine-tune their form to get more of the right muscles working to walk well.

Everybody walks! Whether walking is a part of your workout routine, or just something you to do get you from one place to the next, how your body is moving directly relates to how it feels. Poor posture and movement habits can only lead to aches, pains, and injuries. Practicing healthy movement habits will lead you down the road to better health!

This book is designed to be a handbook, and guide to help you become more aware of your current walking habits, and help you tweak your technique for better form and function.

The more efficient your gait, the better your stride; the better your stride, the more you use the correct muscles to move. Walking with good body alignment will help keep you strong, fit, flexible, and most importantly injury-free.

Whether youre walking down the block, or doing marathons, Pilates-Walk Movement Strategies can help you feel well and be well.

So dont just sit there and read this book Get up, start moving, and practice the exercises! Improving your body awareness and re-training your walking habits to be healthier will only happen when you take action with a focus on your form and function.