The book taught me about how to stand and hold myself according to the Alexander Technique, and it gave me excellent guidance into the basics of "a-gluteal Pilates" (Definition - Show/Hide) (A-gluteal: The style of Pilates that encourages to not clench the buttock muscles during the workout- in contrast to "gluteal Pilates", as taught by Romana Kryzanowska (Romana's Pilates), which teaches to clench the buttock constantly during much of the matwork exercises - as always, where there are extremes of opinion, the truth lies somewhere in the middle). But there was still much more to learn as I painfully worked through the solutions by which I would rebuild my body and my life. I bought and studied a copy of "Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes"  ,
by Shirley Sahrmann, and learnt that there were times that the Gluteal muscles must engage in order
to brace the pelvis and support the smaller muscles around it
(hence one of my favourite sayings: "maximum effort requires Gluteus maximus").
Pilates finally arrived in town in the form of mat Classes at the local YMCA Fitness Center, and my introduction to "Gluteal Pilates" began. They were just getting started with the Peak Pilates training program. It's a well designed course that covers the basics well, with excellent cueing instruction that only a Pilates trained physiotherapist could improve upon. And I travelled out of town to get my instructor training. Making Pilates Work for a Runner As time went on, I learnt to enjoy the mat work, and to teach it. It's a real thrill to hear clients (I think of them as fellow students) report that back and buttock pains ease, and that putting their shoes on becomes a joy and not a nearly impossible chore. But can Pilates be made to work for runners? Some runners are blessed with a posturally good technique and robust bodies. They don't seem to need much help beyond the occasional tip from the coach or the physio Other runners (myself included) find that technique and posture must be learned, and that Pilates trained muscles must be additionally maintained with stretching and trigger point massage. (Books that Helped Me - Show/Hide) The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook At the present Time I spend a lot of time reading sports and physiotherapy journals, and putting the knowledge to good use in the training of myself and others. Summing Up I'm helping people in general - and I'm helping runners - to achieve freedom from pain, and optimum function. I think I have the best job in the world. To that end, I serve my Pilates clientele through mat classes and backup resources (such as this website and numerous short booklets and longer publications. And that was PilatesRunner.com is all about - helping people to help themselves. And somewhere along the journey, they will fulfil their dreams! |
by Clair Davies makes it thoroughly possible to treat your own trigger point pain. Read
by Ann and Chris Frederick explains how to make stretching work.
Prestigious running books and websites pay lip service to stretching by describing the same woefully inadequate
half dozen stretches. In my opinion, it is
very plain to see that even professional coaches have very little idea of how to maintain muscles with stretching, and
why research articles are not always able to confirm the benefits of stretching. This is a deplorable situation,
with most runners suffering unecessarily as a result! -
On the plus side, those of us who are open minded and diligent can gain a huge competitive advantage by
learning how to make stretching work. That is why this book is worth studying! 
