Myth: Not Sore? Not Working Out "Hard Enough"

Elizabeth Rodriguez Wellness

Hello Sweet Friends!

If you are doing Pilates or Yoga or any workout, this is for you!
I want to bust a myth today! Here it is...
Just because you aren’t sore doesn’t mean you aren’t doing the work or working hard enough.
When I work with clients, and they tell me that they didn’t feel sore the next day, they often give me a puzzled look and mutter that they must have done something wrong. And I get it: we are an ambitious society. We are used to this mindset because we push ourselves to max in our work and private lives that we expect our workouts to be the same. But what I know to be true after more than 12 years of teaching and practicing Pilates. I am constantly reminded how it is first and foremost, a mindful movement practice. However I have met a lot of people who have told me they are afraid of it. Or that they feel it’s too intense. Which makes me wonder how I can shift the perspective.
How can we make Pilates or any movement more mindful?

*The first thing we can implement is we don’t always have to add more stress to the muscles to be able to feel optimal results. Know exactly how many repetitions are just enough. Change the way you are executing the movement where it seems there is less of a struggle, or unwanted tension. This is how I like to work and teach. By working within your threshold, you can start developing an amazing foundation of strength in your whole body, little by little and have better quality of movement and better abs, and gradual results, instead of just pushing the body to its limit and creating more soreness, tightness and stress. The best part? Is that my clients don't beat themselves up or feel like they aren't working hard enough, because they feel and see the results with this method.
There are two other fundamental lessons I want to share:
*Pilates movements should be executed with the least amount of energy necessary to complete the movement
*Pilates should always be a positive moving experience.
That’s right! Pilates should always feel good! We can drop the need to exert so much energy and start moving from a place of ease. No grunting, no teeth clenching, or holding your breath. This is also fundamental teachings in natural movement frequently practiced in Tai Chi, martial arts and what I am working with now in my yoga certification (yep! I'm almost certified!)
In health always,
Elizabeth

Tips To Move With More Ease and Less Stress!

*KNOW YOUR THRESHOLD. There is no doubt about it, some exercises in Pilates can be challenging! But there is also a way to monitor if you are pushing too hard. Check in and see if you can still keep your form of your upper body, shoulder, neck, and face from shifting to tension. If you feel tired you could do less repetitions, take a break, or shake your head from side to side to reduce neck tension. You could check to see if you are slumping in your shoulder. Can you do the movement calmly without wincing or clenching your teeth? This is what we are aiming for. If you feel you’ve had enough, make the call to back off, stretch, or pause and get a drink of water. Always thank your body for a great workout. The only person putting the pressure to do more than you need to is you.

*ACCEPT WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. My favorite phrase to tell my clients is, “It is what it is.” I know what it feels like to have judgmental thoughts running through my head of “why can’t I do this!” I shouldn’t have skipped a week! But just like Rome wasn’t built in a day, we have to be patient with ourselves. This means you might not be there today, but it doesn’t mean you will never get there.

*WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SORE. I think the fine balance is to be able to feel like you’ve worked out and to be able to have energy to run your errands and to work out the next day if you want to, without a lot of muscle strain or having to take a big ol' nap. Which leads to my next tip: Small gentle movements and stretches are still beneficial. Usually a bridge, side stretches, stretching the backs of the legs or a gentle downward dog with soft knees can really be helpful. A hot bath with sea salt, Epsom salts, and baking soda in equal proportions, (you can start with about a cup each one) is really awesome too if you are really sore. (P.S. this triple salt bath is a trick from my dancing days).

Wanna Learn More? Come To My Workshop!
Feb. 24th, 3-5 p.m.

Nutrition: *The Sugar Games Workshop*

*Uncover “good sugars” & “bad sugars”, and learn about cravings
*Learn easy tips to practice now and still enjoy the foods you love!!!

Movement: *Mindful Abdominal Strength*

*Eliminate the “no pain/no gain” mentality & practice ease
*Perfect for any level, yogis, and low back-pain sufferers

Register here! Go to the 5 Points Local Schedule, go to Feb. 24th and register online before space runs out!

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Hi I'm Elizabeth

I'm a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach for busy, professional women and brides. I have a simple approach to nutrition that works, without confusion or deprivation for reaching optimal health, improving hormones, eliminating bloating, boosting energy and with strength-building, stress-reducing Pilates workouts, so you can end the body and food shaming, feel like you are at the top of your game in your work and personal life, knowing you are making THE best decisions for your body and health.

Find out more here!

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Elizabeth Rodriguez Wellness · P.O. Box 42652 · Austin, Texas 78704 · USA