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BoneSmart Pilates® Online Class Descriptions

Click here to sign up for classes.   

Virtual Class Schedule Change:

Starting Monday, May 16, 2022, we’re replacing our Monday Standing Strong Pilates class with two 30-minute choices.

Superpowers at 9 am PST and our NEW Restorative Pilates at 9:30 am PST. This gives you the option to do just one or both workouts.

 

 

 

 

Here’s a map of my virtual class offerings with brief descriptions so you know what to expect.   

Standing Strong Pilates

Research cites the importance of weight-bearing exercise to build both muscle and bone. About half of this class is done standing, emphasizing strength and balance. The second half includes bone and spine safe Matwork. Exercises are done on your back, side, belly, and all 4’s to maximize your strength in all body orientations.

 

What you’ll need: An inflatable core ball, a long resistance band, ½ tennis ball, and a myofascial release ball aka purple pickle.

 

 

 

 

Superpowers

Designed for the active ager, this 30-minute Strength Training class uses both hand weights and body weight. We’ll target upper and lower body strength with core and posture underscored. Everyone works at their own level to stay effective and safe.

What You’ll Need: 2 sets of weights (or cans/water bottles, Lighter weights are typically 1-3 lbs. Heavier would be roughly 5-10 lbs.

For optimal strength results, it’s suggested you take this strength class twice a week.

 

 

 

NEW Restorative Pilates

Incorporating standing and matwork, the focus of this class is on gentle strengthening exercises and movements that promote mobile flexible bodies. This 30 min flow class will leave you refreshed and ready to take on the day.

What You’ll Need: Pilates inflatable core ball and a long resistance band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Active Aging Bootie Barre

Strong glutes are more than pure aesthetics. They help keep your back pain-free.

This 30 min. low impact class will Improve your hip, leg, glut, and core strength. (no ballet barre or dance background needed)

Build endurance to enjoy your daily activities with ease.

What You’ll Need: a chair, an inflatable core ball, and at times, a resistance band or loop. Bone safe, spine safe!

 

 

 

 

Foam Roller Release Class

The perfect antidote to prolonged sitting, tight muscles, and accumulated stress.

Focus: Knead out knots and promote a fluid, flexible body.

What You’ll Need: Foam roller 6 in diameter by 36 in long.  All exercises are bone safe. Calming low-intensity class.

 

 

 

 

 

HIIT – High-Intensity Interval Training

Burn fat and boost your strength and cardiovascular fitness with this fun Dance inspired 30-minute HIIT class. Modifications are given so you can work at your own pace.

Added perk, this class builds neural connections boosting your brainpower. We string together movements that challenge your memory and coordination.

What You’ll Need: Tennis shoes, a water bottle and a sense of fun.

 

 

 

 

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Not just for the hardcore exerciser, foam rolling is both self-care and self-repair.

Foam rolling is a form of self-massage that alleviates tightness and trigger points (aka muscle knots) by using your body’s weight against a foam roller. The benefits are many.

 

 

BENEFITS OF FOAM ROLLING:
  • Increases blood flow and elasticity of muscle tissue, joints, and fascia, the body’s connective tissue, which helps with mobility and overall well-being.
  • Reduces inflammation that occurs during the muscle repair process.
  • Helps injury prevention by maintaining muscle length and alleviating tension and tightness.
  • Releases tension promoting relaxation.
FOAM ROLLING PRO-TIP: 

Click to view the video. If you are new to the Aging Strong Pilates Facebook Community, you will have to join the group to see the video.

For all the moves, you’ll want to stop wherever it feels tight or tender. Breathe allowing the pressure and stillness to create a release. You’ll note the benefit immediately. When you experience that release, inhale, and then as you exhale, slowly roll your way to another tight spot and repeat.

DEMONSTRATIONS:

Want to see some demonstrations of key roller exercises? Watch the video on our Aging Strong Pilates private FB page where I demonstrate effective techniques to melt away your stress and your knots. You can also ask your questions there. I moderate daily.

 

HOW ELSE CAN YOU USE THE ROLLER?

The foam roller is not just for relieving knots and tension. It can also be used to increase the challenge to certain muscles and improve your postural stabilizers which are important for balance.

Imagine lying on your back with bent knees, the soles of your feet on a roller that’s perpendicular to your body.  Doing bridging this way increases the challenge to the muscles in the back of your legs because your feet are on an unstable surface that, without adequate hamstring firing, will roll away from you.

Here’s another scenario:

Lying vertically on the roller with your head to your buttocks supported by the roller- similar to the photo on top, knees bent, feet and fingertips on the floor.  Challenge your postural stabilizers by marching in place – lifting and lowering one bent knee. Notice how your balance systems kick into high gear to keep you from falling off the roller.

YOUTUBE FOR ROLLER AND MORE

My Youtube channel “BoneSmart Pilates” has many free videos that support your movement practice. Check out this one which includes 6 Great Foam Roller Exercises to Start Your Day!

 

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Aging with Grace!

We are bombarded through media, with anti-aging approaches like botox, plastic surgery, facial creams, and expensive supplements.  I personally think the concept of anti-aging is BS.  We are all aging every day.  If you actually stop aging, you are …dead.   I prefer to age, embracing every wrinkle as a testament to the privilege of still being here and with it, hopefully, some added wisdom on top.  Now how we age is a choice.  Everyone makes the choices that feel right for them but I want to share with you an additional approach you can add, that works from the “inside out”.

MOVEMENT HELPS

Did you know that Pilates can make you look and feel younger?  This is all without expensive creams, needles, or surgery.  The only side effects? Improved flexibility, balance, strength, and posture! Exercise also improves your skin and complexion. By increasing blood flow, exercise helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital. We lose about 1% of our leg strength and about ½ a percent of our bone density yearly after we hit 50.  Pilates slows down the muscle and bone loss that occurs with aging.

3 WAYS TO CONNECT and AGE STRONG

Do you prefer to be guided in your movement practice with skill and a keen eye toward the active ager?

The local Aging Strong Pilates® class that I teach in Los Altos, CA,  my DVD series AGING STRONG Pilates® and my Zoom Virtual Classes all focus on those areas at risk of decline as we age. Those areas include the hips and legs (to keep us strong, mobile, and doing what we love), the spine (to prevent slouching/hyperkyphosis), and balance (to prevent falls).

TIPS TO FINDING A TRAINED PILATES TEACHER

If you want to find a Pilates teacher local to you, search for one that is certified through the Pilates Method Alliance  (is an NCPT-Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher) and who has the skills to customize a program to your abilities. If you have certain challenges like osteopenia, osteoporosis, herniated discs, stenosis, joint replacements (the list goes on) your instructor should be aware of the movement contraindications for each diagnosis and be able to create a program that keeps you challenged yet safe.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Remember- 1x a week is helpful but consistency is key in the Aging Strong formula. Improvement is dose-responsive. The more classes you take, the stronger, more balanced, and agile you’ll be. If you can’t get to more than one class, make sure your instructor gives you an individualized home exercise program designed specifically for you. (and try my DVDs if you haven’t already)

I believe in interspersing Pilates with the other movement activities in your life that bring you joy. For example,  I love dancing, hiking, and walking my dog Chip.

Please share in the comments section below, what movement activities raise your spirits and your core temperature!

 

 

 

Written by Teresa Maldonado Marchok, Licensed PT and NCPT (Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher

Creator of the BoneSmart Pilates® Method and acclaimed DVD series

Pilates Studio owner since 1998 melding PT and Pilates in her Mountain View, CA private practice.

Ambassador for American Bone Health

Learn more at www.BoneSmartPilates.com

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Fab 5 Morning Stretches

Getting yourself up and moving in the morning isn’t always easy. You might find that on some days, you wake up feeling achy and full of tension. This could be caused by inactivity the previous day, having worked on a laptop for long uninterrupted periods of time, overdoing a particular activity, or maybe just from sleeping in a weird position.

Please accept this holiday gift of the Fab 5 Morning Stretches to help release tension, relieve achiness, and get you moving with ease in the morning.

Inspired by nature, research, and my own body’s morning crankiness, I’m sharing what I found works well. By all means, add any of your favorite stretches in if you have the time.

I curated this list to ensure efficiency (short and sweet), effectiveness, and achievability.

 

You’ll notice in the video I mention pandiculation. Besides being a cool sounding word, it is an integral part of our sleep wake cycle.

 

According to Walusinski (2006), Pandiculation is the involuntary stretching of the soft tissues, which occurs in most animal species and is associated with transitions between cyclic biological behaviors, especially the sleep-wake rhythm.

 

Yawning is considered a special case of pandiculation that affects the musculature of the mouth, respiratory system and upper spine (Baenninger, 1997).

 

Yawning is probably one of the best ways to stretch in the morning.  That’s why I incorporated a yawn in two of my Fab 5 Stretches. It’s easy to stimulate a yawn, except when you’re filming yourself!

 

Here’s what’s working and stretching during a yawn. When you examine it closely, it’s a pretty comprehensive list!

  • Lungs – Yawning sucks in an increased load of air to boost the oxygen circulating in your body instantly kick starting your energy and vitality.
  • Eyes – When you yawn it’s amazing, your eyes squeeze shut, contracting the circular muscles around them moisten your eyeballs so when you open them your vision brightens sending a jolt to that region of your brain that deals with consciousness, self-reflection, memory retrieval and alertness!
  • Mouth – yawning stretches your mouth open, your nostrils flare and stretch all your facial muscles including your palate, lips, forehead, chin all from the inside out.
  • Ears – remarkably you’re also stretching your ears inside and out when you yawn.
  • Neck – The act of yawning causes you to involuntarily tilt your head back. This opens your throat effectively stretching the front and back of your neck.
  • Torso – When you draw in that breath, your diaphragm expands, your ribcage widens 3 dimensionally, your back arches so all your vertebrae get a wake up nudge, you trigger those large back muscles, your tummy stretches waking up your stomach, and these movements start to massage your liver, your intestines and your bladder!

 

If you think in terms of kinetic energy, a yawn stretches your body like a rubber band. All the connective tissue pulls, then you release. Your body stretches to its “end feel”, innately knowing that’s as far as it can go without causing harm. It’s arguably the safest stretch you can do!  It’s like nature’s little adrenaline shot to help wake you up.

 

So, yawn your way to a great day!

 

Happy Hands and Feet Exercise Cheat Sheet

View the Video for details

 

HANDS

Roll Back and Forth with

  • Palm Up
  • Knife Edge
  • Palm Down

Squeeze and Release

 

FEET

Roll Back and Forth Lightly

Press and Roll Deeply

In and Out (inversion/eversion)

Squeeze and lift

 

 

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Booking Virtual Classes 101

Have you found navigating my online booking system challenging?
I created these short video tutorials to make everything easy peasy, crystal clear!
  1. First view the “Overview for All” before clicking the video for the category of class that interests you.
  2. Bookmark my scheduling home page BoneSmartPilates.as.me for easy access
  3. If you prefer using mobile devices, download the free app “Acuity Scheduling Client” from the App store. My sisters find it easy to navigate.
  4. Always Log In whenever you’re on the site. If  you haven’t created an account you can Create an Account Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5 Ways Pilates Supports the Active Ager

We’ve all heard the saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”  This saying is particularly pertinent as we age.  For instance, if we give into a sedentary lifestyle, we’ll feel the repercussions of that choice reflected in our loss of flexibility, balance, strength, and bone density.  Pilates helps you to age strong.  Here’s how.

Balance

  • Pilates targets key muscles important for balance. Weight-bearing standing exercises strengthen your core, hips, knees, and joints. This increased strength and stability around your joints will help you stay upright and enable you to catch yourself if you trip.  Falling is the number 1 cause of hip fractures and a leading cause of other broken bones.  A Pilates class targeted to the active ager should have a good portion of the session performed standing to challenge your balance to address this issue.

Bone Density

  • While it’s typical to lose some bone mass as we age, it’s not normal to have osteoporosis, lose more than an inch and ½ of height, or experience painful broken bones. Not all Pilates classes are equal. If one of your goals is to improve bone density, especially if you’re diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, you want a class that’s curated for you. Make sure the session doesn’t include crunches.

It should include the following:

  • weight-bearing exercises,
  • balance (standing on one leg builds hip bone strength)
  • strength training (as muscles contract, the tendons pull on the attached bone stimulating growth)
  • impact exercises to “surprise” the bones stimulating bone growth (think stomping or even jumping if you’re allowed)

Posture

  • A reason your doctor measures you each visit is to track if you’re shrinking. The reasons for loss of height can include spinal compression fractures, slumping posture due to loss of spine strength, and fallen arches. Pilates is well known for creating long, lean spines and strong, mobile feet.  Pilates strengthens your back muscles, opens your chest and shoulders, and will have you walking tall.

Brain Power

  • I recently completed a 9-month clinical trial targeting the prevention and reversal of cognitive decline, as many of you know.  A key component in this study was exercise and its positive effect on the brain. Pilates was my daily mainstay. Because Pilates is a mind-body practice, you can’t “check out” during class. Instead, you need to be mentally present, attentive to every detail. Precision is key.  In addition, the improved circulation from exercise fuels the brain promoting optimal focus and creativity.

Accident Prevention

  • A strong body promotes a stable body, one less prone to injury. We naturally lose about 1% of our leg strength per year over age 50. We can halt and even reverse that downward spiral with Pilates.

A focus of Pilates is proper body mechanics, meaning moving your body safely. An example of this is hip hinging, bending from your hips and knees while maintaining a straight spine. This simple technique spares your spine and discs from injury.

This focus on a strong, confident, balanced body helps prevent falls which become more common as we age.  We strengthen our core and arms in Pilates so that, if you do trip, you’ll have the strength to catch yourself before your hips or knees hit the ground. An added perk, the focus on activating your core and pelvic floor muscles helps address incontinence preventing unwanted leakage.

 

Putting it All Together

In conclusion, we want to enjoy a vibrant “healthspan,” not just a long “lifespan.”  Let movement be your medicine.  Pilates delivers movement that is safe, efficient, and fun. Drugs can have adverse side effects; however, consider the side effects of Pilates.  Better balance, bone density, posture, brainpower, and a body that is safer from accidents!

Have you experienced unique benefits not mentioned above? Please share in the comments section below!

To book classes with Teresa Maldonado Marchok – licensed PT and certified Pilates teacher click here

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The Birth of BoneSmart Pilates®

Imagine getting your DEXA (bone density test) results and learning you have osteoporosis. You’re frightened you’re going to “break,” and the first thing your doctor suggests is medication.

Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, that scenario is all too common.

Here’s the story of how I came to specialize in bone safe movement

The year was 2010, and the wife of a Stanford professor came to me for an evaluation and treatment plan.  She’d just been diagnosed with osteoporosis and wanted “out of the box” ideas to address her bone health.  For the sake of privacy, I’ll refer to her as “Clara.”  Her doctor had discussed prescription drugs as a recommended treatment approach.

Taking extra time to explain her test results in ways she could understand, I also had her complete the online FRAX assessment, which calculates your estimated personal risk of fracture.  I listened and answered her questions.

I shared with her the kind of movements that help build bone and the types of movements and postures to avoid that increase her risk of fracture.

teaching alignment at a workshop

Teaching alignment at a workshop

Like a sponge, Clara soaked it all in.

I taught her the spine sparing hip hinging technique with the use of a dowel to ensure optimal alignment. For her homework, I asked her to practice this technique whenever she needed to bend over—also, any time she transitioned from sit to stand or stand to sit.

She learned my BoneSmart ABCs for maintaining and building bone. These principles of Alignment, Balance, and Contraction (as in muscle strengthening contraction and contraction from impact like stomping) are the cornerstone of my method.

 

This remark she made still gives me pause.

“Why didn’t the doctors tell me any of this?”  You might be asking yourself the same thing.

Why don’t doctors share this movement information?

In many cases, movement and exercise for osteoporosis is not their area of training or expertise. The medical model often defaults to drugs as the first line of defense.  I’m not saying osteoporosis meds are bad. They are appropriate for some people, but not all people in all situations.  In addition, many lifestyle changes can help your bone health.  (I won’t get into them here. That’s another article-my focus here is on movement.)

The link between the pink pole, Clara, and BoneSmart Pilates.

On our next appointment, Clara proudly presented her homemade dowel, fashioned from a Home Depot closet rod which she festively festooned in neon pink tape!

It was clear to me that she’d done her homework and was applying the principles of safe movement and bone-building exercise in her life.  The trajectory of her bone health took a turn for the better. Her infectious enthusiasm and that pink pole fueled me to do more.

Encountering more people with excessive bone loss

After that experience, I continued to meet more people of all ages dealing with excessive bone loss. Some people were quite young, experiencing the effects of bone loss due to secondary causes like the adverse effects of drugs, eating disorders, and cancer. All had little understanding of the ways to move safely with bone loss or the movements to avoid that might cause a break.

She broke her back

pilates exercise rollover

                           Pilates exercise, “Rollover”

Another incident that spurred me on… my client has a sister with osteopenia, and she fractured her spine doing a “rollover” in a Pilates class.

This is a typical move in Pilates but one that you should avoid if you have osteopenia or osteoporosis. The reason being that position puts compressive loads on the spine predisposing you to fracture.

Although she didn’t have full-blown osteoporosis, the movement guidelines are the same for osteopenia and osteoporosis

Because this teacher was not well informed of the need to modify for her client with excessive bone loss,  the client broke her back.

The realization hit me that too many Pilates teachers and general exercise instructors don’t understand the movement guidelines for their clients with excessive bone loss. Unknowingly, they are putting their clients at risk of injury with every unmodified Pilates or exercise class they teach.

Enhancing my expertise and the birth of BoneSmart Pilates

To bolster my expertise in this area, I immersed myself in research and trained with experts such as Sherri Betz PT and geriatric specialist Sara Meeks PT, a pioneer in osteoporosis work and whom I consider a mentor.

In 2013, I created the BoneSmart Pilates method and produced my first DVD BoneSmart Pilates®: Exercise to Prevent or Reverse Osteoporosis. Met with critical acclaim, it won the  Pilates Style Magazine’s best DVD award.  Soon after, Sara Meeks endorsed my DVD, which now appears on the cover.

Because osteoporosis is a silent disease that affects people of different ages, it was important to me that my first DVD had diverse demonstrators. Each demonstrator represents a different decade from their 40’s to ’80s, as seen here on my DVD cover.  I intended to create a DVD relatable to people of varying ages.   

 

 

Teaching the teachers

Teaching Pilates Instructors in Costa Mesa, CA

I made it my mission to continue to spread the word about bone-healthy movement by presenting educational workshops to Pilates teachers.

My goal, to empower them to work safely with their clients that have osteopenia or osteoporosis.  There are so many healthy alternatives to improve muscle and bone strength. No more crunches or “Rollover”  fractures!

 

Spreading community awareness

Leading an American Bone Health presentation

In 2012,  I became an ambassador for the national organization American Bone Health.  I continue to serve as a volunteer educator, leading bone health awareness community presentations.  Topics include fall prevention,  fracture prevention, bone safe exercise, and proper nutrition to support bone health.

 

The genesis of the Aging Strong DVD Series

As an active ager myself, I know firsthand the physical challenges that seem to creep in with aging.  How does one safely navigate exercise with arthritis, joint replacements, and the plethora of itis’s and issues that come with aging?  I realized I needed to create something that spoke to a broader audience, not just those with osteoporosis.

This was the seed of inspiration for creating my 2 volume BoneSmart Pilates® AGING STRONG DVD set.   I wanted to address the needs of our active aging population that would benefit from safe Pilates.   “Motion is Lotion.”  We need to keep moving, but we need to do it safely and efficiently.

These DVDs pick up where “Exercise to Prevent or Reverse Osteoporosis” left off. They increase challenge and complexity while still observing the rules of bone safety.  My AGING STRONG DVDs speak not only to bone loss but to common challenges seen with aging, such as sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss), compromised joints, arthritis, and disc herniations.

All of my DVDs and live or virtual classes are bone safe, spine safe, and active aging friendly.

My diagnosis

I used to wonder if people would listen to me since I didn’t have excessive bone loss.  In the last year, due to risk factors like increasing age, low body weight, petite body frame, and being a female, I’ve been diagnosed with osteopenia.  While this may have been a stress point in the past, I’m confident that I have the knowledge to ensure my safety and bone health.

Connecting through movement

I also believe that what I have to share is helping more people than I realize.  It warms my heart to get a call or email from someone I don’t know reaching out to tell me how my work, my movement ideas, have improved their bone health and quality of life. That means more to me than any sales target.  You may think it silly but I still have many of those first letters I received from some of you mounted where I can enjoy them.  Seeing them keeps me motivated.

One bright aspect of the pandemic: It forced me to learn to teach virtually, and this has increased my outreach more than I could imagine. Moving together virtually has helped deepen our connections across our community.  I hope you feel that. I surely do.

I’ve loved experiencing this journey of spine health, bone health, and aging strong with all of you, whether we’ve connected through my DVD, through virtual class, or my live classes.  Together we’ve gained new perspectives on our perceived limitations and the surprising extent of our physical and mental resiliency. We are, in essence, co-creators of our well-being.

 

I’m honored and grateful that you have allowed me into your lives and trusted me in this journey of transformation. I commend you for committing to live your lives with intelligence, mindfulness, and an energetic, playful spirit.

 

About the author

 

Teresa Maldonado Marchok PT is the creator of the BoneSmart Pilates® Method and award-winning DVD series.  Her passion for bone-safe exercise and active aging is reflected in the classes she teaches and the way she lives her life.

Her DVDs have national and international exposure, and her products have received over 200 Amazon 5 star reviews.

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Top 7 Hiking Tips

Half Dome Upper Right

There’s something to be said for having a goal, and conquering something you thought was beyond your reach. You can use this hike as a metaphor for any challenge you face. The victory is truly in the “trying” not necessarily the outcome.

I questioned whether my 63-year-old body would tolerate the demands of this strenuous Yosemite National Park Half Dome hike.  My FitBit Post Hike Stats: 24 ½ miles, over 60,000 steps, 422 floors, 427 active minutes…Yowza!

Not only did I come through, but I came out stronger than the previous two times I’d done this hike. That was unexpected.

Here are some of my best tips in a nutshell, for successfully completing a hike or very long walk and avoiding injury or unwanted pain. I hope my insights might offer you some useful ideas for your next venture.

I want to spare you the mistakes I’ve made in the past. I’ll go into depth with each of these categories below.

 

 

John Muir Trail descent at sunset

  1. PREPARE
  2. Bring enough WATER with electrolytes and if needed, bring a water filtration system
  3. TREKKING POLES
  4. A FANNY PACK or other easy access to your phone to capture awe-inspiring moments
  5. MUSIC for when the going gets rough
  6. LISTEN to your BODY
  7. HEADLAMP: If you suspect you might end up in the dark for whatever reason, get an LED headlamp

 

1. PREPARE: It’s all in the preparation. As a PT, I tell people before surgery, for say a shoulder or knee, to strengthen the structures around that joint so their post-surgical outcomes will be brighter.   It’s a similar concept when preparing for a big hike.  You don’t want to crawl off the couch and onto a mountain without any preparation or you’ll be crawling off said mountain!

 

 

  • Hubby and I stretching pre hike

    Make sure your tissues are ready for the load and volume of your anticipated demands.

  • Practice putting some weights in a backpack, building up gradually as you tackle your local hills. My neighbor who joined us for his first Half Dome hike, trained by walking around our level neighborhood with hiking shoes and a backpack. He laughed afterward that this in no way prepared him for what was to come.
  • Cross-train with strength classes, cardio/HIIT. Make long walks or multiple shorter walks, part of your daily routine so your endurance improves.

  • Inner thigh stretch

    Stretch before, perhaps during, and definitely after your hike.

  • Always have good hiking shoes that support your ankles and break-in your shoes if they’re new.
  • Trim your toenails so they don’t turn black from jamming into the front of your shoes going downhill. Learned that the hard way.
  • Wear silk socks under your wool socks to prevent blisters and chaffing. I also learned that the hard way.

 

  • Stretch before the final stretch

    Depending on the anticipated weather, it’s good to layer with light quick-drying non-cotton clothing. I wore a sleeveless crop top and started the day with a long sleeve sun-protective nylon top, trekking shorts without zippers or buttons so easy for those impromptu bathroom breaks in nature.  My clothing was perfect.

  • Coming down the mountain at dusk into nightfall, we encountered a lot of gnat-like flies/mosquitoes that seemed to enjoy buzzing near my mouth. I would have loved a pandemic mask at that moment. Luckily that didn’t last too long.
  • If you wear contacts bring spares. Easy to carry and brings peace of mind. I’ve had to use one once in the past so it’s good insurance-you want to be able to see!
  • Get to bed early and make sure you get a good night’s sleep. We were in bed by 9 pm the night before and up at 4:30 am to get ready to leave.

 

 

2.  WATER – Hydrating yourself adequately can mean the difference between headaches and cramps or feeling at your best. The trick for us this time was combining our water with electrolytes, packages of powdered Gatorade, and the like.  We used just enough to feed our tissues and encourage us to drink more, but not so concentrated that it tasted sugary. This was huge for us-no one cramped and all drank plenty.

Refilling at the Merced river

If you’re planning a very long trek and have access to a river, bringing a hand pump filtration system will lighten your load for how much water you need to carry from the start. I had a fanny pack with a water bottle at my waist and a camelback in my backpack.  I tell you I bit and sucked on that little tube and barely got any liquid out. Felt it wasn’t worth the effort so I just kept refilling my water bottle from the camelback (which is like a sack filled with water that molds nicely in your backpack.) That worked.

 

My daughter with trekking poles.

3.  TREKKING POLES – I’ve said it before, these are a lifesaver particularly on long hikes.

I found I didn’t need them for the first few hours of the hike.  My body let me know when to take them out.  They’re great for several reasons.

  • They help with balance, at any point one foot and the opposite pole are in contact with the ground. This allowed me to enjoy the scenery more as I wasn’t constantly looking down where I was stepping.
  • They help offload your joints by using your upper body to propel you forward or to help you climb to higher elevations. It makes hiking a full-body workout because, at each heel strike, you’re activating the glut of that side and your lat (latissimus dorsi-the muscle that pulls your arm back) on the opposite side.
  • If you have bone density issues, trekking poles decrease your risk of falling which is a plus.
  • These poles are a similar style and identical brand to the ones I have. (I got mine at REI a long time ago) It was important to me that they were collapsible, easy to store when not in use, lightweight, and had great reviews.

 

4.  FANNY PACK (in addition to a backpack) This is for easy access to items like your bottle of water, trail mix, energy bars, tissues, sunscreen, Blistex…and your phone/camera. You don’t want to have to take off your backpack for every little thing you need.

Of course, also bring a hat and sunglasses.

 

5.  MUSIC for when you’re tired and need some inspiration. On the way down I rocked out on Hamilton, Broadway musicals, and pop tunes. Amazing how inspiring music can add a spring to your step no matter how tired you are.  I wore earpods of course so I didn’t bother anyone else.  Did I tell you we were 15 hours in total on the mountain?

 

 

6.  LISTEN TO YOUR BODY – My husband took regular doses of Alleve to prevent back pain that’s been recently plaguing him. He also took a lightweight insulated bag and brought an ice pack in there.  He used it at the summit and it was still frozen!  Helped immensely.  He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to complete the hike due to his back but it all worked out.  I took 2 aspirin during the hike to fend off an elevation-related headache.  Worked like a charm.

The most famous–or infamous–part of the hike is the ascent up the cables. The two metal cables allow hikers to climb the last 400 feet to the summit without rock climbing equipment.

My neighbor got 1/3 of the way up the cables, He listened to his body, stopped, and said that was it. This is his photo from that spot.  It wasn’t a matter of fear of heights but just running out of steam and strength, and knowing we still had a 9-mile trip ahead of us to get back down to our car.  Though he didn’t summit, he was victorious and so happy with his accomplishments!  He listened to his body.

 

A little Pilates at the Summit

 

7.  HEADLAMP – On a whim my husband ordered 2 extra LED headlamps from Amazon so we were all equipped. At just 13.99 for 2, these were a lifesaver. Going on this hike with someone who has never done it before motivated us to show Larry a great time and not feel pressured.  He had us going at a slower pace which was fine but that meant the last 2 hours of the hike were in the dark.  That was difficult but the strong LEDs saved our ankles and our nerves.

 

Myself, Katelyn, and Tom on the “Diving Board” at the top of Half Dome

 

I told my husband this is the last time I’m doing this hike.  Though exhilarating, it’s also extremely strenuous. Besides, there are other summits to climb and places to explore.

With that said…we just placed our name in a lottery to hike the Grand Canyon next year and stay overnight at Phantom Ranch at the base of the Canyon. That’s like doing half the hike we did in Yosemite, having a good night’s rest, then completing the hike the next day.

I can do that! We’ll see if we get it!

 

 

 

 

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Los Altos In-Person Classes July 2021 Update

Click the video for details and find the meerkats!
This class is designed for those of us in the last and best third of our lives. Incorporating the science of aging, the class is bone safe, spine safe, and joint-friendly. We challenge our nervous system through fun movement brain games to develop new neural pathways that improve balance, fall response time, and focus. We work on core, lower and upper body strength, we dance and we practice how to catch ourselves safely if we trip, to help prevent injury.

This class is appropriate for the beginner to advanced intermediate active ager. Expect improved posture, injury prevention, coordination, core strength, flexibility, and balance with crossover benefits to your daily activities. 

No prior Pilates experience necessary, just a willingness to learn and have fun. To participate, you must be able to get up and down from a mat safely and independently.

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Benefits of working your Bootie in the last and best third of your life

Do you find your butt slowly disappearing or migrating south? Are your jeans sliding off your butt?

Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, is a real thing. The good news is you can do targeted workouts to minimize the loss that people experience from increasing age and all the excessive sitting that’s been happening recently.

It’s not too late to literally perk things up.

Round perky butts play a role in aesthetics but there’s even more that’s important!

Having strong gluteal muscles gives you the power to stand up, sit down, squat, and perform all your life activities with power and grace.

Strong glutes are important for proper pelvic alignment, propulsion during walking and running, and single-leg balance support.  They also help to support the lower back during lifting motions.

 

6 Benefits of taking the Active Aging Bootie Barre class

Strong glutes help your posture and lessen back and neck pain.

Increased sitting can result in slumped posture and “dead butt syndrome”. This is when your butt muscles become inhibited and literally forget how to fire.

How does this happen?  It’s actually a common problem today.  People are spending inordinate amounts of time sitting behind their computers, zooming, etc.  Picture it, your butt is tucked under, your back is in a C curve (I call it cashew posture) and your head is shifted forward in front of your shoulders. Feeling the back and neck pain yet? With all this faulty sitting, the muscles in the front of your hip joints become short and tight and the opposite muscles, the butt muscles, become neurologically inhibited, overstretched, weak, and inactive.  Strengthening the butt muscles, back muscles and stretching the muscles in front of the hip, exercises that are included in the active aging bootie barre class, address these common issues.

 

Strong Glutes help Prevent Injuries.

Building strong gluteal muscles (the focus of “bootie barre”) can help you avoid injury as well as recover from injury to your low back, hips, knees, and ankles by creating better alignment and stability.  As an example, when squatting sometimes people will cave one knee in towards midline instead of tracking the knee over the foot. That’s often a result of weak gluteal muscles on that side. This is a common dysfunctional pattern known as “dynamic valgus” and it can be prevented with strong gluteal and hip muscles. Proper hip, knee, foot alignment is cued regularly during our bootie barre class.

Strong Glutes Improve Balance

Who remembers those old commercials “Help I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”  Though people joked about it, those commercials depicted a real and serious situation.  Maybe it’s not an issue for you currently but having strong glutes now means you’ll have a strong foundation to propel yourself when walking, have the stability in your pelvis to balance on one leg, get in and out of your vehicle, or shower with ease and if you fall, “you Will be able to get up”!  This all translates to better long-term quality of life.

 

Strong Glutes Enhance Bone Density in the Hips and Pelvis

Strength training is the best way to improve localized bone density. This happens when muscle tissue tugs on your bones during strength training. By building up the muscles around your pelvis (your glutes) as we do in class, you are improving your muscle and bone strength as well as the stability of your entire pelvis and hips.

 

 

Strong Gluts are Aesthetically Appealing

Though not the most important reason, this is often the primary reason people start working on their glutes. It’s a valid goal to have to keep our pants from sliding down and if chasing a perky butt is your goal, I say go for it!

This class is targeted for you, in the last and best third of your life, to get strong safely and efficiently.

As a physical therapist, I ensure that you’re not using your low back to lift your leg behind you (a common error).  I design exercises that work all ranges of motion of the hip and stimulate both slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers found in your glutes.  And, we get it all done in just 30 time-efficient minutes!  Allow me to be your guide to lift your tush and safely challenge your limits.

Sign up for the Active Aging Bootie Barre Class every Wednesday at 11:30 PM PST. Can’t make that time? Not a problem. You can purchase the class and I can send you a recording to do at your convenience!

Click here for a preview of some Active Aging Bootie Barre Moves!

 

 

 

Written by Teresa Maldonado Marchok, MPT

Physical Therapist,  Pilates Teacher, Aging Strong Activist, Educator, and lifelong learner.   www.BoneSmartPilates.com

 

 

References

BoneSmart Pilates Youtube channel Gluteal Amnesia aka Dead Butt Syndrome  https://youtu.be/YevqgbmS4K8

Buckthorpe M, Stride M, Villa FD. ASSESSING AND TREATING GLUTEUS MAXIMUS WEAKNESS — A CLINICAL COMMENTARY. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2019;14(4):655–669.

Dunsky A. The Effect of Balance and Coordination Exercises on Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Mini-Review. Front Aging Neurosci. 2019;11:318. Published 2019 Nov 15. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2019.00318

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