Walking Stairs

Two-thirds of Americans get basically no exercise at all. Yet there's heaps of research which shows that just getting out and walking dramatically reduces your risk of premature death, as well as the chronic diseases diabetes - diabetes, heart disease, cancer.As a Pilates instructor, my goal is to provide challenges for every muscle in your body and to give you functional strength and awareness that can be applied in the real world and in everyday life. In a city like San Francisco, famous for its more than 50 hills within city limits, we encounter hills and stairs daily. Climbing stairs is not only a part of daily life, but can also be a fun, efficient form of aerobic activity and core training.The advantages and gains from climbing stairs are broad, but here are two benefits that might pique your interest. For starters, stair climbing can burn through a higher number of calories than many other types of aerobic exercise. Secondly, it helps reduce LDL cholesterol in the body, which is fantastic for your heart.Whether you're in Napa or Europe this summer, July is a beautiful month for getting in some good strolls. I want to get you out there walking and get you doing it right! So, this month we're taking a closer look at how to properly climb stairs through applying some of the Basic Principles of Pilates.We hope you will enjoy this video where we demonstrate a program for getting you started with climbing stairs.

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working with many tremendous clients who have greatly improved the quality of their lives through Pilates. To see these clients change huge aspects of their daily is what makes teaching such a rewarding career. One such client, who describes his age as " The same as Paul McCartney's," shares his experience:"I look forward to my weekly visits to Blue Sparrow Pilates! When I started Pilates about 2 1/2 years ago, I was very sedentary because of hip pain and injuries. I belonged to a gym but never went and couldn't do much walking because of the pain in my hip. Beginning regular Pilates sessions twice a week has made a dramatic difference in my life. Because I don't have pain regularly, I feel a lot better overall.These days I can easily walk 2-3 miles, three or four times per week without any problem! When I'm walking I can hear Holly or Alisa's voice in my head reminding me, "Be conscious of your posture," "Standing upright, no leaning," "Use your gluts and abs." Even when I'm not in the studio I'm thinking of the lessons I've learned there over the last few years.I'm still very challenged by going up steps, not because my hip hurts, but because I get so winded. That doesn't mean I avoid steps, I just take the bus up to Coit Tower and then walk down. I'm working towards being fit enough that I can go up and down without the bus."