Jul42016 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments

Standing Pilates Squat

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standing-pliates-squat

This exercise aims to tone leg muscles and provides a great workout for the core muscles and the entire lower body. It looks simple but should be executed with control and awareness. It can be made more challenging by incorporating small weighted Pilates balls, which will work to tone the shoulders as well.

Instructions:

  • Stand up straight with the feet about hip-width apart and the toes pointing forward. Tighten the abdominal and buttocks muscles. Stretch the arms out to the side, shoulder height with the palms facing down.
  • Bend the knees and come into a squat. Stick the hips back as if you are about to sit on a chair.
  • Press your heels into the floor, stand back up and lift your right leg up. The toes should be facing forward. Do not turn the leg out or in.
  • Lower the right leg slowly and with control so that the toes touch first and the heel last. Make sure you do not just drop the leg back down.
  • Squat down again and this time, lift the left leg as you stand back up.
  • Go back and forth for 8 to 12 repetitions. Do this with control.
  • To make this exercise more challenging, hold a weighted Pilates ball in your hand. As you lift the right leg, lift your right arm up to shoulder height, palm facing down as you hold the ball. Squat and lower both arms down. Pass the ball to your left hand. As you stand up and lift the left leg, lift your left arm up shoulder height.

 

Jun292016 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments

Standing Pilates Lunge

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standing-pilates-lunge-1

The Pilates lunge is a favoured exercise to strengthen the quadriceps muscles, gluteal muscles and hamstrings muscles. It also aids in hip stabilization and knee strengthening. Moreover, this routine also helps you gain a better sense of balance and an increased awareness of your body.

Instructions:

  1. Start in a position where your right heel touches the inside of the left foot, your right knee should be looking to the right.
  2. Take the right leg out diagonally in a wide stance and lower the hips to come into a lunge position. This will bring the bent leg into a 90-degree angle. Allow the back leg to stretch out with your foot and heel on the floor.
  3. Bring both arms to stretch above you next to your ears. The body now is in one straight diagonal line from the fingers down to the heel of the back leg.
  4. Hold this position for 5 counts then push up from your right bent leg and take the leg diagonally behind you, do a curtsey taking the body down.
  5. Push up and come to standing third dance position. Repeat 3 times with each leg.
  6. Do not allow the knee to go beyond the toes; keep the knee in line with the ankle when in a lunge position.

 

Jun142016 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments

Turbocharge your run with these Pilates exercise moves from PowerMoves Pilates Studios :)

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shape-may-2016-powermoves

Runners, listen up: it’s time to step away from those speed sessions, and focus on building up the key muscle groups that power your run – your core, hips, hamstrings and lower back. The stronger they are, the more effective your strides will be. And you will be far less likely to get injuries.

On non-running days, do these Pilates moves – recommended by Claudel Kuek, CEO and founder of PowerMoves Pilates Lifestyle in Singapore – and you will soon see a huge improvement in your posture and stamina. “For all exercises, remember to draw your shoulders away from your ears, and keep your abdominal muscles engaged while lengthening your waist.”

One in fitness with you,
PowerMoves Pilates Lifestyle Singapore

Nov22015 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments

STAYING ON TRACK

Most Beginner Friendly Pilates, Pilates, Pilates Award, Pilates Blog, Pilates Dempsey Singapore, Pilates Mat Classes, Pilates Novena Singapore, Pilates Reformer classes, Prenatal Pilates, Reshape, Stress Relief

 

It’s common for your fitness routine to be derailed by holidays. But who says you need a gym? You just need a little willpower and a couple of minutes. We asked Claudel Kuek, founder and CEO of PowerMoves Pilates Lifestyle about her personal routine.

Q. How do you stay strong and limber on long trips?
A. I do daily express sessions before starting the day: Leg lifts (front, side and back), planks, grand plies or lunges, stomach crunches and push-ups. I do 20 reps of each exercise and give my body a good stretch immediately afterwards.

Q. Where do you do these exercises?
A. In the room, by the pool, in the gym – wherever inspires me most. Depending on the destination, this routine can be done in lovely parks or by the beach too. It is always special to embrace the vacation spot by being outdoors so playing golf, cycling and hiking are my other favourite activities to stay fit.

Q. What else gets you going?
A. I like breezy soundtracks. Think Lionel Richie’s Love Will Conquer All, Basia’s Cruising For Bruising, and Justin Timberlake’s Love Never Felt So Good.

As featured on Shape Singapore October 2015 🙂

Aug312015 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments
Most Beginner Friendly Pilates, Pilates, Pilates Award, Pilates Blog, Pilates Dempsey Singapore, Pilates Mat Classes, Pilates Novena Singapore, Pilates Reformer classes, Prenatal Pilates, Reshape, Stress Relief

Join us, PowerMoves Pilates @ Novena Specialist Centre, as we introduce you to Pilates with a workshop on 26 Sep (Saturday 2pm). You will get to try out Pilates moves and reap all its benefits. The first 30 SHAPE readers to call 6455-2221 win a one-hour pass worth $150.

Sign up now! We would be delighted to have you!

www.powermoves.com.sg

PowerMoves Pilates Lifestyle

Mar272014 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments

EARN YOUR SIX-PACK

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Don’t let love handles peek out from under your cropped top..

These Pilates core exercises shown here will sculpt your midriff, and give you toned and defined abs that you can show off in the latest fashion runway looks.

PowerMoves Pilates in the Park

www.powermoves.com.sg

Oct102013 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments

The Power of Pilates @ PowerMoves

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After giving birth to her third child, Susie Lawson was determined to lose the extra weight she’d gained during pregnancy. By chance she was introduced to Pilates by a neighbor and, less than a year later, she has lost nine kilograms and seen drastic improvements in her body shape. I caught up with Susie at PowerMoves‘ Pilates studio to find out more.

“It’s a daunting task to lose weight after a baby,” says Susie, “but I was determined to do it while we’re here in Singapore where I have home help to look after the kids while I am exercising. I could not have done this if we were back in Australia!”

“I realised I’d need to be pushed and motivated to lose the weight,” she says, “and the personal attention you get at PowerMoves was just what I needed. They have small classes of two or three, so the instructor notices as soon as you’re doing something wrong and she corrects your posture so that you get the full benefit of the exercise time. She also keeps challenging you to do more, and you really feel it the next day — so you know you’re getting a great workout.”

Susie is also motivated by the beautiful park-like setting of PowerMoves. “It’s a great escape from the city environment and I really look forward to ‘my time’ here. It’s conveniently close to my home plus there’s a fabulous spa just next door!”

A picture of good health, Susie’s enthusiasm for Pilates is contagious and the secret of her success has clearly been the visible results of her progress. “I can now fit into clothes that I haven’t worn in years–I’ve lost seven centimeters around the abdominal area in just eight months”, she explains. “Pilates has changed my perception of exercise–I’m addicted now!”

After such a positive endorsement, I had to give it a go! The Pilates instructor under Mrs. Claudel Kuek put me through my paces on the Pilates Reformer machine, carefully explaining and demonstrating each movement with a combination of action, contraction of the core muscles and correct breathing. There’s a lot to think of at once and you definitely need personal attention to help you get it right. I like the fact that their trainer focuses on quality rather than quantity; each move is carefully controlled to maximise the strengthening and toning effects on the core muscles. “Pilates is all about creating longer, leaner muscles so you get a strong, toned body without the bulk”, she explains.

By Karen Lucas

Written for Mrs Claudel Kuek
PowerMoves Pilates studios in the Park, Singapore

Oct212012 by PowerMoves Pilates in the ParkNo Comments

Pilates is not Yoga

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So you have heard that Pilates and Yoga are similar in many ways. Yes, both disciplines help you create greater awareness of your body’s posture and its alignment. Yes, both disciplines improve and enhance flexibility and strength. Pilates and Yoga also emphasize coordinating breath with movement.

Both these disciplines of Pilates and Yoga have amazing benefits. They are both fitness regimes that are integrative; they are associated with stress reduction and increased well-being. They can both also be adjusted to a wide range of people and fitness levels, and both support the achievement of very high levels of body, mind and spiritual fitness.

Pilates aims to reach high levels of fitness goals for the mind and body, however, through a series of controlled movements. The Pilates technique not only has a full complement of matwork exercises, but it incorporates work on Pilates machines as well.

Pilates is a series of controlled movements; movements that are not performed rapidly and/or excessively. The focus is on the quality of the movement and not the quantity or the repetitions. There are additional exercise equipment like the magic circle, elastic band and foam roller one could use to add resistance to help make your workouts more challenging. Pilates has several machines designed to achieve its purpose such as the reformer, the wunda chair, the ladder barrel and the cadillac. Pilates exercises on these Pilates equipment machines are designed to cater to every individual’s needs.

The emphasis of Pilates exercises is to strengthen the abdominals, improve posture, stabilize and lengthen the spine, improve balance, flexibility and overall strength. Pilates gives you a long and lean, evenly-muscled look. Pilates works the whole body; emphasizing control, precision and concentration in both the mind and the body.

Whereas Pilates is scientific-based and its movements are always dynamic and in a flow; Yoga is spiritual-based involving meditation and reflection and its exercises are held in poses.

The abdominal muscles, lower back and butt muscles serve as the center of all movement. In Pilates, this is called the core or the powerhouse. This focus on core stabilization makes one stronger from the inside out and allows the rest of the body to move freely. The low-impact nature of Pilates makes it ideal also for injury prevention, rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

All Pilates exercises are formulated on the six principles of breathing, concentration, control, centering, precision and flow. These principles train the body to move efficiently and expertly with minimal stress on its joints and with maximum benefits on the entire physiology of the body. The Pilates method and using it regularly creates a healthy, vivacious and more symmetrical body which results in a lean, balanced, strong and supple body with very efficient and well-toned muscle groups.

A further listing of benefits that you can expect from the Pilates method include long and lean muscles, strong core and stability, injury prevention, better posture, improved balance and coordination, relief from stress and back pains, enhanced athletic performance, effective post-rehabilitation, and increased self-confidence.

Warm Regards,
Mrs Claudel Kuek

NB Click here to find out if Pilates is what you need to create the makeover in you!

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