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Browse every published article connected to Gina Jackson, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
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Browse every published article connected to Gina Jackson, or search within this exact expert archive.
With a little luck, the older we get the wiser we become. For sure, we remain emotional creatures of lots of crazy habits, but as we age and mature, we do generally try to take advantage of the experience of living and our growth to help us coast thru life more gracefully. At least we hope we ...
I can't tell you how frequently I coach and remind students and clients of the need for building consistency in a daily fitness regimen and program. Using the principles of Pilates for active movement, I admonish people to heed and act on Plato's statement, "lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." As the body ages, the "good condition" of the youthful body breaks down and lea
A Pilates workout – either on the mat or on the studio equipment – is one of the best known healing disciplines for the back. Sure, a Pilates workout focuses intently on the use of the abdominal center. The deep “scoop,” “lifting in and up” of the abdominals is crucial to moving the body effortlessly through all the exercises of Pilates. However, the true student of Pilates and the healing effects it has on lifting, elongating and strengthening the body learns very quickly t
The hardest part of training the body for every client I work with on a daily basis is what and how to eat on a regular basis. I get more questions on this topic, see more puzzled faces, find more hidden secrets about what they are really doing from every good intentioned person on this topic. It is a puzzle for most people. The what, the how, the when and the nagging argument if the choices made were the right ones. Most of us are actively in pursuit of the loss of a few po
To build, strengthen and tone your body and specifically your muscle, you want to eat to feed the muscle. We all understand the need for small meals frequently throughout the day, yet many clients I speak with still find it difficult or confusing as to what constitutes a good snack for strength and stamina. Simply put, to have the “stick-to-itiveness” necessary to sustain a long day, long workout or stay on point and disciplined in your new dietary habits, I counsel clients t
Do you feel like its “2 Steps Forward but 3 Steps Back?” Is your fitness program caught in the land of “in-between?” Do you feel like you are doing all you can to squeeze the best results out of your body, but not seeing the results you want and expect? It’s probably not your trainer or training. You are probably among the lion share of Americans that get caught on that never-ending cycle of not fully controlling what, when and how they eat to support their fitness program.
The obesity epidemic in America has created huge challenges for our culture and the fitness community of professionals. The good news is that more and more eyes are opening to the problem, the challenge and the long term outcomes. Many of our grandparents were challenged by the thought of “living a good and simple life.” Today, this has been trumped by the issues we face today of “maintaining a healthy life.” Living life, is perhaps a given. However, maintaining a “healthy li
An area of conce for many women - no matter what age - is the shape, tone and length of muscle of our legs. The suppleness of front, back, sidelines of the legs and surely the curve of the derriere are the parts of our bodies that get a lot of focus and attention in everything we do, every way we move and everywhere we come and go. Why not spend a minimum of twenty minutes a session, twice a week, shaping and toning these lifelong supports to mental and physical health and be
An area of conce for many women – no matter what age - is the shape, tone and length of muscle of our legs. The suppleness of front, back, sidelines of the legs and surely the curve of the derriere are the parts of our bodies that get a lot of focus and attention in everything we do, everyway we move and everywhere we come and go. Why not spend a minimum of twenty minutes a session, twice a week, shaping and toning these lifelong supports to mental and physical health and bea
Sixty minutes? Work my abdominals for a “full 60 minutes?” I’ll bet you are thinking Jesh! Isn’t that too much time? Actually, if all you were doing were crunches and sit-ups, it would most definitely be a bit too much and you would probably see diminishing returns as well. Read on, as I have another way and another suggestion. Many people do not realize the full functioning power of the abdominals in everyday movements. Most new exercisers (and many old-school gym rats) do
OK, so you have been working out regularly-–on your own or with your trainer--for a few months now. You like the results you are feeling in your body and really do not want to let the upcoming out-of-town trip [or vacation for that matter] stop your progress. You have finally moved away from the stationary machines in the gym and begun to incorporate free weights into your routine. Your shoulders, arms, chest and even your legs are beginning to show the definition you have be
We are fortunate to live in the age of health and technology. A century ago, the life expectancy of the average adult was just 42 years of age. Now, we age and acquire not only wrinkles and grey, but wisdom and a consciousness to our fitness regime and program that can carry us to more than 2X the life expectancy of our ancestors. If you are conscious about your health, the quality of your life and the grace and ease with which you choose to enjoy it, you have likely adopted
We Do It Big with Stability Balls - that is! Stability balls challenge and therefore, help to develop core strength, balance and control. I like to use them for all my workout routines but find particular good use for the tool when doing lunges, hamstring curls, pushups, planks and abdominal pikes. Backward and Forward Lunges are probably the easiest exercise to perform with the large stability ball. The challenge to the abdominal core to stabilize the movement of the ball -
Pilates mat workouts account for much of the work done in a Pilates routine for the general public. It’s the most common way for a beginner to get involved into the program, and at the same time, it’s one of the hardest parts of the exercise to fully develop. Pilates exercises are useful in helping the body to become strengthened and realigned, with increases in posture and balance occurring rapidly. In the original Pilates program organized by Joseph Pilates years ago, ther
The quality of your posture can make a big difference in your life. Good posture can make you look and feel younger, stronger and more confident; and can help improve your breathing, advance your sports performance, decrease your risk of injury and improve your biomechanical efficiency. And, over the course of your life, good posture can prevent painful physical strain in your joints. How can you tell if your posture needs improving? A few telltale signs include: 1. collaps