Home | News | PCM Lifestyle | Entertainment | Interviews | Pop Music | Trivia | Shop |
Brooke Siler Fitness Tips
Sponsor This Page!
Be seen and advertise on Pop Culture Madness!



Music News
PCM Friends
Pop Culture network
Annual Trivia and Fun Facts
Celebrity Magnet
Grand Magazine
Alaska Jim
World Of Pop Culture
Weekly World News
WSTW 93.7
7890 Radio

(Links)

One of the nation's most sought after pilates experts Brooke Siler took some time out of her busy schedule to share with PCM, some tips and easy to do pilates moves to get our bodies in tip-top shape just in time for swim suit season!

Siler is responsible for toning and re-shaping some of Hollywood's most famous bodies including Madonna, Kirsten Dunst, and Rachel Weiz to name a few and now we can share some of her signature training exercises with you! She is also the author of the NY Times Best Selling book, The Pilates Body, and The Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge!

Top 5 Pilates Basics: Covers all the major territory of the body in preparation for swim season!!
1. Pilates Push Ups – Strengthen and tones shoulders, chest, arms & upper back; stretch shoulders & backs of legs.
Prep: Stand at the back edge of mat with feet in Pilates stance (heels together and toes 3" apart) and arms up by ears. Inhale deeply and pull navel up spine.
Exhale and walk hands down legs until palms are on mat.
Inhale as you walk hands out on the mat until shoulders are just past wrists and heels are over toes.
Exhale and lower hips until they are in line with body. Imagine you are suspended by a heavy spring.
Perform 3 Push- Ups by bending and straightening your arms with your elbows held tightly to your sides.
On last Push-Up, inhale as you fold up bringing chest toward legs.
Exhale as you press your palms and heels firmly into the mat and pull your navel up deeper into your spine for a complete stretch. Imagine being pulled up in your center by the spring.
Inhale and walk your hands back toward your feet. Keep your legs as straight as possible as you go.
Exhale and roll your body back up to a standing position.
Repeat the sequence no more than three times.
2. The Roll Up – A giant 'sit-up’ that works upper and lower abs, inner thighs and bottom while articulating the spine and creating length in the waist.
Prep: Stretch out to your body’s full length, the way you might stretch your waking body as you get up in the morning.
Squeeze your buttocks and backs of your upper inner thighs together tightly.
Flex feet into Pilates stance (heels together and toes 3" apart) and bring straight arms forward.
As your arms pass over your chest, lift your head and inhale as you begin to roll up and forward. Imagine that your lower body is strapped down to the mat.
To articulate your spine imagine this rhythm: Lift chin over your chest, lift chest up over your ribs, lift ribs up over your belly, lift belly up over hips, and lift out of your hips and over your thighs.
Exhale as you stretch forward while keeping your navel pulled back into your spine. This is opposition!
Initiate rolling back by tightening buttocks and bringing your tailbone under you. Inhale as you pull your navel to your spine.
Reversing the sequence of the exercise, exhale as you press each vertebra into the mat beneath you. Keep squeezing the backs of your upper inner thighs together for stability.
When the backs of your shoulders touch the mat, lower your head and bring your arms over into a full-body stretch before beginning the movement again.
Complete 8 -10 repetitions
3. Double Leg Stretch – A deep upper and lower ab strengthener that doubles as a leg and arm toner as well. The movement is very similar to a backstroke in the pool so perfect for summer.
Prep: Lie on your back and pull both knees into your chest, elbows extended and head lifted.
Inhale deeply as you stretch your body long, reaching your arms back by your ears and legs out long in front of you at 45°, as if stretching before getting out of bed in the morning.
Anchor torso firmly to the mat, and do not allow your head to move off your chest.
As you exhale, circle your arms around and draw your knees back into your chest to meet them.
Pull belly further from your knees as you increase the exhalation, to release stale air from your lungs.
Repeat the sequence 8-10 times, as you inhale to stretch and exhale to contract.
End by pulling both knees into your chest with a deep exhalation
4. Single Straight Leg Stretch - Stretches hamstrings; lengthens waist; Strengthens abs
Prep: Lie on back and pull both knees into chest, elbows extended and head lifted.
Extend right leg straight to ceiling and grab ankle (or calf) with both hands as you stretch left leg long & hover it slightly above mat.
Anchor torso firmly to mat from tailbone to shoulder blades, and keep head lifted above chest.
Exhale and deeper hollow of abs.
Inhale and pulse raised leg toward head. Keep it locked straight!
Exhale and quickly scissor straight legs past one another.
Grab left ankle and repeat, inhaling for 1 set and exhaling for 1 set. Imagine the rhythm of windshield wipers beating. Complete 5-10 sets
5. The Saw - Works postural muscles; Tightens waistline; Stretches hamstrings & back. (This is also a breathing exercise that "wrings" stale air from bottom of lungs.)
Sit tall with legs extended and open. Flex feet pushing heels out from under you.
Stretch arms out to sides as if reaching to touch sides of room.
Inhale as you pull navel in and up, pressing crown of head through ceiling.
Twist from waist to left. Opposite hip remains pressed down into mat. Imagine sitting in a block of cement and can only move from just above hips.
Round head to right knee, stretching left hand past baby toe. Allow pinkie finger to brush baby toe as if it were a saw.
Imagine opposite hip deeply imbedded in cement and unable to move. Lift your back arm in opposition.
Inhale as you draw body up into starting position.
Repeat sequence to right, exhaling deeply as you stretch head toward left knee.
Complete 4 sets
Tips for keeping in shape on the go!

Brooke calls these her "non-negotiables" , they sound simple but help build consciousness around how you move on a daily basis.

1. Your powerhouse is always engaged: in and up. Like cinching a corset around the waist it tightens, tones and protects your mid-section.

2. Your chest is always lifted. Not only is this better for your spine, it’s better for your cardiovascular and circulatory systems, too. If you are hunching, you aren’t able to be breathing at capacity. Open up your chest and create the square footage of a mansion to house your lungs.

3. Your spine is in a straight line, from its base through the crown of your head. Rounding the back, hunching the shoulders, all of these things exert an enormous amount of pressure on your vertebrae. Keeping your spine in a straight line is like taking the kink out of your garden hose. It keeps the energy moving freely through your entire body.

4. Your weight is distributed evenly: Shifting your weight, whether it’s into one leg, or into the back of your sofa or car seat, will always impact the natural curvature and abilities of your spine. Remaining mindful of remaining evenly rooted, whether you are sitting at your computer or rummaging through boxes in the basement, will ensure your body is working safely and at its maximum potential in everything you do.

 

navigation
links
column
will
go
here

Pop Culture Madness is your complete trivia resource. Click on our Home page for the latest pop culture news or our Trivia section for our ever-expanding organized trivia categories.
Our motto: "All The Pop Culture News That Fits, We Print!" We are adding more information daily. Well, semi-regularly. If you don't see a link for what you're looking for, then it's your responsibility to write something up, and send it in.
Everything else © copyright 1999-2011 Pop Culture Madness, unless stated otherwise.

By the way, PCM does NOT allow frequent Pop up ads, Pop under ads, or sneaky spyware. Nor do we link to sites that have excessive Pop-ups, spyware or inappropriate (all ages) material. If you find one, please let us know and they are toast!
Also, since we don't "sell out" to those Pop-up advertisers, and we're too proud (so far) to ask for donations, we'd like to proudly point out some of our carefully chosen advertisers throughout the site. They have some cool stuff that should be sitting in your room, or wrapped like a present for a friend.
Please check 'em out!

pop, as in 'popular': (adjective) Pertaining to the common people, or the people as a whole as distinguished from any particular class.
Having characteristics attributed to the common people and intended for or suited to ordinary people.

culture: (noun) That which is excellent in the arts.
A particular stage of civilization. The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.

madness: (noun) The state of being mad. insanity, senseless folly, intense excitement or enthusiasm.

College Students in the Northern Delaware area or willing to work from any other campus, check out our Internship Program!
Privacy Statement: We will not sell, give or share any personal information, including e-mail addresses, of any of our visitors to anyone outside of Pop Culture Madness.com or our affiliated sites. We do not accept any stealth or spyware advertisers or third party sponsors of such programs. Pop Culture Madness.com and affiliated sites do not send spam, offer get-rich-quick schemes, offer or suggest "enhancement" devices or medications via e-mail.
For purposes of review, we often (usually) get samples, previews, get press access and other 'inside information.'
Take that into account when you read a positive (or negative) review, on PCM or anywhere on the internet. We do not place stories up for payment unless it is a stated sponsor or a link that we believe will be helpful and relevant to our visitors.

PCM does use third-party advertising companies, such as google, to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.

 

 

web stats