The tens of millions of people who participate in or instruct dance, pilates, sports, and yoga will find this book an essential tool that explains the mechanics behind physical movement, recommends strengthening and stretching exercises, and helps avoid injury.
Awareness of movement potential,” says author Jo Ann Staugaard-Jones, “is key to a healthy body and injury prevention.” The Anatomy of Exercise & Movement shows readers how to gain that awareness by understanding the biomechanics of movement. In ten chapters, color-coded for easy reference, the author covers all of the major muscle and joint areas, including the spine; core region; shoulder; elbow; wrist and hand; and hip, knee, and ankle/foot joints. Most importantly, each chapter contains strengthening and stretching exercises for all of the above areas. Developed as a handbook, The Anatomy of Exercise & Movement is an accessible resource for anyone who would like to know more about his or her body, how it moves, and what can be done to improve that movement. The more than 275 high-quality, four-color anatomical drawings and the broad scope of muscle and joint groups make this one of the most important guides to the moving body on the market. A helpful “Myths” page at the end of each chapter debunks many of the misunderstandings and rumors about fitness that have circulated over the years.
Dance Anatomy is a visually stunning presentation of more than 100 of the most effective dance, movement, and performance exercises, each designed to promote correct alignment, improved placement, proper breathing, and prevention of common injuries.
Take a detailed look at your Pilates practice with the superbly illustrated exercises in Pilates Anatomy, Second Edition. Choose from 46 exercises to target a particular body region and delve deeper to stretch, strengthen, and finely coordinate specific muscles. See which key muscles are activated, how variations and minor adjustments can influence effectiveness, and how breathing, alignment, and movement are all fundamentally linked as you work to tone the body, stabilize the core, improve balance, and increase flexibility. Use the Personalize Your Practice section for each exercise to vary your practice and customize your workouts to fit your needs. Here you’ll find modifications to make each exercise more accessible when there are limitations such as tight hamstrings or underdeveloped core strength. Variations provide variety, and progressions are offered to add more challenge to each exercise and serve as valuable stepping stones on your journey to more advanced Pilates exercise. Also included are techniques for breathing, concentration, and self-awareness, providing a unique exercise experience that enhances your body and your mind. Whether you are just beginning to explore the beauty and benefits of Pilates or have been practicing for years, Pilates Anatomy is a one-of-a-kind resource that you’ll refer to again and again. Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.
A text intended to facilitate and highlight the multifaceted and fluid experience we humans have been gifted in the embodied realm. Arguetty utilizes the vast intelligence of Tantric yoga philosophy, nature, and ancient cultures to invoke insights, which ignite a path more fully aligned with the vast intelligence of nature and the pulsing beauty of our own hearts.
The Science of Fitness: Power, Performance, and Endurance clearly explains the vital connection between diet and exercise in the human body. With this knowledge, you can use the right exercise and nutrition to obtain a higher quality life, prevent disease, and slow the aging process. Authored in a straightforward style and with color images throughout, this book explores the cellular science behind fitness, protein synthesis, and healthy living. With it you will learn the most recent and important discoveries in the relationships between physical fitness, nutrition, weight loss, and weight management. It provides key information on the body's mitochondrial processes and their role in aging, along with well-informed discussions on general nutrition, sports nutrition, exercise physiology, how to enhance athletic performance, and how exercise strengthens the mind. Whether you are interested in how to eat healthy, train for your first (or next) marathon, take your fitness to the next level, find the best super foods, or simply want to improve your vitality through healthy, doable practices, this book will help you on your journey regardless of age or fitness level. - Presents the connection between exercise, nutrition, and physiology in a way that is ideal for both experienced athletes and newcomers - Provides the scientific basis for mitochondrial functions and their relationship to fitness, protein synthesis, quality of life, and the aging process - Synthesizes the latest research on nutrition, sports nutrition, super foods, and the brain/body connection - Co-Authored by legendary cyclist Greg LeMond, who illustrates key points using his own athletic journey
Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology, Second Edition, retains its scientific perspective while offering greater accessibility to a wider audience. The streamlined approach makes the content more accessible in a single undergraduate course, and the text comes with a suite of online ancillaries.
An indispensible resource for those interested in all forms of movement education, including yoga, pilates, dance, and more Somatic educator and writer Liz Koch has spent decades studying the principles of Core Awareness—a body-based approach to movement that utilizes attention to inner sensation as the key to increasing strength, gaining flexibility, preventing injury, and improving resilience. In this book, she shares her vast knowledge of Core Awareness with readers, providing movements, stretches, and mindfulness explorations that she developed herself. Her exercises are designed to enhance sensory development and shift readers from the standard paradigm of the body as an "isolated object" to a holistic paradigm of the human being as part of a living process of dynamic expression. This shift in perspective offers practitioners and teachers of movement, yoga, pilates, bodywork, exercise, and dance an empowering model for self-healing and the key to becoming stronger, more flexible, and more resilient. As Koch describes the practice of moving from one's core, she highlights the importance of engaging the psoas muscle—located on either side of the spine—to integrate the body, mind, emotion, and spirit. Koch also discusses how the pelvis is the foundation of our physical core, the vital connection with our bones, and crucial in gaining a sense of support, nourishment, joint integrity, skeletal balance, and healthy muscle tone. Rewritten with updated information, this revised edition includes 247 new photos and 25 new Core Awareness explorations—with 64 in total. A suggested reading list at the end of the book provides resources for continuing the development of the ideas presented within the book.
An illustrated, anatomical guide to improve the benefits of your Pilates workout while also preventing injury • Examines the correct movements, specific risks, and common mistakes associated with 8 fundamental Pilates exercises, including practices using Pilates exercise equipment • Offers guidelines to increase the effectiveness of your Pilates workout, maintain correct alignment, improve stability, and prevent injury to the pelvis, back, wrists, and ankles Developed in the early 20th century by accomplished boxer and gymnast Joseph Pilates, the Pilates Method aligns the body, builds long, lean muscles, and develops core abdominal strength. However, practiced improperly, Pilates exercises can lead to injuries such as pinched discs, hyperextension of the wrists, or low-back pain. No-Risk Pilates reveals how to minimize the risk of injury and maximize physical benefit for a strong, toned, and aligned physique. Using Blandine Calais-Germain’s signature anatomical style, this illustrated guide examines the body’s movements during 8 fundamental Pilates exercises, including practices using the Pilates Reformer, and explores the specific risks and common mistakes associated with each exercise. Detailing how injuries occur to the pelvis, back, wrists, and ankles during Pilates, the authors offer tips and guidelines to maintain correct alignment, improve stability, and prevent injury as well as increase the effectiveness of your Pilates workout.
Pain is an epidemic. It prevents you from performing at your best because it robs you of concentration, power, and peace of mind. But most pain is preventable and treatable, and healing is within your grasp. Hundreds of thousands of people around the globe have taken life “by the balls” and circumvented a dismal future of painkillers, surgeries, and hopelessness by using Jill Miller’s groundbreaking Roll Model Method. The Roll Model gives you the tools to change the course of your life in less than 5 minutes a day. You are a fully equipped self-healing organism, and this book will guide you through easy-to-perform self-massage techniques that will erase pain and improve your performance in whatever activities you pursue. The Roll Model teaches you how to improve the quality of your life no matter your size, shape, or condition. Within these pages you will find: • Inspiring stories of people just like you who have altered the course of their lives by using the Roll Model Method • Accessible explanations of how and why this system works based on the science of your body and the physiological effects of rolling • Step-by-step rolling techniques to help awaken your body’s resilience from head to toe so that you have more energy, less stress, and greater performance Whether you’re living with constant discomfort, seeking to improve your mobility, or trying to avoid medication and surgery, this book provides empowering and effective solutions for becoming your own best Roll Model.