Anxiety and Pilates. Ashley Miller April 18, 2013 Course Year: 2012 Costa Mesa

Transcription

1 Anxiety and Pilates Ashley Miller April 18, 2013 Course Year: 2012 Costa Mesa

2 Abstract Page Anxiety can be a word often used to describe a feeling taking place inside the human body; the tingling sensation stirring in your stomach, maybe your heart racing faster than normal, palms starting to sweat, or even your mind starting to race, not settling down. Many people may experience different types of anxiety on different levels. Some may need therapy, medication, or a relaxing meditation to ease their mind. It can be caused on a numerable amount of effects; it all boils down to the individual themselves and what triggers their anxiety attacks. Can a mind- body workout such as Pilates help calm the individual, bringing their anxiety levels down? Perhaps during the 60 minute workout the anxiety filled client can escape and dial into their body, however, after does their anxiety trigger back?

3 Table of Contents Anatomical Description Page4 Introduction Page 5 Case Study Page 6 Conditioning Program Pages 7-8 Reason for selecting designed program Pages 9 12 Conclusion Page 13 Bibliography Page 14

4 Anatomical Description The disease anxiety takes place in the amygdala which is a small part of the brain located behind our temples and is responsible for controlling our emotions such as fear, worry, anxiety, aggression, and arousal. When danger is present or an immediate action is needed the amygdala kicks into high gear in order to move quickly or make a quick response. The amygdala also plays on important part in memory by associating stimuli with events. Anxiety is often a result of the amygdala over- reacting to stimuli. This causes a sense of worry and urgency that is not only unnecessary but is harmful to the human. By this occurring the brain s ability to process and carry out normal thoughts and movements in order to be happy and live a productive healthy lifestyle is robbed of the capability causing one thought to be trapped. When the amygdala is overtaken and the thought becomes a sense of survival awareness; the sense of urgency becomes way out of proportion and the individual develops the symptoms of anxiety and they allow the feeling to spin out of control. Page 4

5 Introduction So far we have learned where anxiety takes place in the human body and the result of it. A person dealing with anxiety has to work on letting go of the one thought that is trapped, stay in a relaxed state of mind, and learn how to keep calm allowing the thought process to be healthy and productive; easier said than done for the ones who are struggling with this disease. For the one who does not struggle with this problem and they are able to live in a healthy thought process might not fully comprehend the work that is needed to overcome anxiety. How can they relieve their stress and learn to let go? This disease that over takes them is enabling them from areas of their life. Adding exercise to their lifestyle might allow them that sense of freedom they desire to have. The 60 minutes of allowing their mind to focus elsewhere, not on problems or worries but on the muscles being contracted and used, and their breath patterns bringing fresh oxygen into their body. Page 5

6 Case Study Janell Miller started dealing with anxiety at age 12, allowing fear and worry to overtake her mind. It started with social anxiety dealing with fear at such a young age and having a teacher put her down where she was scared to attend elementary school. Throughout her life the symptoms increased with the three concussions she encountered. At age 24 she was involved in a dirt bike accident that caused brain damage along with other problems leading to spinal taps and surgeries. Since then she has been put on medication for her anxiety and panic attacks. The medication helps her when she is dealing with an anxiety attack in the present moment, and brings calm back into her life. Now at age 29, Janell suffers with a severe anxiety disorder. Anything can trigger it such as stress at work, an argument, smells, worry about money or bills, fear, the list goes on. She has sought help through therapy but talking about her problems only brings out her anxiety again. Working through the anxiety and seeing what is the cause of the disease is an ongoing process, a daily application to her life that is needed so she can keep in control. Her limitations with exercise are limited due to injuries in her body from the dirt bike accident such as chronic migraines, knee injuries, and nerve problems. Getting movement into her body would be a success. Page 6

7 Conditioning Program Warm Up Fundamental: Two roll downs Pelvic Curl Spine twist supine Chest lift Chest lift with rotation Block System: Foot work on reformer Abdominal work: Hundred prep and Hundred Hip work: Fundamental hip work Frog, Down circles, Up circles, and Openings Spinal articulation: N/A due to lack of abdominal strength. Warm up includes pelvic curl. Build up to bottom lift. Stretches: Pole series shoulder stretch, overhead stretch, side stretch, spine twist. FBI 1: Up stretch series up stretch 1, and elephant. Page 7 Arms: Arm supine extension, adduction, up circles, down circles, triceps.

8 Additional Leg work: Gluteals Kneeling Series hip extension bent knee, hip abduction bent knee, hip extension straight leg, adductor lift. Lateral Flexion/ Rotation: Side lift on step barrel Back Extension: Swan prep on step barrel Two Roll Downs Page 8

9 The program I have designed for my client, Janell Miller, is specifically catered to her needs. As much as I want to get her into intermediate exercises I need to work her at a slower pace. Pilates is centered on ten core principals including control, concentration, centering, and breathing. These four principals being instilled into my client will help bring her awareness and mind into the mind- body workout allowing her to escape the anxiety filled world that surrounds her. I had to base the program around her injuries and body. She has not worked out in years so her abdominal control is not built up and she is extremely tight. Her shoulders and neck are so tight due to tension and stress which is a part of her migraines; however, her body is fragile and needs to develop inner strength before moving on. The fundamental has purpose and reason behind it to help my client be able to feel calm and relaxed while getting a great workout all at the same time building strength and flexibility. The abdominal work on the reformer starting with the 100prep will strengthen her abdominals giving her the imagery belly button to spine. Then taking her into the 100 which will help bring awareness to her pelvic lumbar and abdominals being able to stabilize and using her breathe. The hip work being fundamental will provide her with a sense of safety while still lying down on the reformer but strengthen her hip adductors and hamstrings and still developing her Page 9

10 abdominal strength and pelvic- lumbar stabilization. I did not add a spinal articulation movement due to lack of abdominal strength, and how sensitive her back is, I do not want her throwing it into her lower back causing pain so while doing the warm up I will work on the pelvic curl and maybe after a couple sessions add an assist by placing a ball under her feet making her engage deeper into her abdominals and hamstrings while balancing her feet on a round medium- small ball that way her feet are still low to the ground but her muscles are being challenged; then after twenty sessions take her into the bottom lift. The pole series for stretches is added because of how tight she is and internally rotated her shoulders are I want her to stretch and feel open bringing the sense of open chest and shoulders rolled back in hope of helping her body wise but allowing the anxiety to be released. She does not have any shoulder injuries but due to how tight she is I will use a band first. The up- stretch fundamental series will not only work on her trunk/shoulder stabilization, hamstring/shoulder stretch but focus on her abdominals and back extensors bringing strength to such important muscles to develop. Even though this series is fundamental it will make her feel advanced and help her feel good about herself that she is able to control certain muscles; a sense of accomplishment and freedom through movement. Taking her into arm supine will give her a break to rest by lying Page 10

11 down on the reformer but still work by engaging muscles; again building abdominal strength by keeping her legs at table top but working her shoulders and arms. This is such an important series for her due to her upper body weakness; here she will work her upper body muscles being able to focus on the each movement, breathing through it, and performing it with precision and control. Following this movement I will take her down to the mat with her elbows on the box setting her up for gluteals kneeling series. Here is crucial for concentration and control while preforming the movement. Her shoulder, scapula, abdominal, and pelvic- lumbar will be stabilizing and controlling while she is targeting her hip extensors, abductors, and adductors. Transitioning her to the step barrel on the mat she will target her obliques while stretching and strengthening. Her scapula will be working to keep her shoulders pulled down away from her ears, her abdominals will be tight, her top leg will be lengthening and activated, and her pelvic- lumber with be controlled will keeping a neutral spine on her side. Finally she will lay prone over the barrel; here will be an entire body movement while keeping her legs activated and strong by creating a strong base with her toes pressed into the floor, her abdominals will remain tight and pulled in to support and protect her lower back, her shoulders be pulled down away from her ears while her hands are behind her head and especially when Page 11

12 they lengthen out. Her back is another weak area but by keeping her focus and body engaged she will target her back extensors and strengthen her back. Concluding the workout, we will end with two roll downs bringing all focus back inside her body and feeling the benefits of the workout. Throughout the entire workout her weak areas are being addressed and she will receive an entire full body workout. We start and end with two roll downs allowing her to escape the outside world and just take this time to focus on herself. My focus is centered on her being able to let go and take each movement to a deeper level working through each one and being able to succeed, such as anxiety; being able to accept it and work through the attack. My goal is to strengthen her body and hopefully by working and targeting her weak areas and giving her the sense of accomplishment through workout and seeing and feeling the difference in her body will help bring her anxiety down by releasing tension and allowing freedom into her body through movement. Page 12

13 Conclusion In conclusion, I hoped that Pilates wound minimize her anxiety and give her not only physical strength but mental strength and awareness. Indeed her physical strength developed and she was able to engage muscles deeply seeing a difference and feeling a difference. She gained strength and flexibility and during that hour in Pilates she was able to escape and focus only on herself and the movement given to her. At the first two roll downs taking a deep breath and allowing stress to leave started the workout off perfect and ending the workout with two roll downs allowed her to conclude what she had just accomplished and leave feeling fresh and the benefits from each movement. However, after the work out her anxiety increased. She experienced the freedom for the hour but problems were still there. She craved the session throughout the day and that become her next thought trapped. Pilates can help in the present moment releasing anxiety and stress but depending on the severity of anxiety it can add to the levels once the client leaves and goes back into the world. Page 13

14 Bibliography 1. Dr. Christopher Culligan. Where Does Anxiety Come From? The Doctor Says. Copyright where- does- anxiety- come- from/ 2. Isacowitz, Rael. Reformer Movement Analysis Workbook. Costa Mesa: Body Arts and Science International, Isacowitz, Rael. Auxiliary Movement Analysis Workbook. Costa Mesa: Body Arts and Science International, Iqra Chaudry, Amygdala. Unfolding Science, One Article at a Time. GA Science Times. < 5. MedicaLook. Anxiety. MedicaLook, Your Medical World Miller, Janell. Personal interview. 13 September Tara Lester. Got Tight Hamstrings?...Try the Roll Down. Pilates with Tara. tight- hamstringstry- roll- down.html Page 14