Martha Huddle LX

just celebrated a milestone birthday - like LX better than 60 - sounds like a sports car

M13 Single Leg Kick

M12 Ron Fletcher® Swan

Martha's Private Golf Conditioning

I have just completed the Hole in One Pilates Course for golf conditioning and am now offering a 10 week course designed to teach golfers to consistently hit balls farther and straighter with reduced risk of injury.  These are private lessons in my private studio. You will learn techniques that allow you to move more efficiently in everything you do - on and off the course.

Call today to begin shaving strokes off your score.  415 822 7581 or email me at: mh@marthasprivatepilates.com

M11 Ron Fletcher® pilates Corkscrew

Ocracoke lighthouse

The first lighthouse on the outer banks - perfect location for a towel shot!  Next stop:  Cape Hatteras Lighthouse!

M10 - Ron Fletcher® Pilates Open Leg Rocker

Sometimes you feel like a seal

If you liked rolling like a ball, you'll like this!

my role in a promo for Half Moon Bay

Check out my role with my Fletcher® towel in the last part of this short video just released to promote our beautiful coast and Half Moon Bay.   click here

Final balance - 4 weeks later

M8 Ron Fletcher® Pilates Saw

M7 - Ron Fletcher® Pilates Spine Stretch

M6 Ron Fletcher® Pilates Stomach Series

5 movements in one!  This will really work your core

Pilates Day 2011

Thought I was going to miss pilates on the beach in celebration of Pilates Day but at the last minute the clouds parted for a spectacular sunset and I grabbed my husband, camera and towel and headed over for this picture.

Balance Challenge #4 Pilates Day!

Studio 4 Pilates suggested that I add  further challenge to my balance - eyes closed on one leg and then turn my head. See what happens!  And happy Pilates Day.

Golf tip from a beginner

A tiny change to my posture at address has changed my swing immensly:

The first picture shows how I was addressing the ball - head down (to keep my eyes on the ball I thought)

The second shows my new stance with my head in line with my spine (Joe Pilates would suggest this)

My swing is so much better - I can get rotated and can swing through the ball - try it!

M5 - Ron Fletcher® Pilates Rolling Like a Ball

Balance April 30

This is my balance attempt after two weeks of daily practice. I think there is a noticeable difference. At the end of the video I say that there is one week left in the balance challenge but really there are two more weeks - I promised to practice daily for a month.

M4 - Ron Fletcher® Leg Circles

I could probably work to stabilize my core even more in these leg circles - always something to improve!

Balance challenge one week later

improving!

Pilates Day Celebration on Montara Beach

What a beautiful day on the beach yesterday. Join me for a free class to celebrate Pilates Day - May 7, 2011 10am. RSVP at mh@marthasprivatepilates to get directions to our meeting place.

M3 - Roll Over demonstrated by Martha's Private Pilates

This can be challenging - it is OK to use your triceps to press into the mat to help roll over.

M2 - Roll Up demonstrated by Martha's Private Pilates

Watch this and then try it at home. Can you just feel the strength building in your core?

M1 - 100s demonstrated by Martha's Pilates

Here is my version of Ron Fletcher's® first mat piece - the famous 100s. We had a 3.8 earthquake while I was recording the voice over - I thought it was cool so left it in! Enjoy and try the movement.

Ron Fletcher® Percussive Breathing

balance challenge

balance challenge

Take my balance challenge. Post a video of you standing on one leg with your eyes closed for 30 seconds to my facebook pilates page www.facebook/marthasprivatepilates. Then practice everyday for the next four weeks. Post a video each Saturday to monitor your progress.  Here is my videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCqoQNV0E5s

Pilates Day Celebration on Montara Beach

May 7, 2011 is International Pilates Day.  I will be teaching a free pilates class on Montara Beach at 10am. We'll do some mat style movements, some floorwork (beachwork) movements and possibly some Towelwork. It will be fun and we'll be joining people all over the world celebrating the wonderful mind body work of pilates.  Please RSVP at mh@marthasprivatepilates.com so I can plan ahead and send you directions to our meeting place.

Launching Martha's Private Pilates Video Series

OK - I've been a photographer all my life and I love self portraits. I have thousands of polaroids of myself - testing light set ups in the old days.  I still love what used to be 4 for a quarter photo strips we could do at fairs and at the Musee Mechanique at the Cliff House. So here I am, joining the real world with my iphone and its video capability - what am I supposed to do but take videos of myself performing the many wonderful pilates movements. I hope to perform and teach the whole body of work - one movement at a time.  My plan for now is to produce one week of lessons. 7 days - a different movement each day. You can watch first and then join in - move at home.  I hope you understand that there will be a learning curve on my part with producing video and know that they will get better as I go along! Watch for the first video on Monday, April 18!  I better get busy.  How are you stretching your comfort zone?

Percussive breathing to the rescue!

Ron Fletcher® developed the wonderful percussive breathing. It involves fully expanding your rib cage by inhaling through the nose and fully exhaling by engaging the abdominals to squeese the air out through a constricted mouth.  The real fun comes when you divide the inhale into two or more segments and divide the exhale as well.  A double breath would be inhale, inhale, then exhale, exhale. Try it with four inhales and exhales - move to six and eight.  See if you can do 12!  You will find yourself taking a much fuller inhale at the end of the exercise.  And it is movement!  The percussive breath adds rhythm to the work.  

It came in very handy today as I was hiking in the Purissima Creek Redwood Open Space. The hill was pretty steep.  I started in with the double breath - one step for each inhale and exhale.  The extra oxygen served me well in marching up the mountain and the rhythm kept me going at a steady pace. I really felt much more energetic and charged up than I did when I was just walking and breathing normally (heavy).

When do you need extra engery?  Try it.   Here is part of the beautiful hike.

Pilates Priniciples: Concentration

Pilates is all about the brain controlling movement. Concentration involves mental focus to apply all pilates principles in the midst of movement. Mental focus on the movement, the breath, the energy and more. It requires being very present with the movement.

Pilates Principles: Balance

Pilates Principle: Balance.  Equal development of all muscles, balance between front and back of body, the two sides of the body, the upper and lower hemispheres, not to mention standing on one foot.  Try standing on one foot for 30 seconds. Then try it with your eyes closed. Report back on how you did.

Pilates Principles: Breath

Breath is movement and the rib cage has many muscles that need to be worked just like all the rest. Our body has over 70 trillion cells that all need to be nourished with oxygen. Breathing is an integral part of pilates - it creates rhythm for the movement, improves our posture, inspires our movement and keeps us alive!  Joe always said "You got to OUT de air to IN de air"!  So, inhale........exhale....... and repeat.

Ron Fletcher's 40th anniversary of opening studio in LA

Forty years ago today, Ron Fletcher opened his studio in LA.  It was called The Ron Fletcher Studio of Body Contrology. He has been going strong ever since!

Pilates Principles: Awareness

AWARENESS  Knowing where your body is in space. Being present and conscious. How is your body moving through space? What muscles have to recruit? It is a physical and mental challenge. Take some time today to be aware of your awareness!

Genius of the Body

Great video of Joseph Pilates and Romana. Romana recalls George Balanchine calling Joseph Pilates the genius of the body .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL-Q9ZbnYU0"

Ron Fletcher Floorwork®

I just completed a course that licenses me to teach Ron Fletcher Floorwork. Ron studied with both Joe Pilates and Martha Graham and combined some of their techniques to create this unique floorwork. Working with no props or mat on a hard wood floor, these movements really move the spine in all the ways it can and they open up the hips. Are you ready to increase your flexibility, strength and endurance?

Fletcher® Towel Work

Ron Fletcher's Towel work is fabulous. There is nothing like to create strength in the torso and a perfectly aligned shoulder girdle.  Easy to throw in a suitcase to work out while you travel too!

Pilates and Golf #1

One reason pilates is so good for your golf swing is that it helps create balance, both at address and throughout your entire swing.  We work all muscles equally which creates balance and we practice balance in a wide range of movements. Try 10 sessions and see what a difference you feel.

PIlates offer for March

Buy 5 private lessons at the regular price of $325 and receive one free session.  Comes down to $54 per session! Must be purchased in March but can be used beyond March.

The magic of the circle

The mix of towel work and magic circle work does wonders for your back - or my back in this case.  I worked the circle hard this morning.

Martha's Pilates for Golf

Pilates training is perfect for golf.  The flexibility, strength and balance you gain from pilates practice is just what you need to improve your golf swing and drive the ball farther and straighter.  Come in twice a week and you will notice improvement very quickly. Check out my special golf package:  8 sessions for $499 at the studio and $799 if you prefer lessons in your home.  Call me at 415 822 7581

Washer Woman

Just spent 30 minutes doing washer woman - all of it including over the chair.  Worked really hard on the one arm attitude.  Could have used a coach. Soon I'll have the balance down to where I can do a self portrait in that pose.  Picture soon to follow.

Cadillac 1-24 done

I just did all 24 Cadillac pieces from the Ron Fletcher Pilates program. Wow!  Something that just came to me as a challenge.  I'll have to careful about that in the future.

How crab-like do I look?

I love the pilates "crab".  I think the marine ecologist in me comes out when I do this exercise. The switching legs and the final landing position really seem crab-like to me.

Over the barrel - Valentine's Day 2011

I've been working all year to get "over the barrel" - full extension of the spine.  I finally made it on Valentine's day - 2/14/2011.  Was it beautiful?  Could I pull my ribs in a bit more?  Dig my tail bone into the crevice? Get more of my head touching?  Make it actually comfortable?  Sure.....with even more time.  But I did it and I'm celebrating. I've managed to do it three days in a row.

Note the cute kid eating an organic carrot in the background - one of my favorite photo projects.

Pilates Poolside!

Bill and I are at our favorite resort - Indian Springs - in Calistoga.www.indianspringscalistoga.com Mudbath, massage, fine wine, good golf (or not so good). Pilates by the olympic sized pool filled with naturally heated mineral water.  yum

visit my website

Check out my website to see the studio and some of the equipment.
www.marthasprivatepilates.com

beautiful new logo

Thanks to my sister, Paula, for creating this lovely logo and making a sign for my front yard!

why pilates?

Pilates is a fitness program that increases your strength, flexibility and endurance. The large and dynamic body of movements are designed to develop all of the muscles in your body, equally, and give you maximum range of motion in all of your joints. As a result, you develop an ease and joy of movement, and the strength to excel in the physical tasks associated with your life and work and with your favorite recreational activities.

How cool is that?

Open house at Martha's Private Pilates

Come visit on Saturday, February 12, 2011 between 2pm and 4pm. Meet Martha, see the studio, learn about Ron Fletcher Pilates and try the equipment!

Become an early adopter and get a grand opening special rate!  Healthy snacks available.

New Fletcher pilates teacher on the block!

I just finished the final weekend of the year long Ron Fletcher Program of Study. Passed written, performance and teaching exams. But having reached this milestone, I realize that I am just at the beginning of my path towards being a really great teacher - more continuing education, more understanding of the movements all to come.

I agreed to perform an hour long advanced mat routine every day for 30 days - so why am I in bed posting to my blog? Here I go....

Grand Opening Special

Pilates is the perfect way to accomplish your fitness goals.  Practicing pilates helps you with all of your movements in life and sports.  So start today!  I am offering a special, three lesson, introductory package for only $55 per session.  Pay up front for all three and get them in before 2/28/11. Then, if you would like to continue, I will offer the same price for six months.  What a deal!

Welcome our new piece of equipment - the Wunda Chair

Join me in welcoming my new Wunda Chair to to the studio. The chair offers all kinds of ways to do the pilates work in different positions and some brand new movements as well.  Just another tool to keep workouts different and challenging every time.