This is Your Brain on Pilates

These days lemon water, gratitude journals, meditation, morning yoga and the $17 Erewhon Smoothie are all ubiquitous components of an aspirational regimen.  I definitely love investing time and resources in health, but the pressure to be "that girl" is overwhelming.  For many of my clients a typical morning might be waking up to a toddler taking over their side of the bed or a four hour conference call to London. 

So here is your pared-down routine: Close your eyes, take a deep breath.  Remember one to three things you did in the past 24 hours that made you proud.  Anything that made you feel good counts. Did you take a walk around the block before your dentist appointment?  Maybe you drank a liter of water?  Did you listen to your body at dinner and stop when you were full? 

Here's why this is important.  When we recognize an achievement dopamine is released, elevating our mood.  When dopamine is present, we are more likely to make better choices because our brains want more of that feel-good neurotransmitter.   

Experts encourage smaller, more actionable goals to set off a positive domino effect.  If our to-do list is too overwhelming the apprehension of failure can actually shut off our dopamine.  Drops in dopamine levels have the opposite effect causing procrastination and paralysis.  Which explains why if your morning routine isn't fully Instagrammable it can be tempting to throw in the Egyptian cotton towel.  

If you're looking for and easy way to get your fix Starr Pilates On Demand classes offer videos of all lengths.  You can do one at a time or mix and match for a longer workout.  For the latest video click HERE.  To make it even more accessible take advantage of the 14 Day Free Trial, cancel anytime.