Cinco Vidas

If you’re a Star Trek fan and happened to watch The Next Generation shows, you may remember Lieutenant Worf, the Klingon warrior, practicing a series of slow, deliberate movements resembling those in a martial arts class. Of course, in the science fiction world it was some Klingon ritual he was doing, but in reality, it was based on the ancient Chinese practice of Tai Chi.

Historically, Tai Chi Chuan (translated as “supreme ultimate fist”) was a form of self defense in which the practitioner neutralized his opponent’s use of force before applying a countering force of his own. Students learned how to efficiently transmit energy, relax the mind, and control the breath. Such skills translated into other areas of their lives, promoting health and well-being.
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“It’s important for cancer survivors to get strong,” says Starr Cleary, cancer exercise specialist, Pilates instructor, and Cinco Vidas expert, “but strong progressively. We don’t want to see them regress or have setbacks.”

Starr has been teaching her own special form of Pilates to cancer survivors for the last ten years. Called the “Starr Power Pilates Program,” it helps survivors regain strength and mobility in a progressive, gentle way.

“Most people have a tendency to move very quickly when they’re exercising. Pilates is about moving slowly, with control and precision. It places more emphasis on quality movements rather than quantity. If you perform three controlled arm/leg lifts beautifully, that’s going to get you stronger than moving the arm up and down really fast.” (more…)