Fitness Files Ilaria Cavagna
Ilaria Cavagna has a Masters Degree in exercise science and movement. As a certified Pilates trainer she has moved seamlessly from being a gymnast and athlete to a performer to a practitioner teaching the disciplines she believes in. Her degree in Movement Science, Pilates certification combined with her innovative SOMA-training studies give her an understanding of both the beauty and function of the human body when properly trained.
Ilaria Cavagna
Ilaria recently developed the revolutionary High Heel Rescue (HHR) loop and workout program to strengthen feet and rescue women who want to wear high heels! The HHR loop merges fitness and fashion! Continue reading her Fitness Files interview to learn more about her love for fitness and innovative inventions.
NMFIT: Has fitness always been a major part of your life or was there a catalyst/point in your life when you made it more of a focus and priority?
IC: Sport, athleticism, and movement have always been part of my life. I started experiencing the possibilities that the human body has when I was only 5 as an athlete (Rhythmic Gymnastics), then I moved to be a performer as an acrobatic dancer for more than a decade, and then a practitioner of the disciplines I believe in and train my clients with. I never consciously decided to commit to fitness it was just a natural consequence. Life is movement and having fitness as a career is a real blessing!
Having said that when you move your body to compete or to perform you’re not always doing what your body needs. It’s often not a healthy way to train the body… The bachelor in Movement Science first and then Pilates and Soma-Training studies gave me the deep understanding of what the body needs to stay healthy and what each and every one of us should aim for, to find balance in our bodies and in our lives.
NMFIT: What are a few of your go-to healthy snacks/drinks that help keep you on the straight and narrow?
IC: I usually never stop for a big meal. That would make it impossible to be sharp and active all day long. Small snacks throughout the day keep me lively energetic and going for many hours. Nuts, protein bars and a power breakfast with either peanut or almond butter are my go-to snacks! But what really makes a huge difference for me is staying hydrated! Water, water, and more water! That helps my movement, my digestion, my concentration and my focus. We are mostly water, and by drinking and staying hydrated we basically keep our body young which is what everybody strives for when committing to a workout regimen or a healthy diet. It’s pretty easy to find water and it’s probably also the cheapest healthy drink around.
NMFIT: How do you train your mind and stay motivated?
IC: The disciplines I teach have one thing in common: they all work to improve our POSTURE. A correct gravity line and efficient movement pattern allow us to stay injury free and not waste energy. The way I feel when I’m consistent with my workout is what motivates me! On top of that, I very much enjoy the Pilates and Soma-training workouts: they both require concentration in what I’m doing and the fact that my mind is so fully involved while my body is moving, for me is like meditation. In that hour that I dedicate to the workout, nothing can bother my mind so that I can stay stress-free and ready to make better decisions in my everyday life. What I recommend for all my clients is: “make sure you are having fun at what you are doing, so that you can be consistent, have fun and achieve better results!”
NMFIT: How do you change your body?
IC: I start from the base. The foundations. The feet!
The feet are so often forgotten although they are so important for our general health! They are the mirror of our body since everything that goes on in the feet reflects up to the body. The feet are also one of the most important receptors, they communicate information with our brain to set up our posture, and they are the base of our gravity line. We stand on our feet the whole day… we need to keep them healthy and STRONG! We need to get the sneakers off and give them a workout! That’s why I founded High Heel Rescue to provide everybody with a simple and effective revolution for the feet: a workout program that’s very short and a tool (High Heel Rescue LOOP) that is easy to carry. It was inspired by the challenges of high heels but works wonders for everybody’s feet. Men included.
NMFIT: What are your fitness favorites?
IC: A Pilates Studio is heaven but when I travel or when a fully equipped studio is not available a mat and High Heel Rescue LOOP are my indispensable mates. Blood circulation activation the feet first, Core strength, back body and some specific Myofascial stretches and E.L.D.O.A. for the spine is my recipe for staying young.
For my look, Carbon38 is my new favorite! A comfortable and classy outfit gets me ready for most of the things I do in life, from training my clients, giving lectures at conferences, working out or picking up my son Lukas in school!
For more information visit: http://www.ilariacavagna.com/
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