Should I take private Pilates sessions, semi-private sessions, or group classes?

The Pilates method of exercise is based on learning specific principles of breath, control, precision, flowing movement, centering, and concentration.   Learning the method is truly a process that is continually challenging you to connect to your body so you can learn to breathe more efficiently, move from your center, and create uniform development or balance in your body.

Every body and every personality learns differently and the best process for you to learn will be unique to you. There really is no right or wrong way.

We suggest starting your Pilates journey with 3-6 private sessions.  By starting your learning process with private sessions you have a chamermaid adjustmentsnce to learn the basic ideas and principles in a way that is very specific to your body.   These private sessions will give you a chance to learn the Pilates fundamentals such as how to breathe during your exercises, how to engage your deep abdominal muscles, and how to stabilize your hips and shoulders.

These sessions will also give you a chance to create body awareness about how your body moves, where your individual imbalances may be, and give you an idea of places you can focus and work on as you continue your Pilates practice.

After your introductory private sessions, how you continue your Pilates training is really up to you.

Private sessions offer complete one-on-one attention from your instructor and allow you to move and learn at your own specific pace.  Individual sessions are also great for fine tuning and making adjustments to your movements that are specific to you.

Semi-private sessions are a great way to work out with a friend and still get the individualized attention of a private session.

Small group classes are a fun, effective way to do a Pilates workout while still getting great adjustments IMG_2412and feedback from your instructor.

Some clients take just private or semi-private sessions, some take just classes, and many do both!  We suggest trying them all so you can find out what you enjoy the most.

Consistency is the key in creating an effective Pilates practice in your life, so try to find some regular times that you can put into your weekly schedule.

 

 

If you have neck pain, Pilates may be the perfect exercise method for you!

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Do you have chronic neck pain, limited range of movement in your neck, fused cervical vertebrae or other neck issues? The Pilates Method of exercise may be the perfect form of exercise for you.stiff-neck-1

Often times people with neck problems give up exercise all together because popular exercises can exaggerate their pain and leave them frustrated without seeing any results.

If you are someone who has been dealing with neck pain or problems -know that just one session with a qualified Pilates instructor, may change your views of exercise completely.

The Pilates method of exercise is a total body exercise that works the entire body and is completely adaptable. Exercises can be designed to create strength, balance and flexibility in your body without causing more pain in your neck.

In fact, many clients find that their Pilates practice helps them create balance in their body which reduces neck discomfort and leaves them feeling an overall sense of well being. By concentrating on specific movements and breath, the Pilates Method of exercise is great stress relief as well.

If you are interested in trying out the Pilates method of exercise here are a few quick tips:

1.  Ask about your instructor’s background, teacher training and their experience working with your specific issues to help you find an instructor who is a good fit for you.

2.  Make sure you fill out your health form completely and keep your instructor informed on how exercises feel in your body. Your feedback will help your instructor fine tune exercises so you get the most benefit in your body.

3.  Start off with private sessions.  Although private sessions are more expensive than group classes, they are essential especially if you have physical pain or are overcoming an injury or chronic problem.  Private sessions will allow you to learn the method specific to your body so that you are able to get the maximum benefits and not aggravate any existing conditions.

4.  If you want to work into group classes just let your instructor know.  Your instructor can teach and prepare you to learn how to modify exercises for your body so that you can safely and easily integrate into small group classes.  Your instructor can also give you suggestions on which type of class might be the best fit for you.

5.  Talk to your health care providers(doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc.) and let them know what you are doing.  Most Pilates instructors welcome the chance to work together with health providers when planning your Pilates sessions.

To learn more about scheduling your complimentary Pilates session at Rivercity Pilates contact us today!

 

 

 

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 29: A Sneak Peek into Our Workouts

Welcome back to our Pilates and pregnancy blog! This week the baby is around 3.1 pounds and 17 inches long. He is about the length of a butternut squash. For the past several weeks I have written about the workouts Carey teaches me. This week, we wanted to take it a step further and show you some of the exercises we’ve been doing. In today’s video, we use the Pilates Wunda Chair. Enjoy!

In addition to working on the Chair, we did some standing leg work. Similar to the side-lying leg series in the traditional Pilates mat routine, we did a series of leg movements while standing and holding on to the ladder of the high barrel for support. We worked on internal and external rotation of the legs, a bent leg kick backwards, and large circles where you reach the leg in front of you, around to the side, behind you, and finally back to its resting place. The nice part of doing the work standing is that your leg that isn’t moving is also getting a workout because it supports your weight and works to keep you in balance.

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We ended the work with a variation on Pigeon stretch. Pigeon is a traditional Yoga pose that is usually done on the mat. One leg is bent while the other leg extends straight behind you. You can prop yourself up with your arms or let your body round over the bent leg. The stretch is usually felt in the outer hip/glute of your bent leg. To modify the stretch, we used the high barrel. I bent one leg in front of me on the barrel, while the other leg supported me in a standing position. Instead of rounding over my bent leg (which wouldn’t feel very good because my belly would get in the way), I leaned back and held onto the ladder.

See you next week!

-Cassie

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 28: Welcome to the Third Trimester

Welcome back to our Pilates and pregnancy blog! This week the baby is around 2.9 pounds and 17 inches long. He is about the length of a small cabbage. We’ve officially begun the third trimester, which means that I saw our nurse practitioner this week. I’m happy to report that I passed my glucose test, my stomach’s measuring on track for 28 weeks, and the baby’s heartbeat sounded good.

I have noticed some more changes in my body. First, I feel warmer. Most of the time it feels like someone turned up the thermostat a few degrees, but every once in a while I start boiling. Many of my clients assured me that these “personal summers” only get better with age. Second, I feel like either the baby has moved or grown a bunch in the last short while because my belly seems to stick out more than it did just a few weeks ago.

This week Carey and I started on the Reformer. She had me sit at the end of the long box with my feet resting in a turned-out position on the foot bar. We started with gentle rounding and extension movements through the spine and then added some side bending. Next, I sat tall and gently straightened my legs to push the carriage out and then bent my knees to bring it in – giving me a nice hip opening stretch.

We also did the classical exercise Mermaid on the Reformer, with an added twist. As you can see in the picture, you start seated facing one Week28side of the Reformer with one leg tucked up against the shoulder blocks and the other in front of you. You can always tuck that front leg under your other leg for more of a challenge. This position felt good on my hips and so we started there. Then, you press the carriage out with one hand on the foot bar and the other reaching overhead, giving you a nice side stretch. The twist that we added was a literal twist – rotating from the shoulders and ribcage to bring the top hand to the foot bar. We held that position for a few deep breaths to help stretch from the side waist all the way down into the hip.

We ended our workout with some squats in front of the Chair. To start, I faced the Chair – about a foot’s distance back – with my legs turned out wide. I reached my arms overhead and then did a roll down until my hands made contact with the paddle. I pushed the paddle down while simultaneously bending my knees into a deep squat, without lifting my heels away from the floor. To come back up, I straightened my legs and rolled up through the spine to standing.

See you next week!

-Cassie

A Love Letter From Your Pilates Instructor

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heartPilates instructors are very passionate people who LOVE what they do and they love the people they work with.  In honor of Valentine’s Day,  this letter was written to show you how much we care!

Dear Devoted Pilates Client,

1.  You are amazing!  I am amazed and inspired daily by your devotion to your Pilates practice!  I know, as much as you love your Pilates sessions, that it is not always easy to get to the studio.  Life happens and there are a million excuses you could use to not come in- but you do.  Your devotion inspires me in my daily life.  Thank You!

2. You are making amazing progress in your Pilates practice and in your life every time you practice.  As instructors we are often giving you feedback on how to improve your practice because that’s part of our job.  I probably don’t spend enough time telling you how far you’ve come and how great you’re doing.  One of the wonderful parts of my job is that I get to see people create positive changes in their bodies on a daily basis. Keep it up!

3.   I love to celebrate the little milestones with you!   Can you pick something off the floor without your back hurting?  Can you sit comfortably on the floor with your kids or grandchildren?  Are you sitting taller at your desk or has your posture improved?  I love to hear about and celebrate these moments with you.  I practice and teach Pilates so that I can help others live life to the fullest and it makes me happy when I hear your success stories!

4.  Please don’t feel bad about speaking up and telling me something doesn’t feel good in your body.  I know that not every exercise or movement is right for every body and it does not bother me at all if you tell me that something hurts or doesn’t feel right. In fact- I LOVE the opportunity to find something that does work for you.  Changing, modifying and creating exercises designed specifically for your body is what I am trained to do and I LOVE to do it!  It makes me cringe to have a client work through the pain.  I believe and know that exercise does not have to hurt to be super effective.  If you are in pain, then you are not getting the benefits of the exercise and you might be doing more harm than good to your body.

5. Thank you for choosing me to share your Pilates journey with you!  Working with amazing, nice, thoughtful clients makes me happy!  I know there are lots of choices when it comes to instructors and I truly value you as a dedicated client.

With Love,

Your Pilates Instructor

 

 

Pilates Inspiration of the Month – Shelley Oglesby

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When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?

 I started at Rivercity Pilates in January, 2012. My first introductory session with Carey reminded me how much I liked and missed doing Pilates and the emphasis on developing strong core muscles and flexibility. Carey was very encouraging and the studio was well equipped and not far from home. After being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease in June 2013, I knew I needed to make my health more of a priority and commit to regular Pilates classes.

 

What benefits have you seen by committing to a regular Pilates practice? 

 When I do Pilates consistently I see benefits in strength, flexibility, posture and balance from my fingers to my toes! I had some gaps last year when I couldn’t come to classes consistently and I noticed how quickly I weakened at my age. Committing to classes makes me accountable to taking care of myself and the teachers at Rivercity Pilates are encouraging. Pilates is very good for my mind and emotions too, and learning the proper breathing is a great stress reliever. It has helped strengthen my immune system and my thyroid condition has improved.

Why did you decide to do the 2014 Empower Your Body Challenge?

I wanted to be more consistent with exercise. I knew I would improve and strengthen by body and the healthy competition inspires me. Some of the Pilates moves like Teaser and Rolling Like a Ball are very challenging for me and I really want to be able to do them correctly and well.

 

What has been your favorite part about the Challenge so far? 

I am stronger and really making progress in my weak areas. The daily emails and logging exercise and food are very helpful in keeping me accountable to my goals. The group encouragement and prizes are great incentives too! After just one week I have lost pounds and inches.

 

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?

I like Tower, the piece of equipment and the Tower exercise. I feel stretched and at the same time very strong during this exercise.          (Shelley is doing the Tower exercise in her picture above!)

 

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates? 

Pilates is a wonderful form of exercise for all ages and body types. You will gain strength and flexibility all over and the movements can be modified for all levels of ability.

Moving through the exercises with just the sound of the teacher’s voice and no distracting music keeps you very conscious of what you are doing and trying to achieve. Learning the Pilates breath helps you move through the exercises and helps in so many other areas of your life. Each session is different and never boring!