Futile Fatty?

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Public Weight Loss, Private Weight Loss, Is There an In-Between?

imageThe psychology of weight loss is very…weird. And frustrating. And personal. And eccentric. I’m overweight, and I have trouble making myself work out in public, because my mind says – and this is asinine, I know – that people are judging me as a ‘futile fatty’: someone who is acting like she wants to lose weight, but is probably drinking soda on the side.

Obvious solution? Work out in the privacy of my home. Problem is, that can get boring in a hurry. And there is always some housework to do. And there is always that call that ought to get made. And the email to check. And those bills to be paid…

Is there an in-between space? Someplace where my mind just gets on with its work, and doesn’t wander off to speculate on other opinions or other tasks? Some place that is, actually, you know…HEALTHY for me?

I found one! I did not expect to! I came to Rivercity Pilates because I knew I needed more muscle to burn away fat. I had done my homework, and I knew that Pilates was not the end-all-be-all for weight loss, but that it would make big calorie-burner activities doable and safer. Which was true, just as I’d read. I even lost my first twelve pounds on Pilates.

What I did not expect was to find that headspace. That “in-between”, happily on-task, HEALTHY, headspace!

It caught me so by surprise that it’s taken me awhile to find out how it is made. It is made of several things. It is built into classical Pilates, with the progression of the exercises, and the attention to individual details – that is the part that keeps the mind engaged during the workout. But the other elements?  Those are part of Carey’s studio. It is being surrounded and taught by a variety of body types, not just ‘ballerina’ types. It is being encouraged to “strengthen and stretch” yourself, never to “lose” or to “burn away” anything. It is the fellow clients and students who invest in an atmosphere of fun and delight. And it is the absolute confidence that all can “Become What You Wish”, never “you need to match this”.

Kimberly
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Pilates on my bike got rid of my wrist pain!

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Picture 1 (before)

One of the things I love about my Pilates practice is being able to take what I’ve learned about efficient movement and anatomy and apply it to my everyday life.  Today I’m talking about how I was able to make a minor tweak in my bike riding position that allowed me to move from my center more, create more balance throughout my body and stop something from hurting!!

Something I noticed when I went for a longer bike ride was that my hand and fingers would fall asleep and my wrist would be achy and sometimes painful.  What I realized was that I was compressing my wrist joint and probably compressing a nerve that was causing this pain.(see picture 1 to the right) So I did a little experiment on my bike ride today!

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Picture 2 (after applying Pilates!)

I focused on putting more weight into the balls of my fingers, lengthening my wrist joint and using the muscles in my hand, wrist and arm to create this position. (see picture 2 below) Immediately I could feel a difference throughout my whole body!  Creating this “working” hand and wrist position immediately cued my body into a better whole body alignment.  I was no longer sinking into my wrist or my shoulders and I could feel this fire my core muscles creating more whole body work.

Maintaining this position definitely took some effort on my part at least at first and when I was tired climbing hills!!  But I found the more I reminded my self to find this position the better I felt and the more power I had to get up those hills!  Not only did my wrist and hand not hurt but I had a sense of moving from my center and the biking seemed easier.

Are you a cyclist or runner who has been able to use their mind-body movement practice to fine tune your movement?  I would love to hear your story!!  Share it in the comments below or share on social media!!

 

 

 

 

 

Inspiration of the Month Teri Accola

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teri accola

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

I started coming to Rivercity Pilates in January of 2015. I’ve done a few Pilates classes in the past and really enjoyed it.

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?

I try to make it at least 5 days a week and I have been doing mostly Tower and Reformer classes.

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates? 

I have tried all types of classes and workouts and Pilates makes me feel the best. I don’t walk out of the class injured but strong. It has helped make so many other things easier. I love the way it makes my core feel.

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

I enjoy all of it, but if I had to pick a class that I liked the most it would probably be the reformer and jump board class.

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

I would say Pilates is something we can do forever and you can’t say that about all workouts.  I have met a lot of great genuine people since I have started coming to Rivercity Pilates and that is a wonderful bonus. They inspire me!

 

Squat Pilates Style

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Joseph Pilates incorporated squats into a variety of his classical exercises and exercise sequences for good reason. The squat is a great full body exercise that is very functional.  Think about how many times throughout your day you use this type of movement to sit down and get up or to bend and pick something up.

FullSizeRender (4)To really embody the Pilates method in your squats here are a few quick tips:

  • Coordinate your breath and movement.  Inhale as you bend into your squat, exhale to return to standing.
  • Engage your core!  Engage your deep abdominal muscles by pulling your belly button toward your spine.
  • Keep your spine in alignment. Try to maintain a nice straight line from the crown of your head to your tailbone as you are squatting.
  • Pay attention to your feet, ankle and knee alignment.  Whether you are doing your squats in parallel or an external rotation, try to line up your knees over your center toes when you squat.  Keep the knees behind the toes as you bend.

Remember it’s great to challenge yourself and work up to more and more squats but do be aware of your form and alignment.  If you find yourself not able to maintain proper form take a break!!

Need a quick visual demonstration?  Check out our squat video here!   If you want more support, and if you have an exercise ball, watch this!    As always, if you have any questions, feel free to call or stop in to the studio!

 

 

Do I really need a private lesson before joining a reformer class?

If you are brand new to Pilates, you may wonder why in the world you can’t just take a reformer class and try it out. We understand your frustration with our request to have a few private sessions under your belt before joining group equipment classes and just want to explain why in a little more detail.

I’m guessing that you are pretty healthy with no major injuries and have probably tried a lot of different types of exercises over the years, so it seems silly that you wouldn’t be just fine to join this Pilates Reformer class.  The reality of it is that you would be fine and I’m sure you could make it through class just fine.  The reason we don’t suggest just jumping into a Pilates Reformer Class without Pilates reformer experience really has to do more with the other participants in class than you.

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You see… Pilates is a mind body practice that involves learning a sequence of exercises, the breath associated with each exercise and the proper form to execute the exercises properly.

Clients who are taking a Reformer class are practicing the reformer sequence  in order to further their practice and get feedback from the instructor so they continue to progress.  Clients who are taking classes have a good basic understanding of Pilates, they understand how to stay safe in their own body and know the basics of how the equipment works.

One of the number one rules as an instructor in a group setting is that you must teach to the lowest level and understanding in your class.  Safety is always first! When clients have a good understanding of the Pilates fundamental movements and basic safety precautions it makes it a non issue to work with varying abilities in a class.  It’s fairly easy for a trained instructor to give modifications and adjustments to different levels so that everyone can be challenged appropriately.

When a client joins a class who hasn’t learned the Pilates fundamentals, isn’t familiar with safety or even how the equipment functions an instructor has no choice but to tailor class around that student.  Often this means that the instructor must stay close to the new client to ensure their safety (which takes away from the instructor being able to give cues to all clients) and class flows at a slower pace to accomodate the beginner student.

If you are new to Pilates and really want to make a practice out of it we highly suggest starting off with some private sessions so that you can create a practice.  Once you have a basic understanding of Pilates and how the equipment works, you will have no problem joining a Pilates Reformer Class or any of our other classes.  If private sessions aren’t in your budget we often suggest starting out with our Fundamental Pilates Mat class.  This class will teach you the fundamentals of Pilates and how to use them in your body.  Once you have a good grasp of the Fundamentals you will be able to try out some of the Pilates equipment work in a much safer way.

Meet the Instructor Monday: Kimberly

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Kimberly and her buddy Ivey!

Kimberly and her buddy Ivey!

It’s Monday, and we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Burke.   Kimberly is currently teaching Mat Small Group Sessions and Private Lessons.    Her calming voice and encouraging attitude during class gives everyone confidence.    Click the schedule button and sign up for one of Kimberly’s classes!

Where are you from?    I was born in Iowa City.   I’ve lived in Manhattan and in Glasgow, Scotland.   I’ve traveled to Egypt, Moldova and Turkey; still, I like it here.

How did you end up teaching Pilates in North Liberty?   When I first looked into taking Pilates I checked out a number of studios. With the exception of Rivercity, they were all yoga studios that just happened to teach a Pilates class too. The class sizes in these places were large, and when I asked about the teachers’ training, people got nervous. All of which made me nervous. THEN I found Rivercity, with its controlled class size, and uber-trained instructors, and gave it a try! Instant addiction!

The more I did, the better I felt, and the more I discovered about how my own body works. Eventually, I decided to take the Teacher Training for Mat — I wanted to deepen my understanding of the exercises. About two-thirds of the way through that, I decided I’d like to teach, and that I’d like to do the full line of courses, learning equipment additionally to mat. It can be difficult to accomplish everything, what with a full time job and a part time one going at the same time. But it is totally intriguing!

Favorite food to prepare?   I seldom have the opportunity to really cook anymore, but when I did I loved to bake bread. It was my weekend *thing* do to in winter. The smells, the textures — I found it soothing.

Hobbies?   Jack-of-all-Crafts, Master-of-None! I can do, or rather dabble in: crochet, tatting, knitting, beading, jewelry making, drawing, origami, cooking, reading, writing, and sewing.

Why did you choose to practice pilates?   I needed a workout. But I was raised to be paranoid about injury, and I am easily bored by physical routines. Prior to Pilates, the only exercise that had held my attention was martial arts. I had practiced Hatha Yoga for 3 years, and loved the feeling of it, but kept losing my focus, and couldn’t seem to advance. Pilates seemed very complimentary to yoga, but with a different dynamic. I can’t do Pilates on autopilot, and the attention to specific muscle areas and individualized adaption means that there is always something doable to focus on — always some area to see progress occur.

Is there something about you that would surprise the students that have attended your classes?  I once was pulled off a train in Moldova by a Russian-speaking soldier with a very big gun…

What is your favorite song / favorite group or favorite genre of music?   My musical tastes are a total hodge-podge! Chopin, Beatles, Journey, Beethoven, Near Eastern dance music, Beach Boys, Celtic, Musicals….bit of everything, so long as there is a melody line of some sort.

Social Media?  My twitter handle is @kimberlyriverc1.   I love following Mayo Clinic and other science sites to see how their research supports what we learn in Pilates!