Nervous about Pilates?

Have you heard of Pilates and wondered what is the big deal about this type of exercise?  You are not alone!

Often when people talk about their Pilates practice they are VERY passionate and there are many great reasons for this!  There are so many wonderful benefits to practicing the Pilates method on a regular basis that once people create a regular practice they are often hooked for life!  I could spend hours talking about the benefits of Pilates (and we have many past blogs you can read up on that topic) but today’s blog is about how you take action in your life and start feeling the benefits ASAP!!

If you are not practicing  Pilates on a regular basis I want to give you some quick action steps on how you can start experiencing Pilates in your life:

1.  Make a commitment to yourself to create a regular Pilates practice for at least 6 months, a year would be even better.  The Pilates Method is just that- a method of exercise that is designed to change how you move and exercise your body.  The true benefits come when you incorporate the method into your body and life.  Trying one two or even 5 sessions isn’t enough to really experience Pilates!

If you are brand new to Pilates it will take you a while to learn the exercises, the proper form and how to continually use the techniques to challenge your body.  It doesn’t matter if  you’ve practiced Yoga for years, done the Insanity workout in your basement for 4 months, just ran a marathon or used to be an athlete-this is new and you will have to learn it.

2.  Decide what regular means to you.   It’s not realistic for many people to get on a mat or go to the studio daily to practice Pilates.  That’s OK.  Commit to at least 1 session per week(anything less is probably not going to be “regular”).  You will find that as you create a regular Pilates practice and truly learn the method and more about your body that you naturally start incorporating the work into your daily life and routines.

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3.  Decide how you want to learn.  Learning Pilates is no different than learning Algebra or how to knit- you need instruction!  Having an instructor who is educated about how to present the material to you in a way that is most conducive to your learning style is most ideal but this is not in everyone’s budget.  Here’s a quick list of ways you can learn the Pilates Method starting in the order of the most effective:

  • Take private sessions with an instructor who knows the work in their own body and is trained to teach others how to discover it in theirs(A PMA Certified instructor is ideal). If you have injuries or things that hurt in your body I would highly suggest starting your practice this way!  It’s very difficult to jump into group classes or watch a video and learn how to adjust the method specifically for your body.
  • Take small group classes (again with a qualified instructor).
  • Watch and workout using videos created by qualified instructors.
  •  Read books (may I suggest Return to Life written by Joseph H. Pilates himself…), articles and blogs by qualified instructors and create your own at home practice.

4. Just Do it!  The only way to find what it feels like to have a regular Pilates practice is to do it and stay committed!!

We would love to help you start a Pilates practice!!  At Rivercity Pilates we offer a complimentary private session to all clients so we can help you decide what path is best for you to learn the Pilates Method.  Ready to make that commitment?  Schedule your session today!

Are you an exercise introvert?

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careyfamilyI don’t know about you, but the thought of having to go to an event or business or even a new dentist or doctor for the first time is on the bottom of my list of favorite things.  I would definitely call myself an introvert and it takes some effort on my part to get out of my shell and talk to new people and get out of my comfort zone.  I’m also crazy busy with a business and 3 kids (4 if you count my husband and 5 if you include our dog) and just the thought of setting up something new seems like such a big task – that often I avoid it if I can.

When it comes to exercise I feel the same way.  I have always loved to exercise and move but often have just done it on my own because the thought of joining a new gym or fitness group seems, well daunting.  I think one of the reasons I was so drawn to Pilates was the small studio atmosphere, the personal connections I had with my instructors and classmates  and also the ability to practice on my own.

When it comes to setting up my business I have tried to keep all of this in mind and make getting started at the studio as easy as possible and as intimate as possible.  We offer a complimentary one on one session for all new clients so you can get aquainted with our studio space, our instructors and what we do without the intimidation of having to meet and workout with a roomful of strangers.  We want you to feel at home at the studio and it’s important to us to get you started on the right foot!

Now of course if jumping into a new group class at a new space is exactly the thing you love- please take advantage of a complimentary class instead!  We know everyone is different and would love to have you try us out in whatever way you prefer!!

For more information about getting started at Rivercity Pilates click here!

Your Pilates instructor training starts the first day you start learning Pilates!

IMG_4202“How do you remember all of this?” is a question I often get from clients.  My simple answer is years of repetition.

Joseph Pilates created a system of exercises that have a specific order.  There is a specific sequence of exercises in the Mat and Reformer work.  These sequences truly provide the framework for the practitioner to learn the method and for instructors to teach from.  It’s part of the genius of the system. Having a sequence and an order is important for many reasons.

  1. It allows your body to learn quicker.  The best way to learn anything is to practice, practice, practice.  Not just once or twice, not just 10 times,but hundreds and hundreds and thousands of times.
  2. Every time you practice a movement you are able to master another piece of it.  There is A LOT that goes into every single exercise and even with daily practice it may take you years to work toward perfection!  Note that I said towards perfection ….I truly believe that your movement goals should not have an ending spot….we can always fine tune and move better wherever we are in our practice.
  3. By learning a movement and sequence so deeply that you can repeat it automatically you take your movement to a different level.  You can focus on smaller details and continue to progress in strengthening and balancing the body.

IMG_3026From day 1 of your learning process you are teaching your body a sequence of exercises.  It doesn’t matter if you only get to 2 exercises that day( maybe you do your hundreds and a version of a roll up).  Every time you practice it is all a process of learning a sequence of exercises so intimately that you eventually can do those exercise on your own without your instructor.  Once you’ve learned the exercises in your own body the next logical step is often diving into learning how to teach the movements to others.

Once you know the exercises in your body teaching others is merely the act of stepping into your students body and figuring out where they are, what type of movements they are ready for, and being their guide.  ( Ok well there’s a little more to it….like knowing safety issues, modifications,etc.)

Just like it took lots and lots of practice to learn the exercises in your body – learning to be a good teacher takes lots and lots of practice.  Every time you teach something you learn from your experience.  Every student is different and unique and you get to use your own personal experience in your own body and teaching others to guide your next student along their path.

For those wanting to take the next step in your Pilates journey, Rivercity Pilates offers a fully Comprehensive Classical Pilates Instructor training program that is broken into modules for ease of learning.  Want to learn more?  Click here to learn about our programs or schedule a complimentary consultation to talk to us in person.  We’d love to take you on the next step of your Pilates journey!!

 

What does Empower Your Body really mean?

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Where did the tag line in the Rivercity Pilates Logo come from?   Empower Your Body……Inspire Your Life?

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This tag line came from the evolution of movement in my own life.  As a child I always enjoyed movement and found a sense of me when I was doing something active.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but having an active body helped me think better, dream bigger, and just plain be happier.  And today it remains the same.

As a child,  just to be swinging on the monkey bars or playing ball was enough to focus my attention in the present moment.  As an adult, I’ve  learned that when I take time to focus my attention on a physical practice( Pilates, yoga, running, walking, cycling, etc) I am happier, calmer and much more productive.  I also have a daily meditation practice that helps me learn to be more in the present moment.

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Personally I have found that if I let the craziness of our fast paced lives take over my mind races from thing to thing and I find myself stressed out, cranky and unproductive.  The more I practice being in the present moment, the calmer I feel.  And when I do find myself trying to do too much or think about too much at once I am easily able to remind myself to focus on one thing( the task at hand, the person I’m talking to, etc ). So, empowering your body to me is really a method to create balance in my life and truly a lifelong process.

It’s my hope that your experience at Rivercity Pilates is one that allows you the time and space to empower your body so your life can be inspired to be as incredible as possible!

How my Pilates practice taught me to love Yoga!

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I’ve have to admit that before I started doing Pilates I “tried” Yoga and didn’t really love it.  And by try I mean I took a couple of classes and decided it wasn’t for me.  15 years later I love Yoga and I owe it all to my Pilates practice!

When I found Pilates I immediately knew it was a good fit for me.  It was something that I enjoyed, I felt like it was something I could do fairly well (unlike Yoga where I felt pretty incompetent because I was soo tight and inflexible that many poses seemed impossible for me), and I had instructors who were amazing and inspired me to keep at it.  I am forever grateful that all these pieces fell together, as teaching Pilates and movement has become a lifelong passion and love for me.

DSCN7362Last night after taking a Yoga class I was reflecting on:  1. How much I really enjoy Yoga now and 2. How this love really came from me learning about my body and how to move it through Pilates.

After practicing Pilates for 10 years on a regular basis I tried Yoga again and found that I really enjoyed it!  I was able to use the knowledge of my body that I learned in Pilates to do new different movements that challenged my body in different ways. Since then I have tried to incorporate Yoga and other mind-body movements and exercises into my life along with my Pilates practice so that I can continue to grow and learn!

I’m telling you this story today to inspire you to try different mind-body exercises and find one that gels with you.  Not everyone instantly loves Pilates, Yoga, Thai Chi or any other mind-body movement program.  Unfortunately many people try a class once or twice and decide it’s not for them and never try anything else ever.  They have one experience that they didn’t love and then they group all that stuff (Yoga, Pilates,etc.) together and never explore it’s possibilities again.

Different teachers and different styles of the same discipline have different things to offer students and you may be surprised to find that when you find a teacher and style of movement you connect with you may also find a movement practice perfect for your body!

At Rivercity Pilates we encourage clients to try lots of different instructors and classes and find those that connect with you.  Learn more about all the different movement classes and sessions we offer by clicking here!

 

My Foam Roller is Like Spinach

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IMG_1439My name is Becky Monroe, and I’m a student at Rivercity Pilates. There is a foam roller in my living room and I look forward to using it every evening before I go to bed.    I didn’t think twice about this, until earlier this week, when I was in a small Pilates class, and I asked if we could do some foam roller.    The other student groaned!  When I heard her groan, I remembered that I used to hate it when Carey went over and grabbed the foam roller.     The foam roller is pretty hard (my boyfriend compares it to a rock), and initially when I tried to use it to massage a muscle, it hurt!   I truly didn’t understand why Carey seemed to love it.  15 months later, here I am with a foam roller in my living room.  It’s like spinach.   I hated it at first, but I have learned to love it!

At night, I lie with my spine on the roller on the living room floor, and do my knee folds, and I let my shoulder blades hug the foam roller.   I love that feeling.    Then I turn it around, and put it under my shoulder blades, and do those reverse crunch type moves to roll out my shoulders!   I put it under my hips and do some footwork.

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Then I put it vertical again, and just lay there with my spine on the roller.    It doesn’t take a long time, I just do what feels good!    What?   It feels good?  Absolutely, and it’s the only piece of exercise equipment in my home that I use more than twice a week!

In class this week, the same day the other student was groaning, we used it to massage the muscles in our legs after the side leg series.    That felt good too!    I hadn’t been doing that every night, and I don’t honestly know when my foam roller stopped hurting and started feeling like a massage.    Of course, I couldn’t tell you when I stopped hating spinach either!   I searched for foam roller moves on Google, and over 1 million links came up, so I’m guessing there are a lot of people like me who learned, that like spinach, a foam roller is an acquired taste!

Looking forward to meeting you in classes @ Rivercity Pilates!   Maybe we’ll get to do some work on the foam roller!

 

Becky Monroe
@NLBJM