#Pilates Mat Routine for Home

Here’s a mini mat workout you can do at home. When it comes to creating a Pilates habit, one of the most important things is to just do it. We know that with your busy schedules it’s not always easy to get in for a full class.

When working out at home try to work on your flow and transition from one exercise directly into the next. This mini workout will take you less than 10 minutes – so there’s no excuses to not sneak it in :).

We’ve also listed the exercises and traditional repetitions for you below. If you consistently do this workout you will start to know the movements in your body and not even need the video!

Hundreds– 10 breaths or 100 pumps of the arms

Roll up – 5 to 8 reps

Single Leg Circles – 5 in each direction

Rolling Like a Ball – 5 to 8 reps

Stomach Series:

Single Leg Stretch– 5 each leg

Double Leg Stretch – 5 each

Scissors – 5 each

Double Leg Lower Lift – 5 each

Elbow to Knee – 5 each side

Spine Stretch – 5-8  reps

Try it out and let us know what you think!   If you like it- be sure to click like and share it with your friends so they can try it too!

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Do you get bored?

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Do you ever get bored with your workouts? If you asked me this I would probably say no. There is so much variety built in to the Pilates movements and system it would be hard to get bored.  I realized this week though that I do “work” at not being bored and I kind of do it without even realizing it.    When I decide to do a Pilates Mat Workout or Pilates Reformer workout (that I could do in my sleep because my body knows it pretty well…)  I automatically find something I want to work on that day and I incorporate it into everything I do.  Some days I just focus on coordinating breath or breathing better.  Other days I am focused on whole body engagement, balance in my body or flow.  Other days I focus on a body part like feet or shoulders and what they should be doing.  Some days I pick something that I’ve been specifically having a client work on because I want to know what it feels like to do what I’m asking of them.

This week I did a mat workout where I focused on stability and lengthening in my low spine.  Every exercise I did I mentally came back to finding how I could better decompress and lengthen the space between my hips and rib cage.  The result was a great focused workout and some good soreness in my abdominal muscles! I also found myself checking in with that low spine length throughout the rest of my week (like when I was sitting at the computer working and even when I was standing teaching.)  All of this got me thinking and I thought I’d put together a quick list of some different focus ideas for myself and anyone else who might need a quick idea.   These ideas work best when you are not necessarily learning something brand new but practicing those movements and sequences that your body already knows fairly well.

  • Breath ..not holding your breath, just focusing on it, the flow of it, coordinating it with each movement..
  • Feet: Are you using them? are they in alignment? feet awareness!
  • Head alignment…check in with where you head is in relationship to the rest of the body during every exercise
  • Shoulder stability…are you stabilizing your shoulders in each exercise?  How does that effect the rest of the movement?
  • Focus on your tight spot in your spine and focus on articulation especially through that spot and awareness of that area during each exercise
  • Pick a muscle ( could be hamstrings, biceps, obliques, whatever) and notice how it is engaged in each movement
  • Pick a Pilates principle..Breath, Centering, Control, Coordination, Flow, Precision and focus on what it means in every exercise to use that principle
  • Whole body engagement
  • Pelvic floor awareness/engagement
  • Your working level on each exercise
  • Flow and transitions between exercises
  • Balance….is your body balanced? are your movements balanced? is your breath balanced?
  • Spine Movement ( or stabilizing)…notice what your spine should be doing in each exercise
  • Are you overworking anywhere?…continually check in and figure out how you can work more uniformly by not overworking in areas

This is just a quick list of things I thought of or have used in my own workouts.  I would love to hear more ideas from you!

Do you work at a computer all day?

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I was working with a client this morning, and she was struggling with not “scrunching” her shoulders.    As we worked through her session, she talked about years of working at a desk using a computer sometimes with good posture, sometimes with questionable poster, carrying heavy computers to and from work on a commute in a bag slung over her shoulder, or a backpack carried with only one strap.    Do any of these behaviors ring true to you?

This is a quick video using a theraband to help you find your Pilates shoulders.   You can do this video at work (it only takes a couple of minutes, and it will help you improve your posture), and you’ll feel the benefits in your neck, shoulders and back!    If you need a theraband, we have them for only $5 at the studio!

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Inspiration of the Month: Annette Schulte

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annetteWhen did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start? 
I found my way to Rivercity Pilates in February 2016. I started with the Couch Potato Workshop! I was inspired to start because I was far too stiff, creaky and weak for an otherwise healthy woman in her late 40s. I had major organ surgery 17 years ago after my daughter was born. That surgery sliced through all my abdominal muscles and pried open my ribcage with a clamp the size of my head. I healed, but I didn’t really discuss with my doctors how to counteract the effects of the surgery over time. It left me a little barrel-chested and with no core strength but with lots of scar tissue. I had taken a Pi-yo (Pilates and yoga combo) class in the past and enjoyed it. So I decided to look for something similar. I found Pilates in my metaphorical backyard. Coming to Rivercity was one of the best things I’ve ever done for me.
 
How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing? 
Like a lot of women, I’m busy balancing a career, family and my needs. I need the commitment and structure of a class outside the home to stick with Pilates. So I take evening and weekend classes at Rivercity. I’m currently taking one mat and one tower class a week. My goal is to get strong enough to take two mat classes a week. I’m confident I’ll get there!
 
What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates? 
I’m stronger, more flexible, better toned — even with all the scar tissue. I can stretch farther than before and am so less stiff! I’m  comfortable in my skin again, and that makes me a happier person every day, all day.
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?  
Writing this, I’m realizing that I’m an equipment fan. I like the Tower in general and really enjoy the ab series that Janee takes us through on the Tower. Through Carey’s mat class I’ve discovered the fun of workout balls and bands. The Stretch-eze is a little different, but even that is fun.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
Do it, and do it at Rivercity. The instructors are friendly and compassionate, and the clientele is welcoming. And I like that attention is regularly paid in classes to good form and adjusting the exercises to the individual’s capabilities. Great, great stuff.

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Lessons From My Son

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I got to do something I love this week – Pilates with my son!  As a Pilates teacher my kids get a lot of exposure to movement and of course I’m always playing and moving with them.  As a mom of 3 and business owner I can tell you that getting one on one alone time with the kids is definitely rare and treasured and rarely does it happen at the studio!  This week the stars aligned and my son Tyler was able to come hang out at the studio with me for part of the day.  It was probably the first time that I worked with him in a more structured way than our usual play time at home or Pilates Mat class at school and it was super fun!

img_9551As a parent I get to watch Tyler move when he’s taking a Ninja Zone class, a Taekwondo class and even when I teach a Pilates Mat class at his school, but this was definitely different.  I loved being able to put him on the reformer and watch him put the pieces together to figure out how to do Footwork on the Reformer.  I loved seeing that although I only cued him a couple of times to engage his abdominal muscles, he automatically engaged them on most exercises. I loved seeing how even though it was a challenge, he worked to control equipment (ie no banging or making noise…which is asking a lot from a 10 year old boy!) and it didn’t take his body long to figure it out!  When I showed him how to do an exercise I call scooter on the Reformer he jumped on and said we could both do this at the same time (and he was right!).  After that exercise Tyler decided we should make a Parent/Kid Pilates class that he would help me design!

As he tried exercises it was fascinating to listen to him talk about how the exercises felt (be sure to watch the video of him describing jumping on the reformer!) He of course wanted to play on the Cadillac (who doesn’t?…it’s like a giant jungle gym!)  so I let him play on his own and found that he ended up doing movements with the Trapeze that were really close to traditional exercises without any cuing from me!

img_9553From a personal practice standpoint, working with Tyler reminded me of the joy of movement and exploring movement.  As I worked with him I tried not to over teach him, but just give him some basic instructions designed to keep him safe and let him figure things out on his own.  It was very cool to see how the feedback from the equipment helped him very quickly move better and more efficiently.  What a great reminder of the value in trying new things and trusting the design of the equipment and the exercises!

 

 

 

Fine Tune your Roll Down!


The Roll Down on the Cadillac is a great exercise for gaining more mobility in the spine as well as strengthening the core and shoulder stabilizers.

This video will highlight the basics of the exercise including how to set up and breathing. It will also give you some fine-tuning tips so that you can get more out of each exercise.

Share this blog on your facebook page, tag us, and you’ll get a free mat, barre or yoga class at Rivercity Pilates!