Occupational Pilates

I recently read an article all about occupational Pilates.  Never heard of it? Neither had I, but as I read the article the name made perfect sense.  The article was specifically talking about a Pilates instructor (Marcia Polas) who was working with bartenders and teaching them how to stand and move their bodies more efficiently so that they weren’t hurting in their bodies after working all day (or night).  It then went on to talk about how she was also working with firefighters and had created a specialty niche of teaching people based on their jobs.

Here’s her definition:
I call myself an Occupational Pilates teacher. What does that made-up title mean? It means I work with clients based on how they use their bodies (“instruments”) to do their job. My areas of specialization include the hospitality industry pros (bartenders/baristas/chefs/FOH), performing artists (actors/dancers/musicians), movement professionals (Pilates and yoga teachers) — I’ll take on anyone with a physically rigorous job, including now the job of living in New York City!

IMG_6137As a Pilates instructor I can tell you I consider all the Pilates I teach as occupational Pilates! Whether you are a stay at home Mom, a fireman, or sit at a computer all day – the Pilates work is designed to keep your body strong, flexible and balanced so that you can live the rest of your life to it’s fullest, without limitations.  I really believe that one of the most important reasons to practice Pilates is so that you can learn to take care of your physical body in a way that improves and inspires the rest of your life!

Often when clients have chronic tightness or pain in their body I start exploring not only how their body moves during their Pilates session but also the types of movements (or sitting) they do throughout their life on a regular basis.  By looking at the whole picture of what they do on a regular basis I can bring awareness to habits that might be contributing to muscle imbalances and strain in their body.  We can then relate what we are doing in the Pilates studio to how it can help them in their day to day movements.

If you are looking for more than just a workout from your exercise program I would encourage you to give Pilates a try.  Most Pilates devotees will tell you that the mindful movement and exercises they learn in Pilates have had an effect on everything they do in life.

 

 

What kinds of skills does a Pilates teacher need?

One of the things I love about teaching Pilates is all of the different roles I get to play as a teacher. The Pilates Method and movement itself has so much depth and is so individualized to unique bodies that you really need to incorporate a wide variety of skills to effectively teach clients.  Here’s a quick list I made of some of the many things I get to do on a daily basis:

  • Teach people how to connect and integrate movement and breath in their body
  • Instruct how to move (do this, do 5 more…) My job is to not only teach them how to do a movement but also guide them through a workout, instruct them on how many to do and at what pace.
  • Planner–  I watch clients’ movement, assess their needs and plan their next movement/exercise and their next sessions.  This is a constant process going on.
  • Problem Solver:  As a teacher I am constantly looking at clients bodies trying to figure out how to help them to create balance in their musculature, balance in their movements and keep progressing in their practice.   This means I am always trying to figure out the best way to teach them an exercise that will help find that balance in their body.  If something doesn’t feel right in their body I help them troubleshoot what might need to be adjusted and how we can individualize the exercise to them.
  • Motivational and inspirational coach: Keep them excited, accomplished and moving forward….  This is probably one of the most important roles I play. Because let’s face it…if someone hates what they are doing, they are feeling like that can’t do it, or just plain are not motivated…they are not going to make a practice of Pilates….and without them showing up I have no work to do!

 

Practice What You Teach: Thanks Joe & Clara!

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I was sitting at dinner this week with some of my “Pilates friends” and my stomach muscles were hurting…not from Pilates, or the Pilates paddle boarding we had just done, but from laughing so hard! The older I get the more I appreciate those moments hanging out with friends just laughing….laughing so much it makes your stomach hurt and your eyes water. It was a fun evening! It reminded me of something I had heard last year when I got to hear Pilates elder Mary Bowen speak at the Pilates Method Alliance annual meeting.

Mary started off her talk by saying we should all be thanking Joe and Clara. And simply stated, “How different would your life be without them? How many of your friends and experiences would have never happened if it hadn’t been for them creating and doing the work they did?” In a room full of Pilates instructors there was a lot of thoughtful agreement that day. At the moment her words were a powerful reminder to me and I often come back to those words in my life.

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My friend Cassie from Northwoods Pilates with Mary Bowen!

First of all I think that it is crazy empowering and amazing that one guy could start an exercise system that could change so many lives over so many years. So many times when we think of people who change the world we immediately think of world leaders, genius scientists and Oprah(is it just me who thinks of Oprah? I love her)! But Joe was a pretty regular guy with a passion for movement and health. He was doing something he loved and sharing it with the world because he knew it could help others. During his lifetime he worked with a lot of clients and had an amazing impact on so many lives. Joe never really had the chance though, to see how what he was doing would continue on to inspire millions of people! Whether you are a Pilates instructor, a school teacher or a doctor I think it’s a great lesson in following your passion and having trust that what you are doing is perfect and that your reach is probably much further than you could ever imagine.

Second, isn’t it kind of incredible how much just one person can impact your life experience?   It’s hard for me to look at my life right now and imagine what it would be like without my Pilates friends, my studio, my clients over the years and my Pilates experiences.   I can’t even begin to count the ways that Pilates has brought incredible people into my life and incredible experiences that bring me happiness! In the crazy busyness of life it’s so easy to forget the impact that you can have as one person. It’s so easy to forget that by doing something simple like being yourself and sharing things you love, you can have a profound effect on others, their life path and their happiness.  And those simple things like those connections with others, those life experiences, those moments you share… are really what make life fun and meaningful.

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Joe & Clara Pilates

Thanks Joe & Clara for all the many ways you impacted my life and so many others! Thanks Mary for being part of my Pilates experiences and reminding me of the impact of just one person! And for all of my Pilates friends in my life know that I am ever so grateful to Joe and Clara for starting it all so we had a chance to connect!

P.S. If you want to learn a little more about Mary Bowen, Cassie wrote a great blog about what she learned from Mary after last year’s conference and you can click here to find it!

Share and Win!

Book-15As an instructor, I am inspired by my clients every day.   Every day I work with amazing clients who have used Pilates to keep their bodies and souls strong so that they can live their lives to the fullest.  There is nothing I love more than when a client comes in and tells me little things about how their Pilates practice has infiltrated into their life.

Things like:

  • I walked around the zoo with my grandkids without pain!
  • I can bend over and touch the floor!
  • I just realized I haven’t had back pain in months!
  • I found myself thinking about my posture in the car!

I could go on and on, but what I want to do today is to ask you about you Pilates story!  We want to know what Pilates has done in your life so we can celebrate and share your story with others.  We’re pretty passionate about sharing Pilates with the world and we know there is nothing more inspiring than hearing from people just like you who have used Pilates to make changes in their life.

Have you told your Pilates story-Do you have a Pilates story?    Will you share it?   You can send via email or just bring it in on a piece of paper and we’ll type it in!  It can be as short as a few sentences or as long as 3-4 paragraphs.      We’d love to hear from you!     Share your story and be entered to in a free private Pilates session!  Entries must be received by September 5 to be eligible for the drawing!

3 reasons to take your Pilates practice to a Paddle Board!

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SUNP0035It’s summer in Iowa and there’s nothing I love better than getting outside and moving!  One of my new loves is doing my Pilates Mat Work on a stand up paddle board! Besides the fun of being outside and on the lake there’s a few things about it that really keep me coming back for more every time I do it!

1. Control and concentration … One of the things I love about the Pilates mat work is that once you start to learn the sequence of the exercises and the exercise technique you can really fine tune as you practice them. But like anything that you do over and over again I feel like it is also easy to just go into “automatic” mode when you already know an exercise and not give it your all.  The paddle board takes care of this.  In order to not fall off of the board you have to use the utmost control and concentration to do the exercise correctly, in a balanced way and at your working level!

2. Can you say core work?   Yes I know Pilates is always core work but there is no cheating on the Paddle Board!  When you find yourself fighting for balance, engaging those core muscles is the key to finding it!

20150807_191919(0)3.  Summer Arms.… The paddle board challenges your body in a way that you have to use everything to stabilize (which is what we want in Pilates… whole body engagement and work!). Every time I do my Pilates mat sequence on the paddle board I realize the day after how much I had to use my triceps to help stabilize my shoulders and my body on the board. (in a good sore kind of way..)

Want to try out paddle boarding but a little hesitant to go out on your own?  Join Rivercity Pilates on August 19th at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Center in Iowa City at 6pm for our free Life Inspired Paddle Boarding event.  You can rent a board or bring your own if you have one.  We’ll go out as a group and play on the paddle boards.  Do as little or as much as you want!  We’d love to have you join us!!

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: “Not Working out in the Studio Guilt”

scenery3Without even realizing it most days I find myself taking my Pilates practice outdoors.  As a Pilates teacher and studio owner who often ends up spending 8 plus hours at the studio I think that being able to take things outside allows me to get away from my work environment and have some “me time”.  After a full day of teaching the last thing I want to do is stay at the studio and workout. Not because I don’t love the studio or not because I don’t feel like moving, but more so because I need a change of scenery! Many days I come home from the studio wanting to take a walk, play with the kids outside and some days I just throw a blanket on the deck and do some mat work.

I was reflecting on how I used to feel a little guilty (ok a lot guilty!) about this.  As a studio owner and an instructor I used to believe that for me to be a good example for my clients I needed to be working out at the studio or taking classes or sessions at the studio on a regular basis.  Then I started looking at it in a different way.

scenery1I hear from my clients all the time…”I know I could do this stuff on my own, but I don’t.  It’s hard to get motivated to do it at home.  There’s something about coming to the studio that keeps me more committed and keeps me excited about doing it”.  Just like me they need a change a scenery!  The change of scenery gets them away from their day to day environment and into a space that allows them to focus on themselves, enjoy some “me time” and get their movement time in.  I get it…the studio for them is like the outdoors is for me.

If you are an instructor who has ever dealt with “not working out in the studio” guilt I’d love to hear from you!  What did it take for you to realize that being a great example for clients doesn’t have to happen in the studio walls?  Where do you go for your “me time”?