Exploring the Advanced Pilates Mat Sequence  Workshop

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Saturday, March 11      11 am to 1 pm
$25

img_7057Are you curious about the Saturday morning Return to Life Mat class?  Maybe you just want to fine tune some of the Pilates Mat exercises and explore different variations in your body? This workshop is for you!

Join Carey on Saturday, March 11 for a special workshop exploring the full advanced mat Pilates sequence that Joseph Pilates created! 

We’ll talk about the details of each exercise, we’ll go over lots of different variations of the exercises for different bodies and you’ll have time to try out a variation that is perfect for where ever you are in your Pilates practice!

Sign up online: Click here!
or call 319-665-2499

Crohn’s, Pilates and Life: How many miles have you run?

listen1Last week I talked about one of the two questions I always ask Kelly when she comes in for a session. Today I talk about the other question,” How far have you run or biked since I last saw you?”.  Now you are probably thinking, that’s seems like a pretty reasonable, expected question from your trainer or coach right?  But what I think might surprise is you why I ask Kelly that question.   Sure, part of the reason I ask her is because I want to know what she has been doing with her body.  I want to know if tightness or patterns I see in her movement are from her biking and running or if they are more related to what is going on in her body from her Crohns and Fibromyalgia.

More important than what is going on physically in her body, I ask Kelly that question because I want to know how she is doing from an emotional state.  You see Kelly, like many people with chronic diseases deals with depression and anxiety on a regular basis and it’s not something she likes to talk about (who does?).  She has figured out though that movement and exercise can help her better deal with these issues and often turns to them as a health tool.  In so many ways…this is amazing!  There are a lot of choices and options of how to deal with depression, anxiety and stress in your life and exercise is definitely a pretty positive one!

kellyrunThe only down side to using exercise is that sometimes( Ok..many times!)  Kelly over does it.   In an attempt to feel better emotionally she runs 10 miles or bikes 50 and then her physical body pays the toll for it in the days after.  One of the many reasons I think Pilates has been so great for Kelly is that she can get the emotional benefits of a movement practice without all of the harsh effects of hours of running or biking.

So what do I do as Kelly’s teacher when she tells me she ran a half marathon the day before?  I usually try to do what I would call a “listen to your body” movement session.  We slow down, we listen to what her body is telling her and me and we try to do things that it needs.

listen2This is my attempt as a teacher to help Kelly figure out how to listen to her own body.  My attempt to help her figure out that she is so much more capable than she realizes at figuring out what her body needs and giving her permission to do whatever that is.  Giving permission seems like a funny phrase when it comes to movement, but I think it’s appropriate.  I think so many people feel like there is a rule book of what you need to do to be in shape, be healthy and fit.  The only rule is you listening to your body and doing what works for you, what makes your body and life feel the best.

Tips to help you with your Cadillac 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.

If you liked our tips, be sure to click like above and share the Pilates wisdom with your friends!

 

Fabulous Pilates Mat Mini Workout

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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!

Doesn’t that worry you?

Client: I felt the spine stretch in reformer rowings during our last session!  Doesn’t that worry you that it’s taken me two years to feel that? I am the world’s slowest learner?

New Pilates Teacher: My client CANNOT do rolling like a ball.  What am I doing wrong?  ( after they have only seen this client 4 times…)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLlP1PkAvQn/?taken-by=rivercitypilates

practice2No these questions do not worry me at all.  Although I have to admit as a new teacher they might have.  Years of teaching movement have taught me that if someone is being safe in their body and they are clear on what they are trying to accomplish eventually they will get there.  The thing about movement is you have to practice a movement to get better at it.  I’m sure I could dig through some scientific studies and tell you all about the neurological connections that have to happen, the muscles that need to be strong enough and flexible enough, etc….but the simple answer is to get better at something you have to practice.

practiceSure, it helps to have a great teacher who explains things in lots of different ways and uses physical and verbal cues to help you find positions and movements in your body….but so often it boils down to practice.  Movement teachers can tell you what you need to do to execute an exercise or movement better, but until you practice it you’ll never actually do it.   And by practice I mean try it 100 times or more, not just 3 times!!  :)  Changes in our muscles, tissues and bodies in general happen over time and it is a gradual process.

As a teacher this means that equally important as me knowing how to teach you the movement is me making it interesting, fun and beneficial enough that you want to keep coming back, keep practicing!!

 

 

10 Reasons to Go With Your Friend to their First Private Pilates Session!

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img_4956As part of the Rivercity Pilates Friend-ilates challenge — Carey is giving double referral bonuses!    That’s $30 (or enough for a Rivercity Pilates T-shirt) on your account for referring friends who purchase a package at Rivercity Pilates.     I love to win Tee-Shirts, so I set up a private session for a friend of mine and his daughter and then pretty much talked them into going without taking no for an answer.    (Yes, blackmail might have been involved!)

I like to go with my friends to their first appointment for a whole lot of reasons.

  1. They’re nervous.     I go to Pilates 3-4 times a week, so Pilates is familiar to me.    I have an understanding of the equipment, I know that the exercises can be done at my level (and with a lot of props or springs to help me achieve things my body can’t do).   My friends didn’t know that.   My friends daughter was 34, she does kettlebell training and jogs, she has some pretty impressive muscles in her arms that intimidated me a bit when she was wearing her workout clothes, and being healthy is a priority for her — and she admitted she was nervous because she didn’t know anything about Pilates, and she didn’t know what to expect!   My 60 year old friend (let’s call him the country bumpkin) is a farmer that is very active — but hasn’t taken part in organized fitness activities since he played high school football!   They were nervous about everything from what to wear, what they would do, and if they would be able to do it!    I went with them (admittedly — so I could watch and take pictures for this blog) but also to help make them feel at ease!
  2. I love hearing the Joe Pilates stories that Carey tells new students.   Yes, I’ve heard the stories before, and I’ve seen the recent movie made about Joe Pilates and the Pilates method.    However, when I’m paying attention (not letting my mind wander), listening so that if my friends ask me a question later I can answer it, I almost always hear something new.
  3. Actually participating in the session helps me evaluate how my Pilates practice is going!   This is kind of hard to explain — so bear with me.    In an orientation session Carey teaches the fundamentals first.    Breathing, Shoulder Stability and Hip Stability were the first things my friends were learning.   I’m sure you all have done the exercise where Carey puts a small round ball on your belly so you can visualize your core pulling the ball down towards your spine.    Yesterday was the first time I’ve done that exercise when my ball didn’t roll off my belly!  YEA!    I must be getting better!
  4. You can give your friends the gift of experiencing mindful movement! Yesterday was a tough day for my friend (the country bumpkin) because it was his first wedding anniversary since his wife passed away.  When we went to lunch and hung out afterwards I could tell that he was having a day of memories, but during Pilates, whenever I looked at his face — he was deep in concentration trying to do the Pilates exercises that Carey was describing — I truly believe he was “in the moment”
  5. Another thing that happens in an orientation session is that all the exercises are done slowly, giving the new student (or me in this instance) plenty of time to pay attention to breathing, form and technique.    Not only was I thinking about  keeping my hips still, but when we had our feet in the leg springs, I was super conscious of breathing and initiating movement from my center!   Doing the beats and claps at probably half the speed I normally do them was very intense and it gave me time to notice my alignment and form.    I was more than willing to do 2 sets of beats and claps instead of 3 — so I can’t imagine what my friends were thinking on that third set!https://www.instagram.com/p/BPLBqLXjKnk/
  6. When you watch newbies, and yes, there were times I took time to watch them instead of doing the exercises, and I got a sense of accomplishment from my Pilates practice.   I remember when I couldn’t make it back up when I was rolling like a ball, or when it was tough getting my back into a C Curve.    I do it now without really thinking about it — but when I was watching my friends roll, I realized how much I had learned to like the exercise! When Carey used to tell me rolling like a ball was her favorite — I used to think she was crazy!    Now I do it, and it truly does massage my spine!
  7. When watching my friends, I noticed how much more aware I am of my spine position.      Shoulders directly above my hips and a straight spine in between!     When Carey said sit tall, my friends daughter instantly went into a little arch (which is admirable because it was pretty), but way different than I was doing.    Pilates has given me awareness of posture that has come very gradually over the past 2 years!  I still have to work at sitting tall and keeping my core and gluts engaged — but I feel much more successful at it than I used to!
  8. If your friends get too focused or start to worry that Pilates is too hard — you can help your teacher lighten the moment.     Sometimes all a friend needs to know — is that you have felt that way too!
  9. You are able to see the “picky” Pilates details that your teacher reminds you of in other people!     Just more confidence that you’re progressing in your Pilates practice!
  10. Taking your friends to Pilates, gives you a great opportunity to spend some time with your friend and maybe go out to lunch or coffee after!