This standing Magic Circle Workout will not only strengthen your body but will also help you work on your balance! If you don’t have a magic circle at home we have some in the studio and VIP’s get $10 off if purchased in January.
Danielle Wilbanks
January 2018
Inspiration of the Month
When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?I started doing Pilates in October 2017. I was having a lot of hip, back and shoulder pain and couldn’t even sit on the floor with my kids to play for longer than 5 minutes. I knew I needed to do something, but I just didn’t want to do anything high impact. My friend Sarah Shonrock kept telling me about Rivercity Pilates and how much she enjoyed it, so I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad that I did! It has been the most welcoming place and not intimidating at all. I hadn’t done Pilates or Yoga to any extent before and was a little nervous about not knowing what to do, but all of the instructors are super helpful and patient.
How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?
I try to make it to the studio three times a week. I haven’t been to a class that I didn’t enjoy. I regularly attend Nancy’s Barre, Pilates & Fun classes and Shelley’s Every Body Mat classes. My schedule changes week to week, so I can’t make a lot of evening classes, but when I can, I really like to go to Carey’s and Shaina’s Pilates Mat classes. I like going to a variety of instructors because they each seem to challenge your body in different ways.
What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?
Physically, the chronic hip, back and shoulder pain that I was having has gone away. I feel more open and stronger and for the first time in my adult life I can feel my core muscles. I’ve also lost inches and weight and let’s face it, being able to get back into a favorite pair of pants is a huge benefit! Mentally, it has given me a chance to unplug and focus on nothing else but me in those hour classes. It energizes me and gets me going. Even when I’m not in class, I’ll do some stretches and breathing to get me through those long days at work. I’ve also discovered the Rivercity Pilates You Tube channel that helps me on days that I can’t get to the studio or when I’m traveling.
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
I like the balance balls, both the big ones and medium sized ones. It really helps me to engage and strengthen my core. The balls add an extra challenge and you have to focus more on what you are doing.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
DO IT! :) Really, just give it a try. You may or may not like it, but you never know if you don’t try. Rivercity Pilates is a great place! I appreciate all of the staff and other members because everyone is welcoming and helpful. There is no expectation for you to be at the same level as someone else, just positive encouragement to go at your own pace and do the things that you can do.
We have a lot of couples that practice Pilates together and rave about the benefits of not just Pilates, but getting to workout together. Whether you are both brand new or maybe one of you has some Pilates experience, you’re going to enjoy this chance to learn and practice the Pilates basic mat exercises together!
Saturdays at 11:15 am on: February 3, 10, 17
$75 per couple for the 3 week series
Sign up soon!
This class will fill up quick!
One of my clients said to me,” I decided I have a new goal: I want to maintain my height as I age!” I LOVE that! What a great goal! Did you know that Research from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging found average woman between 30 and 70 loses 2 inches? What if you decided to keep your body healthy, strong and tall as you aged as one of your fitness goals? What would that look like?
First let’s look at why we shrink as we age. What actually causes you to get shorter as you age?
- You can lose height because the discs between the vertebrae in the spine dehydrate and compress
- The aging spine can also become more curved, and vertebrae can collapse (called a compression fracture) due to loss of bone density (osteoporosis).
- Loss of muscles in the torso can also contribute to stooped posture.
- Even the gradual flattening of the arches of the feet can make you slightly shorter.
So what can we do to slow the shrinking process?
You may be able to slow shrinkage by taking steps that will help protect your bones and muscles.Things like consuming adequate calcium, vitamin D, and other bone-healthy nutrients; not drinking alcohol to excess; and not smoking will help! Doing weight bearing exercise and strengthening the muscles that support your spine is also very important.
If you are wondering what type of exercises might fall in to this description, let me tell you about my favorite two!
#1 is walking. I love walking as part of your fitness and health plan because it really doesn’t take a lot of special effort or equipment. All you need is you and a place to walk. It’s also a skill that we all already have so you don’t have to learn anything new. Besides being a great weight bearing whole body exercise it is also great fro keeping your heart healthy.
My other favorite type of exercise is Pilates. The Pilates method of exercise is designed to teach you how to strengthen your body in a way that strengthens and balances out the muscles along your spine which is exactly what we all need as we age to help us shrink less. Many of the Pilates exercises are designed to move your spine in a way that actually hydrates the disc in between the vertebrae, helping you maintain a healthy spine. All of the exercises focus on moving from your center and strengthening your core muscles that help you maintain your great posture and avoid stooping. The exercise method also focuses on always working in alignment which basically means every time you are doing Pilates your are practicing your strengthening your ” good posture muscles”.
Want to learn more about how learning the Pilates method can help you keep your height? Give us a call and schedule your complimentary private session today!
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/preventive-care/article/why-you-shrink-you-age
Tell us about yourself / your family. I’m 32, an only child, born and raised in Iowa City. Graduated City High in ’04, after that I had a cup of coffee at the University, then mostly worked at the family business until it was sold in 2016, at which time I decided to pursue yoga more deeply
Describe yourself in 5 words. Fiercely loyal, flexible, freedom lover
When/Why did you start practicing Yoga? I was introduced to yoga in 2010 as a mode of therapy. Along my path to mental, physical, and spiritual healing, yoga has remained the one prevailing constant. The practice has had an incredibly positive impact on my life and I’m excited to share that with others.
If money were no object, what would you do all day? Travel the world doing yoga
Why did you become a Yoga teacher? I love yoga and want to share it with others
Describe why you love Yoga in three words. The healing power
Would you rather hike or bike? I can’t choose. It depends on so many factors. Hike uphill, bike downhill?
If you could live anywhere in the world — where would you want to live? I’m currently in love with the Northern California/Southern Oregon area, somewhere out there, up in the mountains.
What are your favorite ways to incorporate movement into your life in addition to Yoga? I love a good hike out to a nice spot to relax. I try to walk or bike instead of drive if I can. I also enjoy a variety of exercise modalities in addition to yoga, including running, weight lifting, and plyometrics.
Do you have a guilty pleasure? Something that is generally looked upon as wrong — but you keep doing it? Movie theater gluttony
Yeah, I know…it sounds like an infomercial! In 10 days you’ll feel better, in 20 days you’ll see a difference and in 30 you will be on your way to a whole new body. Like you, when I first heard this I thought wow, Mr. Pilates was quite the marketer… almost 18 years of teaching Pilates later….I can tell you that there is a lot of truth in this statement.
As a new teacher I didn’t always recognize the pattern, but the more I taught Pilates the more I began to see it over and over and over again. I think I dismissed it at first because I thought… well of course people felt better after starting a movement program. It didn’t surprise me that after 3 or 4 weeks of a regular Pilates practice clients were commenting about how much better they felt. It was a little eerie though how almost always when a client comes in and says hey I was able to fit in those jeans that were too tight, or my clothes are fitting better… and I checked their session count it was always right around 20 sessions. As I watched clients move through their Pilates practice it never failed that I found myself saying something to myself like,” Wow, they are just moving so well…it’s hard to believe that’s the same body that walked through our doors originally.” And of course when I checked to see how many sessions they had done …it was always eerily around 30.
In hindsight I guess it really shouldn’t have surprised me. I know that the key to making change in your body is consistent practice. It takes time to build strength and to achieve balance and flexibility in your body. The exciting thing about this is that any body can create healthy change in their body through movement if they can be consistent with their practice! I don’t know about you but I love this concept. It means if you show up and do the work on a regular basis…you see and feel results. You don’t have to be a movie star or a professional athlete to get the benefits of a Pilates practice. Unfortunately, many times the just showing up part…is the hardest part!
That’s why we are motivating you in the new year with Joe’s Challenge! We want to help motivate you to create a movement practice in your life. Get all 30 sessions in before March 31 and you’ll earn a super cool new Rivercity Pilates shirt. Document your progress by writing or videoing yourself talking about how you felt at your 10 session, 20 session and 30 session progress and you get entered into a drawing for 3 months unlimited Classes at Rivercity Pilates ($780 value!).
