Two things your body absolutely needs in the morning!

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Every morning after I get up I grab a glass, fill it with water and make my self drink it. I say “make” because on many days I’d much rather have my coffee first thing…but I know that water is what my body really needs and making this simple little change in my habits (water first instead of coffee) really helps my body feel better.  Some days I forget about my coffee without even realizing it ( hard to believe I know!) Just like our bodies need to replenish with water first thing in the morning, I believe our bodies also need to replenish and start the day with movement.  Movement is basically a way to hydrate your muscles, fascia and body tissues after a night of sleep and not moving a whole lot. Here’s just a few things morning movement can do for your body:

  1. Morning movement will aid in better circulation! Morning movement helps raise your body’s temperature by getting the blood flowing from the core of the body out to the extremities. Increasing blood flow helps circulation and delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the rest of your muscles and organs.Better circulation keeps your tissues healthier and you will just plain feel better and more energized! 
  2. Morning movement will stretch out tight muscles and increase flexibility and mobility.  When we sleep we often hold our body in positions for long periods of time that keep our muscles tight and shortened.  By starting the day with movements designed to lengthen and stretch the muscles you will have a head start on your day!  You will not start your day sitting at work with already tight muscles.  You’ll probably find that this helps you feel amazingly better in your body. Increased mobility and flexibility will help your your body be more balanced and you will breaks out of the cycles of always having tight and shortened muscles that don’t work as well as they could and could cause pain and aches in your body.
  3. Morning movement will prevent aches,pains and even injuries.  Morning movement will help your body be prepared for the day ahead and that means it is better equipped to move better and safer.  You’ll be more likely to use good alignment and body awareness throughout your day which will keep away those pesky aches and pains that happen related to poor posture and poor habits.  You physical body will be more balanced and reactive to deal with those silly injuries that happen when we trip over something on the floor or bend over to far to pick something up with tight back muscles.
  4. Morning movement will give you mental clarity and stress relief.   Increased blood flow throughout the body from movement time means your brain also has increased blood flow. This blood flow to the brain increases concentration and focus for the rest of the day. It also accelerates endorphins to the brain helping relieve stress and anxiety. Morning movement time is like an all natural focus pill for your day! 

There’s lots of great ways to add morning movement into your life.  Need some ideas for some movements you can do at home to start your day?  Check out our Rivercity Pilates Youtube Channel.  I especially love anything with a foam roller in the morning as I feel like the massaging effects of the foam roller work to really wake up our tissues for the day. We also offer early morning classes that are designed to get your body ready for your day.  Check out our class schedule here.  And of course..don’t forget to drink some water before and during your movement time!!

 

October Inspiration of the Month: Diana Strahan

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 Inspiration of the Month
October 2018
Diana Strahan

 When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?  When my youngest son started college last year I decided it was finally time to focus on myself and me and some friends started looking for an exercise class of some sort.  Although I had been working out regularly on my elliptical, I wanted something for flexibility and strength.  I started Yoga at Rivercity Pilates last September and I hesitantly transitioned to Pilates in November. I wasn’t sure what Pilates was and thought it would be too hard for me.  My friend Theresa talked me into it and I agreed to try it for one month.  I have now been doing Pilates for almost a year. 

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?   I mostly take mat classes, but enjoy taking Barre classes, as well.  I try to do Pilates three times a week but due to work schedule and life commitments I can’t always make it to the studio so I do Pilates at home on the days I can’t make it, using techniques I learned at the studio.  

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates? My core is definitely tighter and I feel stronger all over.  I have noticed that my clothes fit me better even though I have not lost weight (which was never the goal).  In addition, doing Pilates really helps my mental health.  I can have a stressful day at work, but once I start doing Pilates I can feel the stress melting away.  Pilates has been great for my body and mind!
 
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)? 
My favorite exercise is Seal!  
 
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?  
I really didn’t think I would do Pilates for more than one month but I have found it to be so beneficial for me and I genuinely enjoy it.  Anyone who is thinking about Pilates should go for it!  I think the teachers at Rivercity Pilates teach to everyone’s level and help new students feel great about themselves and their ability.   

Exploring the Advanced Pilates Mat Exercises Workshop

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This workshop will take you through the entire Pilates Mat sequence that Joseph Pilates outlined in his book, “Return to Life”.  For each exercise we’ll talk about how Joe did the exercise, the goals and skills of the exercise, transitions between exercises and how you can find a working level version of the exercise that works for your body!
 
This workshop is designed for anyone who has been practicing Pilates and wants to dig deeper into their Pilates Mat practice. We will “workshop” each exercise so that there is plenty of time for you to try the exercise and find a version that works best for you.
 
Cost $25.00     Register Here 

4 Week Beginner Yoga Series starts October 7th

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Start your week right with our Beginner Yoga Class on Sundays at 4pm!

This series is designed to introduce Yoga to those with limited or no experience. If you’re a beginner in Yoga or haven’t practiced in awhile, start here! Over the course of 4 weeks, we will learn the basics of Yoga, breath work, postures and alignment and see how all of these combined will help you on your journey to more focus, balance, strength and flexibility.

What to expect/bring:

Bring a Yoga mat if you have one and if you don’t we have some at the studio!
Bring a water bottle if you like to rehydrate during movement.
Wear clothing that allows you to move freely.
Be prepared to move and also be prepared to have moments of stillness.
Bring a positive and open attitude towards the discovery of you…

Click here to sign up today !!!  Or call us at 319.631.9510 or email us at rcpilates1@gmail.com and we can help you sign up! 

Healthy Feet Workshop

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Healthy Feet Workshop

October 6, 2018 – 11 am

Cost $20.00

If you have ever had foot pain you know how debilitating it can be and how it can affect your whole body. In this workshop we’ll talk about some basics of why the feet are so important in relationship to the rest of the body’s movements and in our daily life. You’ll walk away with some easy exercises that can be incorporated into your life to keep your feet healthy, flexible and strong.

You don’t need to have foot pain to benefit from this workshop but if you have dealt with or are dealing with Plantar Fasciitis, bunions, hammer toes, heel pain or any foot discomfort you will especially love this workshop!!

Here’s what one of our previous participants had to say about the workshop: I was impressed by the workshop! I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when my friend asked me…after seeing a podiatrist and physical therapist for the past year, I figured the workshop might be more of the same stretches & that I had previously been told. I am excited to try all the different things you taught to do with the balls.

Register for workshop on October 6th.

 

Purchase Online in our Workshops section of our online scheduling software! Gift Certificates available online or at the studio as well! Contact us at rcpilates1@gmail.com or 319.665.2499 if you need any help purchasing or scheduling

Beginner Pilates student: meet your new BFF

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I’m not going to lie…learning to practice Pilates does not always feel “easy”. Just as learning any new movement in your body (think about learning to ride a bike, ski or learn a new dance) it takes practice and time. Any experienced Pilates practitioner will tell you though that it is worth investing your time! They would also tell you if you have the chance you should try learning the Pilates method using the Pilates equipment as well as the Pilates mat work as it will make it seem easier!  Here’s why:

  • The equipment simplifies the learning process.  This is opposite of what most people think when they look at the equipment with all of its’ springs, straps and chains, but I promise it’s true!  You see there is a lot of internal work involved in learning Pilates.  It is a mind body exercise method that is designed to teach you how to coordinate specific body movements using your thoughts and your awareness of what’s going on in the body.  The equipment basically gives you a support system that makes it easier to figure out how to do the movement so that you can focus on the specifics of doing it correctly in your body.
  • The Pilates equipment gives you instant feedback.  The Pilates equipment is designed to connect your body to the equipment in a way that will allow you to better feel if you are doing the exercise correctly. Joseph Pilates most likely designed his equipment to make his job easier as a teacher.   As a student you are able to make more corrections yourself because of the equipment and your teacher doesn’t have to give you as many cues to correct you. ( This helps you feel results quicker and makes your teacher’s job easier!!)
  • It’s an alignment corrector (everyone needs one of those right?!).  The equipment is designed to help you position your body properly for each exercise. Each Pilates exercise is designed to be done while in proper alignment to achieve the maximum benefit of each exercise.  Since it is often hard to tell if you are in alignment or not, your teacher will help guide you and give you instruction on how to figure this out.  You’ll also find that the equipment is like having a second teacher and will allow you to figure out how to feel your best alignment in your own body!
  • The Pilates equipment helps you create strength,stability and mobility SAFELY while you figure out what it means to practice the Pilates principles in your body! Joseph Pilates created the equipment as a tool to help people figure out this method he was teaching.   Joseph Pilates designed it so that people could start anywhere in their body and progressively build their strength and mobility and feel successful at every step along the way.

The Pilates equipment can be really intimidating when your first see it, but trust us when we tell you it is designed to be a beginner’s best friend!  Learn more about learning the Pilates method utilizing the Pilates equipment by signing up for a complimentary private Pilates session.  After you’ve been introduced to the studio, Pilates and the equipment we have variety of beginner small group classes and sessions available to get started!

Sign up for you complementary session here.