What to Expect in Your First Private Session

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Many people have never worked one on one with a movement or exercise  instructor and have some misconceived ideas about what a one on one Pilates session will be like.  Let me put to rest some of your fears!  If you’ve been watching the Biggest Loser we may have some work to do:) Or maybe you’ve heard horror stories of people doing personal training and being so sore they can’t even walk the next day or lift their arm to brush their teeth?  That is something you will not experience after a session at Rivercity Pilates!

Today I’m going to walk you through your first Pilates private session at Rivercity Pilates. (P.S.- this session is free so definitely take advantage of it!)

  1. When you arrive at the studio we’ll give you a tour of our space.  We’ll show you where you can put your coat, shoes, and gear, point out the restrooms, show you our massage room and our two spacious studio rooms that we use for private sessions and small group classes.
  2. If you haven’t already filled out our new client paperwork we’ll have you fill out our health intake and other preliminary forms.  The health intake form in particular is very important to us.  Your instructor will start your session by sitting with you and going over your health history and discussing how it effects your exercise program.  As instructors we want to help you create a Pilates practice that meets your goals and is safe for your body!
  3. After we’ve learned a little bit more about you, your instructor will start by sharing a little more in depth about the history of Pilates and what and how we teach the Pilates Method at Rivercity Pilates.  We find that learning Pilates is a process and teaching the “why” behind the method is important when helping others create a Pilates practice in their life.
  4. Whether you have been practicing Pilates for years or a brand new beginner we will start the movement portion of your session by teaching the Pilates fundamentals in your body.  The Pilates fundamentals are the building blocks of every exercise and movement we do in Pilates and it’s important to us that you understand them as they are used over and over again in your Pilates practice.  These fundamentals include the concepts of breathe, engaging your deep abdominal muscles, how to stabilize your hips and shoulders and more.  We’ll tailor the exercises we use to teach these ideas to your body and move at a level appropriate for you.
  5. After we teach you the fundamentals and have had some time to work with you and see how your body moves we’ll introduce you to some Pilates exercises that are appropriate for your body.  We often like to let you experience exercises that are considered Mat work (just using your own body for resistence) as well as letting you experience exercises on some of the traditional Pilates equipment such as the Univeral Reformer, the Cadillac or the Pilates Wunda Chair.
  6. We’ll wrap up your session with some time to talk about what we did and give you an opportunity to ask questions.  Your instructor can help to explain the different ways you can learn and practice Pilates and give suggestions as to what might be best for your body.

Our goal during your first session is to start the teaching process and help you decide whether you want to pursue a Pilates practice.  Your session will be a combination of discussion and movement.  Will you be sore the next day?  You might be.  Often when you are learning a new movement and engaging new muscles you’ll feel it the next day- but in a good way!  You’ll know you did something different but no need to worry about being so sore that you can’t function!!

Ready to try a complimentary session?  Click here to find a time that works best in your schedule!  We look forward to meeting you!

Commit to an Active Healthy Summer!

Welcome to our 2019 Healthy Summer Challenge! Whether you are starting a new movement practice or maybe you just want to continue to keep consistent this summer with your already established practice we are excited to have you join our free summer challenge. Our challenge to you is to stay committed to keeping movement as important part of your life, no matter where you are or what your summer schedule looks like!   Our summer challenge is not about a 6 pack or focused on losing weight — our summer challenge is about body confidence, energy, strength and happiness!    

Like we’ve done in past years we’ll be giving you a chance to win super cute Rivercity Pilates gear for being consistent and getting regular classes in at the studio. Simply check off on the chart at the studio when you are in to track your classes! Get a minimum of 8 classes in (1 per week) and you’ll win a newly designed Rivercity Pilates love handle (Carey’s favorite accessory for her phone), Get 16 classes in and earn a super cute Rivercity Pilates baseball hat! Get 24 sessions or more in and you’ll earn a Rivercity Pilates shirt from our fall collection!

Out of town but still want to participate? If you have internet access you can take a class virtually! Just email us and we’ll help you set it up!! We’ve been doing this for some of our clients who travel a lot and they love it!! These classes count toward prizes!!

Not able to make it into the studio this summer but still want to participate? Take our 10 minutes a day movement challenge! Click here to get your tracking sheet! Use one of our weekly workout videos or do your own movement practice each morning for 10 minutes. Turn in your completed sheet after the challenge to win a Rivercity Pilates journal (great for tracking fitness, writing down your health goals or just taking notes)!!     [wpdm_package id=’10022′]

Click here to officially sign up for the challenge!

 

 

 

Inspiration of the Month Cindy Brown

Cindy Brown, the Pilates Inspiration of the month at Rivercity Pilates.

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?
My first private with Carey was in July of 2015. My dear friend, Sara Tack suggested that I give Pilates a try as she had been a regular client at Rivercity for years. I was in need of increased core strength as I had some minor back pain. I quickly signed up and began taking mat classes, eventually adding in Tower and Reformer.

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes
have you been doing?    
 I try to attend 4 classes per week. I attend Mat, Tower and Reformer classes.  When I am not at Rivercity Pilates, I practice Pilates at home.

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life
from doing Pilates? 
I have increased my core strength significantly. I use the Pilates Principles to keep my back safe while participating in (modified) CrossFit classes and gardening.

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?    
My favorite is the Tower. The feedback/support the Tower system gives is very encouraging. It has helped me to gain strength, so I am better able to perform exercises in the Mat and Reformer classes.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
You will not regret investing in yourself. Pilates is the perfect complement to any other movement practice. Pilates is for everybody!

How has the journey of becoming a Pilates teacher effected your Pilates practice?  
Teacher Training has made me love Pilates even more. I am amazed at how far I have come in (almost) 4 years – I can’t wait to see what the next 4 years bring!

Is Mindful Boring?

When you hear the word mindful what image pops into your head?  Silence, solemness, stillness….

Here at Rivercity Pilates we are big believers in the power of mindful movement to create results in your body and life, but we also like to have fun.  Of course we want to stay focused and mindful throughout our movement practice but at the same time we know that if you are enjoying your movement practice you are more likely to keep doing it and hence get even better results!

We have a “No Grimacing Rule” at the studio!  (See the sign we included here.)  We use this rule to remind clients to smile, lighten up and be positive – all of which are conducive to better movement!

 

If you are looking to find an exercise program you love, consider trying our our small group classes and expect to smile throughout class!   Your first session is complimentary — you can email us or call the studio to schedule  (319-665-2499).

Happy, successful people create these 2 habits in their life!

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Do you ever look at those successful, happy people who seem to be doing it all in life and doing it well and wonder how do they do it?  How can I have what they have?

I do and I’ve made it part of my journey to take notice and even study the lives and patterns of those people who have what I strive for in life.  The two habits that I see over and over again are physical exercise and “me” time.  No matter how busy these highly successful people are they find time to exercise their bodies and renew their soul.   Many times this is a daily exercise routine, meditation, a time to read, and simply time to relax on a daily basis.

What amazes me is that these people have the same amount of time in the day as you and me yet they manage to accomplish extraordinary things AND carve out time for themselves and their bodies.  In fact when I talk to these happy, successful people they often credit their successes in life to these habits that they’ve incorporated into their life.  They will also be the first to tell you that it’s not always easy to find that time but the results have made it “not an option” but a requirement in their life.

So all of this is great to hear, but how do you incorporate it into your life?  My suggestion is to start small and doable.  Can you get up a half hour early everyday and add 15 minutes of Pilates, Yoga, Stretching, Cardio  or even meditation to your life?  Create a small doable goal and do it consistently(everyday) for at least 2 months.  Yes, I said  2 months.   If you get to the place where you can add more time- great!  That’s it…see where it takes you and let us know how it changes you!!

CareyIMG_2781-1 Sadler is the owner of Rivercity Pilates in North Liberty Iowa. Carey is a PMA Certified Pilates instructor who has been teaching Pilates since getting her comprehensive certification from Body Precision Studios in 2001.  Before that Carey was a personal trainer, a chemical engineer and a volleyball player!  Carey’s love of health, movement and happiness have lead her to open her Pilates studio and continue her passion of living life to the fullest!  She is a wife and  a mom of 3 energetic children as well as a spunky cat and dog.

Inspiration of the Month May 2019 Brenda Kochanny

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?     

My Pilates practice started as a joke. My girlfriends and I decided we needed to find an alternative to happy hour. In all seriousness, the joke turned into the feeling of my muscles getting longer and uncoiling from stress. When I started I had just had twins and was early in my trading career with high stress and high demands.  At this time I didn’t have time for exercise and I loathed exercising, but Pilates never felt like exercise to me, as I loved it. So, I bought the Windsor Pilates VHS tapes and off I went!

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?    

My goal right now is 3-5 times per week. I mix it up with Mat Class, Reformer, Roll/Release & Relax on Saturday morning, and Privates with Carey.  With some current health challenges if I can do Pilates this often I have found my body and pain level responds very well.  

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?  

Pilates for me is a big benefit to my stress and tension levels.  When I do an early morning class I stand taller and ready for the day. When I know it’s going to be a particular challenging day in the office I get to the early morning class. Being recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis & other Autoimmune Conditions Pilates has been a key to my journey to find my way back to less pain, function and decreasing fatigue. Pilates is less impact on my body and if I am having a particular hard day I can change my level of intensity or the way I do the exercise and still get movement in which is key to my health. Another key for my health is stress reduction.  Being in a high demanding Agriculture Commodity Trading business my neck and shoulders have been known to turn into cement.  Doing Pilates keeps me from turning into cement, which keeps me away from doctors and physical therapists offices.

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?    

Favorite exercise is Seal & I love the Reformer!  The Seal reminds me of doing Pilates early on in my living room during the early morning hours and being terrible at it.  I couldn’t roll and my legs were going everywhere! My biggest concern was my husband seeing my crazy Seal legs and laughing at me. The reformer classes feel like my muscles stretch even further, which is always good for me. I love the different balls we use in Roll/ Release class and I have bought my own and they travel with me.  Some days I have to get them out during the day if it’s a harder day in the office and use them to roll out my neck and upper traps. If I do it sooner than later I have no headaches.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates? 

Do it… You can adjust each exercise or each class. Even if you aren’t feeling on your game you can get benefits of it.  If you’re looking for stress relief do Pilates. Coming from a person who has a love hate for exercise do Pilates. Pilates is an investment for today and for your future health.  I truly believe Pilates saves me from other medical bills.

How does doing Pilates make you a better Mom?    

Pilates has helped me with stress for the entire life of my kids. Over the last year my kids have seen me do less and be in pain. Getting a diagnosis, outlining a path on how to improve my health and doing Pilates consistently has helped reduce my pain and fatigue, so I feel like doing things again.  My kids will graduate high school this year so I need to stay active so I can travel to see them wherever their adventures take them.  I have many more years of being a part of my kid’s lives and Pilates is crucial to that.  Pilates keeps me grounded. I find so many times during my everyday life of using my breathing practice.

How has the journey of becoming a Pilates teacher effected your Pilates practice?  

Being a teacher has helped me be more aware of movement in my own body. I think there are a couple exercises that I was probably “hanging out”, so now I know how to engage more and reap the benefits.  Using different props in my practice has been very beneficial.