Pilates improves your golf game!

Tiger Woods, Rocco Mediare, Phil Mickelson, Carin Coch, Annika Sorenstan, Camilo Vilegas, Richard Beem, Butch Harmon, Betsy King, David Duval, and Kelli Kuehne all do Pilates to improve their golf game. There must be a reason – right?

What can Pilates do for your golf game?

1. Pilates will strengthen your core muscles.  The overall core strength gained from Pilates can help improve your swing by increasing your ability to stabilize your body as well as being able to initiate movement from those core muscles.

2.  Pilates will increase your flexibility. When you have more mobility in spine and  more flexibility in your muscles you can easily get more rotation. More rotation in your body makes for a more efficient, powerful golf swing.

3.  Pilates will improve your concentration.  Concentration is one of the founding principles of Pilates and every movement requires you to concentrate on exactly what your body is doing.  Concentration, like any other skill will improve the more you practice it.  Your improved concentration will allow you to fine tune your golf swings and make the most out of your game.

4.   Pilates will balance your body and help you prevent injuries.  The Pilates method of exercise promotes uniform development of all the muscles in the body.  By creating balance in your musculature you can prevent overuse injuries which can be very common for serious golfers.

Learn more about the benefits of Pilates by scheduling your complimentary private Pilates session today!

A love letter

I wrote this letter originally 6 years ago.  Every year I say to myself I should rewrite my love letter to my clients.  Then I read it and think, I don’t think I need to rewrite it. The words I originally wrote still portray how I feel really well!  So here it is!  Sending lots of love to all of my amazing, wonderful clients over the years who have let me be part of their movement practice, part of their life!

Dear Devoted Pilates Client,

1.  You are amazing!  I am amazed and inspired daily by your devotion to your Pilates practice!  I know, as much as you love your Pilates sessions, that it is not always easy to get to the studio.  Life happens and there are a million excuses you could use to not come in- but you do.  Your devotion inspires me in my daily life.  Thank You!

2. You are making amazing progress in your Pilates practice and in your life every time you practice.  As instructors we are often giving you feedback on how to improve your practice because that’s part of our job.  I probably don’t spend enough time telling you how far you’ve come and how great you’re doing.  One of the wonderful parts of my job is that I get to see people create positive changes in their bodies on a daily basis. Keep it up!

3.   I love to celebrate the little milestones with you!   Can you pick something off the floor without your back hurting?  Can you sit comfortably on the floor with your kids or grandchildren?  Are you sitting taller at your desk or has your posture improved?  I love to hear about and celebrate these moments with you.  I practice and teach Pilates so that I can help others live life to the fullest and it makes me happy when I hear your success stories!

4.  Please don’t feel bad about speaking up and telling me something doesn’t feel good in your body.  I know that not every exercise or movement is right for every body and it does not bother me at all if you tell me that something hurts or doesn’t feel right. In fact- I LOVE the opportunity to find something that does work for you.  Changing, modifying and creating exercises designed specifically for your body is what I am trained to do and I LOVE to do it!  It makes me cringe to have a client work through the pain.  I believe and know that exercise does not have to hurt to be super effective.  If you are in pain, then you are not getting the benefits of the exercise and you might be doing more harm than good to your body.

5. Thank you for choosing me to share your Pilates journey with you!  Working with amazing, nice, thoughtful clients makes me happy!  I know there are lots of choices when it comes to teachers and I truly value you as a dedicated client.

With Love,

Your Pilates Teacher

Inspiration of the Month Jenny Theony

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start? I joined Rivercity Pilates at the end of summer.  I came for the Yoga and stayed for the Yoga AND Pilates!  I wanted more Yoga in my life to compliment the cycling that I do. After taking some Pilates classes, I realized that both Pilates and Yoga would help with strength and stretching and general overall health.

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?    I do about two Yoga classes and two Pilates mat classes each week.  I’ve recently started taking the beginner reformer classes as well.

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?  Both Yoga and Pilates have helped build some core strength and flexibility.   I wasn’t getting that on a bike and my back feels so much better.  From cycling I had very tight quads and calves, which contributed to some knee pain and plantar fasciitis issues.  Yoga and Pilates have helped me stretch out those muscles and work on overall leg strength.

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?    I love the whole mat sequence.  I don’t have a favorite exercise, but I am looking forward to improving my teaser! It’s still a big challenge for me.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates? Do it!  Everyone can benefit from Pilates and it is truly for every body!  Rivercity Pilates is very welcoming and a perfect place to give it a try.

What is the Pilates Chair??

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What exactly is the Pilates Chair?  The word chair often creates images of a senior workout geared for those with limitations, when in reality the Pilates equipment named the Chair is a versatile spring based piece of equipment that can be great for practicing fundamental Pilates concepts but can also challenge even the most seasoned professional athlete.

In this quick video Carey will introduce the chair and show you just a few examples of different exercises that can be done on this amazing piece of Pilates equipment.

February Life Inspired

“Life Inspired” Classes are free and open to anyone. Beginners and new to the studio clients are welcome, you do not need to be a Rivercity Pilates client to attend. Reserve your spot here!

Top 3 Reasons Every Runner and Cyclist should do Pilates!

1. If you are injured you can’t ride or run. I know how torturous it is to not be able to get your miles in.

Seriously, when you constantly repeat the same movements without varying your exercise your body becomes imbalanced and imbalances cause injuries.

It all comes down to prevention. Pilates will help you create balance in your body and prevent injuries!

biker

2. By creating balance in your musculature and increasing your core strength you will improve your cycling and running. Whether you are competitive with just yourself or others- you will see an improvement in your speed and endurance by adding Pilates to your fitness routine.

3. You might actually enjoy it! If you love to move and
challenge your body, you will probably find yourself looking forward to the
challenges of your Pilates practice.

Want to try it out?
Contact us today to schedule your complimentary Pilates session !

Click here to see our latest class schedule!

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