What is the Pilates Reformer?

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Are you new to Pilates?  Ever wonder what is this thing called the Reformer?

Part scientist, mechanical genius and anatomy and movement guru, Pilates creator Joseph Pilates created a movement system he called “Contrology,” accompanied by a variety of equipment he referred to as “Apparatus.” The Apparatus was designed to help accelerate the process of stretching,strengthening and balancing the entire body. The best-known and most popular piece today, the Reformer, was originally called the Universal Reformer, aptly named for “universally reforming the body.”

In the video above you can watch Rivercity Pilates owner Carey Sadler during part of her Reformer workout.  The Reformer workout is a specific sequence of exercises designed to flow together to give the practitioner a complete body workout.  Practitioners learn these movements individually in the beginning and then continue to practice the sequence of exercises, adding in more challenging exercises as they progress.

Learn more about the Pilates Method of exercise, the Pilates Reformer and other Pilates equipment by scheduling a complimentary private session at the studio.

 

Carey

 

I can’t do the same thing that the super fit 20 year old is doing!!

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IMG_6792When it comes to an exercise program, have you ever said something like this (either to yourself or out loud)?

  • I’m too out of shape to take that class.
  • I can’t do the same thing that the super fit 20 year old is doing!!
  • I’m too inflexible to try that.
  • I have an injury or ailment that won’t allow me to exercise.

I have some exciting news for you!!  At Rivercity Pilates, we offer private and small group sessions that you will feel completely comfortable in.  From the moment you walk in the door you’ll feel the difference and know this isn’t your typical gym or fitness setting.

[tweetthis hidden_urls=”http://pic.twitter.com/zbNaxIiyhp” remove_hidden_hashtags=”true”]Have U heard this in #Pilates? I cant do the things that 20 yo does![/tweetthis]

Our private sessions and group classes are designed for “real” people who are looking to empower their bodies through mindful movement.  We know that everyone has different needs when it comes to exercise and we can help you find an exercise routine that fits your life and your body.

We believe that mindful movement can have a positive effect on everyone’s lives.  Our instructors and staff specialize in creating private sessions and small group classes  that are tailored to your individual needs.

IMG_2527Don’t know where to start?

We offer a complimentary private Pilates or Yoga session to all new clients to the studio.  This private session will introduce you to mindful movement and also to the studio and everything we offer.  Click here to learn more!

Want to try out one of our classes?

Your first Pilates, Barre, Yoga, Strength Training, or Cardio Funk class is FREE!  Just sign up online or contact us to sign up and be sure to let us know it’s your first class.

What kind of Pilates class requires instructor approval?

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IMG_0887Every Saturday morning at 9 am I teach a class titled: Return to Life on the Mat. The class is a Pilates mat class that flows through the original Pilates Mat work sequence that Joseph H. Pilates created in his 1945 book titled: Return to Life.  It’s probably one of my favorite classes to teach because I love how truly invigorating and empowering a Pilates Mat practice is!

It’s the only class on our schedule right now that we require instructor approval before clients take it, but you might be surprised at the prerequisites we consider as instructors before we give you our approval.

My impression of what clients think about this prerequisite is this:

  • I have to be able to do all the exercises at their fullest expression (ie most challenging version).
  • no chronic injuries or tightness or minor pain in your body
  • I need to be super fit, strong all over and approaching my ideal body weight and size (whatever that is…)

These are NOT what I consider when I give my approval to a client.  I believe we should do Pilates to return to life just like Joe talks about in his book.  The very reason I do it myself is so that I can balance out my body and get rid of pesky aches and pains. I do it so that I can do all the fun physical things I want to do in my life (climb, hike, paddleboard, keep up with my kids, whatever!) If I used any of those above criteria to judge whether I was going to do my Pilates Mat practice- I would never do it!!

[tweetthis hidden_urls=”http:/pic.twitter.com/WsYNigfjPg” remove_hidden_hashtags=”true”]If a #pilates class requires approval do I have 2 be skinny and fit?[/tweetthis]

The requirements for taking this class have to do with having an established practice and being present in your body so you stay safe and continue to progress.  During Return to Life we incorporate the Pilates principle of flow and keep participants moving from one exercise to the next and we don’t have the time to teach an exercise from the beginning or teach it as we would to those newer to Pilates.  We will still teach the intricacies of the exercises but we probably won’t go over in detail how to engage your deep abdominal muscles.

Here’s the things I look for when giving a client approval to take our Return to Life Mat class-

  • He/She has been practicing Pilates and has a good understanding of each exercise in their body.It’s important to have a basic knowledge of each exercise so that you are not spending time wondering what to do but you can do the exercise and listen to the instructor for fine tuning..taking your practice to the next level.
  • You know what your working level is and how to adjust it.  You see there is a version of each Pilates Mat exercise that you can do no matter where you are in your body.  As long as you know what that version is and know how to adjust it in your body you would be fine in a class setting.
  • Confidence in your Pilates practice.  You don’t need to be able to do the full expression of an exercise, but you need to know how to do the exercise safely in your body and you need to be confident enough that you can do your version of an exercise even if everyone else is doing something different!!  You need to be confident and comfortable doing a smaller range of motion than what your neighbor is doing in class or maybe even doing something that looks completely different.
  • Know how to listen to your body and adjust accordingly- again not also an easy thing to do in a group class setting if you are worried about keeping up with everyone else.  Just because you have done an exercise in it’s fullest expression doesn’t mean you’ll do it that way every time you do it.  If your back is feeling a little tight and achy one day you may need to adjust your entire workout and your range of motion to adjust for this.

design (20)Wondering if you’re ready to try Return to Life?  Review the list above and check in with your instructor to get their feedback.  We’d love to see you in class but more than anything want to make sure you are being safe in your body!

Want to learn more about incorporating the Pilates principles of control, concentration, centering, flow, precision and breath into every exercise you do?  The Pilates Foundation Workshop on September 13th will take your understanding of the Pilates method to a whole new level and give you confidence in your Pilates practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barre? I am the opposite of a ballerina!

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IMG_6580Have you heard of “Barre” Workouts?   There’s all kinds of workouts with “barre” in the name of the class at every gym and in the exercise DVD section of Amazon — but the only connection that I knew about was the barre is used in ballet lessons.     So what’s the class about and can a non-ballerina be successful?   I did some research.

It may look like ballet, but it’s not.  Barre fitness classes are ballet inspired, incorporating a mix of ballet barre and pilates work with plies and kicks in the workout.    Barre classes are choreographed to motivating music, and in each targeted workout, you’ll use the bar and exercise eequipment such as small hand weights and mini balls to slim and stretch your entire body.   You don’t need dance experience to be comfortable in a Barre class.

What’s the difference between barre and a typical strength training class? Rather than larger, compound movements (think squats and shoulder presses), you’ll perform tiny, one-inch increments called isometric movements. That’s why you’ll often hear, “Down an inch, up an inch,” repeated by barre teachers.  The barre is used as a prop to balance while doing exercises that focus on isometric strength training (holding your body still while you contract a specific set of muscles) combined with high reps of small range-of-motion movements.

For someone who’s used to other cross training classes, it may seem like you’re not working hard enough. But that’s absolutely not the case, experts say. In fact, you’re getting a killer workout because the one-inch increments are enough to fire up the muscle and make it more elastic, but not too big to tear the muscle.

IMG_6609Some articles say that the major benefits of barre are improved posture, muscle definition, weight loss, increased flexibility and reduced stress. Women at just about any age and fitness level sign up for classes.  Barre classes are perfectly fine for pregnant women because they’re not high impact. They may even help with imbalance (a common issue during pregnancy due to that growing belly) and stability.   Weight loss results are highly individualized depending on how many barre workouts you do and how consistently you do them.

Do you have to look like a ballerina (tiny, lean and flexible) to take a Barre class?  The simple answer is no.  Barre is mindful movement. Participants can start at whatever fitness level they are at.  The instructor will lead you through the movements, and suggest adjustments based on each student’s working level.  You will sweat.  Your muscles will shake because of the repeated, small movements.

What should you wear to barre class?   Leggings, a sports bra, and a tank will do the trick.   You may want to wear some grippy socks to prevent slipping.

IMG_6583Why should you add a barre class to your workouts each week?   It’s easy on the joints, low impact, motivating and almost every article I read said that Barre targets “problem areas” for women.   Who doesn’t want to target those “problem areas”?    Articles also said that results could be seen and felt in as little as a month for people that add 2-3 barre classes a week to their workout routine!!

Still apprehensive?    Rivercity Pilates is offering “Barre Basics Getting Started Package” that includes a Barre Basic Workshop and a package  of 5 Barre classes at the studio. The Barre Basics workshop will teach you everything you need to know about this dance and Pilates inspired workout! The workshop will go over all the basic movement patterns and techniques used in Barre classes, give modifications for different bodies and give you a chance to practice basic Barre sequences!  You can save 20% if you sign up by August 22nd and you’ll be off to a great start with your new Barre practice!!

Click the image below to sign up for the Barre Basics Getting Started Package!Barre Basics Package (1)

 

 

 

Meet the Instructor Monday — Shannon

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Shannon Ottoson teaches Pilates mat and equipment classes at Rivercity Pilates.

Twitter:    I recently joined Twitter and am working on learning to use it.   My handle is @sotto586.   Tweet me and I will figure out how to reply!

Where are you from?   I grew up in Des Moines with my 4 siblings and I moved to North Liberty in ’99, to work in Cedar Rapids as a mental health nurse.

Favorite food to prepare? I’m not a cook at all! My favorite thing to make myself is my daily Isagenix shake, really!!

Favorite sport or sports team?  I love baseball, I grew up with it, I understand the game, and it is played during the warm months! My favorite team is my son’s team. :)

Why did you choose to practice Pilates?  I started mat pilates in 2001, after my son was born. I had read an article about it and it sounded different. I was hooked after my first class!  The work is so subtle, so deep, and so evolving. It never gets old or easy, and it requires a presence of mind that I really enjoy.

Why did you become an instructor?  I fell in-love with how I felt physically and mentally after I started a regular Pilates practice, and I couldn’t stop talking about it! I felt it was something that has to be experienced, and I truly wanted everyone to feel as supple and as “inside” their bodies as I felt.

Is there something about you that would surprise the students that have attended your classes?  I doubt it, I’m pretty much an open book! I’m really struggling with this one, I’m pretty boring!

What is your favorite song/ group/ genre of music? I grew up on John Denver and love him! For listening I am loving Dave Matthews, and for working out I have been listening to current pop music and it’s like a guilty pleasure!

Pilates gets personal!!!!

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I’m guessing you’ve never been at the gym doing bicep curls and had your trainer ask you,” How did that exercise feel in your body?”  As a Pilates instructor this is a question I often ask my clients as we work together.  You see,  learning the method of Pilates in your body isn’t just doing the exercises that your told to do, but it’s a process learning about your own body and how to move it as efficiently as possible on any given day.

The learning process that happens is really a 2 way street between instructors and clients.   When I ask a client how something felt I am doinIMG_7081g a couple of things.  First I am asking them to be aware enough of what they are doing to be able to describe how something felt in their body.  Second I want to get a sense of what a movement felt like to them because that’s the best way for me to help them learn that movement and other movements I’ll be introducing to them.

There is no right or wrong way to answer the question as I’m really just wanting to connect with a client so I can help them learn how to move better. There’s so much more to a mind body movement practice like Pilates  than just repeating an exercise and as an instructor I love to connect with clients and help them develop their practice in their bodies and life.

Interested in exploring a mind body practice like Pilates?  At Rivercity Pilates we offer a variety of classes and instructors and would love to help you develop your movement practice.  Try us out today by scheduling a complimentary private session with one of our Pilates or Yoga instructors.   If you prefer to attend a small group class to try Pilates your first class is complimentary.   For more information on what to expect in your first session, click here!