Would you fit in at Rivercity Pilates?

,
Carey sadler, Rivercity Pilates.

Somebody asked me the other day, “What are the other clients like that come into the studio?” I think they really wanted to know if there would be others in group sessions who would be similar to them in terms of age and health goals.  

The question had me thinking about how I would describe most of our clients who come in to the studio and I came up with a few key characteristics that I wanted to share with you!

Our clients are learners! They really appreciate having time to learn more about how their body works, learn more about how they can use movement to feel better and improve their health.  They really embrace their exercise time not just as something they do to lose weight or look a certain way, but as a way to practice things that help them maintain and improve their health. 

Our clients love to know why we have them doing things and what it does for their body (and we love sharing that knowledge!)  Our clients will often ask questions about why they are doing something and they will often ask their instructors for ideas on how they can continue to work on specific things outside of the studio.  Our clients love to know that the exercises they are doing are helping them do things like improve their balance, strengthen their bones and stay mobile.

Our clients exercise to improve their health and they truly appreciate that movement helps their body feel better and is a health tool in their life. Want to know how I know this?  Each week so many of our clients come into their sessions not feeling so great in their bodies!   You read that right…they come in to exercise even though things hurt or they don’t feel the best in their body because they know that the way to feel better is to move their body!!

Each session when we ask clients how they are feeling at the beginning of their session we hear them say things like….my low back is sore today, I’ve been really noticing my knee hurting this week, or my shoulder feels really tight.   Our clients know that when they come in to their session their teacher will help them practice a whole body workout that feels appropriate for their body and they know they will feel better when they leave!

Our clients are confident knowing that they won’t ever be pressured to do an exercise or movement that doesn’t feel good in their body.  Our clients know that their teacher will adapt their session to them so they can improve their strength and mobility in a safe way. Our clients know that a regular movement practice helps their body feel the best!

So what do you think…did my general description of our clients sound like you? What other characteristics did I miss? Email me and let me know!!

If you need any help scheduling sessions or have any questions remember you can always just send me an email! I would love to hear from you!

Do you ever blame how you feel on your age?

My husband came home from his first “Daddy daughter” dance practice of 2023 with my daughter and said, “There is a lot of up and down in the dance and I was really feeling my old man knees”! My response, “Oh so what you’re saying is that dance practice is giving you an opportunity to strengthen your muscles and support your knees so they feel better?”  He smiled and said, “yes that’s exactly what I’m saying!”  

You see, he absolutely knows that actions like squatting and lunging and knee bends are exactly what helps his leg muscles stay strong and exactly what usually helps his knees feel better if they are feeling aching or sore, but out of habit fell into the mindset of deciding to choose to think that his uncomfortable knees were just a product of aging. His discomfort wasn’t because he was old…it was because he hadn’t been moving his body in ways that kept his knees happy lately!

Do you ever find yourself blaming how your body feels on aging? Have you found any benefit into thinking that way? (I’m guessing you haven’t!!)

As a Pilates teacher and a movement coach I want to remind you that your thoughts about how your body feels and about your movement time are are just as important as the movement time!  When clients first start with us one of the things they will notice is that not only are the learning how to move well in their body, they are also learning how to re-think movement, exercise and their body. 

So often people don’t even realize the negative mindset they have around exercise or their body and they find it so refreshing to be in a space with people who remind them of what they are capable of!

I’m giving you homework this week! See if you can catch yourself blaming how your body is feeling on your age and try changing that thought to a slightly more positive one! 

Try something like…”Oh that feeling is reminding me to be consistent in adding strength and mobility movements into my life…that’s a great reminder!” Try to avoid blaming your discomfort on your age and focus on things you can control!

If you’d like to find out more about how Pilates can help you feel terrific, email us here!

Would you like to try Pilates?

,

If you are brand new to Pilates or it’s been awhile since you’ve practiced be sure to check out our free Pilates Day introductory group sessions! We would love for you to experience what a regular Pilates practice can do for your body and your life!

If you’ve been curious about exploring Pilates in your body…this is the perfect chance to try it out by signing up for a FREE introductory session! Contact us quick to grab a spot as space is limited and these sessions will fill up!   

Pilates Day is celebrated by the Pilates community worldwide on the first Saturday of May every year.  The goal of Pilates Day is to foster the public’s appreciation and awareness of Pilates.

Are you new to Pilates? Here’s a quick description of the Pilates method of movement:

Pilates is a mind-body exercise developed in the 20th century by Joseph Pilates. He and his wife Clara taught students this unique method of exercise. They called it ‘contrology,’ which teaches and encourages controlling your muscles with your mind by focusing attention on core postural muscles that provide spinal support and help keep the body balanced. Pilates’ exercises were developed to teach breath awareness, spine alignment, and abdominal muscle strength.

New to Pilates?
In honor of PIlates Day 2023 we’ll be offering special introduction to Pilates small group sessions at 11 am and 1 pm on Saturday, May 6th.  Like all of our small group sessions at the studio this session will be limited to 5 participants max. To sign up for this free session just click here and we’ll get you scheduled! 

These sessions are geared for anyone who wants to learn more about what Pilates is all about! We’ll start the session with a general talk about what Pilates is and the different ways to practice it. After that we’ll get you moving so you can experience the method in your body.  We’ll review the fundamental concepts and ideas we use in Pilates and encourage you to try some Pilates exercises.  You will get to try out some exercises on the Pilates equipment! 

In your session your teacher will show you how to adapt each movement to your body to make it most effective for you.  It will be a fun, informative session that let you explore the Pilates method in your body.

Email us to reserve your spot in a free session on Pilates Day

What is an Integrative Health Session?

Ready to feel better in your body? Start here!

  • If you feel like you’ve tried ALL the things but you are still frustrated with how you are feeling in your body…we suggest Integrated Health Sessions!
  • If you have life or health goals and want some help getting to the next step in your path….we suggest Integrated Health Sessions.

What is an Integrated Health Session?

Integrative Health Sessions are created uniquely for each individual. Choices for the session can include any combination of mindfulness, breathing, movement (yoga, pilates or physical therapy based), and health coaching.

Each individual will initially complete a personal health assessment based on the Wheel of Health with 7 areas assessed (nutrition, mental and emotional well being, fulfillment and purpose, physical activity and fitness, sleep and rest, and physical environment). This health assessment will be used as a guide using curiosity to explore the individual’s path to wellness.

Integrative Health Sessions at Rivercity Pilates

These sessions are conducted by Jenny Fitzpatrick. Jenny is an integrative health specialist with over 30 years of experience in the health and wellness field. Jenny is a licensed physical therapist, a yoga teacher and has practiced Pilates for many years. Her approach is to address the whole person. Jenny partners with clients along their journeys in making sustainable changes to live the lives they desire. Jenny’s passion is to assist clients who seek greater confidence and peace in leading healthier lifestyles.

Pricing

  • Single Sessions $120
  • 4 Package of Sessions $460
  • 8 Package of Sessions $880

Schedule sessions in Mindbody or email us.

New In Studio Mat Sessions

,

Many of you have told us how much you miss Pilates Mat Classes in the studio!

You have told us how much you enjoy:

  • the individual guidance from your teacher,
  • the atmosphere of a group experience and
  • getting to play with all the fun props we have at the studio!

We are excited to share with you that Rachel and Shannon are each adding in a weekly in-studio Small Group Mat session to their schedule! 

Our Mat group sessions have a different pricing structure than Pilates Equipment based sessions. We have found we are able to allow 5 participants per session and still give everyone lots of space in the studio.   

Unlike our old Mat Classes pre-pandemic, these sessions must be booked as an appointment, not from our class schedule.

Anything we called a class on our schedule is virtual.  You can schedule Pilates Mat sessions in Mindbody by going to appointments, choosing Pilates Mat Small groups session and requesting the session time or you can always simply email us and we’ll schedule you!!

Please note: You do not have to sign up for a session every week and can simply sign up for the sessions that work for your schedule.  You can cancel a session with 24 hours notice with no charge.

If you plan on attending weekly and want to make sure you have a spot we always suggest having us schedule you on going and then you can always let us know by email or by canceling in Mindbody which sessions you can’t make.  

We expect these sessions to fill and we will keep a waitlist to contact for when there are openings! If the session has filled and you want to be on the waitlist please just email us and let us know!

Need to work on balance? Try the Pilates Chair!

When you hear Pilates Chair what do you think of?  Do visions of the ab chair infomercial come into your head?  Does it sound like something elderly people would use so that they could exercise while sitting in a chair?

The Pilates equipment called the chair was named the chair because Joe’s original design allowed you to convert this mighty piece of exercise equipment into a sitting chair when you weren’t working out on it.  Personally I think this is pretty genius from a marketing standpoint!  How many people use their treadmill for a clothes drying rack at home?  Wouldn’t it be great if that treadmill easily converted into a couch when you weren’t using it?  Seriously though, if you are someone who wants to work on balance in your movement practice…you must try the chair!

Whether you are an elite athlete or simply want to navigate day to day life without falls and injury- balance is so important!!

Like all of the Pilates equipment, the Pilates chair is designed to help you find a quicker, more efficient way to get stronger and more balanced in your body quicker.  The chair design is simply a small seat with a spring loaded paddle below the seat.  Many exercises have you positioning and balancing your body somewhere on the seat and then using the loaded paddle to challenge your balance.  The size is just big enough to give you some support, but small enough to challenge your balance and of course your core strength!

Other exercises have you standing on the floor pressing into the spring loaded paddle.  Many of these exercises challenge you do do the exercise with one arm or leg while you try to keep balance in your body.

Interested in seeing how Pilates and the Pilates equipment can help you improve your balance?  Schedule a complimentary private session at Rivercity Pilates today!!!