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!!

 

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 

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.

You don’t have to be an “advanced” Pilates Mat student to explore the “advanced exercises”!

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If you didn’t even consider reading more about our Exploring the Advanced Pilates Mat Exercise Workshop because you still consider yourself a beginner..you should think rethink it!  Even if you have no desire to ever take our Return to Life Advanced Mat class (trust me when I tell you this is OK … read this blog if this is you!), I think you’ll find that this workshop will change the way you practice Pilates in an amazing way.  Sometimes practicing the same exercises over and over again(even as a beginner) can seem boring or monotonous…but by educating yourself on the details of the exercises and the method I think you’ll find yourself more inspired than ever to give it your best every time you lay on your mat.  Let me tell you a little bit more about this workshop and why I think you will enjoy it regardless of how you might label your Pilates level.

 

  1.  Depending on who you ask there are about 13 exercises in the original 31 mat exercises that are considered “advanced”.  In this workshop we will talk about all 31 exercises…which means about 60% of the workshop time will be going over exercises that you’ve probably been practicing!  You’ll walk away with an in depth look at how to do each exercise in your body and how to keep progressing your Pilates practice.
  2. By understanding how the exercises relate to one another and the basic skills each exercise requires to do it safely and efficiently you’ll have a better understanding of how to improve your movement practice no matter what exercises you are doing.  Pilates is a system of exercises and each exercise utilizes a variety of basic movement skills to strengthen and balance your body.  In this workshop we will be breaking down each exercise in the original Mat sequence down into the movement skills needed to do each exercise. You’ll have a better in depth understanding of why you do each exercise and how you can adjust the exercise to challenge your body safely versus just doing the exercise because your teacher told you to!
  3. Knowing where you are going will help you work smarter where you are at!   You can have a fabulous strong, balanced body without having to do “advanced versions” of exercises but knowing the progression of each exercise and the possibilities of each exercise helps you to learn the skills of each exercise and helps you continue to gradually challenge yourself every time you do each exercise.  This workshop will explore things like the order of the exercises and how learning one exercise prepares you for other exercises.  You’ll get a better sense of the method as a whole and be able to set realistic expectation for your own body in your Pilates practice.
  4.  The advanced exercises are the same exercises beginners start with in disguise.  Sounds ridiculous I know…but its true.  This workshop will help you “connect the dots” between exercises.  You’ll be a lot more motivated to fine tune your Hundred and Roll up when you realize how those exercises are really just a variation of the Teaser and other more “advanced” exercises!
  5. You’ll be empowered to try an appropriate version of an advanced exercise because you’ll understand that it doesn’t matter so much what an exercise looks like.  What is important is that you are practicing a movement skill at your level that helps you feel stronger and more balanced in your body.

Maybe you are still thinking…but what if I can’t do an exercise?  The whole point of this workshop is to show you that every Pilates Mat exercise no matter how advanced it is…has a true beginner version. Even if you are brand new to Pilates you will be able to do a version of each exercise.  This workshop will be a combination of moving time and listening and soaking in details of the exercise time.  As a participant I promise you’ll feel comfortable trying out exercises if you want, but of course there will never be any pressure to do something you are not comfortable doing in your body.  If you have questions about the workshop feel free to send me an email or catch me at the studio to chat in more detail!

Cost $25.00   Click here to register for workshop.

When’s the last time you exercised your feet?

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Sometimes when I start talking about feet exercises or showing them to clients I gets some crazy looks.  I can just imagine the dialog going on in my clients head……

“I came here to do Pilates, you know…strengthen my core and tone my body so I can feel strong and energized in my life.  I can’t believe I’m paying for a Pilates session and we are doing “foot exercises”.  I’m mean really.. my feet are fine and how in the world is exercising my feet going to help me get a strong core, keep my back pain at bay and look good in my favorite jeans?  I’m not really breaking a sweat working my feet…how could this be good for me? Aren’t there more important things we should be doing?”

I get where clients are coming from.  If you’ve never thought about or been educated on the importance of your feet/ankles in relationship to how the rest of your body moves, then foot exercises probably seem ridiculous!  But I can tell you from someone who specializes in movement, it is SO important to take care of your feet!! And this doesn’t just mean taking care of them when they are hurting or are causing you pain, but taking care of them so they don’t ever cause you pain! And just in case you are wondering….paying attention to your feet CAN totally help you find proper alignment in your body, prevent injuries, strengthen the entire body more efficiently and can even help you lessen or get rid of back pain!

The wonderful thing about taking care of your feet is that it is truly not difficult and does not take a lot of time to do it.  But the little time and effort you put into your feet now can save you years of misery later in life!

Want to start learning more?  Here’s some basic foot facts that you might find interesting!!

  1. The foot and ankle contain: 26 bones (One-quarter of the bones in the human body are in the feet.); 33 joints; more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments (Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones and ligaments are fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones.)
  2. During an average day of walking, the total forces on your feet can total hundreds of tons, equivalent to an average of a fully loaded cement truck.
  3. 75% of Americans will experience foot problems at one time or another in their lives.   ( WOW– thats 3 out of every 4 people!!)
  4. Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. High heels are partly to blame.
  5. It’s rare that two feet are exactly the same; one of them is often larger than the other.
  6. Over 2 million Americans seek treatment for plantar fasciitis (heel pain) each year.
  7. Foot disorders in the elderly are extremely common and are the cause of much pain and disability, and consequent loss of mobility and independence.
  8. 1/4 of all the bones in the human body are down in your feet. When these bones are out of alignment, so is the rest of the body.
  9. When walking, each time your heel lifts off the ground it forces the toes to carry one half of your body weight.  ( Who knew your toes were so strong??)
  10. Your feet mirror your general health. Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in the feet — so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems.

    Click here to register.

 

 

Intrigued?  Join me on for my Healthy Feet Workshop on October 6 th where we’ll dive into learning about why your feet are so important to how the rest of your body moves and you’ll learn lots of “foot exercises” that you can easily start incorporating into your life to keep your feet and body healthy throughout your lifetime!!