Buy some cute studio socks with that gift certificate!!

img_4882It’s the holiday season and that means gift giving season.  I don’t know about you but in the crazy hectic season of giving I often find myself giving people a gift merely to cross it off my list.  It’s not that I don’t appreciate this person or want to give them something to show them they are important in my life….it’s just that I ran out of time.   I really love to give gifts that have meaning, that are well thought out, that reflect how amazing the person is I’m giving it to, and is something they will treasure. Unfortunately, my life gets crazy and I end up buying a gift certificate for something I know they will use.  Gift certificates are not a bad thing, it’s just that I often feel like maybe I didn’t put enough thought or effort into my gift giving.

I was thinking about this idea in terms of the gift certificates we sell at the studio.  Things like Pilates, Barre  and Yoga are often considered luxuries in peoples lives.  For many people, they feel a little guilty spending $15 to $30 a session for a Pilates class when they could go to the local gym for $19.99 a month.  Yet we all know that the gym membership doesn’t do you any good if you never use it! So what an amazing gift of health you are giving someone by giving them permission to indulge in their own health.  What could be even more indulgent than the classes and sessions themselves?   Cute Socks!!  That’s right…cute grippy socks!!  Because here’s the thing…so many times our regular clients have seen the light in knowing that paying a little extra for quality instruction and something they love is totally worth it.   But they feel a little guilty about wanting to get a cute pair of grippy socks or even a shirt or pair of pants that they are merely going to work out in.  The wonderful thing about a cute pair of grippy socks or your favorite workout top is that they make you happy when you are exercising.  Feeling good about what you are wearing is sometimes just the motivation you need to take that class that you are thinking about skipping!  From a gift giving perspective, the other great thing about a cute pair of grippy socks is that every time they wear them they’ll think of you and the thoughtful gift you gave them!!

So if you’re thinking about getting someone you love a gift certificate for movement and health….don’t forget the cute grippy socks!!!

Need some gift giving ideas for someone you know?  We’d love to help!  send us an email at rcpilates1@gmail.com or call us at 319.665.2499!!

 

 

Inspiration of the Month Patti Lounsbury

pattilWhen did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?
My first Pilates session was July 11, 2014. My sister, Susan Frye inspired me to start. She has practiced Pilates for years and highly recommended it to me for my lower back pain.
How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?    
I have been doing semi-private Pilates sessions once weekly. I try to implement principles of Pilates every day during whatever I am doing.
What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates? 
1. Better posture: I hadn’t noticed this until others had pointed it out to me. And now I think about it much more often and implement better posture in walking and sitting.

2. Significantly less lumbar pain: This is great for me because lower back pain has been a problem for many, many years.

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

I love the cat, anything that involves the back (which many exercises do); I like all of the exercises involving the foam roller. I really cannot think of anything that I don’t like.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
I would definitely recommend it. I really don’t believe it can hurt. Carey is a superb instructor and very careful about proceeding with exercises.

 

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Pilates and Rodeo??

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One of my favorite job perks as a Pilates teacher is that is has changed how I look at the world.  If I’m just getting introduced to someone, walking through the grocery store or maybe watching a sporting event on TV…I can’t help but look at how people move.  I automatically notice what moves well and what doesn’t, I notice the balance in their body, I notice the patterns in their movement.  This might explain why I’ve become a little bit of a rodeo fan.  I started watching rodeo and specifically Iowa bareback rider Tim O’Connell because of a friend, but my continuing to watch definitely has to do with my fascination with movement.  As a side note, I also think I like rodeo because it’s short and sweet and keeps my attention.  I am not one to sit still for any period of time to watch a football or baseball game on TV…but 8 seconds I can handle!!

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As I’ve watched Tim and other riders this year there are a few things that really stand out to me and even though I am seeing these things in his 8 seconds on a bucking horse…I think they are lessons that apply to all of our movement practices.

  1. Centering    This has got to be one of the best examples of a strong center!  These cowboys not only stay on these crazy, bucking horses but they often make it look easy! When I think about the power of the horses and how much core strength it takes to stabilize your body as that horse twists, turns, jumps and does everything it can to throw you off… I’m in awe!  The example in my own life that keeps popping up into my head is when I go on a jet ski ride with my hubby! He seems to think it’s fun to jump big waves and take quick turns and even though I haven’t found the fun in this yet, I always make a point to use centering to not fall off!!   The whole time I’m on the back of the jet ski I am hugging my inner thighs toward my center and engaging my core muscles so that I can constantly adjust to the direction changes and stay centered.  Whether you are trying to keep centered on a horse, a jetski or just keep your balance when you slip on a piece of ice….a strong center is so important!!
  2. Mind Body Connection   I don’t hear the rodeo announcers talking a whole lot about what the cowboys are thinking while they are riding, but I guarantee they have a specific thought process they use every time they get on a horse to ride. To be the best at what they do they have to figure out how to focus their thoughts on exactly what their bodies need to do for those brief 8 seconds.  The human body is capable of some pretty amazing things and I really think that most people don’t realize how simply powerful we are in controlling movement and movement results in our body.  By simply focusing our thoughts on the movements we want to create in our body we can move better and continue to work toward our movement goals.
  3. Consistency   As I’ve watched Tim this year make his way to being the World Champion one of the biggest things that stands out to me is his consistency.  Consistency is of those things that you can only get in a movement practice of any kind…by doing.   You don’t just jump on your first bucking horse and have a solid ride (or least I’m guessing!)  You learn techniques and you practice, practice practice, and then practice some more.  Every time you ride is a chance to practice in your body what your brain knows “technically” how to do.  The more you do it, the more consistent you get and the more “polished” your movement looks.  Most of us aren’t riding bucking horses, but we can use this idea of consistency to produce results in how our bodies move and feel.  If you want to keep your spine flexible and healthy, if you want to keep your muscles strong and flexible…you have to consistently practice these movements in your life!!

Inspiration Of The Month – Nancy Mayfield

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nancymayfieldI am not sure exactly when I fell in love with Pilates. I took gymnastics as a child, and as I later pursued a life in the theater I enjoyed challenging myself in new ways: yoga, dance, karate, Tai Chi, mat Pilates.  But like many students, my irregular schedule and lack of funds made it difficult to take regular classes, and working at home with videos quickly became boring.  As my career focus turned to research and administration instead of performing, my life became sedentary and I began to gain weight. Before I knew it, I was getting injured doing simple things: missing a step walking down the stairs resulted in a nasty sprain.  Carrying a nephew around threw out my back.  Holding my phone in place with my shoulder at work created neck spasms and headaches.  It wasn’t until I started working with a physical therapist to help me with the latter that I came to realize just how weak my body had become.  My fears of further injuries had resulted in my avoiding the basic exercises I most needed to build up my muscles and protect my joints.

I tried to ease myself back into a healthier activity schedule with gentle yoga, but after 6 months I felt more flexible and slightly more resilient, but no stronger.  The more advanced classes aggravated my past wrist and ankle sprains, and I was frustrated by my limitations.  I really wanted to revisit Pilates, but the studio I was going to didn’t offer a class that worked with my schedule.  So I started shopping around and asking my friends for recommendations.  All it took was one session with Cary and I knew Rivercity Pilates was exactly what I had been seeking.

I started with mat Pilates once a week, and experimented with trying other classes as my schedule would allow.  I was a little intimidated by the Pilates equipment classes at first, but quickly discovered that I really enjoyed the graceful lengthening exercises on the Tower. I was just starting to really make exercise a part of my routine when I sprained my wrist again, worse than ever.  In the past, this might have made me give up.  But the amazing instructors at Rivercity worked with me modify our workouts, and helped me stay positive and forward-thinking.  It took a long time, but I have gradually regained strength in my wrist and can now plank better than when I first started!  I take two classes a week, and I have been trying to work in a third, even if it means trying something difficult or new.

It sounds obvious now, but somehow it took me a long time to recognize that the only way I will get healthy is if I make health a priority.  The success of my Pilates classes encouraged me to starting working with Health Coach Amy Boelk, whom I met during an open house.  I am now combining exercise and a guided health plan to help me create the positive habits that will help me feel more energetic and stronger, and more confident. I am so grateful to Amy and the entire Rivercity staff for helping me stay focused on living a happier, healthier life.

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Do you get bored?

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Do you ever get bored with your workouts? If you asked me this I would probably say no. There is so much variety built in to the Pilates movements and system it would be hard to get bored.  I realized this week though that I do “work” at not being bored and I kind of do it without even realizing it.    When I decide to do a Pilates Mat Workout or Pilates Reformer workout (that I could do in my sleep because my body knows it pretty well…)  I automatically find something I want to work on that day and I incorporate it into everything I do.  Some days I just focus on coordinating breath or breathing better.  Other days I am focused on whole body engagement, balance in my body or flow.  Other days I focus on a body part like feet or shoulders and what they should be doing.  Some days I pick something that I’ve been specifically having a client work on because I want to know what it feels like to do what I’m asking of them.

This week I did a mat workout where I focused on stability and lengthening in my low spine.  Every exercise I did I mentally came back to finding how I could better decompress and lengthen the space between my hips and rib cage.  The result was a great focused workout and some good soreness in my abdominal muscles! I also found myself checking in with that low spine length throughout the rest of my week (like when I was sitting at the computer working and even when I was standing teaching.)  All of this got me thinking and I thought I’d put together a quick list of some different focus ideas for myself and anyone else who might need a quick idea.   These ideas work best when you are not necessarily learning something brand new but practicing those movements and sequences that your body already knows fairly well.

  • Breath ..not holding your breath, just focusing on it, the flow of it, coordinating it with each movement..
  • Feet: Are you using them? are they in alignment? feet awareness!
  • Head alignment…check in with where you head is in relationship to the rest of the body during every exercise
  • Shoulder stability…are you stabilizing your shoulders in each exercise?  How does that effect the rest of the movement?
  • Focus on your tight spot in your spine and focus on articulation especially through that spot and awareness of that area during each exercise
  • Pick a muscle ( could be hamstrings, biceps, obliques, whatever) and notice how it is engaged in each movement
  • Pick a Pilates principle..Breath, Centering, Control, Coordination, Flow, Precision and focus on what it means in every exercise to use that principle
  • Whole body engagement
  • Pelvic floor awareness/engagement
  • Your working level on each exercise
  • Flow and transitions between exercises
  • Balance….is your body balanced? are your movements balanced? is your breath balanced?
  • Spine Movement ( or stabilizing)…notice what your spine should be doing in each exercise
  • Are you overworking anywhere?…continually check in and figure out how you can work more uniformly by not overworking in areas

This is just a quick list of things I thought of or have used in my own workouts.  I would love to hear more ideas from you!

Inspiration of the Month: Annette Schulte

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annetteWhen did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start? 
I found my way to Rivercity Pilates in February 2016. I started with the Couch Potato Workshop! I was inspired to start because I was far too stiff, creaky and weak for an otherwise healthy woman in her late 40s. I had major organ surgery 17 years ago after my daughter was born. That surgery sliced through all my abdominal muscles and pried open my ribcage with a clamp the size of my head. I healed, but I didn’t really discuss with my doctors how to counteract the effects of the surgery over time. It left me a little barrel-chested and with no core strength but with lots of scar tissue. I had taken a Pi-yo (Pilates and yoga combo) class in the past and enjoyed it. So I decided to look for something similar. I found Pilates in my metaphorical backyard. Coming to Rivercity was one of the best things I’ve ever done for me.
 
How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing? 
Like a lot of women, I’m busy balancing a career, family and my needs. I need the commitment and structure of a class outside the home to stick with Pilates. So I take evening and weekend classes at Rivercity. I’m currently taking one mat and one tower class a week. My goal is to get strong enough to take two mat classes a week. I’m confident I’ll get there!
 
What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates? 
I’m stronger, more flexible, better toned — even with all the scar tissue. I can stretch farther than before and am so less stiff! I’m  comfortable in my skin again, and that makes me a happier person every day, all day.
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?  
Writing this, I’m realizing that I’m an equipment fan. I like the Tower in general and really enjoy the ab series that Janee takes us through on the Tower. Through Carey’s mat class I’ve discovered the fun of workout balls and bands. The Stretch-eze is a little different, but even that is fun.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
Do it, and do it at Rivercity. The instructors are friendly and compassionate, and the clientele is welcoming. And I like that attention is regularly paid in classes to good form and adjusting the exercises to the individual’s capabilities. Great, great stuff.