Joy of Movement

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IMG_0462Like many of my male clients, Murray got talked in to Pilates by someone who loved him and knew that some mindful movement and breath done safely could help him feel better in his life. At 92 though, he definitely wasn’t my regular studio client and I’m sure that the little time we worked together taught me way more than I taught him.

Murray’s daughter had been a regular client of mine for awhile and since she was a care taker for her dad she often had days where she ended up needing to miss her Pilates sessions at the studio because it didn’t work out for her to leave him home alone. Since Becky lived closed to me I offered to come to her house for her Pilates sessions so she could still keep up with her Pilates practice. (If you are or know a caretaker you know it can be a LITTLE stressful and being able to have a mindful movement practice can be an amazing tool at keeping yourself healthy…this is a whole other blog…).

So I got to know Murray because he would often be sitting in his chair having coffee when I came over for Becky’s session or sometimes he would come out of his room part way through our session just to watch.  (He especially enjoyed watching when both Becky & Mike were working out and loved to give Mike a hard time about why he was sweating!)  We often joked with him about wanting to join us but he just said in a very Murray kind of voice…NO!

One day Becky sent me a note to let me know that Murray agreed to do 5 minutes of Pilates with me…maybe just some Pilates breathing.   I often get excited about new clients, but I have to tell you I was super excited to work with Murray as I knew that we could do some pretty basic simple things that would probably make a big difference in his life.

The first day I was there for a session Becky had Murray in his chair so he could do some Pilates with me. I could tell that he didn’t really want to do anything but was being nice for my sake (and Becky’s). We started with some Pilates breathing. Murray had COPD, so anything we could do to help his body breath more efficiently was going to help him feel better. I had brought some squishy 4 inch balls over for him to squeeze to help with movement and strength in his hands. I may have given him a few ideas of how to improve his posture and engage his core muscles….but honestly I just wanted him to get to know me better and see that what we were doing was not so bad and might actually help him feel better.  This is how our sessions continued. Usually we didn’t do much more than 5 or 10 minutes tops and I really just tried to get him doing some gentle movements that would help him strengthen and maintain flexibility and functional movement.

My favorite session with Murray was a day after we had more than a few sessions under our belt and he was getting more comfortable with me and more willing to try different things I suggested. We had been using a small playground ball for some inner thigh strengthening and then I was having him hold the ball in front of his chest and straighten/bend his arms keeping his good posture. Some how I got him straightening and throwing the ball to me just in front of him and him catching and pulling it back into his chest…we were playing catch! Murray had the biggest most genuine smile I had ever seen from him (or maybe anyone) and I knew at the moment I would remember that smile forever. I remember thinking at that very moment that is why I teach movement….joy of movement. He was having fun and playing catch and his smile could light up a whole room.

joyofmovementJoy of Movement…that moment when you are moving and smiling and enjoying yourself…not worrying about counting calories or which muscles you are strengthening or how many calories you are burning. Kids are great at finding Joy in movement…dancing, climbing, playing with no worries. As adults I think those moments are much harder to come by.

As a Pilates instructor I love knowing how the body moves, I love using movement to create balance in the musculature, I love teaching the Pilates method to bodies of any age, size, and shape…. But more than that I love helping people find Joy of Movement in their lives….

 

 

Practice What You Teach: Don’t take the rules too seriously..

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Do you ever wonder if your Pilates instructor just comes in and hangs from the Cadillac or maybe hangs over the high barrel to stretch their spine when no one else is around?  We do!!  ItIMG_7456‘s the day before our Pilates Day celebration and I had an hour break before my last client of the day and I have to be honest I really just wanted to take a nap!  I got up at 3am this morning to come into the studio for some news coverage for our Pilates Day event and by the afternoon my body was feeling tired and tight!

Instead of sitting at the computer being unproductive and tired, I went to my favorite place- the Cadillac and did all my favorite “feel good” exercises.  I hung in Half Hang( for quite awhile..), did some nice stretchy Roll Downs and did a few of my favorite Rolling Back exercises.  I went to the High Barrel and did Ballet Stretches.  Today’s Ballet Stretches consisted of me rolling down through my spine over my outstretched leg and just hanging out and breathing. Then I hooked my feet on the high barrel and just extended backwards over it.  I also flipped onto my front side and just hung over the barrel in flexion. When I got done….I felt better and more energized- ready to tackle the rest of my day!

You might wonder why I’m telling you all this?  As a Pilates instructor I find myself teaching movement that seems like it has lots of rules…..Pull your belly in, don’t scrunch your shoulders, inhale here, exhale there.  The ideas and concepts that seem like rules are really what help people learn how to move better, more efficiently and help them start thinking about movement and alignment in their life, but many times people take the rules too seriously.  People think they have to be lying on a mat doing things perfectly to be practicing Pilates or any type of movement.  They think they have to follow the rules and the order… and the rules all the time!  I like to think of the “rules” as guidelines for how to move better not as an “all or nothing” rules to movement.

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Instead of focusing on all the rules of my Pilates practice I like to focus on all the tools my Pilates practice gives me.  One of the biggest gifts of my Pilates practice is probably just being able to pay attention to my body and then being able to use movement to make me feel better(like I did today!).  I find that one of my biggest challenges as a Pilates teacher is convincing and reminding clients that they have the ability to change how their body feels through movement any time!  The tools they are learning at the studio can be used practically anywhere( at your desk, on your living room floor, in the car…).  You don’t always have to move at 110% effort, do the hardest version of an exercise or do an hour workout for movement to be an effective health tool in your life!

[tweetthis]You can use #movement anytime to help your body feel better! #practicewhatyouteach[/tweetthis]

 

Why is there Yoga on Pilates Day?

If you are looking at our line up of events at Pilates Day this year you might be surprised to see we are offering not only FREE Pilates but also a FREE Yoga class.  During our open house time (10 am to 12 pm)  we will also be offering Tasting Stations that include not only Pilates but Yoga, Barre, Health Coaching and even Neural Reset Therapy and Massage.  Let me take a moment to tell you why we are letting all of these other mind body movement types and health care modalities we offer at Rivercity Pilates be part of our Pilates Day celebration.Visit our Rivercity Pilates Tasting Circuit to learn about & try Pilates, Barre, Yoga and Neural Reset Therapy and earn a Sparkle Bag of goodies!! (1)

I’m pretty passionate about Pilates as a method of exercise that can make an amazing difference in the way you live your life, but I have to tell you one of the biggest gifts I’ve received in my own life from my Pilates practice is the realization that: Joseph Pilates didn’t just teach exercises.  He taught a way to live your life.  In Joseph Pilates’ books he not only talked about exercises, but also things like getting fresh air, eating for health, how to sleep best, and how to maintain your health.

As a student of the Pilates method of exercise I can tell you that this method of exercise encompasses much more than just your workouts.  The exercises are truly a catalyst to start looking at how you can be empowered to take your health into your own hands by exploring a variety of movement practices, health practices and body work designed to bring your body back into balance.

Rivercity Pilates has grown over the years from a single Pilates instructor teaching the Pilates method of exercise into an oasis of empowered, health driven instructors and practitioners of movement, body work and healthy living.  To me this is what the Pilates Method is truly about.  So as we celebrate the Pilates Method and the amazing impact it has on all of our lives this Saturday we’re also excited to share everything we offer at the studio because we believe that there is no one right way to learn the Pilates ideas and concepts in your body.  We’re hoping by sharing everything we offer with you and the community we might inspire you to try a new movement method, start some new healthy habits and find some movement and health care practitioners who can help you along your journey!!

We’d love to have you in class or have you stop by our Open House on Saturday!!

 

 

Why you absolutely need to attend a Pilates Day 2016 event!!

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PilatesDay_LOGO_2016What is Pilates Day?

Pilates Day is an annual, international, community event celebrated on the first Saturday of May every year.

The Pilates Day mission is to foster the public’s appreciation and awareness of the Pilates Method through a network of varied, innovative, and high quality grassroots Pilates events accessible and affordable for all.

Why should I attend an event?

I’m going to break this one down into two categories: Pilates lovers and those who have no idea what Pilates is!

For Pilates Lovers:

  • IMG_6792FREE Pilates with friends...what could be better than that! If you already know and love Pilates then a Pilates Day event is a great way to share your Pilates love with lots of others who love it too!
  • Share Pilates with a friend or two. If you already love Pilates I know you can’t help but want to share your love with friends and family you care about.  But sometimes it can be really challenging to convince someone to start a new exercise program.  Many Pilates Day events are designed to make it easy for you to bring a friend and let them experience the Pilates method in a very relaxed atmosphere.  The event is free, socially fun and gives you a chance to introduce someone you care about to the method you love!
  • Try a new studio or instructor.  Pilates Day events can be a great place to meet new Pilates friends or try a new studio or instructor without a big commitment.

For those who have no idea what Pilates is:

  • Find out what Pilates is!  You’ve heard your friends rave about it, heard the movie stars and professional athletes talk about it changing their bodies and you really have no idea what Pilates is….   This event was designed for you!!  Pilates instructors and practitioners are very passionate about their movement practice and there are so many reasons that so many people love it!  This free event was created so you could learn about what Pilates is and how using this exercise method might help you feel better in your body!
  • Check out a local business.   A Pilates Day event is a great way to meet Pilates studio owners, Pilates teachers and Pilates practitioners.   You’ll have a chance to talk, a chance to move and a chance to see if it might be something you want to pursue in more detail.
  • Free Stuff and more.  Besides all the free classes and giveaways during the Pilates Day event, many studios offer specials, introductory packages and even free classes for new clients so that if you are interested you can try out this Pilates thing with a little more depth after Pilates Day.

If you are in Iowa we’d love to see you at Rivercity Pilates for our Pilates Day celebration but if you are not near us you can click this link and check out all of the events worldwide and find one near you!!

 

Knee Replacement – How soon can you do Pilates?

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Whether you are contemplating knee replacement surgery or have had the surgery I think you’ll find the video above pretty impressive.  Just 2 weeks after her knee replacement Nancy is back at the studio doing many of her regular Pilates exercises.  The secret to her impressive road to recovery?  Pilates of course! Nancy’s regular Pilates practice before her surgery gave her the strength, balance and core strength to tackle the recovery process the best she could.  Since the Pilates method of exercise is so adaptable to any body Nancy was able to easily incorporate her Pilates practice into her recovery time and is doing fabulous!

To learn more about the benefits of Pilates before and after Knee Replacement surgery schedule a complimentary Private session today!

Inspiration of the Month: Mike Palmer

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When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?

I started seriously doing Pilates last fall. To be completely honest, Becky made me start going to Pilates. She decided we both needed to be doing something active. When I didn’t have a plan, she signed us up for a couples Pilates class. After my first class I still had mixed feelings. A few months later, and while I still think she should have allowed “aerobic fishing” as an option, Becky signed me up for some private sessions. I really started enjoying Pilates after getting those private sessions under my belt to get an understanding of the different equipment and movements.

What benefits have you seen by committing to a regular Pilates practice?

When I first started Pilates, my favorite things were just the quiet focused time spent doing Pilates and the warm relaxed flexible period afterward. After doing Pilates for a while, I started to notice that I was stronger and much more flexible.

The most amazing benefit from Pilates has been that my back pain gradually went away. It happened so gradually that I’m not exactly sure when it happened. One day after some strenuous activity that would have usually left me with a lot of pain the next day, I realized that my back wasn’t bothering me. Then thinking about it, I realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I had back pain. I’ve struggled with chronic (and occasionally acute) back pain for years due to issues related to being in the Army and SCUBA diving (heavy equipment), and my being overweight and a job that had me sitting at a desk for hours at a time.

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

I initially liked the Cadillac – probably the big hardware/guy sort of thing. But after doing Pilates for a while I’ve discovered that using the different pieces of equipment is part of the fun. Even the same exercise on different equipment gives you a slightly different motion.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?

I was at the bookstore and had that very discussion with someone about Pilates after we talked about how hard it was to see and reach the magazines on the lowest shelf ( especially if you had a sore back). They were wondering if they could just pick up a book or a video on Pilates. I suggested that initially taking private sessions would be the way I’d recommend. Taking private sessions initially would allow them to learn how to do the movements properly. Also, without using the equipment, it’s hard to appreciate how much assistance it provides for some of the exercises.