Inspiration of the Month- Teena VanDaele

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DSCN0393December 2014

Inspiration of the Month

Teena VanDaele

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

I began Pilates about 10 years ago and was extremely diligent with my lessons, then my oldest child was born and Pilates fell to the wayside.  I restarted in May of this year because I was getting older and because of my occupation, I had horrible lower back pain.  I soon realized how much I truly enjoyed the experience of Pilates.  Not to say I didn’t have my struggles as I began taking classes again, but I was truly amazed that despite the few years I had been away from Pilates, I was still able to “maneuver” myself into various positions.

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?
I began in May with two sessions per week: 1 private and 1 class.   I enjoy the private classes for the individual perspective they provide.  Private classes enable you to perfect to your “working level” the techniques of Pilates, giving you a perspective on where improvements need to be made or where your strong points remain.  Class gives you the opportunity to work at a faster pace with a variety of sessions; i.e. mat, reformer, Tower.

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

My personal favorite is by far the tower classes; they provide an interesting mix of mat work/resistance combination.

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?

In restarting Pilates this past May, I have noticed a vast improvement in my lower back pain and my energy levels throughout my day.  I no longer wake up in the middle of the night with back pain and I find myself sleeping better overall.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
What I have learned and would pass along as a piece of advice from someone who started Pilates in my late 20’s, early 30’s and did not restart until I was 40, is that you certainly do not have to master the skills within each aspect of Pilates to retain the benefit of what it can do for and to you.  Everyone has a varied skill level and no matter what that skill level is; simply trying Pilates will provide benefit to you… that is the art of Pilates.

2014 Rivercity Pilates Inspirational Clients

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It’s the end of the year and as we reflect on the year past we love the chance to honor our amazing, inspiring clients!  At Rivercity Pilates, our instructors and staff are truly dedicated helping others create health and wellness in their lives and our biggest inspiration is our clients.  We hope you enjoy this video honoring our monthly Inspirations of the Month for 2014!

 

Be sure to share the inspiration with your family and friends by reposting this video on all your favorite social media sites!

Life Inspired – Recap!

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We recently created a new monthly group at the studio called Life Inspired!  Our desire was to create a group, a space and an atmosphere where women could feel comfortable, explore topics that inspire their lives and connect with other amazing women.  I was out of town for the first meeting but was excited to be able to attend this month’s meeting and wanted to give you a quick recap.

Our monthly Life Inspired group left me with a lot to think about this month.  We started the night off watching a great TED talk from Brene’ Brown that focused on what it meant to be vulnerable and how it affects everything in your life.  I could have easily walked away after watching that feeling empowered about the ideas that she shared and inspired to examine them more in my life.  But after the TED Talk the real inspiration came.

First of all, let me just say that I’m definitely an introvert, so the idea of talking about things like feelings and vulnerability in a group isn’t always my idea of a good time- but this was different.  I can honestly say the next 2 hours flew by and there was a wonderful sense of support and genuine caring from everyone in the group as we all shared in the conversation of the night.  The topic was giving authentically and Life Coach Julie Jack did an amazing job of facilitating the conversation as we all shared ideas, listened, and grew in our understanding of ourselves and each other. We ended the night with some simple questions we could ponder or journal about to take us deeper into the topic.

I truly enjoyed getting to connect with the other amazing women in the group and I’m super excited to meet again next month.  Next month we’ll be exploring creating a vision for our life in 2015! I’ll be there and I hope you can join us too!

 

~Carey

Inspiration of the Month Gina Luegering

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 GinaInspiration of the Month

October 2014

Gina Luegering

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

I’m so happy that I made the decision to start Pilates. It has been something that I’ve always wanted to try and  I have found all of these things and so much more after starting at Rivercity Pilates. I wish I would have started sooner after seeing the changes in my body and the energy I have since starting in August!

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?

My personal goal is to attend 4 to 5 classes a week, but with two busy teenagers I sometimes only get in 3 times a week. I love all of the Pilates classes and try to do at least one of each a week

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

After a couple of injuries I really wanted to do something that was low-impact on my body while building strength, tone, and balance.

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

My favorite is the reformer classes.

What would you say to someone thinking about starting Pilates?

When I walk into Rivercity, it’s always a positive atmosphere, the classes are small, and the instructors are amazing. I would recommend Pilates to anyone looking to build strength, energy, and bring balance to their life!

The Journey to Finding your Roots

 

Julie

“Roots are not in landscape or a country, or a people, they are are inside you.” 

Isabel Allende

 

As I celebrate one year back in the US after living in Mexico for 8 years I find myself nostalgic.   As I reflect on this period of my life I long for my friends, the language, the food and the chaos of the city but most of all for the experiences of great growth that living abroad brought about in my life.

It was an adventure that began as a student intending to study for (at the most) two years in Mexico.  The plan was to learn Spanish, have some adventurous fun, eat lots of guacamole, get my degree and be back.  But what ensued was a love affair and I don’t mean of the romantic kind.  It was a love affair with myself.

Yes, I got my degree and I learned Spanish and I did eat LOTS of yummy food but more than anything I learned about myself.  I learned who I was in the face of being completely different and out of place.  I learned how to navigate life on my own.  I learned how to let go and be led.  I learned how to be flexible and adaptable and how to live with less comfort and things. I guess you can say that I learned who I was and what I needed.

And what I needed was roots.  I needed a place to grow down into as well as growing out into the world.  I needed stability and fertile soil.  There is this sensitive, feminine part of me that I wasn’t allowing out to play.   I was smashing it down into the crevices of my being as I embarked on getting ahead in the world, on the search for a well paid job, on the hunt for what society and my family expected of me.

So in the midst of the chaos of Mexico City, a bit alone and confused, I was able to explore what truly made my heart sing.   It allowed me to set sail again on my own adventure, of going deeper into the ground that holds me, into the roots of my soul, into the depths of me.  It has been a journey, unimaginable and at times dark and difficult, and at other times light and frivolous.  It is a journey that continues…

As I think about what lies ahead for me, I am lit up by the thought of helping others along the path of creating authentic, rooted lives.  In the midst of life; in the heart of motherhood; in the darkness of divorce or joblessness; on the cusp of retirement; in the transition from dependent to independent, there isn’t a better time to embark on the journey to your roots.  Because roots are inside you, they are you and they will allow you to grow oh so much taller.   – JULIE JACK

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Julie Jack, whom many have already met as a Barre and Yoga teacher at Rivercity Pilates will be deepening her involvement with the studio as a Life Coach.  She will be offering private sessions by appointment, as well as a monthly (FREE) group for women focused on living authentic, vulnerable, full lives.

Inspiration of the Month Jennifer Reekers

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Empower your Body-Inspire your Life!Jennifer Reekers

Inspiration of the Month

November 2014

Jennifer Reekers

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

Given some weight gain and history of low back pain, I initially began Pilates with Rivercity back in 2012 in an attempt to strengthen my core and create that long/lean body we all seek! I was amazed how just one consistent mat class per week could strengthen my body.  That same year also became the time period when I decided to change careers and my Pilates practice became nonexistent as I allowed my full-time school schedule to dominate my life for almost 2 years. Today, my new career as a hairstylist requires me to stand and use my entire body for long lengths of time so I became concerned with how the physical requirements would impact my 30+ year old body. My goal is to have a healthy, strong body without my intermittent back pain. I figured if one Pilates class per week had such a positive outcome… completing multiple classes per week must feel pretty amazing?! Out of curiosity for how my body would respond, I decided to fully dedicate myself for the month of August to a highly-attended Pilates routine. I enjoyed it so much that I chose to commit to my new routine indefinitely!

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?

Thanks to the newest option to purchase MONTHLY UNLIMITED Pilates Mat classes at Rivercity, I currently practice 6 times a week in the group setting! I schedule all of my classes one month in advance which allows Pilates to be more of “an appointment” in my weekly routine vs. “do I feel like working out today?” With scheduling my entire month in advance, it holds me accountable. I attend Pilates mat class twice a week, barre class twice a week, and also the Arms/Abs and Thighs/Buns classes.

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates and how has it benefited the other types of exercise you do?

I have always had a straight/boyish figure but now I’m beginning to see the start of a waistline (yay, for curves)! In just 3 months, I am definitely more flexible and toned, and I no longer experience the pesky back pain! My posture is much better and my core is the most solid I have experienced since my teenage years (and I’m excited for the continued progress)! My coworkers have complimented the difference in my body even through my clothes, which are fitting better. I also really notice tone and strength added to my legs. After my initial one-month stint of Pilates alone, I returned to the gym to complete my previous leg/machine workout… and my usual weights had become too easy! I had to add 10-15 lbs more weight to achieve the optimal leg workout. I even beat 2 large, muscular men in a friendly competition of “who can hold a wall-sit the longest.” Overall, Pilates is the ultimate form of exercise. It rejuvenates me mentally while toning from head to toe and reduces the strain I was experiencing from standing all day long.

Do you have a favorite Pilates exercise?

Call me crazy, but I really enjoy the side-laying leg series (because I used to absolutely dread it)! It’s a true testament to how your outlook changes given the small achievements over time. Initially, I lacked the range of motion therefore leg series felt really uncomfortable. Now that my body is more open with improved strength and flexibility, I enjoy the challenge of the movements while enjoying more toned hips, butt, and thighs!

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

When I tell others that I practice Pilates, I find many people are intrigued but either confuse yoga with Pilates or assume that it’s not a “real workout” in comparison to other forms of exercise. Pilates is such an incredible, well-rounded form of exercise as it strengthens you from the inside-out! First, I definitely recommend someone come to Rivercity as this is the only true Pilates studio in the area! Second, I tell people that Pilates is something that an individual needs to EXPERIENCE in order to truly understand the benefits. If planning to give it a try, CONSISTENCY IS KEY! I highly encourage someone to COMMIT to Pilates for at least 8-10 weeks. Whether it’s one class a week… commit to that one class per week for a designated length of time and only THEN, determine how Pilates makes you feel. When you initially start, the smaller movements may not seem like much in comparison to the stereotypical workout… but you WILL notice a different kind of full-body strength, both mentally and physically, over time!