Pilates Inspiration of the Month – Shelley Oglesby

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shelley o

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

 I started at Rivercity Pilates in January, 2012. My first introductory session with Carey reminded me how much I liked and missed doing Pilates and the emphasis on developing strong core muscles and flexibility. Carey was very encouraging and the studio was well equipped and not far from home. After being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease in June 2013, I knew I needed to make my health more of a priority and commit to regular Pilates classes.

 

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

 When I do Pilates consistently I see benefits in strength, flexibility, posture and balance from my fingers to my toes! I had some gaps last year when I couldn’t come to classes consistently and I noticed how quickly I weakened at my age. Committing to classes makes me accountable to taking care of myself and the teachers at Rivercity Pilates are encouraging. Pilates is very good for my mind and emotions too, and learning the proper breathing is a great stress reliever. It has helped strengthen my immune system and my thyroid condition has improved.

Why did you decide to do the 2014 Empower Your Body Challenge?

I wanted to be more consistent with exercise. I knew I would improve and strengthen by body and the healthy competition inspires me. Some of the Pilates moves like Teaser and Rolling Like a Ball are very challenging for me and I really want to be able to do them correctly and well.

 

What has been your favorite part about the Challenge so far? 

I am stronger and really making progress in my weak areas. The daily emails and logging exercise and food are very helpful in keeping me accountable to my goals. The group encouragement and prizes are great incentives too! After just one week I have lost pounds and inches.

 

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

I like Tower, the piece of equipment and the Tower exercise. I feel stretched and at the same time very strong during this exercise.          (Shelley is doing the Tower exercise in her picture above!)

 

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

Pilates is a wonderful form of exercise for all ages and body types. You will gain strength and flexibility all over and the movements can be modified for all levels of ability.

Moving through the exercises with just the sound of the teacher’s voice and no distracting music keeps you very conscious of what you are doing and trying to achieve. Learning the Pilates breath helps you move through the exercises and helps in so many other areas of your life. Each session is different and never boring!

Rivercity Pilates Inspiration of the Month Jan Allen

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jan allen

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

 I started I February 2012 in hopes of gaining better strength and flexibility. I had a total knee replacement in Sept 2011 and was struggling with regaining strength in my pelvis and legs.

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

The benefits I’ve gained are an increase in my overall flexibility and strength. I’ve found that I feel taller and lighter in mind and body at the end of my sessions with Cassie.

What is your favorite exercise?

My favorite exercise has to be Long Spine on the Reformer.

 What would you say to someone thinking about starting Pilates?

I would tell anyone considering Pilates that I look forward to my sessions every week. It doesn’t feel like work and you will benefit in many unexpected ways.

2014 Empower Your Body Challenge Registration opens today!!!!

RCP-02Our 2014 Empower Your Body Challenge Registration opens today!

We are challenging you to commit to 6 weeks of:

1.  30 minutes of walking or other cardiovascular exercise at least 4 times a week.

2,  Taking three 50 minute movement classes per week to help you work on your strength, flexibility and balance.

 

This adds up to a minimum 4.5 hours per week of exercise.   Not sure if you have time?  Assuming you are awake for 14 hours daily- this ends up being about 4.6% of your waking time. 

When you look at the research and science behind staying healthy, the weekly time commitment of the challenge is pretty minimal and we know you can do it!

 Yes, we know you have a crazy schedule, a commitment to your kids ,to your spouse and of course to your job.  The reality is that we all have the same amount of time each day to try to fit in everything we want and need to do.

We also know that people who manage their time to include a regular exercise routine have fewer health problems,live longer, feel less stress and are just plain happier!

We created our 6 week challenge to create a fun, supportive environment designed to help you create healthy habits that you can continue forever!

So what are you waiting for?  Let’s start planning your 6 weeks of creating more health and more happy in your life!

Visit our website here and get all the juicy details on how the Empower Your Body Challenge works and how to get signed up today!

 

Inspiration of the Month Heather Thorpe

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heather tWhen did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?

 I started Pilates in 2007 primarily for health reasons. For years I struggled with anorexia, which had significant impacts on my body – my weight dropped to 78 pounds my freshman year of college. Recovery from anorexia focuses foremost on getting someone to a “normal” weight while addressing the underlying psychological issues at play – for me these were severe anxiety coupled with the need to be “perfect”.

 Continuing with yoga throughout my recovery helped get my energy levels back up, but I was still frustrated by feeling physically weak. Pilates helped me gain back core strength and muscle development, which made me feel empowered in my body for the first time. Today, Pilates helps manage my anxiety and is a continual source of encouragement when I think about how far I’ve come.

 

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

 

Pilates helps manage my anxiety and has improved my breathing immensely (I have chronic allergies and impaired breathing due to several bouts of pneumonia). It also gives me a much-needed retreat from the constant demands of grad school.

What inspired you to become a Pilates instructor?

 My first Pilates instructor was a friend who was working as an apprentice teacher in Santa Barbara. She needed practice clients so I agreed to be her guinea pig. Since then, Pilates has become such an integral part of my life that I wanted to share my love of it with others.

 

heather-thorpe[1]What is your favorite exercise?

Teaser! – whether on the Reformer, Tower, or mat.

 

What is your least favorite exercise?

Chest expansion, but I’m hoping it’s another exercise that I will grow to love.

 

What is your favorite equipment?

I started learning Pilates on the Reformer and it is still my favorite.

What would you say to someone thinking about starting Pilates?

 The benefits of Pilates are so varied and everyone can gain something from it. Whether you’re looking to improve your posture, alleviate chronic pain, get back into shape or start working out for the first time, or just interested in trying something new, Pilates is a method that is tailored to meet individual needs and will leave you feeling better than when you first walked in the door.

2013 Rivercity Pilates Inspirational Video

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We think our clients are pretty inspiring and we think you’ll agree!  Every month we feature one of our clients and share their Pilates story with you.  This inspiring video is a quick look at all of our monthly inspirations from 2013.  Enjoy!

Want to read their individual inspiring Pilates stories?  Look under our Inspiration of the Month Category on our blog to find the individual stories.

 

 

 

Pilates and Pregnancy at 19 weeks- Enjoying new changes and getting excited!

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week 19 Welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog. According to the app on my phone, this week the baby is the length of a mango (about 6.5 inches) and weighs up to 10 oz. We have an ultrasound scheduled for next week and so I’ll be able to report actual measurements and the baby’s gender in our Week 20 blog.

This week Carey taught me on the Tower. We started with an exercise that is similar to cat/cow in yoga, but I was sitting back on my knees holding on to the roll down bar, moving from a rounded spine into extension and back. I am so thankful for the one-on-one sessions during this pregnancy. Carey is able to modify things to accommodate my growing belly and all the other delightful/strange changes that pregnancy brings.

We did a lot of upper body work and I noticed the next day that my arms were sore. When the baby comes, I’ll need lots of upper body strength to carry baby, a diaper bag, car seat, and who knows what else, and so it is wonderful to keep that strength up now.

Carey also focused on my precision. Whether you are pregnant or not, one of the many benefits of Pilates is that the work intensifies the more you focus on your movements. We made a tiny change to my arm position – hugging my elbows in and activating through my arms – during the leg spring series, and by the end of the series it was my arms that needed a break more than my legs!

The picture this week is of me doing chest expansion on the tower. Next week marks the halfway point of the pregnancy and – if baby cooperates – I’ll announce the gender.  You won’t want to miss it!