Not starting Pilates or Yoga because it’s hard is not an excuse (anymore!!)

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I overheard a conversation the other day ago where a couple of my Pilates clients were talking about the new Yoga class we were offering. One of the students had been taking the class and mentioned to the other student she should try it.  Her response was ,”I probably should…but Yoga is hard!”    This struck me as a little bit funny because as her Pilates teacher…I’ve seen how hard she works in my Pilates classes.  

If you’ve done Pilates, you know that there is not necessarily anything easy about Pilates. Pilates requires you to be completely present in the moment, focusing on your breath, your movements, your alignment, your core engagement and I personally feel like it is never “easy”. As much as I love to move and exercise my body I kind of think it’s alway “hard” to regularly exercise.   It’s hard to make myself add it in (even when I don’t feel like it), it’s hard to stay focused on what I’m doing in the moment and it’s hard to not want to quit when my muscles get tired and feel like they are working!  So I guess it seems logical that when anybody is contemplating doing something new, that we might use the excuse “it’s going to be hard”  as a way to justify not doing it.  I kind of see it as our mind’s way of tricking us into not being vulnerable enough to try something new…even though that something new might have immense benefits in our life!   

If you are one of those people who is not trying Pilates or Yoga because you think it’s too hard, maybe it’s time to change the story you are telling yourself. Try telling yourself that learning a new movement practice is a challenge for everyone, but the challenge is what in the long run is going to help you get results in your body.   Starting a new movement practice is never easy and because of that the staff at Rivercity Pilates always makes sure to do their best to create an environment that you can succeed in and actually enjoy.  Here’s just a few of the things we do:

  • We get to know you before your first class.  We offer a complimentary private session to all clients so we can get to know you and your body before you take your first class. We do this so we can make you as comfortable and at ease as possible for your first class! We find that this helps us create the best possible movement experience for you.  As a client, it’s kind of like already having a friend on your first day of school… 
  • Each exercise will be taught in a way that is doable in your body!  There will always be lots of options on how to do an exercise and you’ll feel completely comfortable choosing the version that feels best in your body
  • There are no unreasonable expectations.  You don’t have to worry about being the only one in class not able to twist like a pretzel or stand on your head….. our classes focus on functional movements that don’t require you to already be super flexible or know how to do some acrobatic move! 
  • We won’t single you out and over correct everything you do, Our teachers are great at teaching in a way that ensures you are doing things properly and not injuring yourself without making you feel silly or embarrassed because you are working on things!  
  • Exercises will always be safe for your body.  Safety is always on the top of our instructors mind and you will be coached on how to do exercises as safely and as effectively as possible in your body!
  • The class atmosphere will be positive and inspiring!  Our teachers are pros at creating a great environment to work out in!  You’ll walk out of classes not only with a great workout, but feeling good about what you did and enjoying your movement time!  

Ready to try out a new movement practice like Pilates or Yoga in your life?  We would love to get to know you and introduce you to a mindful movement practice!! Schedule a complimentary session to meet us and see if we’ll be a good fit for you! 

Is a Pilates studio full of “exercise people” ?

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At Rivercity Pilates, most of our clients consider themselves non-exercise people!

Are you an exercise person?  I define an “exercise person” as a person who naturally enjoys movement and adds it into their life on a regular basis.  You know….the person who likes to train for a race, maybe even conquered a marathon or a 50 mile bike ride. Those people that ride their bike to work everyday, walk their dog daily rain or shine and maybe even have a daily workout routine. Maybe it’s the person who is always posting pictures of their favorite scene on their bike ride or run on Facebook and checking into their gym on Facebook because they loved their workout so much…

If you are not an “exercise person” I have some great news for you……many of our our regular clients at the studio are not either.  We definitely have some “exercise people” at our studio who are very active doing things like running, cycling, swimming, etc. in their life.  These people will use Pilates, Barre or Yoga to cross train their bodies and help keep them balanced.  What we find is that because so many “exercise people” are naturally good at working out on their own they don’t really make up the bulk of our regulars at the studio.   

Most of our regulars at the studio would probably not call themselves “exercise people”.  In fact, this is the very reason they sign up for regular classes…they know that if they were to just try to exercise on their own…they probably wouldn’t do it!  Most of our “non exercise people” regulars tell us they love that all they have to do is sign up for a class and show up.  They know and trust that if they can get here our instructors will take them through a great, safe workout in their body and they will feel amazing afterwards.  They love the accountability that is created when they attend regularly and their instructor gets to know them and their goals.  They love that they create friendships with other “non exercise people” and those friendships inspire them to keep showing up! 

If worrying about being in a room full of “exercise people” was one of the reasons you’ve been putting off trying Pilates.…cross that excuse off your list and contact us today to schedule your complimentary one on one session to get introduced to Pilates and the studio!!