Office Pilates Day 9: Tone your arms at work!!

/in ,

Strength training doesn’t always have to happen at the gym.  A exercise band is a easy tool you can stash in your office desk drawer and use to get some strengthening in throughout your day! In today’s video Carey give’s you a couple of quick exercises you can esaily get in at your desk!!

 

For more ways that you can use the Pilates principles during your work day, visit any of the links below:

[catlist name=”office-pilates” numberposts=30 pagination=yes instance=1]

 

[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@careysadler, @rcpilates”]No time to #workout? #Pilates in the #Office #toneyourarms[/tweetthis]

Happy Birthday Joe and Thank You!

/in ,

IMG_5425

Today is Joseph Pilates Birthday and I thought it would be nice to write a thank you to the man who has influenced my life in a very profound way and the lives of so many others.  This year when I was at the Pilates Method Alliance Annual Conference I was listening to Mary Bowen(Pilates elder) speak about Joe to a crowd full of Pilates instructors and she said,” Just think about it, what would your life be like without the influences of Joe and Clara?  Where would you be without your Pilates friends?”

I remember thinking to myself,” Wow, she’s right- I can’t even imagine my life without Pilates!”  So today in honor of Joe I wrote a quick list of things I’ve learned and things I’m grateful for that all started with Joseph Pilates!

1. Thanks Joe for the inspiration to make my love of movement into a career.  Movement has always been an important part of my life. I’ve always loved to play and move, but it wasn’t until I was introduced to Pilates that I realized I could actually spend my days moving, playing and inspiring others as a career!

2. Thanks Joe for connecting me with so many amazing, inspiring people.  I can’t even begin to list all of the amazing people I’ve connected with because of my Pilates practice.  The mentors I’ve had, the friends I’ve made and the amazing clients I work with on a day to day basis all have enriched my life beyond words.

3. Thanks Joe for all of the empowering life experiences.  It hard for me to even think about pieces of my life that are not influenced by Pilates in some way.  My family, my career, my friends, and my experiences have so many ties back to my Pilates practice. Pilates is part of me that is infused into most things I do and into the many great experiences that continue to shape who I am and how I live my life.

4. Thank you Joe for my health.  When I found Pilates it was a new way of moving and exercising and staying fit that intrigued me.  Over the years it has become a lifelong health plan.  It has taught me to take care of my body physically and spiritually.  It has taught me to follow my instincts and listen to myself and my body above all. It has shown me how amazingly powerful I am in creating health and happiness in my life.

Joseph Pilates spent his lifetime developing his methods and trying to inspire others with his amazing work, but sadly didn’t ever see the influence on the world of his efforts. It’s inspiring to me to reflect on how much he has shaped and influenced my life and the lives of millions of others across the globe.

Happy Birthday Joe and thank you!

 

[tweetthis]Happy Birthday Joe and Thank You! #JosephPilates [/tweetthis]

 

 

 

 

Why sitting is bad and how Pilates can help!

/in ,

officepilates2You’ve probably heard the saying,”Sitting is the new smoking” as it’s all over in the news and social media. If you are someone who sits a lot on a regular basis you probably have felt some of the common aches and pains from all your sitting like an achy low back or tight tense shoulder and neck muscles.  But is sitting really as bad as smoking?

The answer may be YES!  Sitting for long periods on a regular basis can cause muscle aches and pains, it can cause undue stress on your spinal discs, it can compress blood vessels and nerves, and the lack of oxygen from your compressed sitting position means you are not getting the oxygen your body and brain need to function most efficiently.  Some studies have linked prolonged sitting with certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes.  Short of quitting your job where you sit for 6-8 hours a day…what can you do?

The good news is the answer is pretty easy- movement!  At Rivercity Pilates we find that when our clients can start taking some of the Pilates concepts and movements and start incorporating them into their day to day life and their life at the office- they start feeling big changes in how their body feels!!

The first key in making some changes in your sitting time is awareness of what you need to change.  When you are introduced to Pilates we start off by teaching you what it means to find your alignment and what it feels like to find that alignment in different positions.  Often time I see and hear from clients after just one or two Pilates sessions that they are starting to notice when they are tense and have their shoulders up by there ears or when they are slouched over at work.  This is a BIG thing!  You can’t change what you are not aware of so congratulate yourself when you start noticing!!!!

Once you start finding yourself aware of what your body is doing there are lots of movements you can do to continue to remind yourself of where you want to be and strengthen the muscles and muscle memory your body needs to create new habits.  We’ve created a whole library of mini Office Pilates videos and blogs designed to give you some ideas!!

[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#OfficePilates”]Sitting is the new smoking. Incorporate #Pilates into your day! [/tweetthis]

 

Pilates in a hospital??

/in ,

picture of a waiting roomIf you know me at all you know I don’t sit still for very long.  When we are at a family gathering and everyone else is hanging out in a chair or a couch in the living room, you can often find me on the floor balancing in my favorite rolling like a ball position and maybe sneaking in a few rolls!  Movement is second nature to me and if I have to sit still for too long it drives me a little stir crazy!

Just last month I found myself at the hospital for the day with my mom who has having an outpatient surgery.  It was a Monday and quite honestly I was looking forward to having a day away from the studio (something I don’t do often) and having some time to catch up on some writing, planning and business stuff I had been needing to get done.  One of the things on my to do list was to plan daily exercises for our December Pilates at the Office Month.

After we arrived at the hospital and checked in I found myself doing what most people end up doing at the hospital:  sitting and waiting.  First we had to wait to get checked in, then wait to talk to all the nurses and doctors, and then wait for surgery time.  After what was probably only an hour or so of waiting I was already tired of sitting.  So I started doing the things I usually am telling my clients to do….shoulder rolls, figure four stretches, neck stretches and …it helped.  We hung out a while longer (sitting again) and then they took her to surgery and I was off to sit and wait for another couple of hours in a surgery waiting room.

I got my wifi set up, found a seat and got to work.  I wrote a blog, scheduled some social media posts and again I found myself… tired of sitting.  I went for a quick walk and took the steps downstairs to grab a snack and then decided to go up a few extra flights and back down on my way back to the waiting room.  The movement definitely helped! All I could think about is how can people sit at their desks for 8 plus hours a day???

Inspired by my discomfort of having to sit I decided to tackle my project of finding 31 daily office exercises that we could share for Pilates Office month.  So I started making my list and of course trying them out as I went, which felt really, really, really good.  Many of the exercises I could do without drawing a whole lot of attention to myself.

Most of the people in the room were too busy on their phones, watching Jeopardy on TV or talking to notice me, but every once in a while I would catch someone looking at me with that “what is she doing?” look in their eye.  Secretly I’m guessing they too had been sitting all day and probably wanted to join me.   Grin.

If you are one of those many unfortunate people who sits at a desk or maybe in a car for long periods of time during your work day I hope you’ll try out some of our daily Office exercises and let us know if they help you.  Be sure to share them with your coworkers, they will thank you!!  Even if you don’t sit all day at work you may find yourself somewhere where you have to sit and wait (the hospital, your kids soccer tournament or maybe just waiting for the mechanic to work on your car).  We hope you’ll be inspired by our daily Office exercises to add in a little more movement throughout your day!

 

If there is mindful, is there mindless?

/in , ,

IMG_4277 I teach mindful movement daily and I’m a firm believer in the power of a mindful movement practice in your life.  I love my Pilates practice and how it forces me to pay attention to my body, to go inside and not even think about anything else, and to just plain create space and time for me.  I also love what I like to call my mindless exercise for an entirely different reason.

For me, mindless exercise is usually a run or walk or combination of both.  My goal is often to run because it forces me to push myself, it gets my heart rate up and I can’t overthink it.  I grab my headphones and listen to some of my favorite music and just get outside and move.  The getting outside component is probably just as important as the activity for me.  I find my brain and my body crave the fresh air and the sunlight(or moonlight depending on when I get out!), whether its scorching hot out or 20 degrees.

During my runs I often find myself just soaking in the outdoors, looking around and reminding myself of the expansiveness of my world.  Check out the amazing scenery I get to soak in during a run around my neighborhood.  Sometimes in life, I feel like I get so caught up in the little things going on in my life and for some reason when I’m outdoors I reminded of how unimportant those little things are in the big picture of things.

IMG_4278I always feel better mentally and physically when I’m done with my mindless exercise and I can always tell when I haven’t gotten it in for a few days.  For me how I feel is what keeps me motivated to continue to add it in to my life.  There used to be a day when mindless exercise like running, cycling, cardio,etc. was something I did to stay in shape or to maintain or lose weight and it often seemed like a chore.  Now it’s a truly a gift in my life, something I get in whenever I can because I enjoy it and because I love how it makes me feel.   It’s amazing how much that perspective can change things.

P.S.  I’m a super slow runner and quite honestly don’t find it easy while I’m doing it, but it seems the after effects trump that and keep me coming back for more!

What should I wear to Pilates/Yoga?

/in , ,
IMG_1286
While you will see some classmates wearing colorful workout pants at RCP – by far the most common color is black!

When it comes to workout clothes there are a TON of options out there.  There are a lot of companies making very expensive Yoga, Pilates and workout wear and you may wonder do I need special clothing to take a Pilates class?  At Rivercity Pilates, labels and logos are not important.   You might see someone wearing exercise pants from Costco or Target or you might see someone wearing a logo some people recognize!  What is important, is that you are comfortable.

There are some things you may want to consider when deciding what you wear to class and they really have nothing to do with the price tag or the company who makes your pants.  Here are some quick tips to finding an appropriate pair of pants for your next Pilates class:

1.   No Zippers! 

In Pilates we articulate (aka roll) through the spine in many exercises so you’ll want to avoid pants that have zippers, buttons or even uncomfortable seams.   Those cute running tights with the zippered key pocket on your back side just might hurt you when you roll down to your mat!

2.  Consider your classmates/instructor!   Avoid Loose Shorts!

There are many exercises that involve you laying on your back with your legs reaching up to the ceiling and away from your body.  Avoid wearing loose fitting shorts or skirts or make sure you wear a biking short underneath so you are not exposing yourself to your classmates & instructor! 

3.  Consider a higher waisted workout pant!  

For me, higher is better. Hip bones or higher is a good rule of thumb.  Because of all of the rolling, twisting and just plain moving we do in Pilates most people find a higher waisted pant keeps them covered better through out movements.  It can be really distracting if you are seeing the underwear of the people next to you, and there is no need to share your back side with the rest of class!!  Pants with an internal drawstring are a great feature in a Pilates Pant!  While this blog concentrates on pants, a longer shirt can also help with this coverage issue!

4. Sweat Pants or Fleece will likely be too hot!  

Pick a lightweight breathable fabric.  A bulky sweat pant material can make it hard to move in and will be just plain hot!

5.  Choose a comfortable functional length. 

If you get hot easy -a shorter capri style pant might be best.  Avoid overly long or wide legged pants that might hinder your movement or may even get caught in your springs if you are attending a Pilates Equipment class.  I have found the pants labeled yoga pants make great pajamas, but not such great pilates pants.   They are generally longer and looser than other exercise pants.  

6.  Thoughts on Spandex!

Wearing a pair of fitted pants will allow your instructor to see your alignment and help you do the exercises.  However, they don’t have to be extra tight, or “girdle-like”.  There’s a difference between fitted and too much spandex!  Breathing is important in Pilates, and you don’t want to be fighting your pants when you take a deep breath!  My best advice is to try the pants on in the store before you buy them, to make sure they are comfortable.  I buy pants that say slimming, but the difference is they go up higher, not that they pull in more or hide my curves!   Sometimes I go up a size, simply because of the style or fabric. No one will check the label for a size at Rivercity Pilates!

7.  Most important find a pair of pants that is not only functional but something you are comfortable in and feel good wearing! 

Feeling good in your workout clothes is important!  You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a great functional pair of Pilates pants.