When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?
I started Pilates after attending an open house at Rivercity Pilates in May of 2016. I have been a student of Iyengar Yoga for 10 years and after moving here 4 1/2 years ago was looking for something in North Liberty. There was an article in the Press Citizen about Carey and her studio Rivercity Pilates and I thought I needed to check it ou
How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?
I am usually at the studio two times a week for a mat class, jump board, or an equipment class. I started with the private sessions which were very beneficial to me since I had never done Pilates and it is different from Yoga.
What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?
I have a stressful job, (who doesn’t, right?), so when I am doing Pilates it takes my mind off my worries, the headaches go away and it brings me back down to earth. The physical health benefits are huge! No stiffness, the back pain goes away, and I have noticed the jump board class has improved the looks of my legs!
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
I enjoy the mat class because I am still learning the fundamentals and you can do it at home. But, my favorite is the reformer and Shaina’s jump board class!
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
You have to try it! Don’t think because you have always done Yoga you won’t like Pilates. I still do both, they each have different benefits for me. As our body ages we have to keep moving. Routinely doing Pilates will add years to your life. I have taken classes from many of the instructors at Rivercity. All of them are very helpful and go out of their way to explain how to do the exercises and the benefits.
Does the thought of going to “the gym” to workout sound like one of the worst things in the world to you? Do you immediately cringe when you think about having to put your workout clothes on and go into a large room with all kinds of people you don’t know while you try to do some exercises that you probably are not very good at? Maybe you always feel like you are not sure if you are doing things correctly or doing the right thing. Does it make you nervous, intimidated and just plain unexcited? You are not alone and I often think that the anti-gym feelings are the reason that many people don’t start an exercise program. They have an image in their head about what fitness looks like and it’s a turn off!!
At Rivercity Pilates we believe movement time is a key part of your health plan and we love finding ways to help you incorporate it into your life without having to go to “the gym” …! 
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 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:
