Why Your Feet Deserve a Workout Too – And How Pilates Can Help

When was the last time you thought about training your feet?

If your answer is “never,” you’re definitely not alone—but we think it’s time that changed. Your feet are your foundation. They carry you through life—literally—and when they’re strong and mobile, everything about how you move improves.

That’s exactly why we’re inviting you to our Pilates for Your Feet Workshop on Sunday, April 6th from 3–4:15 PM at Rivercity Pilates!

Why focus on your feet?

When your feet feel tired or achy, your first instinct might be to kick off your shoes or find a new pair. But what if, instead of switching shoes, you strengthened the muscles in your feet and improved their mobility? You might be amazed at how big of a difference that small shift can make in your daily life.

As movement professionals, we see it all the time—clients who start giving a little more attention to their feet find themselves improving in balance, stability, posture, and even overall strength.

And if you’re over 50, you may already know how crucial this is. Maybe your balance isn’t what it used to be. Maybe navigating stairs, uneven sidewalks, or slippery floors doesn’t feel quite as easy anymore. Foot strength and mobility play a huge role in preventing falls and staying active—and this workshop is designed to help with exactly that.

What to expect in the workshop

This 75-minute, all-levels workshop will show you how the Pilates method can specifically support your feet. You’ll:

  • Learn how Pilates strengthens and mobilizes the feet

  • Explore basic Pilates movements with a focus on foot engagement

  • Use two specialized pieces of Pilates equipment created by Joseph Pilates just for your feet

  • Walk away with tools to integrate foot health into your everyday movement

Whether you’re brand new to Pilates or you’ve been practicing for years, this workshop will give you a fresh perspective on how powerful foot training can be.

This workshop is for you if:

  • You’ve ever had tired, sore, or stiff feet

  • You want to improve your balance and stability

  • You’re curious about fall prevention strategies

  • You love learning new ways to get more out of your Pilates practice

  • You want to feel stronger, more grounded, and more confident moving through life

Details:

🗓 Date: Sunday, April 6
⏰ Time: 3:00 – 4:15 PM
💰 Cost: $40
📍 Location: Rivercity Pilates
👟 No experience necessary!

This workshop is beginner-friendly and open to everyone—no prior Pilates experience required. Space is limited, so if your feet (and body!) are craving some TLC, be sure to reserve your spot now.

Transforming Pain Through Understanding: A 4-Week Workshop Series

Living with chronic pain can feel like a never-ending struggle. It’s isolating, exhausting, and often overwhelming. But what if you could take control of your pain and reclaim your life? Our 4-week workshop series, “Transforming Pain Through Understanding,” is designed to help you do just that. This unique program combines education, discussion, and self-reflection to give you actionable tools for managing pain and transforming your relationship with it.

Led by Natalie, a Therapeutic Pain Specialist and Fellow in Pain Science with over 23 years of experience in physical therapy, this series is perfect for individuals living with chronic pain or professionals who work with those in pain. With Natalie’s compassionate and holistic approach, you’ll gain the knowledge, confidence, and support you need to make meaningful changes in your daily life.

Why Attend This Workshop?

Here are five compelling reasons why this series can be life-changing:

1) Gain a Deeper Understanding of Pain

Learn the truth about how pain functions in the body. By uncovering how pain impacts your daily life, you’ll be empowered to manage your experience better.

2) Learn Practical Tools for Pain Relief

Discover actionable techniques that combine medical and mind-body interventions. These tools will help you take control of your pain and make lasting improvements in comfort and mobility.

3) Benefit from Expert Guidance

Work directly with Natalie, a Therapeutic Pain Specialist with extensive experience. Her evidence-based yet holistic approach ensures you’ll receive personalized support and strategies tailored to your needs.

4) Feel More Confident and Empowered

Equip yourself with the tools to manage chronic pain effectively. This series will help you feel more in control and capable of navigating life with greater ease.

5) Connect with Others Who Understand

Engage in meaningful discussions and self-reflection with others who share similar experiences. This supportive environment fosters connection, insight, and encouragement as you journey toward pain relief.

This workshop is for you if:   

 

You’re Living with Chronic Pain and Want to Learn How to Manage It

If chronic pain has taken a toll on your quality of life, this workshop offers valuable knowledge and practical tools to make pain more manageable.

You Have a Loved One with Chronic Pain and Want to Understand What They’re Going Through

Gain insight into the science behind pain so you can better support and empathize with those you care about.

You’re a Movement Teacher or Health Professional Supporting Clients with Chronic Pain

Deepen your understanding of chronic pain and learn actionable strategies from an experienced practitioner to better support your clients or patients.

Meet Your Guide: Natalie

Natalie brings over two decades of expertise in physical therapy and pain science to this transformative series. Her compassionate and holistic approach combines evidence-based medical interventions with mind-body techniques, making her uniquely qualified to help you transform your relationship with pain. With Natalie’s guidance, you’ll feel supported and equipped to make meaningful changes in your life.

Ready to Take Control of Your Pain?

Don’t let chronic pain dictate your life. Join us for this transformative 4-week series and take the first step toward reclaiming your well-being. Whether you’re living with pain, supporting a loved one, or working with clients who experience it, this workshop offers something valuable for everyone.

Spaces are limited, so don’t wait—reserve your spot today and start your journey toward understanding and relief.

Transform Your Pain. Reclaim Your Life.

 

Register Now!   

 

Discover Strength, Mobility, and Balance with Our Steel Mace Yoga Workshop

,

Are you ready to explore a unique and empowering way to enhance your movement practice? Whether you’re completely new to yoga or looking to try something fresh and innovative, our Introductory Steel Mace Yoga Workshop is the perfect opportunity to experience movement in a whole new light.

What Is Steel Mace Yoga?

Steel Mace Yoga combines traditional yoga poses with the functional strength and mindfulness of steel mace training. The steel mace serves as an extension of your body, helping you build strength, improve balance, and deepen your mobility while enhancing your overall yoga practice. It’s an incredible way to connect with your body and explore movement in a supportive and beginner-friendly environment.

Why You’ll Love This Workshop:

  • Perfect for Beginners: This workshop is designed for those new to yoga, steel mace training, or both. No prior experience or advanced flexibility is required.
  • Learn at Your Own Pace: We’ll guide you step by step through foundational steel mace techniques and yoga poses, ensuring you feel confident and comfortable.
  • Supportive Environment: Join a community of like-minded individuals looking to improve their strength, mobility, and mindfulness.
  • Try Something New: If you’ve been searching for a way to refresh your movement routine, this workshop will inspire and energize you.

Workshop Details:

Date: Thursday, January 30
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Location: Rivercity Pilates Studio, North Liberty
Cost: $45

Reserve Your Spot Today!

Don’t miss this chance to discover the benefits of Steel Mace Yoga and take the first step towards improving your strength, mobility, and balance.

Click here to register now!

Spaces are limited, so secure your spot early to ensure you don’t miss out. We can’t wait to see you there and help you embark on this exciting journey!

Customer Appreciation Day at Rivercity Pilates!

You may have heard of Black Friday, the traditional shopping day that happens the day after Thanksgiving, where shoppers rush to stores to get the best deals. At Rivercity Pilates, we believe in self care, so we celebrate the day after Thanksgiving with our annual Customer Appreciation Day — and because we love all things purple — we call it Purple Friday!

Purple Friday is our annual customer appreciation day!

We have some special opportunities for you to take some free sessions that day and we’ll be having special deals on all of our in studio retail items like grippy socks, Rivercity Pilates shirts, sweatshirts and gear, gift items, at home props and more!

We’ll be open for shopping from 6:00 am to 1 pm that day and we’ll be having some special one day only sales on retail items in studio! We’ll also be sending out an email that day with a few special deals that you can take advantage of from home as well!

On Friday November 24th we’ll be offering 3 different opportunities for you to take an in studio small group session for free. 

To save a spot in one of these sessions you can email us or use Mindbody to request a spot under the appointments section of Mindbody.  Space is limited so you’ll want to reserve a spot soon if it works for you to join us that day!

We’ll also be having a free virtual all levels Pilates class that day at 8 am for anyone who would rather get their workout in at home!

Email us to sign up for a free class!

Do you have back pain?

,

Let’s talk about back pain.  As a Pilates teacher for over 20 years I have worked with a LOT of people who deal with back pain.    You might think that you should rest your back if it hurts, but research shows that regular exercise can reduce the frequency of recurring back pain attacks by almost half.

In general there are 2 key things that I have seen over and over again that help people lessen their pain or eliminate it completely.  It might surprise you to know that these 2 things are not necessarily specific to Pilates.

  • Move more and move in more ways that help your body improve strength and mobility on a regular basis. When people first find Pilates they often discover a type of exercise they actually enjoy that doesn’t aggravate their pain and because of that they start practicing on a regular basis.  Just this consistency of adding more movement into their life helps them feel better in their body.  You should know that these kind of results are common in other movement practices as well…Yoga, strength training, adding more cardiovascular training, etc.   

    In some ways, someone feeling better when they first start Pilates is specific to Pilates (your Pilates teachers have gone through intensive training to help you figure out how to move without increasing your back pain and they adjust the exercises specifically for you).     In some ways the pain relief is simply a result of moving more and in new ways which gives you more overall strength and mobility in your body!

    So if Pilates is not your thing…find something else that encourages you to do more movement in your life!  If Pilates is your thing…do it consistently in your life.
  • Do things that balance out your body.  The Pilates Method of exercise is a method focused on learning how to do movements in a way that creates more balance in your body as you strengthen.  This means that each Pilates exercise you practice is designed to stretch muscles and tissues that are tight and strengthen muscles that are weaker so that your body functions how it was designed to function. 

    How do I balance out my body?  The process of balancing out your body is not something that happens immediately when you start working on it and the results from this type of specific training usually takes time.  The best way to learn this technique of creating more balance in your body is to work with an experienced movement teacher who can guide you and teach you how to practice this skill in your body. Then of course you’ll want to continue practicing it as much as you can! 

    If you have worked with me at all I often call this work of balancing out your body as you move “picky Pilates”!   Joseph Pilates developed the Pilates method to focus on quality of movement, rather than repetitions, so the bonus here is you do not have to perform tons of repetition to get results. You just need to pay attention to how you are practicing the exercises to get results.

    If you have back pain I would encourage you to find some movement and exercise that you can consistently add into your life and learn how to balance your body.  Pilates of course is an ideal way to work on these two things if it is something you enjoy.

Many of our clients have found that the Pilates Reformer has helped them balance their bodies, and reduce/eliminate back pain.  

The Reformer provides a low-impact workout that can help to strengthen the muscles in the back, hips, and abdomen, which are all important for supporting the spine. By improving strength and flexibility, many of our clients have found relief from back pain.  The bonus?  The Pilates Reformer is designed to “meet you where you are”.   You don’t have to worry about “getting in shape” to start an exercise program, because your instructor will show you how to use the reformer in a way that helps you create balanced strength and mobility in your body. 

If you are interested in learning more about how the Pilates Method and specifically how practicing Pilates on the Reformer can help you with these two keys to a happy back we have just the thing.

Start your Pilates journey with our Beginning Reformer workshop on Sunday, August 6.

In this his 90 minute workshop you’ll get a guided tour of the Pilates Reformer that includes safety and tips for beginners. You’ll be introduced to basic Pilates Reformer exercises and learn how to practice the basic Pilates Reformer exercises in your body in a non intimidating atmosphere.

This is a great workshop for anyone who is new to Pilates or new to practicing Pilates using the Pilates reformer.  


What to expect:

  • Time to ask questions.
  • A comfortable atmosphere to try basic movements on the Pilates Reformer in your body and have the guidance of a teacher to help you figure out the best way to do each exercise.
  • No judgement
  • A fun, supportive atmosphere
  • A detailed guide you can take home with you
Get more information on our Reformer Workshop

Beginner Pilates Reformer Workshop

,

Ever wonder what is the Pilates Reformer and why people are always raving about it?

Beginning Pilates Reformer Workshop at Rivercity Pilates on August 6.

The Pilates Reformer was designed by Joseph Pilates as an all in one piece of exercise equipment that could be used to train the entire body creating balanced strength and flexibility.

The magic of the reformer happens when you mindfully practice exercises on the equipment that are specifically designed to help you train your body. 

The spring based Reformer gives the user the perfect amount of assist and resistance and allows the user to get more out of each exercise they practice. Since there are various spring tensions you can use for each exercise it is extremely important to have an experienced teacher who can adjust the spring tension for your body and teach you how to get the most out of each exercise!

We have the perfect way for you to try the Pilates Reformer, and see if it’s for you. Join us for our Beginning Pilates Reformer Workshop on August 6 at 1:30!

In this 90 minute workshop you’ll get a guided tour of the Pilates Reformer that includes safety and tips for beginners. You’ll be introduced to basic Pilates Reformer exercises and learn how to practice the basic Pilates Reformer exercises in your body in a non intimidating atmosphere.   

This is a great workshop for anyone who is new to Pilates or new to practicing Pilates using the Pilates reformer.

What to expect:

  • Time to ask questions.
  • A comfortable atmosphere to try basic movements on the Pilates Reformer in your body and have the guidance of a teacher to help you figure out the best way to do each exercise.
  • No judgement
  • A fun, supportive atmosphere
  • A detailed guide you can take home with you

Price:  $35 before August 1
            $40 after August 1

Register Now