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!


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

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

Did you know that we reach peak bone mass between 25 and 30 and then slowly begin to start losing bone mass at age 40? For women, reduced levels of estrogen after menopause can accelerate this bone density loss.

In this month’s Live Better workshop we are going to be talking about how you can use movement to decrease bone density loss and even improve bone density.

We’ll also be learning more about what it means when you are diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis when it comes to your movement time. I’ll go over the do’s and don’t of movement when you have low bone density so you’ll feel confident that you are doing everything you can to maintain and build your bone density and not get injured along the way!

Everyone, no matter your age will benefit from this workshop, but if you’ve celebrated your 50th birthday you won’t want to miss it.

Click here to purchase this online workshop!

Clients say the darnedest things! One of my clients came into her session one day and said, “I’m only 61 — but my knees feel like they are 81!”  This is a very common feeling, but it scares me a little.   I get worried because so many people accept this as a natural part of aging, and don’t take action to try and prevent or minimize it.   Many people just think that there is nothing they can do about it. That’s exactly why i created “Exercises for Happy, Healthy Knees”.

Healthy knees are important to keep us active and moving. You’ll learn strategies and exercises to strengthen the muscles that support your knee joint that can easily be added into your movement time. You do not need any Pilates experience to take this workshop! 

Strong healthy knees allow you to safely get to the ground and back up when you are planting, pulling weeds or even cleaning the leftover yard crud so that your flowers have a clean space to grow! Strong healthy knees also help you get to the ground and back up to play with your grandchildren!

Strong healthy knees allow you to properly squat to pick up items like bags of potting soil, pots and planters.  This keeps your low back protected from undue strain.

Strong, healthy knees are able to adapt easily to uneven terrain and are key for maintaining your balance when doing any outdoor activities.  

You do not need any previous Pilates experience to benefit from this workshop.

This workshop is for you if:

  • You have knee pain when climbing or descending stairs.
  • Your have arthritis in your knees.
  • You have knee pain that limits any of your activities.
  • Getting down to the floor and back up is a challenge and you often feel your knees.

Please note: If you have undiagnosed knee pain we always suggest talking to your doctor or physical therapist before starting an exercise program!!

Click to register for the workshop!

What’s so magic about the magic circle?

The magic circle was created by Joseph Pilates and is one of the most versatile fitness props around.  In this month’s #livebetter workshop we’ll be talking about what makes it so magical!  

We’ll be going through a basic Pilates Mat series of exercises and learning how the magic circle can be supportive and help you do the exercise better (ie make something you struggle with seem easier!) and we’ll be showing you how you can use it for the same exercise in a way that will challenge you when you are ready to progress in your practice.  

This workshop is perfect for beginners who are looking for ways they can get stronger in their body by using a prop for assistance and perfect for those who have been practicing for awhile and want to learn how to use the circle to challenge themselves! Any magic circle or fitness ring will work!  Magic circles can purchased in our online store.

The workshop will be recorded and all participants will receive a recording of the live workshop.  Live Workshop is Sunday, March 28th at 3 pm.
Click here to register!