Tag Archive for: Pilates Cedar Rapids Iowa

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: What I learned from noisy seals!

img_0193Let me tell you about some of my favorite students. They are loud, giggly and sometimes don’t listen to anything I say.  They often interrupt me when I’m teaching to ask questions like, “Can we do mermaid today, can I pick what we are pretending to sit against during Spine Stretch, or Mom did you check on the dog today (from my son of course!)” When I first started teaching them movement this really drove me a little (ok a LOT) crazy as a teacher.  I often felt like a failure if all of them weren’t breathing properly, paying attention perfectly and doing exactly what I wanted them to do.

My favorite students also love to make up their own exercises, show me what new thing they did in dance or karate practice, and I often get hugs from them when they thank me for class afterwards.  When they want to, these students can lay on a mat and practically perfectly execute the Pilates exercises that Joe created with amazing coordinating breath! During the school year I have been teaching the students of Hillside Christian School a Pilates class once a week for 6 years now. It’s always a highlight of my week.  Every week I learn things that make me a better teacher and make be a better practitioner of the Pilates work.

When I started teaching at Hillside I  learned pretty quickly that teaching Pilates and movement to kids is completely different from teaching adults.  I am constantly bringing the lessons I learn from them into my own practice and into my teaching.  After my weekly session with the kids this week I was reflecting on the many, many things that the kids have taught me and made a quick list:

  1.  Having fun and moving is more important than perfect movement! Do you ever watch kids play and move? They don’t overthink things, they move with ease and most importantly enjoy what they are doing!  They trust their bodies! I’m all for safe movement, but sometimes Pilates instructors overcorrect!  Most adults just need to move more!
  2. It’s OK to demonstrate exercises or start to do them with a student!  It has been ingrained in my head that my job is not to be getting a workout in while I am teaching…but I have to tell you I get a great workout in on the days I teach the kids! Why?  Because they are visual learners and I’ve found the best way to get them moving is to get down on my mat and do the exercises with them while I teach.  It took me a long time to be OK with this but let me tell you it has helped them learn 110% quicker than me trying to teach them simply with my words!
  3. Go with the flow.  As a teacher I have learned to tailor each session to the energy of the class. If it’s the week before Christmas and nobody can sit still because they are way to antsy…I have to get a little more creative to keep the class under control.  I have to mix it up with random bouts of running in place, jumping jacks and silly variations of exercises.  Yes…you guessed it…I’m not afraid to use this creative teaching tactic on adults either (you never know what I might throw into your regular mat routine on any given night!)
  4. Sometimes all you need is a little motivation to try your best.  You wouldn’t believe how a simple little”surprise” prize for the best behaved student encourages everyone to show up and do their best.  (Yes I use this for adults at the studio all the time…. get a free Tshirt for getting your classes in, play studio Bingo and earn a free pair of Toesox!)
  5. One of my favorite lessons…Animal noises while you are doing an exercise make it much more fun. I’ve tested this with adults too…it’s true!  Some of the best form I’ve seen of the Seal is in a room overflowing with the noise of barking seals.  And the swan exercise is much more fun if you pretend you are a snake hissing and slowing slithering up to look at your prey!

Hope you enjoy this little clip from 2015 when some of the kids came to the studio for our annual Pilates Day celebration!!

 

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Meet me at the Bar, I mean Barre!

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img_6583This week I got a call from one of my instructors that something came up and she needed someone to sub her Barre & Pilates class in the evening and couldn’t find anyone else to do it. I said I could cover it for her.  Normally subbing a Pilates class is no big deal and I’m pretty comfortable just jumping in and teaching whatever class it is. I have to tell you barre work is a little different though.  If you know me at all you know that I am not a dancer, my hips are tight,my turnout is horrible and coordinating movement to music takes me hours of practice!  I like the barre work as it’s really good for me but it’s not necessarily my thing when it comes to teaching.

It turn out one of my favorite workouts this week ended up being prepping for Barre & Mat class.  I threw some music on and played, and once I got over my “I’m not good at teaching barre attitude” it was pretty fun. I practiced some barre work so I would be familiar enough to teach it and got a great workout in along the way.

My students in class that night were wonderful (they were great sports about trying my barre variations!) and we had fun playing with the barre work and of course doing some of our Pilates Mat work.  It was a great reminder to me of how good it can be to get outside of your comfort zone and do something you don’t normally do.  I may have to Meet You at the Barre more often!

 

 

If you listen to your body when it whispers…..

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There is a quote that says,” If you listen to your body when it whispers….you won’t have to hear it scream.” As a Pilates teacher this is a lesson that I often find myself trying to teach clients.  Often times I think people think I’m a little crazy at first when I suggest that maybe they try the “easier version” of an exercise so that they can do it properly and not injure themselves.  For some reason we have this belief that just because we have done something at a harder level we are failing if we don’t do that all the time.

First of all let me say, “There is no failing in Pilates! If you have showed up, are doing the work and are paying attention to your body as you are moving- you are succeeding!”.  Second, one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself in your Pilates practice is learning how to pay attention to your body and adjust your movements to what your body needs and can handle on any given day.  As a teacher I can tell you it is always one of my goals to teach clients how to listen to their own body as this is such an amazing health tool in your life!

So the next time your Pilates teacher suggests you try a different or maybe easier version of an exercise, don’t let yourself go down that negative road of saying to yourself, “I am not strong enough, I’ve gone backwards, I can’t believe I can’t do that…..

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More than likely your instructor (who spends a lot of time helping people find the best movement for each body) is trying to give you a version that is best for your body that day and one that will help you continue to create balanced strength and flexibility in your body.  Be nice to yourself, listen to your body (and probably your instructor too!) and see what happens!

Pilates Travel Tips and our best travel workouts!

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hotel PilatesWhether you travel on a regular basis or are just taking a summer vacation, you can take your Pilates with you easily!  There are so many exercises you can do just about anywhere with just your body or a small prop that you can keep up your core strengthening, body lengthening, strengthening and balancing Pilates workouts just about anywhere.  Here’s some simple tips to remember when traveling and some links to our favorite exercises for the road!

1. Pack a few small,lightweight props like a Theraband, a small 4 inch ball, or a magic circle so you have plenty of exercise options!

2. Remind yourself that doing something is always better than nothing!  You are probably not going to do a full hour Pilates session in your hotel room and that’s OK!  Just doing a small sequence of exercises or even some of your favorite stretches will keep your body feeling happy and healthy!

stretch3. Get creative!! Workouts don’t just have to happen on a mat in your room or at the fitness center. Go for a walk and enjoy some new scenery and add some off your favorite exercises in along the way!  Use a park bench to do some tricep dips or take a towel and lay in the grass and do some of your favorite Pilates exercises!   Try some Pilates in the pool!

4. Mix in mindful movement throughout your day.  Vacations and trips are often disruptive of our regular schedule and that’s to be expected.  Try to add little bits of movement in throughout your day and pay attention to how your body feels.  Stretch when you need to stretch, walk when you’ve been sitting too long and pay attention to your posture!

Here’s a quick list of some of my favorite travel mini workouts and exercises:

My Favorite Things Pilates Mat Workout (no props)

Resistance Band Pilates Mat Workout

Intermediate Pilates Mat Workout

Wedding Arm Magic Circle Workout

All Levels Mat Workout

Magic Circle Workout for Home

Side Leg Kick Workout

If you have a favorite travel workout, let us know!    We’d love to add it to our list.

 

Add an occasional private session to spice up your Pilates practice….

I love small group classes.  I love teaching them and I love taking them! I am a firm believer that every movement experience you have is a chance to work on your own movement practice, learn new things about your body, and just plain keep your body healthy.

What you’ll find in a small group class setting is that instructors will be guiding the whole class through a movement, watching bodies and giving cues that everyone can benefit from, and making sure that no one is doing anything that might be unsafe in their body.  From a learning atmosphere there is so much benefit to this type of atmosphere where students are empowered to explore their body’s movements, listen to cues, and adjust to find what works in their body.

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If you are someone who normally takes group classes I want to suggest that every once in awhile you take a private lesson.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and excited by the things you can learn!

By taking a private session every 3 or 4 months you’ll find your instructor can help you find some things in your movement practice that you can focus on and practice in your small group classes.  This fine tuning session can really help you to keep progressing and working your way toward any movement goals you may have.  It’s a great chance to ask questions about exercises that challenge you or maybe you don’t feel like you are doing quite right.  And if you are feeling  a little “blah” about your Pilates practice, some individualized tips can really add new life to your practice and leave you inspired to keep working on things!

Occupational Pilates

I recently read an article all about occupational Pilates.  Never heard of it? Neither had I, but as I read the article the name made perfect sense.  The article was specifically talking about a Pilates instructor (Marcia Polas) who was working with bartenders and teaching them how to stand and move their bodies more efficiently so that they weren’t hurting in their bodies after working all day (or night).  It then went on to talk about how she was also working with firefighters and had created a specialty niche of teaching people based on their jobs.

Here’s her definition:
I call myself an Occupational Pilates teacher. What does that made-up title mean? It means I work with clients based on how they use their bodies (“instruments”) to do their job. My areas of specialization include the hospitality industry pros (bartenders/baristas/chefs/FOH), performing artists (actors/dancers/musicians), movement professionals (Pilates and yoga teachers) — I’ll take on anyone with a physically rigorous job, including now the job of living in New York City!

IMG_6137As a Pilates instructor I can tell you I consider all the Pilates I teach as occupational Pilates! Whether you are a stay at home Mom, a fireman, or sit at a computer all day – the Pilates work is designed to keep your body strong, flexible and balanced so that you can live the rest of your life to it’s fullest, without limitations.  I really believe that one of the most important reasons to practice Pilates is so that you can learn to take care of your physical body in a way that improves and inspires the rest of your life!

Often when clients have chronic tightness or pain in their body I start exploring not only how their body moves during their Pilates session but also the types of movements (or sitting) they do throughout their life on a regular basis.  By looking at the whole picture of what they do on a regular basis I can bring awareness to habits that might be contributing to muscle imbalances and strain in their body.  We can then relate what we are doing in the Pilates studio to how it can help them in their day to day movements.

If you are looking for more than just a workout from your exercise program I would encourage you to give Pilates a try.  Most Pilates devotees will tell you that the mindful movement and exercises they learn in Pilates have had an effect on everything they do in life.