Tag Archive for: Pilates Cedar Rapids Iowa

Pilates Inspiration of the Month – Becky Monroe

, ,
Empower your Body-Inspire your Life!
Inspiration of the Month
Becky Monroe

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?

I started Pilates the last week in March. The past 2 years have been challenging for me.  I’m an only child and in the past 18 months, my then 84yo mom had a stroke, broke her hip, and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  She passed away 5 months and 2 weeks after her cancer diagnosis in my home.  My 90 year old father has moved in with me and it’s been 18 months of making sure my parents had everything they needed. I had let my fitness slide before they moved in with me and I continued down a non-healthy path and gained more weight.  I finally embraced the advice that to be a good caregiver, you also need to take care of yourself, but still I was scared. It’s hard being out of shape and overweight.

The one thing that actually got me to make the commitment to try Pilates was the complimentary session offered by Rivercity Pilates.  I felt like I could make sure I was comfortable there and try it out before  I actually signed up for sessions.  When Carey explained that Joseph Pilates invented these exercises because he was sickly, the practice of Pilates made much more sense to me.

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?

I have been trying to go to Pilates 4-6 times per week to improve my health.  I started with one-on-one training sessions and made sure I was comfortable doing some of the exercises, (I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t look like an idiot), before I joined a group session.  My favorite phrase in Pilates is, “your working level”, although the instructors are terrific at letting me know how to challenge, “my working level”, so I can see improvement.  I am much more comfortable in the equipment classes than I am on the mat, but I am trying to attend a variety of classes to keep challenging myself.

 

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?

I can see myself improving on some of the exercises now that I couldn’t do, (or could barely do), 2 months ago. What I love about Pilates is that you can see improvement if you commit to improvement. I think it’s the same challenge people get from playing golf. You are concentrating on yourself, so you really notice improvement.

I have more energy, I am not feeling as creaky (and old) as I was two months ago. But most importantly, one of my best friends was here this weekend and she said that I looked healthier. That’s all I needed to confirm that Pilates is helping me become healthy again.

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?

Mostly I have least favorite exercises because I am still gaining the strength to do them completely. I like all the equipment classes because I find the ingenuity to create the machines to assist with the exercises amazing!  I’m a technology geek, but this equipment was developed before the depression.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?

Before I started I was trying to balance the cost of classes against the benefits as well as the insecurities. It was easy to say that Pilates was too expensive and continue to be a couch potato.  However, just 7 weeks after starting Pilates I feel better, and my closest friends can see that. In the words of Nike, “Just Do It”.  Check out the website and sign up for the complimentary session.

Thank you for the amazing memories!

, , ,

A few days ago I said goodbye to Rivercity Pilates. As emotional as it was to have my last private lesson and walk out the front door, the studio has always been so much more than a building to me. If you’ll allow me to stroll down memory lane, I’ll do my best to explain what the past five years have meant to me.

IMG_2884

I met Carey when she was at her first studio. The space was small (think large walk-in closet). Carey’s “office” was in the corner and all of her bookkeeping was done by hand. She had three Chairs, the Cadillac, and a Reformer. We did a lot of mat classes and I fell in love with the Chair. I was welcomed right away by the studio’s clients and distinctly remember how much the side leg kick series killed!

I started Pilates to help with the stress of studying for the bar exam and to get in shape for my upcoming wedding. It was a fantastic stress reliever and I found myself looking forward to class. I was nervous when I was the only student in class but Carey put me at ease and told me all the good progress I was making. Soon I found myself craving Pilates and wanting to learn all I could about it. When Carey set out fliers for her teacher training program, I decided to take the plunge.

My plan was to learn the Pilates method as best I could for myself – with no intention of teaching. I continued school (a Master’s in Political Science) while pursuing my Pilates certification. After nine years of higher education, I did some serious soul searching and decided to teach Pilates with Carey. It was absolutely the right decision. I learned so much while I was at the studio. I learned about the importance of movement and deep breathing. I learned to trust my body and to teach others how to use theirs. And I learned that a community of friends like those I found at Rivercity Pilates is invaluable in this life.

I met amazing, creative, strong, brilliant, hilarious, and kind women and men while working at Rivercity Pilates. They invited me into their lives and trusted me with their stories. I celebrated births of grandchildren, successful dance recitals, job promotions, and engagements. I listened to and hugged clients who lost parents, were stressed about the holidays, or missed their children that were away at college. Being a part of my clients’ lives was my favorite part of the job. In turn, they supported me. They asked about my life, celebrated the birth of my son, and took me out for dinner to say goodbye.

So thank you. Thank you Carey for your vision to bring Pilates to Eastern Iowa. Thank you for being a wonderful boss, mentor, and friend. Thank you to each and every Rivercity Pilates client for making my days brighter simply by walking through the door. I will miss each of you. You’ve shaped me in ways you cannot imagine.

Keep doing your Pilates and please stay in touch.   

All the best,

Cassie

 

Pilates and Pregnancy: 5 Weeks After Baby and Ready to Work Out

Cassie and FinnHello and welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog. I am five weeks postpartum and feeling ready for some movement! At my doctor’s appointment next week my physician will hopefully clear me for all forms of exercise. For now, Carey prepared a safe session to ease me back into Pilates.

We started with a few Pilates fundamentals: arm circles, knee folds, and knee sways. Then Carey had me do Hundreds. I hadn’t done Hundreds since some time during the second trimester! To start with, I held my legs at table top (which was a lot of work) and pumped my arms with my head down instead of in an upper ab curl. The upper ab curl is great, but I need to work on tightening my abdominal muscles safely. To do that, Carey had me focus on three things: wrapping my abdominal muscles up and in, engaging my pelvic floor muscles, and mentally picturing my stomach muscles reconnecting.

Next, we used the Tower to do Chest Expansion. Chest Expansion is one of my favorite exercises, but I didn’t realize how much it works your abs! Carey had to remind me that I wasn’t competing with my pre-pregnancy self, but instead was trying to regain that strength in as safe and healthy a way as possible. We continued our ab work with single leg and double leg stretches with my head down. Not only was it challenging to engage my abdominal muscles, but my legs felt weak too. Still, it felt good to move.

At the end of our session, Carey gave me homework. Each day, I am to lie on my foam roller and breathe, do arm circles, and knee folds. I have done the homework for a few days now and it’s amazing how difficult it is to find five minutes to myself with a newborn (that aren’t used for brushing my teeth or performing other tasks that require two hands!). I have always been a good student, however, and so I do my best to find the time. The arm circles help to stretch the front of my chest, which gets tight from breastfeeding and holding Finn. The knee folds work my abdominal muscles. The breathing is the best part: for a minute I just lay on the roller and take deep breaths, letting the rest of the day go as my body relaxes around the roller.

Now it’s your turn. Try the homework for yourself. It takes less than 5 minutes and I bet you’ll be feeling better for taking the time to breathe and move.

See you next week,

Cassie

Pilates and Pregnancy: The First Month After Baby

Hello and welcome back to our Pilates and Pregnancy blog! I am happy to announce that I gave birth to a healthy baby boy on April 20, 2014. This post will chronicle his birth and my first month as a new mom, including adjusting to my new body, enduring the baby blues, and attempting to exercise!

Finn’s birth story

My water broke around 5 a.m. on Sunday, April 20th. We were admitted to the hospital by 6:45 a.m. and Finnegan James was delivered via C-Section at 9:08 Finn at birtha.m.

Toward the end of the pregnancy, my doctor and I discussed the probability of delivery via C-Section because Finn was measuring large (nearly 11 pounds). The C-Section was surreal and a little frightening. My husband and I had taken a class on Caesareans and I had also done some Pilates continuing education on recovery post-Caesarean, but nothing really prepares you for the cold sterility of the operating room. A kind nurse held my hands during the epidural. I was amazed at how quickly the epidural took effect. Within moments, several hands were guiding me to lie down on the table and securing my arms in place out at my sides. I remember being very cold and scared. My husband came into the room just before the procedure began.

I didn’t expect to feel anything, but did feel pressure when the doctor opened the incision to pull Finn out. Only a few minutes passed from the time my husband entered the room until I heard him say, “I can see his head,” and like that – Finn was born. He weighed 10 lbs. 5 oz, and was 21 ¾ inches long!

We spent three days in the hospital because of the C-Section. Our nurse the first night was amazed at how easily I was able to get out of bed and how eager I was to walk around. I walked slowly at first, but it felt good to get up and move. My family and another nurse commented the next day on how well I seemed to be doing. In particular my sister, who had a C-Section just over a year ago, noticed that I was up and moving around much sooner than she had been and attributed the difference to my Pilates practice.

Week 2

Walking with Finn

The second week was rough emotionally. I had read about the baby blues, but couldn’t believe that I could hold my perfect baby boy and be sad. My husband and family were all very supportive. Two of the big things that helped were going on walks and getting outside of the house.

Physically my body was still recovering. My incision was uncomfortable and I was only getting two or three hour stretches of sleep at night. On a happy note, by the end of the second week I had lost two-thirds of the pregnancy weight.

Weeks 3-4

The next two weeks were much better. Finn started sleeping for four hour stretches. I was getting out for walks and feeling good. I even tried some Pilates.

Pilates has always been my happy place and so I was curious about how much I’d be able to do. I started really slowly, lying on the floor for some arm circles and knee folds. I was amazed at how difficult knee folds were (where you keep your knees bent and lift one knee up over your hip and then slowly lower it back down). Between the stretching of my muscles during pregnancy and then physically cutting through some of them for the C-Section, I have a lot of ground to recover!Finn1month

I tried a few other exercises on my own. Shoulder Bridge and Spine Stretch felt great. Upper Ab Curl and Swan didn’t feel awesome and so I decided to skip them until I was officially cleared to exercise and could get back into the studio with Carey.

Finn is now one month old and I am ready to start Pilates in ernest! Look for future blogs coming soon as Carey and I work together to help me safely tone and strengthen my body post-baby.

See you next week,

Cassie

Inspiration of the Month – Angela Nelson

,

 

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?   

 

I took my first Pilates class in 2005. I have scoliosis and Pilates was recommended by my orthopedist to help alleviate back pain. After a bit of a break I resumed practice at Rivercity Pilates very first studio and found it was a great fit for me. 

 

What benefits have you seen by committing to a regular Pilates practice?

I have been able to strengthen my core and regain flexibility that was lost by wearing a spinal brace for my scoliosis. My balance and posture have improved, and I am much more aware of proper positioning and breathing as I go about my day. Pilates has really helped me to maintain strength during pregnancy and recover after birth.  

You are a busy mom of four, how do you make time to take care of yourself?
I love, love, love the Schedule Ahead Rewards Program at Rivercity Pilates! With lots of kids’ schedules to manage, if I don’t put my things on the calendar far in advance they won’t happen. For me, scheduling a month in advance is key to actually getting in a workout! The flexibility of having a free late cancel means that I don’t have to worry if someone gets sick or we have a last minute conflict.
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
I really love the chair – it’s such a great little piece of equipment that does so much! My favorite chair exercise is the seated twist.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
Absolutely give it a try. The instructors at Rivercity Pilates are great at adapting exercises to individual fitness levels (even in group classes – modifications for more simple or advanced levels are always suggested). You can really start at any point and you will always finish a little stronger than before!