Tag Archive for: Pilates Cedar Rapids Iowa

Inspiration of the Month Audrey O’Hara

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audrey october iom
When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?
 
Heather (Thorpe) was talking to me about the Pilates studio and said she needed a person to come in for her training and then my hair designer, Ari Bult, was talking about it a day later and so I decided to try it out and started working out with Heather. I was very very sore after my sessions with Heather in the first weeks and realized that I needed help to get my health back in order. The more I went, the better I felt, and the more I craved it. People noticed a change in me in regards to my posture, strength, and my new found love for Pilates movements in general. I have not stopped recommending it to everyone since! I believe Pilates will be a way of life for me now. LOVE IT!!!
 
What benefits have you seen by committing to a regular Pilates practice? 
 
I have a lot more stamina and flexibility and love seeing my progress. I do not want to grow older without making some kind of effort to take care of myself and my own well being.
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
 
Jackknife has become one of my favorites because I can feel myself getting my spine in realignment without the help of anyone else. My balance has also improved tremendously. It is now a lifestyle change for me that I plan on doing for a lifetime. It has really enhanced the quality of my life and now I cannot live without Pilates!
(Audrey’s demonstrating jackknife in the photo above.)
What would you say to someone thinking about starting Pilates?
 
I would recommend to anyone who is interested in Pilates to try private sessions first to get the movements down before trying classes. I think the one-on-one is very beneficial before trying classes. You won’t regret it!
 

The Pilates Push up

 

 

The Pilates Push up is a great all over body exercise that ties together all of the Pilates Principles.  The push up itself is a great exercise, but this Pilates version will teach you how to work on your balance and control and make an exercise out of the act of getting into the push up position as well as getting out of it.

Be sure to watch the video, try your own variation of the Pilates push-up and let us know how it goes!  If you liked this video be sure to share it with your friends!

How can I keep improving my Pilates practice so I continue to see results?

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Most classes at Rivercity Pilates are designed to be all level classes.  Since we do not have really big class sizes, our instructors are able to teach classes that are a great workout for everyone while keeping everyone safe and not injuring themselves.  If classes are all levels you may wonder how do I keep progressing, making progress toward my goals of increasing strength, balance, and flexibility.IMG_2873

There are lots of little ways to increase the difficulty of any given exercise and challenge different bodies at the same time.

 

Here’s a few concepts we use as teachers( and you can focus on individually) to keep you progressing in your Pilates practice, even in a class or group setting:

1. Combining  strength,balance, and flexibility into every exercise and focusing on the components you need to create balance in your body and in each exercise.  Ever body is different and creating a balance of flexibility and strength in your body will be very unique to you in each exercise.  If you are extremely tight, flexibility may be your individual focus on a particular exercise.  If flexibility is not an issue for you, you may be working on how to maintain stability or increasing overall strength.  Pinpointing particular areas you need to work on can help you fine tune each exercise and get the most out of every movement.  If you are unsure, ask your instructor to give you some feedback on areas that would be good for you to focus on.

2. Working level can be described as how big of a range of motion you can do on each exercise and still execute the exercise as perfectly as possible using the appropriate muscle groups.  Working level is your challenge point of an exercise.  As you get stronger and create more balance in your body this working level will increase and you will be able to do larger movements that continue to challenge your body.

3. Flow– By flowing one exercise into the next one we can increase the difficulty of individual exercises.  Flow also requires the coordination of your breath into these movements.  As your strength,flexibility and balance increase, you will find it easier to transition from one exercise to the next.  By taking less “breaks” in between exercises you will continue to progress in your improving your strength, flexibility and balance.

4. Coordinating Breath with each movement.  The thought process of coordinating the choreography of the exercise with a specific breath pattern can really take the exercise to the next level.  The mere act of concentrating completely on what you are trying to move, how your body is aligned and how you are breathing can increase the “work” of the exercise tenfold!

The wonderful thing about these four tips, is that they work for any type of movement or exercise- not just Pilates!  So try them out in your next workout and let us know if they helped you challenge yourself safely and effectively!

 

 

 

 

 

Try this quick but oh so effective Pilates move- the Plank!

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The plank is great for overall strengthening of your body and really prepares your body to do some of the more challenging Pilates exercises.  Make sure you really focus on your form by incorporating your Pilates fundamentals like engaging your deep abdominal muscles, breathing, and stabilizing your shoulders(don’t sink into the shoulders!).

Try one of these variations each day this month! See if you can progressively hold the pose a little while longer, but be sure to come out of the plank if you are straining your low back, shoulders, or wrists.

When you finish, you can sit back in a child’s pose or turn onto your back and hug your knees into your chest to stretch out your low back.

Pilates Inspiration Denise

denise

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

I started Pilates in June of 2013.  Katie Wera, the Cancer Care Coordinator from Mercy Hospital in Iowa City was my inspiration.  Ms. Wera is a dedicated and hard working cancer care coordinator who is truly concerned about her patients.

Soon after my bi-lateral mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments to treat breast cancer, I hired a personal trainer to help me regain strength, flexibility, and the full range of motion in my arms and shoulders.  My trainer’s main focus was on my weight.

After working with the trainer for one year I was getting discouraged because I was recovering from my third injury from working out with her.  In addition, my range of motion, strength, and flexibility was not improving significantly despite working out three to five times a week with her.

Katie suggested that I try Pink Ribbon Pilates at Rivercity Pilates in North Liberty, Iowa.

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

My flexibility and range of motion are back to normal.  My strength is almost back to normal and I have lost 35 pounds.  In addition, my coordination, balance, core strength, and self-esteem have improved.

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

My favorite thing about Pink Ribbon Pilates is… I look forward to going.  Additionally, Pink Ribbon Pilates is geared specifically for recovering Breast Cancer patients.

Carey is very knowledgeable about what is safe and appropriate for her recovering cancer patients to do.  Carey is also enthusiastic and motivating. She has the ability to give me the confidence to try any exercise.  As soon as I can easily do an exercise she challenges me by making it harder in an effort to improve my strength, flexibility, range of motion, and balance.

What would you say to a cancer survivor who is thinking about doing Pilates?

I would highly recommend Pink Ribbon Pilates, at Rivercity Pilates.  Carey has helped me empower my new body and inspired my life.

 

Learn more about our Pink Ribbon program for breast cancer survivors by clicking here!

What exactly is the Empower Your Body 21 Day Challenge?

You’ve probably heard us talk about the upcoming 21 Day Empower Your Body Challenge, or maybe you’ve seen it in our newsletter or on our blog.  Today we just want to clear up exactly what it is, who it is for, and answer some of the common questions we are hearing!are you ready for a challenge

The Empower Your Body 21 Day Challenge is a program designed to challenge you to add more movement and health to your life!  The online portion of the challenge  will be delivered to you by email over each of the 21 days.  Every day you will receive an email with a healthy action step, Pilates and movement tips, healthy eating ideas and more.

Who is the Empower Your Body Challenge for?

This program can be used by Rivercity Pilates clients who want to create( or get back into the habit) of regular sessions at the studio or it can be used by anyone who wants to workout at home or at another studio.  We’ll be offering lots of great video instruction, even if you can’t make it into the studio.  We’ll be giving away prizes for things like the most sessions taken at the studio, most at home workouts, meeting your goals, and some fun prizes for things like completing your daily action step and participating in the private Facebook page discussions.

When is the Challenge?

The Empower Your Body 21 Day Challenge will run from September 8th to September 28th.

What Empower Your Body Challenge Package should I sign up for?

We have created 3 different options for joining the Challenge, depending on how you would like to participate.

If you are planning on getting 3 or more classes(or using more than 4 class credits) per week during the challenge, we would suggest signing up for the Unlimited Classes Package($199)– this will be your best deal.  With this package you will get our daily email, be eligible for all prizes, get an Empower Your Body Challenge T-Shirt, be part of our private Facebook page and be able to attend as many classes as you want at Rivercity Pilates during the challenge.

Our Ultimate Package is designed to create ultimate results!   You’ll get three weekly individualized, private sessions as well as unlimited classes.  You’ll also receive our daily email, be eligible for prizes, get an Empower Your Body T-Shirt and be part of our private Facebook page.

One of our most common options is simply to purchase the Challenge Registration($39) and then purchase classes and sessions along the way or use your current packages.   With this option you will still get the Empower Your Body Challenge T-Shirt, be eligible for all the prizes, get our daily emails, and be part of our private Facebook page.  This option is ideal for clients who are trying to increase their sessions, but probably won’t use more than 4 class credits per week.  If you think you’ll be using more than 4 class credits per week than we would suggest the unlimited class option.

Working out at home only?  Then the registration only option is definitely for you!

 Do I have to do a class every day?

Definitely not.  The goal of the challenge is to increase your Pilates and yoga sessions to increase the effectiveness of your movement practice.  Part of the challenge will include sitting down and evaluating where you currently are in your fitness program and then choosing goals that are appropriate for your body.  The idea is to gradually increase your workouts, but keep them manageable so you can continue on after the 21 Day Challenge is over.   We will be encouraging you to do something everyday though. By something, we are talking about the little things.   Your daily action steps will be small tasks like practicing your breathing, stretching your hamstrings, or maybe just doing your Hundreds!

When do I need to sign up by?

Registration will end on September 1, unless it fills before that.  Space in classes is limited and we only have a certain amount of appointment availability for private sessions.  If we meet our maximum we will close registration to ensure that everyone is able to get their sessions in during the Challenge.

Want more details on how to sign up?  Click here!