Tag Archive for: Pilates Iowa City

For Women Only??? Meet Mike.

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cybermondayIt’s Cyber Monday, and Rivercity Pilates has several package specials for the day.  Are you thinking, I already have a class package so I don’t need a new package?  Let me let you in on a little secret.    Pilates is not just for women.    All the positive things that Pilates does for women, apply to men too.   Many articles have come out the past few months that outline the benefits of Pilates for men.

IMG_1918Here’s a real life example.    I’m fortunate enough to live in the same neighborhood as Carey, and occasionally we work on some geeky computer things at my home.  Thus, she met my significant other, Mike.    Like many of us, Mike had relaxed his workout routine till it became non-existent.  Mike is retired from the Army Reserves, so he used to run daily.  Our best plans to walk every day always get hijacked, and as the birthdays keep coming, there’s a little stiffness here and there, and flexibility is pretty much a dream.     Mike has been very supportive of my Pilates practice and he’s the first one to recognize the positive differences that Pilates has made in my life.  I took him to a “couples” class, but he wasn’t sure it was for him.    That first class was pretty interesting.   It was a tower class, and when the instructor told us to put our feet in the straps for legs spring, Mike gave me the “you’ve got to be kidding look”, and that look just kept happening all through the class.    

One afternoon, Carey and I coordinated schedules and scheduled Mike for a private Pilates session the next day.  He wasn’t excited about it, but he didn’t say no.     I did not go with him for his first session (or any session for the first few weeks), because I wanted him to be comfortable at the studio and not worry about what I was doing or thinking.   She scheduled him again, and just sent him the appointment, and he had another lesson.    After only 3 sessions, Mike had to reluctantly admit, that he could feel the difference.   He didn’t have as much back pain.   His shoulders felt better, and his legs started to feel less “creaky” (his word) and not as old.    Mike had Guillain-Barre syndrome as a child, so his hamstrings are very tight.  

After Mike’s first sessions, he would comment on how Carey could recognize tightness in his muscles, and how she modified exercises for his working level.  As Mike’s Pilates practice is now almost 3 months old, his flexibility is increasing, he moves more and we even take semi-private Pilates lessons together once a week, and then he does 1-2 more private sessions with Carey each week.   The best part?   He says he feels better.

Mike would never have invested in his own health had Carey and I not pushed him and I had to do some major convincing about how amazing private sessions were and how well trained Carey and the other Rivercity Pilates instructors are.   They truly recognize how each person’s body moves, and offer modifications and progression for each person to be able to develop their own Pilates practice.

Introduction to PilatesPackageWhen you look at the Cyber Monday Pilates packages at Rivercity Pilates, don’t forget that Pilates would be a great present for the man in your life, and it might even be something you can do together!   If the man in your life is anything like Mike, you may get some static, and you may have to take him to the studio and promise him a local brew later, and he may never admit that he “likes” Pilates to you, but he will know you care about his health!

I can’t believe I pay people to make me sweat!

dollars“I can’t believe I pay people to make me sweat!”   says a student after a Cardio Funk class.  Another student answers,” I can!  I know I could do it myself, but I wouldn’t and this is much more fun!”   The first time I bought a 6 month class package, I almost had a panic attack, because it’s a big investment.  The difference it’s made in how I feel, the new friends I’ve made, and how I deal with stress has made it well worth the investment.   I pay people to make me sweat, and it has made a positive change in my life.  When I say I feel better, it means I’m not creaky or stiff when I wake up, I am so much more flexible, and I rarely get sick!  Knock on wood!  

I know,  if you really want to, you can stay healthy and fit by working out on your own….but most people don’t!  There’s no reason to feel bad about the fact that you have a hard time motivating yourself to workout on your own or you just don’t enjoy it.  There are worst things in the world then paying to experience a workout you enjoy and one that is effective.  Your health and happiness are important!!

Need some justification for paying for your exercise? Here’s just a few:

  • The act of going into a space where you can purely focus on yourself and your body will decrease your overall stress, improve your overall health and decrease your chances getting sick (saving you money and and misery in the long run!)
  • You are much more likely to create a habit of exercise when you have instructors and fellow classmates that you enjoy being around and by creating that habit you’ll start seeing and feeling results!
  • You will likely work harder.    I don’t know about you, but when I work out at home I take breaks to go get water, to go to the bathroom, and I rarely stretch that extra inch that really cinches in my belly!
  • You feel more accountable because you made an investment!  With me, my dedication goes up in relation to how much money I have spent.    When I belonged to a gym that cost $38 a month, I had no problem not going to the gym more than once a week.      But when I pay $16 per session, and I have to sign up ahead of time, and pay if I don’t cancel early, suddenly I am much more self disciplined.   I make it a priority, and I go to class.

Rivercity PilatesSchedule Ahead RewardsAll these things being said, I truly appreciate all the things Carey has put in place in the studio to let me save money.    If I stop and add the money I’ve saved with Schedule Ahead Rewards, Referral Bonuses, VIP packages, and the longer term class packages, it would pay for another pack of private sessions!

Check out Carey’s blog about Budgeting for your Health here!

 

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Meet Shelley & Pippin

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FullSizeRender (14)We have a little dog named Pippin. He came into my life much like Pilates did…unexpectedly! We weren’t expecting or planning to get another dog after losing our beloved lab of 13 years…maybe we should just be pet-less for a while, I thought. But, a friend posted Pippin’s photo on Facebook with, “Free to a good home”. My husband and I both asked each other, “Did you see that dog’s photo on Facebook? Isn’t he cute?” and then, “Should we go see him?”. Needless to say, we brought him home with us the very day we met him!

He was a bit of a challenge at first. He was a year and a half old when he came into our home and those formative years were spent in a large family and his “puppyhood” was somewhat undisciplined. He needed some attention and re-training for some bad habits and just a lot of love, consistency, and patience to build his confidence that we would kindly teach him and give him a new and loving home.

I unexpectedly found Pilates again in 2012, after many years away from it, when driving on Hwy. 965 in North Liberty. Did I see that sign on that building that said “Rivercity Pilates”?  Wow! I thought…so close to home and I remember loving Pilates! But, I was undisciplined, hadn’t been exercising, and my confidence in starting something new was very low…and like Pippin, I had some bad habits! I’d have to start at the beginning, meet new people…would they be patient with me and would I feel at home there? I was going to be a challenge…just like Pippin!

I went home and Googled Rivercity Pilates and really liked what I saw on the website. I got up my courage and made the call to schedule my complimentary Private Pilates session with Carey. I was nervous, but excited. I felt undisciplined and lacked confidence, but Carey was very patient with me. I kept going pretty regularly and I became stronger and more confident. I had rediscovered a form of mind-body exercise that I loved and gradually, (like Pippin new to our home), I became more comfortable and more at home at the studio, and more importantly, in my body! A year later when I couldn’t come to the studio for almost 9 months I missed it so much and couldn’t wait to get back to a regular Pilates practice. Now, I’m really “at home” with Pilates and anxious to keep learning more.

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Shelley and Carey

Hopefully, my Pilates practice is maturing from “puppyhood” to the next level that is within my own abilities and strength, but with a gradual increase in knowledge of the methods and sequence of movements and how they feel in my body. Just like Pippin, I’ve learned to be more comfortable and feel at home…him with us, and me with Pilates.

Unexpected? Maybe not! Pilates coming into my life like Pippin coming into our family? Yes, I think they were both meant to be.

So, what’s next for me? Pilates Teacher Training starts tomorrow! Can’t wait for my next unexpected journey!

You’ll probably suck at Pilates at first!

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I am often amazed at how many clients come into a session and expect to be able to do everything we teach them perfectly on the first try and then beat themselves up when they can’t do it!  It doesn’t matter if you danced for 20 years, are an elite athlete, run marathons, lift weights, did Yoga or if you are in the best shape of your life!  If you are brand new to Pilates you are brand new to Pilates and it will take some time to learn!

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I often hear a client say, but you just did that exercise perfectly.  My response is usually something like:  Let me tell you how many times over the last 15 years I have done that exercise…(hundreds…even thousands)  and I’m still working on it too!

The only way to learn something is to practice it!  That’s why it’s called a Pilates practice.  Pilates is not a quick fix exercise program.  Pilates is a method and system of exercises designed to teach you how to move better (more efficiently) by balancing out your body’s strengths and weaknesses.  It’s designed to become part of your life and something you continue to work on every time you get on your mat.

If you are contemplating starting a Pilates practice or may be you’ve just recently started please know that we don’t expect you do get everything perfect on your first try (or even your 50th).  As instructors we love helping you learn and we love to be part of the process!

It’s OK to suck at Pilates when you start!!  Just think of the progress you’ll make every time you do it!

We’ll be super supportive and we’ll give you lots of chances to try things out in a safe, non-intimidating atmosphere.  Click here to learn about scheduling a complimentary Pilates session at Rivercity Pilates.

My Back Hurts…..

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What does a Pilates instructor do when her back hurts?

I have to admit I have not ever had to deal with chronic back pain, but like many people I have an occasional day when my low back aches or hurts.  Many times it is after I have been driving in the car longer than normal or sitting at the computer too long.   Some days I couldn’t tell you exactly why it happens.  So what do I do?  Pilates!

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My go to treatment for a tight achy low back is to move and stretch and use some traditional Pilates exercises.  I turn to the same wonderful work that I use with my clients day in and day out!  I generally focus on stretching and lengthening the backs of my legs and my hips.

[tweetthis remove_hidden_hashtags=”true”]Help! I teach #Pilates and I have #BackPain[/tweetthis]

Some of my favorite exercises are Single Leg Circle followed by stretches for my hamstrings and inner and outer thighs, Shoulder Bridge followed by a supported bridge stretch (with a yoga block under my hips), a slow straight leg lower with a foam brick under my hips to lengthen my psoas and just hanging out in child’s pose.

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For me the movement helps almost immediately and I continue to play around with finding movements that help my body feel good.  Often times a sore low back is a reminder that I need to incorporate more mindful movement into my day,  be a little more aware of how I’m moving my body and how much I’m sitting throughout my day.

One of my favorite lessons learned from my Pilates practice is that we are much more powerful and capable than we think when it comes to healing and taking care of our bodies.  So if you’re feeling a little achy or tight don’t be afraid to try out some movements at home.  Listen to your body and trust that your mindful movement practice can change how your body feels!

 

 

Shelly’s Story: 12 months of Pilates Teacher Training

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IMG_1933Today, as I finished another tally sheet for my teacher training log book, I realized that I have been on the road to becoming a Pilates instructor for just over a year. Wow, how the time has flown! Knowing that I have let other things in my life take priority over Pilates in the past month, I decided to take this opportunity for some self-reflection. So, I set aside my long, ever-present to-do list, and reflected on what I have accomplished in my first year in the Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program, and where I want to focus my energy in the upcoming months.

Before moving forward, I took a few minutes to look back at why I decided to go through the Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program….
I decided to go through the program for both personal and professional reasons.  On a personal level, I wanted to learn the method in more depth and refine my own practice.  I enjoy learning on my own, but do best when I am part of a structured program, so the Body Precision Comprehensive Teacher Training Program seemed like the best way for me to take my practice to the next level.

On a professional level, I wanted to learn the method so I could incorporate Pilates principles and exercises in to my work as a physical therapist. Pilates incorporates many principles that are familiar to me as a physical therapist and I think the method will be a good addition to my practice. It was important to me to learn the method in more detail before incorporating it in to my professional practice.

Then I thought about what I have accomplished in the past year…
I completed all of the workshop hours and a little less than half of the observation hours, practice teaching, and lessons required for the comprehensive program. More importantly, I gained a deeper understanding of the Pilates method and learned what most of the exercises feel like in my body, or at least what they feel like right now.   And, most surprisingly, despite adding more “requirements” to my life, I found better balance. Better balance between work and personal life. Better balance in my emotions. Better balance in my body.

What has been my biggest challenge in the past year?…
Time!   When I contemplated starting the teacher training program, I was concerned about the amount of time I would need to dedicate to the program. I have a full-time job, and then some. I had just finished a 4 year graduate program, had a paper to revise, and had a fall class to teach. Did I really have time for Pilates? Maybe I needed to slow down and take a break. Was I really ready to jump in to another commitment? Well, I decided to take the plunge and I am glad I did. Finding time to dedicate to Pilates has been a challenge, however. I try to combat the challenge by scheduling time each week for observation, practice teaching, and my own practice. And when all else fails, I remind myself that even if I get in as many hours as I would like each week, I am still making progress.

Where I want to focus my energy in the upcoming months…
Getting back to scheduling time for me! Fall is a busy time of year for me, much like it is for other people…. It is back-to-school time (I teach a physical therapy class in the fall semester), football season (Go Hawks!), and a busy time of year for work-related conferences. Amidst all of the other demands on my time, I want to get back to making Pilates a priority on my schedule. I always feel great when I walk in the studio… the hard part is putting it on my schedule.  So, for the next few months, I am going to focus on getting Pilates on my schedule at least three days a week!

Shelly
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