Tag Archive for: Pilates Iowa City

Do you think you need to stretch more?

DSCN7544 (1)

Something I hear often from people when they know I own a Pilates and Yoga studio is,” I am soooooo unflexible, I really need to take Yoga.”  It is true that that many people could use more flexibilty in their bodies and a mind body practice like Yoga may help, but I find that most people don’t understand the process of how to gain that flexibility.  I get the impression that many people believe they need to sit around and stretch more and that would do the trick.  That if they just sat on the floor with their legs in a V and leaned forward into a stretch on a regular basis that would make them more flexible (and it might help a little!)

Just stretching is often not the answer.  In the Pilates method of exercise we work on creating uniform development in the body.  In simple terms this means we create balance in the body around our joints by not only stretching what is tight but also strengthening what is weak.  Joseph Pilates knew that the best way to create this balance in our body was not by isolating a stretch or a single strength training exercise (like a bicep curl), but ideally we teach our body to move as a whole while using our mind to fine tune our alignment and keep our body in balance.  You see this is how our body works on a day to day basis.

FullSizeRender (6)

We don’t stop and think about picking up a bag of groceries and what muscles we are going to use, we just do it.  If we are healthy and our body is pretty balanced this movement happens easily and with not too much effort (which is ideal) and truly engages the whole body.  The Pilates method of exercise is designed to teach you how to move your body through various planes of movement with ease, balance and proper alignment so that you can re-create those patterns of movement in your life.   By practicing your alignment and balancing your body in your Pilates practice you will find that your muscles naturally lengthen, your spine moves with ease, and you’ll have flexibility you never dreamed of (without having to sit and stretch for hours.)

Not sure if you believe me yet?  We’ve included below a short Pilates workout that is easy enough to do every day.  Take our challenge and simply add this mini workout in 3 times a week for the next month and let us know what happens…

How Target and Ana Caban inspired the start of my Pilates career…

, ,

Ana Caban

Ana Caban

Little did I know, that a videotape that I picked up shopping at Target would change my life.  As a personal trainer, those workout videos that Target puts on the ends of the aisles, always attracted me, and one day I picked up a Gaiam Beginning / Intermediate Pilates Mat Work videotape with Ana Caban.

My journey started in my living room in Pennsylvania watching the video and doing mat work on the living room floor.  I was 24, a runner, a personal trainer and I wanted to try this Pilates thing that people were talking about.   I remember how I enjoyed Ana’s VCR video class.  I was able to add it in to my workouts on a regular basis and it made me want to do more.  I honestly had no idea how much more there was.  As a personal trainer I thought, ‘This is good stuff and I can do it pretty well – I should learn how to teach it so I can share it with my clients”.

[tweetthis remove_hidden_hashtags=”true”]How did @Target and @AnaCaban inspire the start of my #pilates career? [/tweetthis]

I did a little research (the internet was not quite as developed way back then) and found an instructor training course in Philadelphia near where we lived and I signed up.  It turned out after I signed up there were IMG_3856requirements you had to do before the class started.  Who knew?  One of the first requirements was taking a certain number of classes or lessons from qualified instructors.  So I figured I’d better try to find somewhere to take a class or a lesson if I wanted to be able to take this course I paid for!  It turns out there was a studio a few miles from our house that offered classes.  I stopped in one day and asked about the class schedule.  The woman at the front desk explained that usually they recommend everyone starts with a private introductory lesson before a class. I of course told her I had been practicing regularly with my video at home and was a personal trainer and she agreed I would probably be fine in class. Thank goodness as I really didn’t want to have to pay for a private lesson-they were expensive!

I remember taking my first class with Mariah and doing fairly well (or at least in my eyes I did) and I really felt like I recognized most of the exercises as I had done them on my video.  So I started attending on a regular basis so I could get ready for my instructor course (or so I thought…).  It turns out Mariah was an apprentice instructor in the Body Precision instructor training program at the studio and we became friends.  When she found out I was a personal trainer she asked me about trading personal training sessions for Pilates sessions, which of course sounded great for me.  As much as I had been loving Pilates, it was expensive and so if I could do it for FREE I was all in!

This is where the fun really began.  It turns out there was sooo much more to this Pilates thing than I had even imagined.  After a few private sessions with Mariah I realized I had no idea what I was doing (and no business trying to teach) and quickly cancelled my reservation for the Pilates training course I originally signed up for.  I realized I might need to learn a little bit more first before I entered a teacher training course. I also started to get to know the instructors at the Body Precision studio where I was taking classes and sessions and really wanted to train with and under them if I was going to pursue this Pilates teaching thing.

I continued to take sessions with Mariah and signed up for the Body Precision training program as soon as I possibly could (and as soon as they gave me the approval!).  Looking back I probably could have used more time practicing Pilates before jumping in to teaching, but I was anxious to learn and an eager student and it all worked out!  Teaching Pilates was exactly what I was looking for in my life.  I have always loved to move and exercise and the Pilates method made so much sense to me.

Even though I was a certified personal trainer when I found Pilates I felt like I really was not very qualified to teach and train people.  I had read the personal training book, studied the materials and took and passed a test.  I worked out myself but always felt a little unsure of my ability to train others.  I had no experience working with clients and really didn’t understand the body and how it moved.  I had no idea how to adapt exercises for different bodies or how to truly help people move better and make progress in their bodies.

When I found Pilates as a profession I knew it was for me.   I was so, so excited by the extent of the comprehensive training program.  This was not a program where you read a book, take a test and you’re certified.   This was a program with workshop time and I would spend hours (& hours & hours) watching trained instructors and learning from them.   I would have to take private lessons and classes and learn the work so deeply that I could pass a performance test at the end, and I would have plenty of hours to practice teach.  Then as a bonus I could actually make money doing all of this!!

Little did I know 16 years ago, that watching that video would lead me to a new career I love, an opportunity to own my own business and teach at my own studio, and most of all, the opportunity to do what I love every single day.    I’ve not ever met or taken a real session with Ana, but I am grateful for her video that inspired me in my Pilates and life journey!!

Interested in exploring Pilates as a career or maybe just a part time passion?  Learn more about the Body Precision Pilates instructor training programs that we offer at Rivercity Pilates by clicking here!  Maybe you are pretty new to Pilates and just want to try it out?  Check out our Youtube Video Library and you too can try this Pilates thing out in the comfort of your living room!

 

Summers are hard on stay at home Moms

photo from jeffgreenhouse.com

Sometimes the stars are aligned, and sometimes…….

Summertime for a stay at home mom of three young children is hard work. Much harder than the school year. Add in to the mix a husband that works 60-70 hours a week and you’ve got yourself one tired momma. I only get Mom-time when the stars align.

My trips to Rivercity Pilates has been limited to mostly 4:00 pm Sunday yoga for the past few months since that’s about the only time that my husband is home to watch the kids.

Kimberly demonstrating and cueing!

Kimberly demonstrating and cueing!

A few weeks ago, the stars aligned and I found myself free on a Tuesday evening with no little league game on the calendar and my husband home at a reasonable time. With shaky fingers, I signed up for Kimberly’s 6:30 pm Tower class, certain that my recent absence from Pilates would slow down the class and earn me glaring eyes from everyone else who knew what they were doing.

When I entered, I joked with Kim that I’d be lucky to walk out of the class alive after not having been to a Pilates class in so long. She quickly calmed my nerves and said it would be like a private lesson since I was the only one signed up for the class. The stars really were on my side that night as I eased back in to my Pilates practice with Kim’s gentle guide and reassurance that I was, in fact, breathing correctly and swinging like a ballerina rather than a chimpanzee on the Cadillac.

I later joked with Carey that it was like a first date and Kim said all the right things! With any luck, the stars will align in my favor soon so I can return to life on the mat regularly.

~Amber, stay at home mom of 3 who LOVES her Yoga and Pilates mom time!!

[tweetthis]Mom time for #Fitness is hard to find in the summer! One Mom’s story[/tweetthis]

 

 

IMG_2273

Fine Tune Your Intuition To Teach Your Best Pilates..

One of the things that originally drew me to Pilates was the science of it.  You see I was an engineer before teaching Pilates and my brain often thinks very logically and using reason.  I have spent a lot of time over the years learning about why we do exercises, what muscles we use and what the best form of each exercise is for each body.  This process has lead me to figure out that as an instructor one of my best skills is my intuition.  Yep, that’s what I said intuition.

Intuition, a phenomenon of the mind, describes the ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason.[2] The word “intuition” comes from Latin verb intueri translated as consider or from late middle English word intuit, “to contemplate”.[3] Intuition is often interpreted with varied meaning from intuition being glimpses of greater knowledge[4] to only a function of mind; however, processes by which and why they happen typically remain mostly unknown to the thinker, as opposed to the view of rational thinking.

Of course its important to know the science of the exercise, it important to know the exercise in your own body and to know the anatomy of each exercise but I have to tell you once I started following my gut in my teaching I really feel like my teaching went to a different level.  My clients progressed quicker and they connected more with me.

upperabcurlLet me give you a quick glimpse into a intuition type of a moment for me.  I’m working with a client and she’s doing her hundreds with her legs extended in the air.  There’s nothing “wrong” with what she’s doing but my gut tells me if she were to take her legs just a little bit lower and really reach all the way through her tips of the toes she would be able to engage the backs of her legs more, open her hips more, curl her spine more and just plain get more out of the exercise.  So I ask her to try and check in that she is not straining or feeling any pain.  BINGO! She gets more engagement, feels more whole body work and just plain moves better!!  I know there is some scientific and anatomical reasons behind why this adjustment is where she needs to be but quite frankly in the midst of teaching I don’t have time to analyze each muscle group and give an explanation why.  Sometimes the engineer in me goes back after our session and figures this out to a T just because I like to know –  but really I don’t need to!

Now I can remember being a young apprentice teacher and watching other instructors do this type of teaching and really wanted to know how I could learn to do it.  At the time I don’t even think I recognized it as a skill but I knew the instructors I was observing or taking lessons from were amazing teachers who always made just the right adjustment or cue.  They really embodied the Pilates work and movement in general and were able to easily pass that information on to clients.  So how do you fine tune your own intuitive teaching skills.  Like any skill you must practice!

Here’s a few tips that help me when I want to hone in on teaching how and what a client needs on any given day:

  1. Observe and don’t try to change anything.  Let your client move and just observe.  Try not to over correct and just see how their body moves.  See if you notice anything or what stands out to you.
  2. Ask your client.  This one seems pretty obvious but I think sometimes we forget to ask clients how the movement feels.  Use what your client tells you to help you get an inside look of what’s going on in their body.
  3. Try different things.  When you have an idea or want to change something about a movement don’t be afraid to stop and try something new or change something.
  4. Follow your gut!!  If you think your client could stabilize better, move more freely or curl just a little more-they probably can!  Don’t be afraid to act on those gut feelings and find a way to share that appropriately with your client!

Learn more about our Pilates instructor training programs and mentoring opportunities with me at Rivercity Pilates by clicking here!

IMG_6149

 

 

 

 

 

Pilates gets personal!!!!

, , ,

I’m guessing you’ve never been at the gym doing bicep curls and had your trainer ask you,” How did that exercise feel in your body?”  As a Pilates instructor this is a question I often ask my clients as we work together.  You see,  learning the method of Pilates in your body isn’t just doing the exercises that your told to do, but it’s a process learning about your own body and how to move it as efficiently as possible on any given day.

The learning process that happens is really a 2 way street between instructors and clients.   When I ask a client how something felt I am doinIMG_7081g a couple of things.  First I am asking them to be aware enough of what they are doing to be able to describe how something felt in their body.  Second I want to get a sense of what a movement felt like to them because that’s the best way for me to help them learn that movement and other movements I’ll be introducing to them.

There is no right or wrong way to answer the question as I’m really just wanting to connect with a client so I can help them learn how to move better. There’s so much more to a mind body movement practice like Pilates  than just repeating an exercise and as an instructor I love to connect with clients and help them develop their practice in their bodies and life.

Interested in exploring a mind body practice like Pilates?  At Rivercity Pilates we offer a variety of classes and instructors and would love to help you develop your movement practice.  Try us out today by scheduling a complimentary private session with one of our Pilates or Yoga instructors.   If you prefer to attend a small group class to try Pilates your first class is complimentary.   For more information on what to expect in your first session, click here!

 

 

What is Pilates Flow?

Are you new to mind body exercises like Pilates?  Do you see the word FLOW in a class name and think about flowing down the river in a raft?  What does it mean to FLOW in a class?

The Pilates method of exercises uses the concept of learning a sequence of exercises and then tying those exercises together in a way that makes it seem like you are constantly moving or flowing.  This type of practice allows the practitioner (student) to continually practice specific movements and fine tune them in their body while getting a great workout.

Usually in a FLOW class not only is there a sequence but there are transitions between exercises.  What this means to you is that you are moving more and resting or pausing less (aka – more work!)  It also means that you will probably be more comfortable in a FLOW class if you’ve already learned these exercises and sequences so you don’t feel like you are lost!  You don’t need to be an expert at the exercises but it is nice to have a basic understanding of the movements involved and have done most of them at least a time or two before taking a class.  This way you are comfortable with the version of each exercise that’s best for your body and can fine tune it.

IMG_0040

Your instructor will be cuing and giving suggestions for different variations but probably won’t stop the sequence of a class to give a detailed “how to” of every exercise.  If you are looking for a slower paced class or a class that takes a little more time to walk you through the intricate details of each exercise it might be best to start with a Fundamentals class, a beginner class, or an all levels class that isn’t specifically a FLOW class.  A private lesson is also a great way to prepare you for a FLOW class if you want to learn the movements and sequences before jumping into a class.

Have more questions about what type of class might be best for you?  We would love to talk to you one on one so we can learn more about you and give you our suggestions on what classes might be a good fit for you!  Feel free to email or call us or set up a complimentary private session to learn more!