Tag Archive for: Pilates Iowa City

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 31: Chair Workout and a Baby Shower!

Welcome back to our Pilates and pregnancy blog! This week the baby is about 18 inches long and 3.4 pounds. I am firmly in the nesting phase of this pregnancy, which includes house projects that could definitely wait and a multitude of lists. Good thing I have Pilates to maintain my mental and physical health!

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This week Carey had lots of fun exercises in store. We used the Chair along with Balanced Body’s Slastix Resistance Bands (pictured right).The bands hook onto the Chair and can be used in a variety of ways to create resistance.

We started with footwork on the Chair and as I pushed the paddle down with my feet, I held one handle of the Resistance Bands in each hand and did a straight arm lift out to the side. It only took a few repetitions to feel the work in my shoulders! Next, Carey had me sit on a large exercise ball in front of the Chair. I was turned so that the right side of my body was at 90 degrees to the paddle. Then, we did the first three exercises in the Reformer Side Arm Series – Open the Door, Shave the Face, and Lawn Mower – using the Slastix bands hooked to the Chair. Afterwards, I held the Slastix handle in my right hand and did Mermaid reaching away from the Chair. It was great arm work and helped stretch out my side waist.

We ended the workout with low back and side waist stretching. Carey had me stand in front of the Chair, about a foot’s distance back, and hold on to the outer edges of the Chair for support. From there, I softened my knees and flowed through a rounding and extension of the spine similar to Cat/Cow in yoga. Then, I flattened my back and did a subtle side bending motion. Carey describes this motion as being similar to a dog trying to look at its tail. You gently turn your head to one side at the same time that you move your hips to that side, and then switch.

And then it was time to party! Okay . . . not right then, but a few days later Carey threw me a fabulous baby shower and lots of our studio clients attended. We had so much fun and I cannot thank Carey and everyone who celebrated (in person or from afar) enough. This baby already feels so loved. :)

Here are some pictures from the shower day.

31 weeks Baby bowling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peg, Sandy, and Diane at the baby shower Janee at the baby shower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Baby Boy! Cassie and Carey at the Baby Shower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole crew at the baby shower! Ari, Su, and Peg at baby shower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check in next week for news of my 32 week appointment!

-Cassie

The Pilates Ped-o-Pull- What is it and what can you do on it?

The Pilates Ped-o-pull is a unique piece of Pilates equipment that you may have never even heard of. The Ped-o-pull consists of pedopulla base platform and an upright pole that has two springs with handles. Participants stand on the platform,center themselves against the pole and then use the handles attached to the spring to do various exercises.

Like many of Joseph Pilates’ pieces of equipment it is simple yet genius, because of its ability to challenge the body to create efficient, balanced movement.  The exercises you can practice on the Ped-o-Pull range from simple to quite advanced.

In the video, Carey teaches Sandy some basic Ped-o-pull exercises so you can see this little known piece of equipment in action! The Ped-o-pull is especially good for working on your standing alignment, strengthening the muscles around the shoulder girdle, fine tuning your Pilates breathing and is wonderful for strengthening you core muscles!

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 30: Big Ball Exercises

Welcome back to our Pilates and pregnancy blog! This week the baby is about 18 inches long and 3.2 pounds. If the baby arrives when he’s supposed to we’ve got less than 10 weeks to go!  I’ve noticed a small amount of swelling in my legs along with occasional leg cramps the past few weeks. Other than that, I’ve been feeling pretty good!

This week we started my workout with a great leg stretch in a seated position. To do the stretch, I sat tall and leaned back toward the mat with my arms supporting me just behind my hips. While in the supported leaning back position, I started by pointing and flexing my feet. It was a small movement, but felt really good to stretch the bottom half of my legs and get some movement through my feet and ankles. Next, we did a little internal and external rotation of the legs by turning the thighs and knees in toward and then away from one another.  By gently rotating the legs in and out I could feel the stretch all the way up in my hips.

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We did a series of exercises using the big exercise ball in our session. The balls are very supportive and can be used in a variety of positions during labor. Carey is hoping that by getting me comfortable moving and exercising with the ball I will make an easy transition to using the ball during labor. They are available at the hospital where I plan to deliver, but just in case they’re all spoken for, I will be bringing my own.

We started our ball work in a kneeling position with my hands on top of the ball in front of me. Pushing down gently, I rounded and then extended my spine in a cat/cow motion. It was work in my arms to stabilize the upper half of my body and felt nice to stretch out my low back. In between this and some of the other exercises I would drape over the ball in a modified child’s pose position which not only felt great but will also be a great position to use throughout labor (according to Carey).

We also did some leg lift variations where my side body was supported by the ball. I had to work to maintain my balance while I did different leg lifting and rotating exercises. These exercises were a lot of work and I didn’t feel like I could lift my leg very high. It felt nice, however, to move through my hips which have progressively tightened during the pregnancy.

We ended the session with a great quad/hip opening stretch. You can see this one pictured above. To start, Carey had me sit back on my heels (or as close to it as I could get) and drape my body and head back over the big ball. Just being in that supported position was a quad stretch. Then, she had me gently push my hips forward to intensify the quad stretch and help open up the front of my hips. It was a subtle movement, but a nice stretch.

Check in next week for all the details on the shower Carey and our wonderful clients threw for me!

-Cassie

 

 

Should I take private Pilates sessions, semi-private sessions, or group classes?

The Pilates method of exercise is based on learning specific principles of breath, control, precision, flowing movement, centering, and concentration.   Learning the method is truly a process that is continually challenging you to connect to your body so you can learn to breathe more efficiently, move from your center, and create uniform development or balance in your body.

Every body and every personality learns differently and the best process for you to learn will be unique to you. There really is no right or wrong way.

We suggest starting your Pilates journey with 3-6 private sessions.  By starting your learning process with private sessions you have a chamermaid adjustmentsnce to learn the basic ideas and principles in a way that is very specific to your body.   These private sessions will give you a chance to learn the Pilates fundamentals such as how to breathe during your exercises, how to engage your deep abdominal muscles, and how to stabilize your hips and shoulders.

These sessions will also give you a chance to create body awareness about how your body moves, where your individual imbalances may be, and give you an idea of places you can focus and work on as you continue your Pilates practice.

After your introductory private sessions, how you continue your Pilates training is really up to you.

Private sessions offer complete one-on-one attention from your instructor and allow you to move and learn at your own specific pace.  Individual sessions are also great for fine tuning and making adjustments to your movements that are specific to you.

Semi-private sessions are a great way to work out with a friend and still get the individualized attention of a private session.

Small group classes are a fun, effective way to do a Pilates workout while still getting great adjustments IMG_2412and feedback from your instructor.

Some clients take just private or semi-private sessions, some take just classes, and many do both!  We suggest trying them all so you can find out what you enjoy the most.

Consistency is the key in creating an effective Pilates practice in your life, so try to find some regular times that you can put into your weekly schedule.

 

 

If you have neck pain, Pilates may be the perfect exercise method for you!

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Do you have chronic neck pain, limited range of movement in your neck, fused cervical vertebrae or other neck issues? The Pilates Method of exercise may be the perfect form of exercise for you.stiff-neck-1

Often times people with neck problems give up exercise all together because popular exercises can exaggerate their pain and leave them frustrated without seeing any results.

If you are someone who has been dealing with neck pain or problems -know that just one session with a qualified Pilates instructor, may change your views of exercise completely.

The Pilates method of exercise is a total body exercise that works the entire body and is completely adaptable. Exercises can be designed to create strength, balance and flexibility in your body without causing more pain in your neck.

In fact, many clients find that their Pilates practice helps them create balance in their body which reduces neck discomfort and leaves them feeling an overall sense of well being. By concentrating on specific movements and breath, the Pilates Method of exercise is great stress relief as well.

If you are interested in trying out the Pilates method of exercise here are a few quick tips:

1.  Ask about your instructor’s background, teacher training and their experience working with your specific issues to help you find an instructor who is a good fit for you.

2.  Make sure you fill out your health form completely and keep your instructor informed on how exercises feel in your body. Your feedback will help your instructor fine tune exercises so you get the most benefit in your body.

3.  Start off with private sessions.  Although private sessions are more expensive than group classes, they are essential especially if you have physical pain or are overcoming an injury or chronic problem.  Private sessions will allow you to learn the method specific to your body so that you are able to get the maximum benefits and not aggravate any existing conditions.

4.  If you want to work into group classes just let your instructor know.  Your instructor can teach and prepare you to learn how to modify exercises for your body so that you can safely and easily integrate into small group classes.  Your instructor can also give you suggestions on which type of class might be the best fit for you.

5.  Talk to your health care providers(doctor, physical therapist, chiropractor, etc.) and let them know what you are doing.  Most Pilates instructors welcome the chance to work together with health providers when planning your Pilates sessions.

To learn more about scheduling your complimentary Pilates session at Rivercity Pilates contact us today!

 

 

 

Pilates and Pregnancy – Week 29: A Sneak Peek into Our Workouts

Welcome back to our Pilates and pregnancy blog! This week the baby is around 3.1 pounds and 17 inches long. He is about the length of a butternut squash. For the past several weeks I have written about the workouts Carey teaches me. This week, we wanted to take it a step further and show you some of the exercises we’ve been doing. In today’s video, we use the Pilates Wunda Chair. Enjoy!

In addition to working on the Chair, we did some standing leg work. Similar to the side-lying leg series in the traditional Pilates mat routine, we did a series of leg movements while standing and holding on to the ladder of the high barrel for support. We worked on internal and external rotation of the legs, a bent leg kick backwards, and large circles where you reach the leg in front of you, around to the side, behind you, and finally back to its resting place. The nice part of doing the work standing is that your leg that isn’t moving is also getting a workout because it supports your weight and works to keep you in balance.

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We ended the work with a variation on Pigeon stretch. Pigeon is a traditional Yoga pose that is usually done on the mat. One leg is bent while the other leg extends straight behind you. You can prop yourself up with your arms or let your body round over the bent leg. The stretch is usually felt in the outer hip/glute of your bent leg. To modify the stretch, we used the high barrel. I bent one leg in front of me on the barrel, while the other leg supported me in a standing position. Instead of rounding over my bent leg (which wouldn’t feel very good because my belly would get in the way), I leaned back and held onto the ladder.

See you next week!

-Cassie