Our focus this month has been on breath. This 15 minute Pilates Mat Workout focuses on using the full capacity of your breath, coordinating your breath with your movements and just plain breath awareness!
Tag Archive for: Rivercity Pilates North Liberty Iowa
Definition of souped–up
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: enhanced or increased in appeal, power, performance, or intensity; also:elaborate, embellished
I had a client who was fairly new to Pilates ask me,” Is the Pilates Cadillac just a souped-up version of the Pilates Tower?” and I absolutely loved her description!!
The short answer to that question is yes!! The Pilates Cadillac is the souped-up version of the Tower! The Cadillac was Joseph Pilates’ original piece of equipment that was designed to stretch, strengthen, lengthen and give your body feedback in a variety ways. Just like the name implies…the Pilates Cadillac has a quite the “presence” in the studio.. But that presence also takes up a big footprint in the studio. As much as most studio owners would love to be able to have Cadillac class….it’s not really practical to have 4, 5 or more Cadillacs in one room. This is where the Tower systems that you see in many studios came about. The tower system is a version of the Cadillac that allows you to do approximately 75% of the traditional Cadillac exercises on a much smaller, space saving piece of equipment.
The main things missing from the Tower are the overhead bars that run parallel to the mat, the attached trapeze bar that attaches to those bars, and the hanging straps that attach to the bars. So what are you missing out on by using a Tower instead of the Cadillac? Most of the exercises are ones that involves variations of hanging from the bars, the attached trapeze bar/swing and the hanging straps. These variations are definitely great exercises that are worth exploring in your Pilates practice, but the versatility of the Tower system gives you plenty of exercises that can be used to accomplish the same movement goals as some of these Cadillac only exercises.
Curious about the Cadillac? Check out this video highlighting some exercises on the Cadillac! Want to play and try some of these exercises out? Schedule a private session and be sure to ask your teacher if you can play on the Cadillac!! Call 319-665-2499 and schedule a Cadillac session today!
Inspiration of the Month
Natalie Suiter
When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?
Two months ago, I hurt my knee while doing Plyometric exercises. It was so bad, that I couldn’t straighten my leg fully. I was very frustrated because of the new physical limitations I had, so I started researching what I could do to heal my knee and continue to be active. At the same time, a friend referred me to a free month of Pilates at RCP. This was awesome since I had been reading a lot about the positive outcomes of a regular Pilates practice. I spoke with my physical therapist and he said Pilates would be a great addition to my physical therapy exercises. I signed up and got started right away; excited to heal my knee and continue to be active.
How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?
I have been taking 2-4 classes per week. My goal is to take a variety of classes with a variety of instructors. I enjoy the different teaching styles and personalities of the instructors. It’s fun and challenging when the instructors incorporate different equipment in class, for example, one of my favorites, the foam roller. I have learned a lot and I hope to continue to learn as I attend classes at Rivercity Pilates.
What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?
In just 2 months of practicing Pilates regularly, the functioning of my knee has improved enough for me to start incorporating activities I did prior to my injury. I’ve also noticed improved posture, increased body awareness, confidence, strength and a slimmer figure.
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
My favorite exercise is the windmill on a foam roller. My favorite Pilates classes at RCP are Tower and Foam Roller Mat.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?
I think it is hard with all of the health and fitness information available to decide what kind of exercise will get the best results. Many people want to be thinner, healthier and in better physical shape. However, a lot of the exercise plans or regimens out there just leave people overwhelmed, frustrated and injured; not Pilates. I would consider Pilates to be foundational to a balanced, healthy body! Pilates is fun, challenging and your body will never be the same once you commit to a regular Pilates regimen.
Here’s a quick and effective Pilates Workout for you with a theraband!
Have you heard of Zumba? Zumba totes itself as “Pretty much the most awesome workout ever. Dance to great music, with great people, and burn a ton of calories without even realizing it”. It’s a total workout, combining all elements of fitness – cardio, muscle conditioning, balance and flexibility.
As a Pilates and Yoga studio we focus on being a place where our clients can come in and have a great movement experience that leaves them walking out of our doors feeling better in their bodies then when they came in. So when we were looking to grow our offerings and offer some cardio based classes in our studio… Zumba seemed like the perfect fit! Here’s our top 5 reasons why we love ZUMBA and are hoping you do too!!
- It’s Beginner Friendly! Never been to Zumba before? Don’t worry! Zumba is taught for the beginner in mind and it doesn’t matter if this is your 1st or 100th Zumba class.
- It’s never boring! We all know that cardio can be boring some days. Even though we know how good it is for our bodies and minds…It’s hard to motivate yourself to get that walk or jog in, it’s a challenge to jump on your bike or even toss in a DVD to do a workout. The great thing about Zumba class is that it’s fun and before you know it you’ve been moving and dancing for 50 minutes, burning lots of calories and having fun at the same time!
- The Music! The heart pumping Latin music will leave you feeling energized!! It’s been proven that music can change your mood and make you feel better in your body and we agree!!
- It does not have to be perfect! If you are someone who feels uncoordinated in a step class or always get those dance steps mixed up….it doesn’t matter. You’ll find with Zumba that you can easily follow along even if dancing isn’t your best skill! You’ll be encouraged to move at your own pace, do what you can and just keep moving to the music!
- The People! Exercise with other people who are learning Zumba and getting their cardio in at Rivercity Pilates. We laugh, we sweat, and most of all – we get healthier!
Are you looking for some fun cardio to spice up your workout routine? Then Zumba is just for you!
Check out our Zumba class schedule and click here to sign up for a class today!
- Mondays at at 11:00 am
- Wednesdays at 9 :00 am
- Fridays at 8:00 am
- Sundays at 9 am
One of my newer private clients asked me the other day ago,” Why do you always have me do these exercises with my feet at the beginning of our session?” The exercises I was having her do can be seen in the video below and use a small ball to roll your feet out. She liked the exercises and was even doing them at home, and more than anything was curious about why I always had her do them.
My answer: Your feet, and the tissues and muscles in your feet have a direct effect on how the rest of your body moves! By starting with the feet we are giving the rest of your body the best possible prep to move it’s best and get the most out of your session. As an example I had her do the ball exercises on one foot first. Then she did a slow standing roll down to check in with how the backs of her legs felt. She was amazed at how just by rolling out her foot, her muscles in the back of her leg on that side felt looser and less stiff! If you haven’t tried this yet…go do it now!!
If you’ve never really thought about your feet in terms of how they impact how the rest of your body feels….it’s worth a little examination! Join me for my Healthy Feet Workshop On Saturday, August 26th at 10:30 a.m. and learn why you should pay attention to your feet and walk away with lots of simple exercises and movements you can use to keep your feet healthy and happy!!