Tag Archive for: Rivercity Pilates North Liberty Iowa

How do I join an In-Studio Group Session?

Can I schedule myself for a group session even if I don’t attend every week? YES!!  

We have a variety of “open” small groups that happen each week at the studio. A lot of our clients do attend regularly and simply schedule ahead to reserve their spot.

Small groups are limited to 4 participants. Yet we often have a spot open in a group and you can request to join the session if there is an open spot in our Mindbody system.  This option is available in Mindbody (on the appointments tab) up until 2 hours before a session. 

After you request a session we will approve your request and send you a confirmation email to let you know that your spot is reserved.

Here’s a quick list of our weekly “open” groups that may have an opening:

  • Monday 11 am with Shelley Mockler
  • Monday 6 pm with Kimberly Burke
  • Tuesday 6:30 am with Carey Sadler
  • Tuesday 10:30 am with Carey Sadler
  • Tuesday 6 pm with Shannon Ottoson
  • Wednesday 6:30 pm  with Curtis Strahan (Pilates Mat session)
  • Thursday 10 am with Nancy Kaff (Barre & Pilates Mat Session)
  • Thursday 5:30 pm with Rachel Piper
  • Friday 6:30 am with Carey Sadler
  • Friday 10 am with Carey Sadler
  • Sunday 8:15 am with Rachel Piper

What will I be doing in these small groups?

Each session is designed to be unique to the participants who attend. Your Pilates teacher will design an individualized session using the Pilates equipment and props. Sessions are designed to help you build strength and mobility in a safe effective workout.  Sessions that are focused on Barre and Pilates Mat are noted above.

Can I join a group if I’m brand new?

If you are new to the studio and haven’t practiced Pilates with us we ask that you sign up for a complimentary private session before joining a group session.  We want to make sure we get to know you, so we can design a session that best fits your needs!  

How to schedule yourself in an in-studio group:

This video will walk you through the process of finding an opening and scheduling yourself for a semi-private group. If you have any questions, please email us.

NEW: 30 Minute Roll & Release Class

Our new 30 Minute Roll and Release Class might just be the best 30 minutes of your week!

This 30 minute virtual class will explore a variety of ways you can use massage therapy balls to release tight muscles, improve circulation and create a sense of ease in your body. You can attend live on Mondays at 11 am, or just sign up for the class and we’ll send you the recording.

Props used during class will include Yoga Tune up balls, Massage Therapy Plus balls, the Alpha Ball, a grippy playground size ball, and a yoga block.  We do have all of these available at the studio for purchase.

Different balls provide a different sensation and surface area and everyone will be encouraged to use whatever balls they have to explore variations in their body.  

If you’d like to see what this class will be like — grab your massage balls (or tennis balls, or anything you have at home – and watch this video!

Rivercity Pilates Diversity Scholarship

Rivercity Pilates Diversity Scholarship

Our Rivercity Pilates Diversity Scholarship was created to increase opportunities for the Black, Indigenious, and People of Color [BIPOC] community to practice Pilates.

Who is eligible for the Rivercity Pilates diversity Scholarship?

Any person who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a person of Color is encouraged to apply for the scholarship.

What does the recipient of the scholarship receive?

The scholarship recipient will start with an introductory private Pilates session. During the introductory session, the recipient will learn about the history of Pilates, will be introduced to the Pilates Method of exercise and will work with a professional Pilates instructor for an individualized session. The recipient will be given a take-home Pilates starter pack including props that can be used to take virtual Pilates classes. The recipient will be set up with an individualized package allowing them to take sessions in studio and take virtual classes.

To apply for the Scholarship, fill out the form below.  

Please note that all applicants will stay in the system, so no need to reapply.

Current Scholarship Schedule:

  • January 2023 [application deadline November 15, 2022]
  • June 2023 [application deadline April 15, 2023]
  • January 2024 [application deadline November 15, 2023]

To apply for a scholarship – fill out the form below.

Are the results of Pilates like wearing a corset?

What can Pilates do for me?  Can it get rid of my stomach, tighten my butt, slim my thighs?

When you are in the movement, fitness, Pilates business these types of questions can always be expected.  So expected that I, like many teachers have some standard responses where I tell potential new students,  “of course it can”, followed by professional explanations of how the exercise method if done regularly can produce just the results they are looking for.  But I have to tell you…the longer I teach the harder it is for me to stomach saying these lines. Not because they are wrong, but because I really don’t believe the value in learning a movement practice like Pilates is in the results they are asking about.

I’ve been where these women who are asking me these questions have been…looking for the next best thing to help them get into a smaller pair of jeans or look how you think society wants you to look.  I quit obsessing about weight, worrying about what size I am or trying to fit into society’s ideals a long time ago. I do think my career as a movement instructor was instrumental in that process in my life and I’m forever grateful for that.  I have an eight year old daughter and even though I try to be a great positive body image role model for her, I already am finding that I can’t shield her from thinking she needs to be “skinnier”, go on a diet, or even “lose her stomach” (yes she’s 8 and actually mentioned to me she just wanted to lose a little bit of her stomach???!) and it drives me crazy! What I really want more than anything is for her to appreciate the amazing body she has, stay active and healthy by moving in ways she loves and not fall into feeling like she is always trying to “fix herself” to meet other people’s standards.

So when someone asks me one of those questions about losing an inch from their waist….my heart kind of aches because I can tell that they are still in that place of “trying to fix themselves” or get their body to some “ideal place” that doesn’t exist. Here’s what I want to say when someone asks me about losing their stomach, tightening their butt, or slimming their thighs:

The answer of course is yes — any regular movement program combined with healthy eating can accomplish those things…but is that really what you want?  You are beautiful and have a body that lets you live life.  It might not be perfect or what you see as ideal, but the reality is it is amazing!

If you make it a priority to take care of it by moving in ways you enjoy you will be happier, healthier, and you’ll learn to love yourself for the wonderful you that you are! 

You will feel better in your body and I think that’s what most people are really looking for.  What if you looked at learning Pilates as a way to do something good for your body, a way to grow yourself as a person as you learn more about how your body moves, and a health tool that helps you feel better in your body and happier in your life?

Need to work on balance? Try the Pilates Chair!

When you hear Pilates Chair what do you think of?  Do visions of the ab chair infomercial come into your head?  Does it sound like something elderly people would use so that they could exercise while sitting in a chair?

The Pilates equipment called the chair was named the chair because Joe’s original design allowed you to convert this mighty piece of exercise equipment into a sitting chair when you weren’t working out on it.  Personally I think this is pretty genius from a marketing standpoint!  How many people use their treadmill for a clothes drying rack at home?  Wouldn’t it be great if that treadmill easily converted into a couch when you weren’t using it?  Seriously though, if you are someone who wants to work on balance in your movement practice…you must try the chair!

Whether you are an elite athlete or simply want to navigate day to day life without falls and injury- balance is so important!!

Like all of the Pilates equipment, the Pilates chair is designed to help you find a quicker, more efficient way to get stronger and more balanced in your body quicker.  The chair design is simply a small seat with a spring loaded paddle below the seat.  Many exercises have you positioning and balancing your body somewhere on the seat and then using the loaded paddle to challenge your balance.  The size is just big enough to give you some support, but small enough to challenge your balance and of course your core strength!

Other exercises have you standing on the floor pressing into the spring loaded paddle.  Many of these exercises challenge you do do the exercise with one arm or leg while you try to keep balance in your body.

Interested in seeing how Pilates and the Pilates equipment can help you improve your balance?  Schedule a complimentary private session at Rivercity Pilates today!!!

The absolute secret to Pilates success!

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I’ve been teaching Pilates for a long time and in that time I have gotten to observe a lot of different people and different bodies who come to Pilates and give it a try.  On a daily basis I get to hear from clients about how their Pilates practice has changed their life,made them stronger, helped them get rid of pain and allows them to move better in their daily life so that they can live the life they dream of.  Many talk about how Pilates makes them happier and keeps their body feeling happier.  

I also see lots of people who are super excited to try it, enjoy it and can really see how it could benefit their life and then give it up.  So what’s the key to being a Pilates success?  How can you get what those happy people have, those people are feeling amazing in their body? It might be simpler than you think.  The secret is patience and persistence.

Joseph Pilates said,”Patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.”

I couldn’t agree more!  So what does it mean to be patient and persistent when it comes to your Pilates practice?  I really think it comes down to showing up and not giving up.  We live in what I like to call a “quick fix” world.  Society has convinced us that you can buy a solution to any problem you have.  We’re spoiled by the convenience of being able to walk into a store or click a button online and have just about anything we want almost instantaneously. But  so many things in life can’t be bought or obtained quickly…our health, our happiness, learning a new sport or discipline in your body, learning new eating habits, friendships and relationships.  The key to success in any of these arenas is consistent positive action taken over time.  And when I say time I don’t mean the “6 weeks to a skinny you program” kind of time…I mean years  (yep…years).

Think of that friend or two in your life who you can’t imagine doing life without.  Did your friendship with them just happen overnight?  How long have you known them? How many life experiences have you shared with them and what do you do on a regular basis to connect with them?  Are you or were you an athlete at some point in your life?  How many practices did you attend? How many games did you win (and lose)?  How long did you play that sport before you were feeling pretty accomplished in it?  Do you have someone in your life who you admire because you feel like they are in great shape and they really take care of their body?  My guess is if you ask them they have made a commitment in their life to make movement part of their life…they probably have a routine that they’ve been following…probably for years!

I can tell you first hand from my own life and from the clients I get to work with on a daily basis…the key to feeling good in your body, to getting results from your Pilates practice (or any movement practice) is consistency over time.  Adding more movement into your life is not a hard thing to do, but as easy as it is to do….it’s just as easy not to do.  Adding 5-10 minutes of Pilates based exercises to your day is pretty doable for everybody and I guarantee that if you did that for 3 months, 6 months, or a year…you would feel an amazing difference in your body and your life.  Taking even just one Pilates class per week over a year would change how your body feels when you look back a year from now.

When I observe those clients who have really embraced movement as part of their life, the ones who feel and see results from their movement practice on a daily basis I see a lot of the same characteristics, traits and habits.

Here’s just a few:

  1. Movement is not an option.  Clients who are committed don’t give themselves the option of not doing it, even on the days when it would be just as easy not to do it.
  2. They come back after being sick, taking a break, etc.  Everyone has stuff in their life and it’s pretty unrealistic to think that you would never miss your workouts or movement time, but the big difference between the successful and unsuccessful is they stick with it.  If you sleep in and miss your workout, you get back to it the next day. Went on vacation and lounged on the beach for 2 weeks.. then you come back and get back into the routine.  Had a few months where you were consumed with taking care of a loved one or maybe even something as tragic as a death of someone you loved…they come back and keep moving.
  3. They create a routine or schedule.  Movement time is in the calendar, it’s as regular as eating lunch or brushing your teeth…again it’s not optional.
  4. They enjoy the process. They know that movement and exercise time for their body is not a quick fix for anything.  They are able to see the big picture of health and happiness.  They realize that their consistent habits will add up over time to things much bigger than fitting into their skinny jeans.. things like living longer, feeling good in their body so they can take amazing vacations or keeping up with their kids or grandkids…
  5. They surround themselves with like-minded people.  Sticking with something is never easy and it’s even harder if all of your friends and family are unsupportive and don’t get what you are doing and why. Having a trusted movement teacher or trainer who is on your side can make a world of difference. Having a workout friend who is on the same path of trying to keep consistent can give you just the support and camaraderie you need.  Having a place and space in your life to workout where you feel supported, loved and actually enjoy makes the process so much more fun and enjoyable and easier to stick with.

At Rivercity Pilates we are passionate about movement and what an amazing health tool it can be in your life.  Our staff is here because they love being “those supportive, like-minded people” in your life!  Our staff is on the same life journey as you. We are on a daily journey to use movement in our life consistently so that we too can live our best life.  Our daily interactions with our amazing clients inspire us in our own movement journey.  The studio is our “happy place” and we really hope it will become yours too.  If you are looking to add movement into your life we would love to meet you and introduce you to the studio, our staff and all of our fabulous inspiring clients!  Click here to schedule a complimentary private session to get started today!!

Tag Archive for: Rivercity Pilates North Liberty Iowa