The Secret to Sticking With Exercise
This week, I found myself thinking about something that honestly caught me by surprise. I’ve been practicing Pilates for more than 25 years. Twenty-five years.
I actually had to stop for a second and let that sink in. That’s longer than many gym memberships last…by about twenty-four years. It’s longer than most exercise trends have even existed. And somehow, after all this time, I still look forward to practicing.
That realization made me stop and wonder…
What is it about Pilates that has kept me coming back for more than two decades?
As I started thinking about it, I remembered a conversation Shannon and I had after celebrating one of our clients’ successes. (We never get tired of hearing how Pilates is making a difference in someone’s everyday life.)
Somewhere during that conversation, we found ourselves laughing about the fact that neither of us had ever gotten bored with Pilates. The exercises are familiar, but they never feel exactly the same because we’re never exactly the same. Some days we’re stronger. Some days we’re tighter. Some days we’re more coordinated. Some days life has left us tired or stressed.
The practice simply meets us where we are.
Shannon remembered taking her very first Pilates class. She laughed about trying to listen to the instructor, coordinate her breathing, think about her posture, move her arms and legs…and somehow do it all at once. She loved the challenge. It wasn’t just exercise. It engaged her mind as much as her body.
Then our conversation shifted to something we’ve both noticed over the years. Science seems to keep confirming what Pilates teachers have experienced for decades—that moving with strength, control, balance, awareness, and intention is incredibly valuable for our health. By the end of the conversation we were laughing at ourselves for being such Pilates geeks.
But underneath the laughter was something else.
Gratitude.
Gratitude that we found a form of movement that has stayed with us through different seasons of life and continues to challenge us, teach us, and make us feel better.
I think that’s what Joseph Pilates intended when he called his work a practice. Not something you finish. Not something you master. Something you keep returning to because it continues to give something back.
The foundation of my practice
People often ask me what my own Pilates practice looks like. As a studio owner, I have access to every piece of Pilates equipment you can imagine—the Reformers, the Towers, the Chairs, and the Barrels. I love all of them. But if you asked me what has been the foundation of my practice over the last 25 years…
My answer might surprise you.
It’s Pilates Mat.
The mat exercises are the bread and butter of my practice. Most people assume that because I own a Pilates studio, I spend all day on the equipment. The truth is, if I could only keep one part of my Pilates practice, it would be my mat. That’s the part of my practice that has traveled with me for more than twenty-five years.
For the last seventeen years or so, I’ve had one appointment on my calendar that I rarely miss. On Saturday mornings, I practice the full sequence of Pilates Mat exercises that Joseph Pilates created—from beginning to end. The habit actually started because I was teaching a Saturday morning Pilates Mat class. I discovered that one of the best ways to prepare for teaching was to practice the entire sequence in my own body before asking anyone else to do it.
Over time, that preparation became something much bigger. It became a promise I made to myself.I realized that no matter how busy life became, no matter what season I was in, and no matter how many birthdays I celebrated, I wanted to keep the ability to move through that sequence. And I knew there was only one way to do that. I had to keep practicing.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I missed a week. Occasionally my practice happens on Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday, but there hasn’t been a week in years when I haven’t found twenty-five or thirty minutes for my mat. That’s something I’m genuinely proud of.
Not because I never miss a workout. But because that consistent practice has kept me strong, balanced, moving well, and has given me a deep understanding of my own body.
Over the years I’ve learned something important.
The secret isn’t finding the perfect workout. It’s finding one you’ll actually keep doing. For me, Pilates Mat has become that practice.
Why Consistency Matters
When people begin Pilates, they’re often hoping something in their body will feel different. Maybe they’d like their back to stop aching by the end of the day. Maybe they want to feel stronger, improve their balance, stand a little taller, or simply move with more confidence.
One Pilates session can leave you feeling better. A month of Pilates sessions and you start to feel different. Six months begins to change the way you move. Years?
That’s when people start saying things like:
- “I can get up off the floor without thinking about it.”
- “My balance is so much better.”
- “I don’t feel as stiff anymore.”
- “My back doesn’t bother me like it used to.”
Those changes don’t usually happen because of one amazing workout. They happen because someone quietly keeps showing up, week after week, month after month, year after year.
That’s why we encourage our clients to attend Pilates consistently whenever possible. Not because we’re trying to fill classes—but because consistency is where the real benefits begin.
The secret isn’t finding the perfect workout.
It’s finding one you’ll still be doing a year from now.
Pilates isn’t a 30-day challenge.
It’s a practice that continues to give something back.
Building a Practice Is Easier Than You Think
One of the things I love most about our studio is that there are several opportunities every week to practice Pilates Mat.
Most people who experience the greatest benefits don’t rely on motivation alone. They create a routine.
Whether you attend once a week, twice a week, or three times a week, each session builds on the one before it. Little by little, you become stronger, move more confidently, and begin to trust your body in new ways. Somewhere along the way, you stop thinking about attending Pilates sessions and realize you’ve built a Pilates practice.
Maybe This Is Your Place to Begin
If you’re wondering whether Pilates might become your lifelong practice too, I’d love to invite you to join us for an Intro to Pilates Mat session. Our next session is Wednesday, July 29 at 6:00 p.m. If you’re reading this sometime later, we offer Intro to Pilates Mat on the fourth Wednesday of every month, so there’s always another opportunity to get started.
This beginner-friendly small group is designed to help you learn the foundations of Pilates in a welcoming, supportive environment. We’ll introduce the basic principles, teach you foundational mat exercises, and answer your questions along the way.
Wednesday, July 29
6:00 PM
$25
No experience necessary.
No flexibility required.
Just come exactly as you are.
You simply need to be curious about whether Pilates might become a practice that serves you for years to come. Because if there’s one thing Shannon and I realized while we were talking, it’s that twenty-five years goes by much faster than you think.
Maybe twenty-five years from now, you’ll look back and realize that signing up for one little Intro to Pilates Mat class was the beginning of a practice that changed the way you move through life. Email us today – and we’ll sign you up!
