Thinking of trying out Pilates or getting back to an exercise program?

Here is our list of the top five things NOT to expect during your Pilates session (virtual or in studio)!

I have a secret that you may not know. If you are a regular client of mine, you may have figured this out already. I think it’s OK and encourage my clients to not always give 100% in their workouts!

Let me explain. First, let me just say that I know how challenging Pilates can be. When you are giving 100% and paying attention to every little detail of your alignment, engaging your core and staying balanced, it can be intense!

When I’m teaching you, and you’re giving it everything, I can feel that work! If you work with me regularly you know there are times, I’ll “ask” for that effort more often than not and you always do your best.

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and know that you slept wrong?  By slept wrong I mean you wake up to find that the muscles in your back or neck hurt and it hurts to move?

I had one of those days this week. It was an early morning for me as I had 5:30 am clients, and when my alarm went off at 4-something I immediately knew I had "slept funny". The muscles around my right shoulder blade were screaming at me and it hurt and ached when I did even a shoulder roll. I wasn't too concerned as I just assumed that it was caused from how I slept and that eventually it would go away.

I find that our male clients end up starting their Pilates practice because their wife or significant other convinces them to try it. Once they get into the studio and start practicing Pilates, they realize they enjoy the work and can feel the difference in their body.

I was checking in with a wife of one of our new to Pilates male clients this morning and she mentioned something that got me thinking about how we teach Pilates. She said he mentioned," It's been a long time since I've been coached and I'm really enjoying the instruction and coaching."

"If you will faithfully follow the instructions, beginning with the introductory lesson, you will without a doubt acquire correct physical fitness with proper mental control.
As you progress in your self instruction, you never have anything to "unlearn". These exercises will actually become part of your very self, securely stored away forever in your subconscious mind. You who have learned correctly how to ride a bicycle, how to swim or how to drive an automobile need never worry with respect to the possibility of your failing to use the right technique in these skills.
So too the the acquirement and practice of the art and science of Contrology will instill confidence in you that will remain forever for future use. Then it is simply only a question of "re-toning" the muscles that have in the meantime become "soft" as the result of disuse."

Joseph H. Pilates, Return to Life

I love this passage taken from Joseph Pilates' book Return to Life! To me, it really speaks to the value of learning how to move your body properly versus just exercising. I am a firm believer that any movement is good movement if it is safe and you enjoy it, but at the same time, I know that by there is immense value in learning how to move your body efficiently and with an awareness of your body.

As a Pilates instructor one thing I love about teaching is getting to know my clients and getting to be part of their health journey. So many of my clients have been with me for years and I think that is so amazing! As an instructor, I can tell you that like any relationship the instructor/student relationship definitely evolves and matures as clients get to know me, I get to know them and as they progress in their Pilates practice.

One of the funny things that happens as clients get to know me better is that sometimes they say the things that are going through their head during their session or class. You know, that stuff you've been thinking since your first session but just finally feel comfortable saying! Here's just a few of my favorites.

Is Pilates too easy when you do it at home? Maybe that's not Pilates, maybe it's about the effort you're putting into it!

Often when I correct a client on a particular exercise (at home or in the studio) they will respond afterwards with a, “Oh, so I was cheating.” I don’t really love the word cheating when it comes to movement because I feel like it’s such a negative word.

Have you ever wondered if you could be a Pilates teacher? And if so, why haven't you pursued it?

The number one question I get from people as they are considering becoming a Pilates teacher is: Am I physically ready to go through the program? This may be code for, "Do I need to lose weight or be better at Pilates to become a Pilates teacher?" There are absolutely no rules about where you need to be in your body and life when you start the teacher training program! If you are waiting to be at the "perfect weight and shape of your life", it probably will not happen!

It turns out some of the most common causes of heart disease including lack of exercise, being overweight, high blood pressure and stress are things a regular Pilates practice can help you with!

Long before heart disease was a common household term Joseph Pilates was talking about the benefits of his method of exercise (which he called contrology) in terms of heart and whole body health.  In his book Return to Life, Joseph Pilates states,"Contrology exercises purify the blood in the bloodstream and whip it into instant action so the organs of the body receive the benefit of clean fresh blood carried to them by the rejuvenated bloodstream." He also stated," you should exercise every muscle in your body to improve the circulation of the blood so that the bloodstream can and will carry more and better blood to feed every fiber and tissue of your body. These exercises induce the heart to pump strong and steady."

One of the first things I tell new clients when they are starting Pilates is, "Pilates should not hurt!" If something hurts then we need to adjust the exercise in your body in a way that it can be effective and help you create balance and strength so you can continue to progress without pain.

One of the most common places people find their neck hurting is while doing an upper ab curl. This movement specifically involves lifting your head off the mat and curling toward your body as you roll to approximately the tips of your shoulder blades. This movement is fundamental in many traditional Pilates exercises, although it can be modified as needed for individual bodies.

If someone is brand new to Pilates, and they jump into a large group class without any specific training on how to do this movement properly in their body, they end up feeling like they are straining their neck and not feeling the work of the movement throughout the rest of the body.

Love this article from breakingmuscle.com on why water is so important to our bodies! 

Your body is composed of roughly 60% water1. That means when we are dehydrated – and most of us spend our days constantly dehydrated to some degree – we are affecting the performance of the majority of our body. Nearly all of our systems do not function as well without the proper water intake.

If you are one of the many people with scoliosis, you know that not all exercises are equal when it comes to strengthening, stretching, and balancing your body. Depending on the severity of your scoliosis you figured out at an early age that many traditional exercises and sports do not feel good in your body.

If no one ever explained to you why this is, you may have even learned to dislike exercise and movement because of your bad experiences. Movement and exercise are supposed to help you feel better, stronger and move easier. Unfortunately for those with scoliosis this is not always the case. Your curve and twist in your spine can make certain movements painful and even impossible. Many movements can create more imbalance in your body and cause pain.

It's that time of year again and if you are like many men you are trying to think of a unique, thoughtful gift for your wife that she won't want to return! What about purchasing her a package of private Pilates sessions? I know what you are thinking ... If I buy my wife fitness classes she's going to think I think she needs to lose weight or get into better shape and that could get me in trouble!

Let me put some of your fears at ease and give you some of my top reasons why private Pilates sessions makes a perfect gift and why it may be the best present you've ever gotten her!

I am amazed at how many clients come into a session, expect to do everything perfectly on the first try, and then beat themselves up when they can't do it. It doesn't matter if you danced for twenty years, are an elite athlete, run marathons, lift weights, did Yoga, or if you are in the best shape of your life. If you are brand new to Pilates, you are brand new to Pilates, and it will take some time to learn!

I hear a clients say, "but you just did that exercise perfectly." My response is usually something like: "Let me tell you how many times over the last fifteen years I have done that exercise…(hundreds…even thousands) and I'm still working on it too!"

As a Pilates instructor I often get the question," Where should I be feeling this?".

It seems like a simple enough question but often the answer can be complicated. I find then when people ask me this they want to know if they are doing the exercise correctly and if they are "feeling it" in the correct place. Or maybe something is hurting during the exercise.