Welcome to the Surprise Pilates Blog! Together we will explore topics related to Pilates, Life, and all things Health, and Wellness. Subscribe to our blog so you will receive new posts emailed directly to you. Feel free to pass this along to friends and family or suggest a topic you would like to see featured here. Thanks so much for reading.
I run. I do Pilates most days. I choose the stairs and the far parking spot. I ride my bike to the grocery store when I only need a few items. If it’s raining I sprint across the parking lot. I’m generally active. As a result I feel pretty good about myself and I feel strong.
Read MoreThis morning I went for a long run. It was cool, crisp, and picturesque with the Fall colors beginning to show. I felt strong, energized, and capable. I was reminded why I love running! Not every run is like that … and it was only a few weeks ago I was dragging along in the heat and humidity.
Read MoreI am a PMA Certified Pilates Instructor. I own a studio. I teach classes for a living. I have the luxury of having a fully equipped studio to play in when I am not working. I really enjoy hopping on a reformer, a chair or the tower and moving. I love choosing the movements I feel my body needs that day. I like challenging myself, exploring choreography, and spring choice. Some days I just want to stretch and lengthen and soothe my body after a hard run. I often turn the music off and just listen to what I feel in my body. Could anything be more perfect or rewarding than that?
Read MoreI enjoy working out. I love Pilates. I love running. But some days I just don’t feel like it! Not every day do I bounce out of bed and feel like moving. Most days I do but occasionally I’m tired, burned out, stressed or just plain lacking motivation. Here are my go to motivators for those days:
Read MoreI've seen them and I'm sure you have, too ... ads for some 'new' fitness class or phenomenon that is 'amped up' or ‘ups the ante’ or is Plates on Steroids, etc. The ads and posts can be persuasive. They can make you question 'Do I need more? Is Pilates enough?'
Read MoreIn the world of health and fitness, buzzwords often emerge. Some years ago all the talk was about heart rate monitors and aerobic vs anaerobic workouts. Next up all things ‘bootcamp’ became the rage. Then ‘barre’ became the next new workout, followed by Tabata and interval training … and of course, we can’t overlook Crossfit.
Read MoreBreathing – most of us do it every day without much thought. But breathing is essential obviously and in my opinion the second most important element of Pilates.
Read MoreI preach to my students all the time about finding balance, working on muscular discrepancies, being aware of a strength, weakness, or tightness that is not uniform in their body. It's why we do single leg work and isolate one side or muscle group at a time. It is an integral part of Pilates and one of the many benefits of the reformer and Pilates apparatus work in general.
Read MoreI am sure every Pilates Instructor has heard this at one point or another from a potential student. At times it's the student's spouse or parent or friend who is making this observation for them. Agreed - Pilates is not cheap and it shouldn't be! If you simply want to burn calories there are cheaper ways to do that. But PIlates is different - so let's dive in and see why!
Read MoreI find with Pilates our reasons for starting are often more than getting in shape. When I enrolled in my Pilates training, I was with a group of about 10 women from different walks of life. On our first day, we went around the room and said why we were there. I think we were all a little nervous. Pilates training is expensive and a big time commitment (months!) Having been an athlete in college and a spinning instructor for almost a decade at that point - I assumed everyone was there simply to teach fitness. Boy was I wrong!
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