Would you like to learn what Pilates can do for you?

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If you are brand new to Pilates or it’s been awhile since you’ve practiced be sure to check out our complimentary intro session!! We would love for you to experience what a regular Pilates practice can do for your body and your life!

If you’ve been curious about exploring Pilates in your body…this is the perfect chance to try it out by signing up for a FREE introductory session! Click here to schedule a time that works for you!

Are you new to Pilates? Here’s a quick description of the Pilates method of movement:

Start your Pilates Journey at Rivercity Pilates in North Liberty.

Pilates is a mind-body exercise developed in the 20th century by Joseph Pilates. He and his wife Clara taught students this unique method of exercise. They called it ‘contrology,’ which teaches and encourages controlling your muscles with your mind by focusing attention on core postural muscles that provide spinal support and help keep the body balanced. Pilates’ exercises were developed to teach breath awareness, spine alignment, and abdominal muscle strength.

We love to introduce people to Pilates!   These sessions are geared for anyone who wants to learn more about what Pilates is all about! We’ll start the session with a general talk about what Pilates is and the different ways to practice it. After that we’ll get you moving so you can experience the method in your body.  We’ll review the fundamental concepts and ideas we use in Pilates and encourage you to try some Pilates exercises.  You will get to try out some exercises on the Pilates equipment! 

In your session your teacher will show you how to adapt each movement to your body to make it most effective for you.  It will be a fun, informative session that let you explore the Pilates method in your body.

Schedule a Complimentary Session

Who thought up Desk Jockey Yoga?

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by Shuva Rahim, Yoga Instructor

When I taught a session earlier this year, I used the phrase “desk jockey” when cueing backbends. I picked up it from one of my yoga teacher friends. But I loved saying it because it’s a hard truth.

Many of us sit with our spines rounded and neck bent looking down at the computer for hours on end. Inevitably, that posture impacts how we look, feel, and present ourselves to the world.

Everyone one of us is in some way a desk jockey. For many of us, myself included, our jobs are very sedentary. And unfortunately, for many of us that extends into our home lives when we sit in front of the TV.

Enter the idea for a workshop that I’m excited to teach.

Here’s the basics:

Desk Jockey Yoga
5:30 to 6:45 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20
Rivercity Pilates, 

1210 N. Jordan St. #1, North Liberty, IA

Fee: $25

In this 75-min workshop you’ll learn:

  • Simple breathing techniques
  • Movements you can do at your desk without changing out of your work attire. These include movements to help with:
    • Stiff neck and shoulders
    • Sore lower back
    • Tired hands and wrists
    • And more…

Attendees will leave with a routine they can do on their own. They’ll also receive tips to help keep themselves energized throughout the day. No yoga experience is necessary.

Space is limited. To register, go to Rivercity Pilates to sign up, or send an email Carey (studio owner) to rcpilates1@gmail.com and let her know you’re interested.

Would you fit in at Rivercity Pilates?

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Carey sadler, Rivercity Pilates.

Somebody asked me the other day, “What are the other clients like that come into the studio?” I think they really wanted to know if there would be others in group sessions who would be similar to them in terms of age and health goals.  

The question had me thinking about how I would describe most of our clients who come in to the studio and I came up with a few key characteristics that I wanted to share with you!

Our clients are learners! They really appreciate having time to learn more about how their body works, learn more about how they can use movement to feel better and improve their health.  They really embrace their exercise time not just as something they do to lose weight or look a certain way, but as a way to practice things that help them maintain and improve their health. 

Our clients love to know why we have them doing things and what it does for their body (and we love sharing that knowledge!)  Our clients will often ask questions about why they are doing something and they will often ask their instructors for ideas on how they can continue to work on specific things outside of the studio.  Our clients love to know that the exercises they are doing are helping them do things like improve their balance, strengthen their bones and stay mobile.

Our clients exercise to improve their health and they truly appreciate that movement helps their body feel better and is a health tool in their life. Want to know how I know this?  Each week so many of our clients come into their sessions not feeling so great in their bodies!   You read that right…they come in to exercise even though things hurt or they don’t feel the best in their body because they know that the way to feel better is to move their body!!

Each session when we ask clients how they are feeling at the beginning of their session we hear them say things like….my low back is sore today, I’ve been really noticing my knee hurting this week, or my shoulder feels really tight.   Our clients know that when they come in to their session their teacher will help them practice a whole body workout that feels appropriate for their body and they know they will feel better when they leave!

Our clients are confident knowing that they won’t ever be pressured to do an exercise or movement that doesn’t feel good in their body.  Our clients know that their teacher will adapt their session to them so they can improve their strength and mobility in a safe way. Our clients know that a regular movement practice helps their body feel the best!

So what do you think…did my general description of our clients sound like you? What other characteristics did I miss? Email me and let me know!!

If you need any help scheduling sessions or have any questions remember you can always just send me an email! I would love to hear from you!

NEW: Big Ball Pilates Mat

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Big Ball Pilates Mat with Kathryn

Wednesdays at 5:30 pm
June 7 – 28

Kathryn is back teaching for us this summer and she’s offering a small group Pilates Mat session that incorporates the Big Exercise Ball! This small group will incorporate the Big Exercise Ball into the Pilates Mat exercises for a fun twist on the traditional Pilates Mat exercises!  

Why practice Pilates with the Big Ball?

  • Fun – adding a big ball to your Pilates Mat workouts will make you smile we promise!
  • Balance – The big ball challenges our body to improve its balance skills by adding instability to each exercise. You’ll love how the ball gives you feedback and helps you improve your balance skills!
  • Strength – The Big Ball is an especially great prop for adding extra strengthening into your Pilates Mat practice.  You’ll learn lots of great variations that help you improve your overall strength!

Sign up for Big Ball Small Group Pilates Mat Sessions by requesting a Thursday 5:30 pm Pilates Mat session (June 7-28th) in Mindbody or simply email us and we’ll schedule sessions for you. You can schedule a single session or attend all 4 sessions!

Schedule Big Ball Pilates Online

Are you up for a challenge?

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Do you ever wonder how time passes so quickly? I was chatting with a client last week and we were talking about how she had been practicing Pilates with me at the studio for over 14 years!!

It made me reflect on how cool it is that I have had the opportunity to be a part of so many of my clients journeys as they age.  What an honor to get to see the habits and keys of what keeps people happy, healthy and moving through life well into their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond.

There are 2 lessons or key ideas that I have taken from my experiences that I try to incorporate into my own life always and I want to share them with you today.

  1.  This one I like to call “keep moving consistently”!  Clients who age well have made a point to consistently keep moving, no matter what.  They have a consistent movement routine in their life and they have no plan of ever stopping! They have learned that movement is important and they make it a priority to keep moving!  They keep moving even if they don’t really feel like it. They keep moving even when something is uncomfortable in their body (they simply adjust their movements for how their body is feeling and do what they can..)   In case you are wondering…yes,  many of them are practicing Pilates but they are also staying active in other ways in their life too..  Walking, biking, hiking, gardening, pickleball, golf and lots of other activities they enjoy!
  2. The second habit is simply a  “positive mindset around movement”.  These clients have learned to be grateful for what a movement practice does for them. They have figured out that dreading exercise is not helping them.   They look for ways to move their body, they look forward to their exercise time and they often talk about how much they know that their movement practices improve their life! They are purposeful about how they think about their movement time!  

Are you ready to work on your consistency and your movement mindset? We have just the thing…..it’s our 2023 Summer Challenge!

  • When: June 1st – August 31
  • The Challenge: Any combination of 30 sessions or virtual classes
  • Why?   Make a commitment to yourself to be consistent about your movement time and have fun doing it! (Plus there are prizes 😉)
  • What do I win?  A new Rivercity Pilates shirt
  • How much does it cost?   It is  FREE!
  • How do I join?  Email Carey

What counts for sessions or virtual classes? You can count any in studio movement sessions you take and any Rivercity Pilates virtual classes that you take. This does include our FREE classes that are available on our Youtube channel. You can take a recorded class more than once and each time you take the class it counts as a session!  

How do I track my sessions and classes?
If you are regularly coming in to the studio you can track your sessions and classes on our Summer Challenge Poster! You can also just download our tracker and keep track at home if you prefer!

Will there be bonus prizes?
Of course! Follow us on social media and read your emails from us this summer because we’ll be giving away fun prizes all summer long to summer Challenge Participants!

EMAIL CAREY TO SIGN UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

Do you ever blame how you feel on your age?

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My husband came home from his first “Daddy daughter” dance practice of 2023 with my daughter and said, “There is a lot of up and down in the dance and I was really feeling my old man knees”! My response, “Oh so what you’re saying is that dance practice is giving you an opportunity to strengthen your muscles and support your knees so they feel better?”  He smiled and said, “yes that’s exactly what I’m saying!”  

You see, he absolutely knows that actions like squatting and lunging and knee bends are exactly what helps his leg muscles stay strong and exactly what usually helps his knees feel better if they are feeling aching or sore, but out of habit fell into the mindset of deciding to choose to think that his uncomfortable knees were just a product of aging. His discomfort wasn’t because he was old…it was because he hadn’t been moving his body in ways that kept his knees happy lately!

Do you ever find yourself blaming how your body feels on aging? Have you found any benefit into thinking that way? (I’m guessing you haven’t!!)

As a Pilates teacher and a movement coach I want to remind you that your thoughts about how your body feels and about your movement time are are just as important as the movement time!  When clients first start with us one of the things they will notice is that not only are the learning how to move well in their body, they are also learning how to re-think movement, exercise and their body. 

So often people don’t even realize the negative mindset they have around exercise or their body and they find it so refreshing to be in a space with people who remind them of what they are capable of!

I’m giving you homework this week! See if you can catch yourself blaming how your body is feeling on your age and try changing that thought to a slightly more positive one! 

Try something like…”Oh that feeling is reminding me to be consistent in adding strength and mobility movements into my life…that’s a great reminder!” Try to avoid blaming your discomfort on your age and focus on things you can control!

If you’d like to find out more about how Pilates can help you feel terrific, email us here!