Inspiration of the Month Gary Stetzel

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Inspiration of the Month
Gary Stetzel
July 2016 

When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?  I started Pilates in January 2015.  I wanted to improve my health and do an activity with my wife.

How often do you practice Pilates and what type of sessions or classes have you been doing?   I try to do 2-3 sessions per week. I have been doing Private Pilates sessions with my wife. It is a good couples activity. 

What benefits or improvements have you noticed in your body and life from doing Pilates?  I have noticed that I am more trim. In fact, I just took some clothes to alterations to reduce the waist size. I am more flexible and have more stamina biking and hiking.

Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?  I like the leg spring exercises on the Tower equipment the best.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing Pilates?  I would say give it a try. I think men perceive that this is more for women and that is not the case. You will notice the improvements in your waist size and stamina!

10 reasons I WILL go to Pilates today!

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top10I have had some issues to deal with lately, and I really have trouble getting motivated to go out the door and to Pilates!  I have two jobs, I’m dealing with grief and stress, and well, I have a zillion excuses about how much work I have to do.      So this top 10 list, is helping me focus for 1 hour a day on ME!

1.  I always feel better when I’m finished!

2. My health is important and Pilates is part of my health care plan.

3. Stress relief.  When life is crazy and stressful it’s easy to skip the things we need most…all the more reason to make it to the studio.

4. Me Time. No time to think about those emails, your spouse, your kids or what’s going on in the world….Carving out time to just focus on yourself makes you a better person, puts life into perspective and leaves you ready to tackle the world.

5. Time to Breathe.  Mindful breath work can make amazing changes in how your body feels, can relieve stress and can give you a sense of connectedness to yourself.

6. I already signed up….( Let’s face it…that 24 hour cancellation policy is a godsent when you are looking for an excuse….nothing worse than losing $$)

7. Setting an example for my loved ones.  Whether it’s your kids, your spouse or your friends…you know they are watching.  When you make a commitment to your own health they are much more likely to do the same!

8. I like my Pilates instructor and do enjoy the sessions once I get there!  It’s important to have a teacher who you connect with, who inspires you, and knows how to make you laugh and have fun while you’re moving.  When you have that connection makes it easier to convince yourself to get to the studio, even on those days when you really don’t feel like it!

9. Working Level…..One of the things I love about Pilates is my ability to do it on my own level on any given day.  Having instructors who encourage you to work at the appropriate level allows me to feel safe that even on days I’m not feeling like I can give 110%.   I can still get a safe, effective workout in without feeling like I’m a failure!

10.  “Patience and Persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.” ~ Joseph H. Pilates   ( You can’t argue with Joe….showing up on a regular basis is an important part of maintaining a healthy, balanced life)

If you’re like me and sometimes need a little extra motivation or reminder of why not to listen to my excuses I hope this list helps!  Feel free to print it and put it on your refrigerator or your bathroom mirror!!            ~Becky

Do you know your Pilates instructor well enough to say this?

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As a Pilates instructor one of the things 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:

  • Are you making that up?  (I mean did Joe Pilates really create all of these crazy exercises and how could she still be teaching me new things after I’ve been doing this for more than a  year…?)

    I have to admit that on occasion I make up a movement or variation of an exercise if I feel like it would help a client.  In fact in my own workout(aka play time) I often experiment with different variations of a traditional Pilates exercise that might help someone learn a Pilates concept or movement better or in a new way. So it’s possible I would answer this with a yes!
  • What the he** are we doing?   Most Pilates students have thought this at one time or another. Maybe you felt this the first time you did Short Spine or when we asked you to Roll Like a Ball, but only those who know me well will actually say it out loud when I ask them to try something new or different!
  • Are you bored?  This one goes hand in hand with did you make that up?  It’s true I do like the creative, playful side of Pilates and like to mix things up on occasion…variety is the spice of life right?
  • Are you kidding me?   This one usually comes out when I ask them to do something they don’t think they can do like maybe Upside Down Push Up on the Chair or Monkey on the Cadillac and then they end up doing it beautifully!!
  • No….   When I ask if they want to try an exercise or movement sometimes I get an upfront No, not really….usually I’m not really giving them an option and then they end up doing it anyway…but those who know me well aren’t afraid to try to get out of it…
  • Rolling Eyes..(no words needed)….  This response is common when I say things things like,”This exercise is like a built in rest in the middle of your Pilates mat work or guess what fun thing is up next?…” 
  • Stop being so picky!    Admit it….some days you just wish your instructor would not remind you of all those little details… are they really that important anyway?
  • Really???    This usually gets said at that moment when you are slightly tired and I ask you to do 2 more, or maybe try just a slightly more challenging variation….
  • Do you really think I can do that??  My answer is always, “Of course I do or I wouldn’t have asked!!”
  • Anything else?  Pull your abdominals in, keep your legs together, no scrunching those shoulders and then coordinate your breath with your movement! ….  The Pilates method can seem pretty demanding and sometimes you feel like your brain and body can’t possibly put all those pieces together at the same time.
  • Time for Seal??  If you have been practicing Pilates you know the exercises that come at the end of the order and you have to admit that it’s kind of a relief when you hear your instructor announce those exercises.  For those who know me well they are not shy about asking for those exercises( even if we are only half way through our workout!)

So now it’s your turn!  I would love to hear what goes through your head and what you actually say to your Pilates instructor!  If you are a Pilates instructor I’m sure you can add to my list of what you hear from clients!  Share this post and be sure to comment with your favorites!!

Pilates Inspiration of the Month – Lindsey Gorzelanny

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Inspiration of the Month
May 2016
Lindsey Gorzelanny 
When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?
I started Pilates about 6 years ago when I was pregnant with our first child to counterbalance the additional weight, prepare for his birth, and stretch, strengthen, and tone my body.  It changed my life.  Since then, I have tried to sneak in at least one weekly session in whatever city I am in.
What benefits have you seen by committing to a regular Pilates practice?   
I can ALWAYS tell when I have missed a weekly session. My body feels tight and it hurts.  For me, Pilates is better than massage. Due to gravity, computer and phone use, and carrying a toddler my body is often out of alignment and Pilates allows me to pinpoint those weak areas and stretch and strengthen them. I haven’t found any other exercise that enables me to do that.  It helps with other areas of fitness as well; breathing, proper alignment, mind, body awareness, and core stabilization. Seeing the benefits of my Pilates practice, my professional athlete husband started incorporating Pilates into his training.  We have been enjoying  “Pilates dates” together in the off-season!
What were the benefits of staying active with Pilates during and after pregnancy?
I credit Pilates for allowing me to feel great during both of my pregnancies. I practiced Pilates on my due date with both boys (I delivered 2 days later with both). I tend to have long natural labors and my Pilates practice gave me the strength and endurance to power through the marathon of labor.  It also helped me recover quickly from pregnancy and the labor. I was not only able to get back to my pre-pregnancy shape fairly quickly, but I was also able to heal properly.   When you are feeding a newborn every 2 hours, carrying an insanely heavy diaper bag and car seat, not sleeping, and your core strength is non-existent, Pilates will save your life.  Pilates is the perfect low impact exercise for during and after pregnancy.  It is Physical Therapy and massage combined. For instance, when my core is weak due to pregnancy my lower back begins to hurt, so Pilates allows me to strengthen my core and stretch my back at the same time.
 
You are a busy mom, how do you make time to take care of yourself?
When I had a toddler and a newborn, a 50 minute Pilates session was the only time I took for myself. It helped me both physically, mentally, and emotionally.  I definitely struggle with taking time for myself, so I would sneak away when the baby was napping and my husband was home.  Now my oldest is in kindergarten and my youngest goes to preschool, so I can go to the grocery store, Target, Starbucks, and Pilates kid-less, and  it is the most amazing thing!
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?

I actually like all the equipment for different reasons and it depends on the day and what my body is feeling.  Sometimes I want a quick, effective, toning workout, so I prefer the Mat exercises and/or the Chair. But other days, after I have been traveling and my body is aching, I prefer the Cadillac and Reformer.  After all these years, each exercise and equipment still is challenging to me and I am constantly making adjustments.
What would you say to other busy moms who are thinking about doing Pilates?

It will be the best decision you make for both your mind and body.  You will feel great and enjoy doing it!

Joy of Movement

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IMG_0462Like many of my male clients, Murray got talked in to Pilates by someone who loved him and knew that some mindful movement and breath done safely could help him feel better in his life. At 92 though, he definitely wasn’t my regular studio client and I’m sure that the little time we worked together taught me way more than I taught him.

Murray’s daughter had been a regular client of mine for awhile and since she was a care taker for her dad she often had days where she ended up needing to miss her Pilates sessions at the studio because it didn’t work out for her to leave him home alone. Since Becky lived closed to me I offered to come to her house for her Pilates sessions so she could still keep up with her Pilates practice. (If you are or know a caretaker you know it can be a LITTLE stressful and being able to have a mindful movement practice can be an amazing tool at keeping yourself healthy…this is a whole other blog…).

So I got to know Murray because he would often be sitting in his chair having coffee when I came over for Becky’s session or sometimes he would come out of his room part way through our session just to watch.  (He especially enjoyed watching when both Becky & Mike were working out and loved to give Mike a hard time about why he was sweating!)  We often joked with him about wanting to join us but he just said in a very Murray kind of voice…NO!

One day Becky sent me a note to let me know that Murray agreed to do 5 minutes of Pilates with me…maybe just some Pilates breathing.   I often get excited about new clients, but I have to tell you I was super excited to work with Murray as I knew that we could do some pretty basic simple things that would probably make a big difference in his life.

The first day I was there for a session Becky had Murray in his chair so he could do some Pilates with me. I could tell that he didn’t really want to do anything but was being nice for my sake (and Becky’s). We started with some Pilates breathing. Murray had COPD, so anything we could do to help his body breath more efficiently was going to help him feel better. I had brought some squishy 4 inch balls over for him to squeeze to help with movement and strength in his hands. I may have given him a few ideas of how to improve his posture and engage his core muscles….but honestly I just wanted him to get to know me better and see that what we were doing was not so bad and might actually help him feel better.  This is how our sessions continued. Usually we didn’t do much more than 5 or 10 minutes tops and I really just tried to get him doing some gentle movements that would help him strengthen and maintain flexibility and functional movement.

My favorite session with Murray was a day after we had more than a few sessions under our belt and he was getting more comfortable with me and more willing to try different things I suggested. We had been using a small playground ball for some inner thigh strengthening and then I was having him hold the ball in front of his chest and straighten/bend his arms keeping his good posture. Some how I got him straightening and throwing the ball to me just in front of him and him catching and pulling it back into his chest…we were playing catch! Murray had the biggest most genuine smile I had ever seen from him (or maybe anyone) and I knew at the moment I would remember that smile forever. I remember thinking at that very moment that is why I teach movement….joy of movement. He was having fun and playing catch and his smile could light up a whole room.

joyofmovementJoy of Movement…that moment when you are moving and smiling and enjoying yourself…not worrying about counting calories or which muscles you are strengthening or how many calories you are burning. Kids are great at finding Joy in movement…dancing, climbing, playing with no worries. As adults I think those moments are much harder to come by.

As a Pilates instructor I love knowing how the body moves, I love using movement to create balance in the musculature, I love teaching the Pilates method to bodies of any age, size, and shape…. But more than that I love helping people find Joy of Movement in their lives….

 

 

Knee Replacement – How soon can you do Pilates?

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Whether you are contemplating knee replacement surgery or have had the surgery I think you’ll find the video above pretty impressive.  Just 2 weeks after her knee replacement Nancy is back at the studio doing many of her regular Pilates exercises.  The secret to her impressive road to recovery?  Pilates of course! Nancy’s regular Pilates practice before her surgery gave her the strength, balance and core strength to tackle the recovery process the best she could.  Since the Pilates method of exercise is so adaptable to any body Nancy was able to easily incorporate her Pilates practice into her recovery time and is doing fabulous!

To learn more about the benefits of Pilates before and after Knee Replacement surgery schedule a complimentary Private session today!