Don’t believe the hype!

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I first discovered Pilates in 1989. Back then it wasn’t widely known but my orthopedic surgeon knew that it would be invaluable for my recovery and return to gymnastics and dance training. And he was right!

When I began teaching in 1995 most of my clients were people who had serious back problems and other injuries and chronic conditions. I worked with a few young and fit athletes but the majority were older people who needed help with pain and restricted mobility. It was known that Pilates was the perfect exercise for them.

Unfortunately now that Pilates is widely known it’s not known for it’s true benefits. Images of Hollywood stars and young fit looking people in intimidating poses are everywhere in the media. Many people are too intimidated to even try it. And there are also lots of teachers who take a very aggressive and boot camp like approach so many people who try Pilates found it to be inappropriate for them. And this breaks my heart!

Pilates is for everyone. I’m happy to teach super fit people and help them cross train for their marathon but my real joy comes from working with someone who has been struggling with pain or never felt that they liked exercise. People who don’t think they are coordinated or good at traditional fitness. Every body can move. Movement is vital to our lives. You don’t need to “be in shape” to try Pilates, not with me!

If you have wanted to try Pilates but felt intimidated please feel welcome to try it again. I’m here to help you whatever “shape” you’re in, whatever limitations of mobility you’re experiencing.  I love this work because it works for everyone!  I’d love to help you discover what Pilates really is.

Every body is a Pilates body

When I begin teaching Pilates in 1995 it was not widely known. But those who did know about it knew that it was wonderful for older people and people with back problems and other pain and injuries.

Now in the unfortunate Instagram era the ideas about Pilates have changed and not really for the better. People see images of young and  impossibly fit people doing Pilates. Pictures of trim, fit bodies in extreme positions abound. I’ve heard many people say “Oh, I could never do Pilates!” and it breaks my heart. Because everyone can do Pilates!

I have taught people who were in a wheelchair. People who were elderly and had difficulties with mobility. People of all sizes, many whom thought they couldn’t exercise or did not feel comfortable setting foot in a gym. People who have had multiple back surgeries and gotten no results. These are the people that Pilates is for!

I’m not interested in weight loss or telling anyone how they should look. And after seeing many people who while “fit” looking, were in chronic pain and using diet and fitness in extremely unhealthy ways, I don’t judge a body by how it looks. I’m interested in how a body moves. And not in an extreme, showing off with advanced exercises way. More of a functional movement, how do you feel, are you able to move through your life the way you want to way.

If you’re goals are to “tone up”, “slim down” or other cosmetic changes based goals I don’t judge that either. But the work we do will focus on movement and development of healthy strength, flexibility, stability and mobility. Cosmetic changes will be a by product of that work. And as someone who has been “fit” looking and in chronic pain from professional dance training, I can tell you that feeling good and being pain free are much more important to quality of life than having toned triceps!

The bottom line is that Pilates is not about how you look or what “shape” you are in. We are all human shaped. And we all need movement for our bodies to function and thrive. I’m here to help you discover the potential your body has for movement. I’m here to help you find out how healing and empowering movement can be. And I’m here to help you feel capable and good in your body.  You don’t need to look any certain way. You don’t need to be “fit”, “athletic” or even coordinated!  Whatever your “shape” or your goals I’m here to help you. Pilates is for you.

Movement as maintenance

Pilates is often viewed as some frivolous pastime for ladies who lunch. This couldn’t be further from the truth!  Pilates is a valuable movement practice for anyone who has a body!

“Prehab” is the practice of injury prevention. “Rehab” is the process of recovery from injury. “Post rehab” is the vital work for after an injury is resolved and you want to continue strengthening and maintaining healthy movement to prevent re-injury or compensatory injuries which can often result from imbalances created during an injury. And then there’s “maintenance”. Machines require maintenance. Our bodies are complex machines and also require maintenance. You may have a sedentary or repetitive job. Maybe you’ve got physical hobbies like gardening or enjoy sports that create wear and tear on the body. Pilates is a wonderful compliment to any activity and helps keep your body in balance so you can enjoy all of your activities without recurring aches and pain. And if you have a life that doesn’t include movement Pilates is a wonderful way introduce healthy movement and improve your body and quality of life.

If you are a very fit person Pilates will enhance your training and prevent injury, improve performance and help you reach new goals and increase your fitness level. But if you’re “out of shape” or dislike exercise then Pilates is a perfect way to get in touch with your body, discover the benefits of movement and become more fit and capable in your body.

Don’t let the media images of Pilates keep you from trying it!  I love teaching people who don’t like exercise and have great success in helping many find the joy of movement and feel empowered in their bodies. I’m much more interested in helping you feel better than making you do exercises perfectly or pushing you to look a certain way or reach a certain size. Those superficial markers don’t matter. You can do Pilates at any size or fitness level! Humans are built to move and Pilates will teach you how to move and give you access to hidden potential. Whatever your goals are I am here to help.

Invest in your wellness

Pilates is not cheap. But you get what you pay for, and that’s very true with Pilates.  Doing a group mat class might cost $15-$20 but you don’t get the benefit of a teacher choosing the exercises you need and giving you instructions and adjustments specially for you. They might give cues that you don’t understand or that don’t even apply to you and make the movement more difficult and less effective. You might struggle for a long time and not feel like you are “getting it”.

A Pilates video or DVD won’t even offer any interaction, just the same cues and exercises each time. Streaming services have variety but again, no skilled professional is looking at you and offering specific cues or adjustments that you need.

A private Pilates session gives you the benefit of a skilled professional choosing specific exercises for your individual needs. They will modify things for any issues you have and take things at your own pace. Balancing challenging movements and “feel good” exercises to keep you progressing and feeling successful ensures that you will continue to improve but not be pushed to overdo things.

I’ve been teaching for 24 years and have vast experience working with people with all kinds of issues. I’ve helped people heal from sciatica, herniated discs and chronic back pain. I have also helped people manage chronic conditions like fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis. I have taught people who are in wheelchairs and people who are professional athletes. Everyone needs different things and I tailor each session to give the most benefit. Sometimes that’s a challenging workout and sometimes it’s a therapeutic & restorative session. But it’s always what you want and need in the moment.

I also love to give people home routines that they can practice on their own. If you can’t commit to ongoing sessions we can create a personalized program that you can continue on your own.

An hour of personal training with a skilled Pilates teacher is worth the cost. It can be just as valuable as physical therapy and sometimes give better results because we address the whole body and not just the isolated issue.

Pilates is an invaluable investment in your wellbeing. It’s far more than a “good core workout”. It re-educates the body and changes movement patterns to make moving in life easier. If you want to invest in your body and ensure that it will be a functional vehicle throughout your life I am here to help.

New year, same you.

We get a lot of push at the new year to “improve”, “change”, quit this and start that. And if the push helps you to make positive changes that’s wonderful!  But you don’t need a “new” body or a “new” you!  Both you and your body are already in existence!  But if you’re in pain, feeling stiff, having trouble moving and functioning in daily life or have goals that you want to reach but aren’t sure how to achieve then it would be good to try Pilates. Not to get a new body, but to care for the one you have. And it’s not so much about “improving” your “shape” as it is about moving your spine and joints, giving your body access to moving the way it’s made to. Movement is vital to health. “Perfect” triceps or 6 pack abs are not!

There will be lots of media showing “perfect” bodies that take only minute a day!  Which is just not the truth, and how a body looks doesn’t mean that body feels well, moves well or functions in healthy ways without pain.  If you feel intimidated by those “perfect “ bodies and intense workouts I might be a good match for you.

My approach to Pilates is for everyone  who wants to move and feel better without needing to do crazy and intense exercises and be pushed to perform, look a certain way or strive for an unattainable image.

There is nothing wrong with the body you have!  You don’t need a “new” one. Pilates will be beneficial if you want to feel and move better. Even one session per week can really make a positive difference.  And there’s no reason to feel intimidated, I will guide you in a safe gentle and effective way to help you become stronger, more flexible, more functional and more aware of your body and it’s potential. The more you practice the more you expand your potential.  If you want to have more physical potential and less pain and restriction then try Pilates!  You don’t need a “new” you! But a new practice might help you feel like new!

Post physical therapy Pilates

Physical therapy can be a vital part of healing from an injury or chronic issue. But what about after the course of therapy sessions is over? Are you permanently healed? Unfortunately, that’s unlikely.

Physical therapy will focus directly on the injury or pain area. While this is important it might not be the only thing that your body needs to make lasting benefits. Often a knee injury is related to hip tightness. Sometimes lower back issues are being made worse by tightness in the feet and ankles. Rarely does strengthening one muscle group solve a problem. And even when physical therapy is successful and the issue is resolved it will not be a lasting solution if you do not continue to practice healthy movement patterns and maintain your strength and flexibility.

Pilates is so beneficial because it works the body as a whole. While we might focus on specific areas to address specific issues we will also be working on moving the body in all the ways it can move. The strength of the method is in its movement patterns much more than its actual strength and flexibility potential. Strength and flexibility are important but don’t help when movement patterns are not focused on. The reason we need strength and flexibility is so we can move!  By taking the body through movement we teach our selves functional skills that benefit us outside the studio and in our lives. Doing a “perfect” exercise on the mat is not the goal, being able to sit, stand, walk, work and play are the goals. And once those goals are reached the practice continues to be beneficial.

Our bodies are made to move and the more we move the better we can move. We might want to expand our abilities and gain new movement potential or maybe just maintain the abilities we have. Either way continuing the practice is vital. Our bodies require constant maintenance and the practice of Pilates is a wonderful system for both maintaining and increasing our bodies potential.

You might start by just wanting to get out of pain but once you reach that goal there’s no end to what you can achieve. It’s up to you and I am here to help you.

Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas from SolaraPilates!  Have a beautiful holiday, whatever and however you celebrate.

If you’re looking to improve your physical wellbeing in the new year I’m here to help you.

Is your ab work working?

Core work is now quite a buzzword. People know that strong abs help your back. But if you’re doing lots of crunches and core work  and your back pain is not improving what should you do? More crunches?  Probably not.

When I do abdominal work with people I always approach it as spinal work. The abdominal muscles both stabilize and mobilize the spine. That coveted 6 pack is not necessarily the solution to back pain. What is important is having a spine that can move in all directions and can be stable when it needs to be, like during lifting things or sitting for long periods of time. Doing crunches don’t really help your spine have functional range of motion. Most of us are curled over a desk too much so doing more curling exercises to help this doesn’t really make the most sense!  Our spine needs to flex, extend, side bend and rotate. Pilates exercises will let you experience all of these in a safe, gentle and effective way. You can limit the range according to your body’s ability and increase as you are able. By moving your spine you are strengthening the abdominal muscles in a functional way and keeping your spine supple, mobile and giving it the decompression that the discs need. By focusing on full body movements you’re teaching your body to work in healthy harmony. Muscles work in groups, not isolation. The Pilates exercises will help your body be able to do life tasks better, walking, running, reaching, bending and anything else you can do.

Doing core work that has no relationship to actual human movement will not make your back stronger. Teaching your body to move will give you much more than a 6 pack, it will give you a body that can function and thrive in activities.

If you are struggling with pain and the exercises are not giving you relief from pain or better quality of life you might want to try Pilates. It’s designed for the whole body and is so much more than core. Stop crunching and start moving!

Practice, not performance

Pilates can seem intimidating. Images of very fit people performing amazing feats are often used to advertise it. But Pilates is a practice, not a performance!

In my sessions I want people to feel their bodies potential for movement. Perfection is not the goal. The practice of Pilates is designed to improve posture,balance, coordination, strength and flexibility. It’s not a spectator sport and it’s not important if it’s pretty or graceful or perfect. Experiencing movement is the point. Expanding your bodies potential for movement is far more beneficial than making something look “right” or “good”. With practice exercises will naturally improve and become more grateful but that’s a byproduct, not really the goal.

After gymnastics and dance I found Pilates to be so freeing. I didn’t have to be perfect. There was no score or performance. It is just about moving. Being mindful in the body. Struggling through challenges in a safe and supportive way to improve mobility and stability. Feeling better is more valuable than looking better. I know from my experience that looking really fit is not much good when you’ve got chronic pain and limited mobility. Being able to move is vital to living. “Cut” muscles are not.

Anyone can do Pilates. It’s for every body, age, size and ability. If you have been intimidated about trying it please know that I’m here to help you, not judge or force you to do overwhelming moves. I work at your pace and build up your abilities in a safe gentle way. You’ll become capable of things with practice but the real benefit is feeling better, moving better and living better. If you want to experience more freedom in your body and more movement potential in your life don’t hesitate. Pilates is for you and I’d be happy to help you discover the ways it can help you.

Pilates for pain

People often think Pilates is just for your “core”. And yes, Pilates does strengthen your core, which is more than just the abs! What many people don’t know is that Pilates is amazing for pain.

So many people are living with pain. Sometimes physical therapy doesn’t help or only helps so much. Pilates will focus on your “problem” area but also your body as a whole. No part of the body is isolated from the whole. Lower back pain might be stemming from hip tightness. Neck pain might be caused by poor shoulder mechanics. In my sessions I will look at how all parts are moving and address the body as a whole. To help pain we will focus on moving correctly, not just strength and flexibility.

When joints aren’t moving well it leads to tension and compensation. This can lead to weakness in muscle groups and excessive wear in joints. While we do need strength and flexibility we ultimately need to have healthy movement patterns. With Pilates we focus on how to move. We can work in a gentle yet effective way to restore healthy movement. By learning how to mobilize and stabilize your joints your body can return its natural way of moving and relieve pain. You’ll feel better and move better and those will help you live better.

Regular sessions in the studio are invaluable but if that’s not possible we can create a home program that will ensure your progress. With consistent practice you’ll reap consistent results and continue to improve strength, flexibility and movement. There’s no quick fix for pain but the simple practice of specific exercises will work wonders! If you are struggling with pain and what you’re doing is not giving you relief or lasting results please consider Pilates. I’ve helped many people get out of pain and I am here to help you!