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.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Whatever it is you celebrate, the season of giving is fast approaching and, after the year it’s been, I think it’s needed now more than ever! Sure, it’s not all about presents & it’s important to appreciate being able to simply spend time with the ones you love, but who doesn’t love surprising a loved one with a new gift they’ve been desperately wanting/needing?! And, if you’re not sure what to get your fitness junkie, we’ve got you covered!
Read MoreI was talking with a few ladies in the studio today and the topic came up of motivation. The ladies both mentioned with all the closings and limited activities they found themselves lacking the motivation to do the things they wanted to do and could do like Pilates. I in contrast have been quite busy with Health & Nutrition Training at IIN, Teacher Training at the Studio, and teaching lots of Pilates. As a result, I have found myself more productive!
Read MorePIlates wins and Stress is bad for everyone! If you thought I was going to tell you who won the election - that answer is still undetermined and maybe for a while! This may be a source of great stress for you and that stress is not doing any of us any good. Maybe your concerns are Covid, schooling your kids, your business, finances, or illness … it’s all stress and it’s doing a number on our bodies. Our bodies are not meant to exist in constant stress. It actually impacts our immune systems and makes us more susceptible to illness.
Read MoreTimes are weird, it can be hard to handle it all. We are all living in an environment we haven’t been before; it’s hard to know proper etiquette or where to find guidance in a world with many different information sources. Between the unpredicted nature of the pandemic, combined with the need to return back to a somewhat normalcy, it can be hard to find a balance that keeps you feeling sane and healthy. As I talked about in a previous blog post, finding a routine is something that can really help you find stable ground in times that have possibly been more stressful than normal. In addition to routine, regular exercise (especially Pilates!) is another great tool that can benefit your mind and body. I’m sure we’ve all felt it; we aren’t feeling our best but letting off steam through working out helps more than we initially realize!
Read MoreWe have all been there … contemplating doing something new or trying something. We are interested but not quite ready to pull that trigger. Some of us hang out in the contemplation stage for a long time! Behavior Change Scientists study what it takes to get a person from contemplation to action. I often hear from new students that they have contemplated Pilates for quite a while before actually coming to the studio.
Read MoreComing into college, I hadn’t made my fitness a priority since I played grade school sports. Sure, I took PE in high school and went on runs (they usually turned into walks), but I never had a real workout regime that I followed. Since I’ve been more independent in Lexington, I’ve made a bigger effort to improve my fitness and overall strength. Visits to the gym slowly became more frequent and, over quarantine, I familiarized myself with different at-home workouts on YouTube, like many others. Part of the reason I applied to intern with Lucie was that I wanted something to encourage me to keep working towards my goal! I’m a bit of a stranger to workout classes in general, but I had never dabbled in Pilates at all before this semester.
Read MoreOne of the most common questions I am asked by new students at Shine Pilates is “How often should I workout?” While there is no one simple answer to this you do need to consistent. When I am talking to students, we take into consideration where they are at physically now, what else they may be doing, time constraints, and budget as well. At the end of the day - whether it’s 3 times a week or more or less - being consistent I tell them is what leads to results. How do I know this … because I’ve lived it, too!
Read MoreLet’s face it - a lot of things we were looking forward to have been canceled. Trips, concerts, Keeneland (attending), large holiday parties, and so on - canceled. As much as we can all know and appreciate the reasons why it doesn’t make it any easier!
Read MoreI recently met up with Shine Pilates Studio owner, Lucie Bécus to ask her some questions on Pilates. She began discussing with me what Pilates is and what makes her Pilates studio so unique compared to other studios. Some of the questions I asked could be useful to you and maybe something you never even knew! So, let’s see what Lucie had to say.
Read MoreThe goal of working out is often to make muscles and to get stronger. It can also be to tone those muscles. For some it’s about looking better. For others it’s about feeling better. Regardless, what the pursuit - engaging muscles is at the core of working out.
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