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.
Whether you call it double leg work, footwork on the reformer or any other name, it’s an important part of Pilates. Often performed at the beginning of class, but it should not be mistaken as ‘just the warmup’ phase. Footwork on the bar can show us and teach us many important lessons if we tune in and let it.
Read MoreI’m a type A personality and this has served me well in many ways. My drive and goal oriented nature has kept me pushing to succeed despite obstacles along the way. I am doer and I tend to take on a lot. I enjoy being busy and accomplishing new things. I love checking items off my to-do list. But there is also a down side to being type A. I have a hard time slowing down and taking a break. Running my body at high speed and under stress is a recipe for a bad sleep, weekend immune system and a crash in energy.
Read MoreThis past July I had the opportunity to join in the teacher training hosted by Shine Pilates for Stott Teacher trainers. I’ve always held Stott’s method in high regard - some even say it’s the Harvard of Pilates schools!
Read MoreI know I am not alone here. I have a big project I am working on for the studio (details on that revealed later!). I’m excited about it but I’m also a bit nervous and uncertain just how to do it. it’s a challenge for sure and one i’ve wanted but it will require me to grow, stretch and push myself. So what have I been doing when I should be working on this .. just about everything else!
Read MoreThere are plenty of ways to workout or burn a few calories so what makes Pilates special? What can Pilates really do for you that another fitness class can't?
For starters - Pilates is so much more than a 'fitness class'. Will you get fit - yes but that is just the beginning of the changes you'll see with Pilates. Joseph Pilates said "In 10 sessions you feel different. In 20 sessions you see the difference and in 30 sessions you'll have a whole new body." That's a pretty bold claim and yet I see it happen again and again in my studio.
Read MoreChances are if you take a pilates class be it mat or reformer you will do some roll-downs. Or maybe quite a few! To get the most out of this exercise – you need to do it right. As with anything – there are ways to do it wrong either intentionally or not.
Read MoreCan you believe it’s been a year??? I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic as I think back to the beginning of Shine Pilates - even before the doors opened. And of course I am feeling incredibly grateful to all of you for helping to make my dream come true, for supporting and loving Shine Pilates, and welcoming me to Lexington!
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 MoreLike most women, I woke up early and watched the royal wedding this weekend. It was beautiful, inspiring, heartwarming, and felt so special. Why do we watch or why do we show up for weddings in general? We do it so support the Bride and Groom. We do it to help the couple on their special day and to support their decision to be married.
It's a wonderful thing to support our friends. It's a wonderful feeling to be supported.
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