My Favorite Pilates Exercise on the Ladder Barrel

Andrea Maida and I are continuing our deep dive into a few areas of Pilates. Last week we talked about…

What do you do for yourself in the morning? Do you go for a walk? Make coffee? Stretch out? Personally, I drink a massive glass of water, go for a run, make a smoothie and then head into the studio. I try to give myself some time to roll up, down, over and a little twist and extension to see where my body is that day.

You are busy! I am busy, he and she and they are busy! It seems that the more we make things easier and quicker to get done the more we have on our plates to do. And, as deadlines loom over our heads that vacation we keep saying we are going to take continues to get pushed onto the backburner. And, then even your day to day escapes like going to the gym or cooking your own meals get shoved and you end up saying “you’ll do it tomorrow.” With life being so busy it is too easy to not do the things that our bodies and minds need which is to take time off, relax, unwind and strengthen our muscles.  Would you travel more if it was easier to plan? What about if your getaway was planned for you? Would you take more time off for your mind and body if it was affordable? 

How busy are you? I know for me I am BUSY! I mean, sometimes I think if I had an assistant wouldn’t that be amazing. But, then I realize that my assistant can only do so much. I mean, my assistant cannot get my massages or do my workouts. Well, I guess she could but it wouldn’t help me feel strong or relaxed! And, so then I go back to just feeling overwhelmed and busy as busy can be and realizing that I need to put myself first. And, if you are anything like me then you too need to put yourself first! But, how do you do that? How do you put yourself first?

Pilates is a unique balance of strength, stretch, reach, contract and flow.  Pilates exercises are easy to make look “right.” I like to think its because Pilates is designed to make everything you are already doing in life better. So, the moves are not crazy (well ok some look bit crazy) they are natural movements our bodies should be able to do.

Andrea Maida and I had a request for some Swan tips in our weekly Pilates Collab. Now, I am in love with back bending. Mostly because I thought it was easy for me. What I have since discovered is how much I need to hone my strength so I didn’t just rely on my flexibility. 

Running your business, life, and family can seem like all you have time for. But you know that you want to feel better, have more energy and feel like you’re more in control of all the things. It’s so easy to let everything else take up your time. But, you really are the most important thing. And, it’s super easy to lose sight of that when you’re “in it.” But, here are my best tips for putting yourself first and not feeling guilty about it.

It should come as no surprise that I am an absolute LOVER of Pilates! But not everyone knows how much I enjoy my Yoga practice as well. However, as a teacher of one and a practitioner, the debate about Pilates vs Yoga is tired and most articles you’ll find on the internet are misleading.

Sure, there are some similarities and some of the benefits of Pilates and Yoga are similar. And, I’m not gonna lie I do find myself channeling Pilates in my Yoga class. But not because the exercise is similar to Pilates. I channel my Pilates in Yoga because the strength and connection of Pilates benefit my Yoga.

I’m going to toot my own horn today. I have the best Pilates Retreat planned for you! My next Pilates…

So, here is the deal, I do feel my heart rate go up while doing Pilates. I also feel it go down and then up again. Some sessions are less intense and others can be made more intense and you can add the jump board in and totally move the dial on your heart rate. But, is Pilates a Cardio workout? Well, most of the time I would say no. And, maybe sometimes yes.

I have heard many a surprised response from my in-person clients when I suggest we skype/facetime their Pilates sessions when…

I always knew my knees hyper-extended. I hated that about my legs. But, I didn’t know how to stop. And, who doesn’t want to be flexible?! But the truth is that hyper-mobility was the reason I broke my leg back in 2014.

I cannot believe that Jeni Del Pozo and I have now led four Pilates Day Retreats since our launch! It’s pretty crazy how a little idea (we should be doing Pilates Retreats) and a couple of almond milk latte’s birthed what is now Pilates Day Retreats. We have toured all of Los Angeles and all over the Pilates studio, and we are now taking our Pilates Retreats to Your Neighborhood Studio in Culver City, CA.

Back in 2008 when the country and most of the world was feeling the recession I became a Pilates instructor. I got so busy I had to quit my “real” job.  In 2013 I found myself homeless, carless and studio-less and that loss cleared the way for the life and business I have today. Currently your life, routine, work and everything in between have likely flipped on its head. So, how can this time be for you?

Crazy times is the understatement of the year. Living life in this “new normal” somehow is starting to feel more normal. And, honestly, I find I am truly enjoying my new routines. Especially when I don’t listen to the news. Not that I am not staying informed. But, tbh, this time can be one that causes us to live in fear, and wait, hunker down and let time pass. Or, it can be a time we thrive. And, it’s all in how you look at it. Because, if you look back at your life there have been times where “bad things” have happened. Or, at least things that you felt were bad. And while this virus is more than “bad.” It is downright scary. How do we know this disruption in our daily lives is “bad?”