When 1 is More Than Enough

Whether you are doing Pilates, weight training, yoga or cardio it’s super easy to focus on the front side of the body and to not think about or connect to your back side. So, this week’s class “hello, from the other side” (yes, you can belt it like Adele) is all about what the back side of our body is doing.

On the Mat, if you have a Magic Circle we will kick class off with a mini warm up to connect to our seat. You can use your imagination or even a ball. Something you can press into.

On the Reformer we will not need anything extra but feel free to have some 1 or 2 lb. weights nearby if you want to skip the heavier springs.

See ya in class,

xx-LL

What’s this exercise for? Single Leg Kick is probably THE exercise that I get questions on!

Luckily for us, this is the 13th exercise in our order. This week feel something new in the Single Leg Kick and how it really sets you up for exercises that would otherwise be so hard to do without the wonderful strength the Single Leg Kick gives us!

See you on your mat,

xx-LL

Let’s find out how we can work our midline without losing our outer thighs too! On the Mat, we’ll use the Magic Circle for a few exercises to discover what our midline feels like when it’s working. On the Reformer, we’ll use the Foot Bar and springs to discover our inner strength not just our “go-to” muscles!

Let’s do this!

xx~LL

Ok, the title of this week’s class is pretty boring. But the workouts will be anything BUT! Because we are focusing on all the ways we circle in our Pilates practice. Where do they start from? Where do they stop? Is it always the same?

All you’ll need is you for 95% of these classes. But if you have a magic circle, we will use it just at the beginning of both the Mat and Reformer to remind ourselves where we circle from.

See your circles in class!

xx-LL

Sooo… one of the things I see as I travel around teaching people, is how much they are not using their down reach in their down stretch. In fact, they’re doing an incredible job working their shoulders and many are good at not hanging in their lower back. But, there’s soo much good stuff in the down stretch. So, whether you’re on the Mat or joining us on the Reformer too get ready to get down in your down stretch!

Let’s get down to go up!

xx~LL

Join Lesley Logan for a 30 min Pilates mat class designed for you to do anywhere you can lay down! Seriously, Pilates was designed on the mat first. Sometimes we can’t get to a studio, can’t leave the house, office or we are off traveling. Lesley’s mat class is perfect for your 30 min window dedicated to all things you. Turn your notifications off and lay out your mat (or even a towel) and get connected to your mat.

Your mat is just like a piece of equipment. It gives you feedback to what’s touching, not touching and supports your movements. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get connected!

xx-LL

I know you’ve been so focused on your reach, connecting to your center, equal stretch and strength. But, how often are you thinking about your wrists?

This week on the Mat we’ll play with the thera-band and weights and how holding them affects our arm-to-back-to-center connection. And, on the Reformer we have lots to talk about!

See you in class,

xx~LL

After many requests for more Upstretch class and more down stretch class, this weeks class will focus on both reaches! On the Mat we will first find our Up and Down Reach (aka Stretch) and then thread that throughout the class. If you have a soft ball or cushion it’ll help in the beginning.

On our Reformer we will find these reaches in the beginning and then use them to challenge some of the exercises we don’t always get to do. If you have 1lb weights grab them just in case you decide to do the modification.

xx~LL

It’s easy to think that some exercises will never be in your Pilates practice. When you hear their names you deflate, or say “can’t do that” or maybe you just stop moving. In this week’s class, I want you to try and have a mini moment with some of the most avoided or more “advanced” exercises.

Don’t worry, there will be options to go on a Pilates date with him the ones we are doing are truly out of your wheelhouse. But, if you’re without injury I hope you try them out. It’s just a fling after all.

All you need is your imagination and a little extra curiosity!

See you in class!

xx~LL

Back by OPC member demand – the squishy ball! We did some of these back in February when we brought our barrel work to our Mat and Reformer practices. This week we are going to bring back the bits you all voted you liked best and a few others.

If that is all gibberish to you because you’re new… don’t worry… just grab a ball and get ready to have some fun.

Don’t have a ball? Grab a Yoga bolster, foam roller or a couple good pillows to help prop you up!

xx-LL

What if we didn’t start with the Hundred? What if we started with Pushups? Would that make Teaser easier? Harder?

This week let’s flip class around to see the magic behind the madness of Pilates! It may just answer most of your Mat related questions.

See you on the mat!

xx-LL

Ok guys, before you run away from this week’s theme, I do hope you give it a try. If you don’t know what Horseback is, you will be like, “why run?” I know that Horseback is an exercise people love to hate. But, just like Hip Circles, this is one of those exercises that we can use to reveal what we need to explore more of in our bodies and where we are rocking!

So, don’t run. Jump on the horse band wagon with me on the Mat and on the Reformer and let’s have a fun ride!

See ya in class,

xx~LL

While I don’t like to get picky about the little things too much in our classes sometimes it’s important to going a little deeper in our practice to sweat the “small stuff.” This week, we are going to focus on where our hands go and what they are and are not doing in each exercise.

When I started really paying attention to my hands it completely changed my Open Leg Rocker!

Are you ready to give your hands a little attention? Yeah! Me too!

xx-LL

Back by demand this focus on maintaining your breath is here.

In this class, we will continue to explore where we initiate our inhale and exhale as well as how to use our breath to move through an exercise instead of holding our breath to “focus,” aka force ourselves through an exercise.

On the Mat you won’t need any prop but yourself. And on the Reformer we will focus on that flow of breath even in between the exercises while we set up our equipment!

See ya in class,

xx-LL

The SideKicks used to just include the Front and Back. But many of Joseph Pilates students have added a few variations to this. Why? Because the sidekicks are so important. Our side strength is what helps us do movements in multiple planes at once.

Think about how you move in life. When you are taking your groceries from the cart to your trunk you are lifting, twisting, bending and turning. Having strong obliques and glutes is key to stabilizing and agility. I mean, these muscles have to be able to do movements in both directions.

This week, we are taking the strength of our sidekicks through our mat work. Get ready to feel your hips in a whole new way!

See you on your mat,

xx-LL