One of my favorite parts of the HIIT classes I go to besides the Thai kicks (freaking love those) is when we Row! I see a lot of people do it so wrong. All in their upper necks and lower backs. But, when I get on the rower I feel my seat connect, my center work and like I could go for at least 5 seconds longer than the timer. And it’s all thanks to Pilates!

So, grab your 1 lb. or maybe even 2 lb. weights and join me for a week of Rowing! On the Mat we’ll bring the rowing exercises to our flow. And, on the Reformer we’ll row where we row and we’ll sneak some rowing into other places too!

Can’t wait to see you row!

xx~LL

I don’t know about you but this is the hardest part of the holidays. I can get through Halloween and Thanksgiving, but my will power not to indulge at every party is waning.

Thankfully, all year long we have been practicing quality over quantity in our Pilates practice and that applies to party treats too!

This week, we will get through the whole mat in 30 min (complete with modifications if needed) because a little of each exercise will go a long way in our Pilates practice.

xx-LL

I am the biggest fan of a good Swan exercise! I absolutely love to do this exercise. It feels so good when I connect to all the right spots. But, how did Joe do it in his book? That’s what we will explore this week as well as a few other OG versions of our Mat work from his book Return to Life. Which if you haven’t read you should! It’s pretty great at guiding you through his mat practice.

xx-LL

Somethings in life you can just “wing it.” But, in Pilates the set up is at least half the battle. And, while it’s important to move it’s also important to set yourself up for success. Even if you just hold it!

This week we will still get our move on but we will discuss the set up more in depth that usual. And, if you decide to hold it for the length of the exercise awesome or you can flow through until we set up the next one. This week the in between is your call and I’ll handle all the good stuff to get you anchored in place.

xx-LL

I know most of us are always looking to shed the weight whether physical or figurative. But, this week, I do want to bring a little weight into our practice. Just a little bit. Like 1lb or 2 lbs.

If you’ve got little hand weights bring them with you. If you’re traveling or at your office and you don’t no worries! The mind is a beautiful thing. Grab your real or imaginary hand weights and join me as we explore what a little weight can do for our Pilates practice.

xx-LL

I know you love the Reformer! Who doesn’t?! Well, in this week’s class the Reformer meets your mat. Get ready to footwork, row and snake away on your mat. Who needs a reformer when you’ve got your imagination and your muscles?

See you on your mat,

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

There is lots of cues regarding the shoulders. Too often “shoulders down” is a quick fix cue thrown out there. Or, even, “don’t use your shoulders…”. But, what does it feel like to have your shoulders connected? Is it down? Is it back? How will it feel to simply focus on the shoulders throughout the whole mat workout? Well, take this week’s class and find out! I can tell you I can feel the effects after just one time doing this class. Enjoy your shoulder explorations!

See you on your mat,

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

Grab your Magic Circle for some of my favorite ways to use the Magic Circle! On the Mat, we’ll be using it every few exercises to wake up some more dormant muscles. You know those ones that like to rest while others work?! And, on the Reformer, we’ll use it to enhance a few exercises and teach some others.

No circle, no problem! You’ll just do the exercises like they were intended and use your imagination along the way.

Ready for some magic?

xx~LL

Rolling exercises look so easy – and then you do them! And, the trickiest part about them is how easy it is to do them wrong. Yep, you can roll and get back up and be cheating your whole way through.

In this weeks Mat class we’ll use the Magic circle to help us Roll like a pro. And on the Reformer we will focus on how practicing our Rolling exercises allows us to do things like Shortspine, Knee Stretches and even Corkscrew.

Share your love or discoveries in the class comments or in our private member group!

xx~LL

Spring has sprung and we can use the Theraband to feel like we’ve added springs to our Pilates mat work! If you don’t have a thera-band do not worry. You’ll still get a great workout. We will be exploring some of the Reformer exercises on our Mat and also what some Mat exercises would feel like with a little extra resistance.

See you on your mat!

xx-LL

Joseph Pilates created the Mat work first, then saw how hard it was for people (I mean, you know) and designed the Reformer. In this week’s mat class we’ll take some of the exercises from last week and continue to add on! If you’ve never been on a Reformer don’t worry. The Reformer exercises were born from the Mat so you’ll recognize a lot of the spine shapes.

See you on your Reforming mat,

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

This week, our first week adding in the Reformer classes we are bringing a little Reformer to our Mat! If you have 1 lb. weights bring them with you to your mat. We will be incorporating the love of Rowing and some other Reformer exercises to your Mat practice as we have been the last couple weeks in honor of Spring and the springs on the Reformer. These exercises are designed to help you get more connection to your back and your mat!

And, for those of you taking Reformer class, welcome to the first Reformer class on OPC! This week’s class we will focus on what’s connecting to where. While it seems easier to work on these connections on our Reformer there are so many places where we can disconnect that it makes for a fun flow!Grab your mat and or Reformer and let’s get ready to flow!

xx~LL

P.S. After class be sure to use the comment box to share what you loved, questions you had and any wins!