Frequently Asked Questions about Pilates
Wear comfortable workout clothing, preferably tight, so I can see your form.
Grip socks are required to keep stable on the equipment and to keep the equipment clean.
If you are putting your hair into a ponytail or bun, please put it high on the back of your head or on the top of your head so when you lay down your head doesn’t press on the hairband and change the alignment of your cervical spine.
Also, bring water so you can stay hydrated during your session.
Your first session will last 1 hour and 15 minutes. I will do a postural assessment and walk you through the basics of Pilates and some foundation moves on the mat and on the Reformer. This allows me to assess your body and how it moves in space, as well as your strengths and weaknesses. This gives me the tools I need to create the perfect program for you and your goals.
I schedule 15 minutes between sessions, which gives me time to clean all equipment that was used in the previous session. Your safety is my priority.
My clientele ranges in age from their early teens to mid-nineties. My clients have been competitive athletes to those starting on their health journey and even those trying to get better with the activities of daily life. I can work with pregnant clients and most injuries/illnesses. I have extensive training in exercise and the body and will always offer modifications when necessary. The key is two-way communication. You know your body more than anyone, always be open about how a movement feels, if something hurts, or if it doesn’t feel right to you. Pilates is a low-impact feel, with high-impact results form of exercise – we will work your body, but we don’t focus on just one area of the body for 55 minutes, so you won’t come away red-faced and exhausted like you would from other classes. But you may feel the effects in different muscles than you will from other forms of exercise for 1-2 days afterwards. If you would like to know more, reach out to me and schedule a consultation.
Pilates is a highly effective form of exercise for overall body conditioning. It teaches you to move more effectively and effortlessly from your core, improves posture, cultivates leaner muscles, and gives you greater body awareness and alignment. You will learn to connect your movements with your breath giving you the mind body connection that encourages and enables relaxation. This innovative mind-body regimen has been praised by novice practitioners, professional athletes and dancers, and exercise enthusiasts alike. Also see History of Pilates.
As we over-train and/or repetitively do the same movements our body starts to take the path of least resistance when moving instead of the proper muscles moving the body the way they are anatomically designed. Pilates foundation is strengthening your core “powerhouse” so you can move more effectively and effortlessly from the deep center of your body. The strict technique of Pilates focuses on stabilizing the body as you move thus strengthening the proper muscles for each movement and getting deeper into smaller stabilizing muscles and “powerhouse”. Training in this way can: give you more power, increase flexibility, improve stability, and decrease injuries.
I require a phone consultation to ensure that I am a good fit for my clients and that they are a good fit for me. Email me below to schedule a consultation. Once you are a client of mine, I will give you access to a mobile app to easily schedule your Pilates sessions.
Yes, there are several companies in which you can become certified. I completed a rigorous 500-hour program through Club Pilates and subsequently became nationally certified through the National Pilates Certification Program.
As with all exercises there are modifications and ranges within the exercises and apparatus, the benefit of one-on-one sessions is that I can keep you in alignment and if appropriate push you to go further.
I walk my clients through a stretching series at the end of every workout. There is a lot of conflicting data out there, but my theory is that stretching is more effective after warming up the muscles and joints. If that’s after you work out, then cool, if you want to stretch before you work out, then spend 5 minutes warming up the whole body with compound movements (start easy and increase gradually if acceptable to you and your body).
As with any exercise, consistency is key. You will want to take into account time, cost, and physical burn out into the equation to decide what is best for you. Joseph Pilates used to say that it is ideal to practice Pilates 3 times per week. If you are supplementing Pilates with other modes of exercise than 2 times per week is sufficient. If 1 session per week is all you can afford (financially, physically, and time wise) then it’s a good place to start – it’s more than you’re doing now.
A typical Pilates session lasts approximately 55 minutes.
Pilates was inspired by both eastern and western forms of exercise and wellness principles when developing this method of exercise so there are similarities. The breathing is different, in Pilates you scoop in the abdominal muscles and expand through the ribs as you inhale verses allowing your belly to expand (belly breathing) typically done in yoga. Pilates is also more dynamic, focusing on movement using pulleys and springs as resistance rather than holding poses as yoga dictates.
You can expect increases in flexibility, mobility, balance, improved posture, and overall strength; along with a decrease in back pain/other general body pains. Many clients report a reshaping of their body, elongation of their waistline and/or upper thigh region and weight loss when paired with a healthy diet and cardiovascular exercise.
To quote Joseph Pilates: “In ten sessions you will feel better, in twenty sessions you will look better and in thirty sessions you will have a whole new body.” If you attend 2-3 session per week, you should start to see results in 10-12 weeks. If you attend 1 session per week, you will see results, but they will take longer.
In order to respect both my time, and my clients time, I have a strict 24-hour cancellation policy. The session will be forfeited if it is cancelled within 24 hours, unless it is an emergency or are not feeling well.
Due to an increased demand for Pilates sessions, session times are set and cannot be moved last minute. If you are running late, let me know, but come anyway… a little bit of Pilates is better than none.
All sales are final, however you can transfer your sessions to another person.
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