New door!!!! (and update)

The Pilates Club entrance

We finally started construction on our new front porch!!  Up until now, we've been sharing the front door with the upstairs business, but when the porch is complete, we'll have our own side door right into the studio!

Training is going very well.  We've both passed the 200 hour mark!!!  We're a third of the way there!!  Our original training was only 200 hours ...  the Power Pilates program is much more comprehensive.  We're far enough into the program now that we're apprenticing at the training studio (Body Mind Balance) in addition to teaching at The Pilates Club.

We have learned so much about movement, the body, Joseph Pilates' original work, various apparatus, special needs, etc.  We're excited to be able to bring to you all that we've learned at your level, and taking into account your needs and goals.  We do not have a cookie-cutter approach like most group reformer classes do.  We work you at your own personal level.  So if you're advanced, we can offer you a challenging workout.  If you're a new beginner with some kind of special need (injury, etc.), we can offer you a challenging workout at your level taking your special need into consideration.  It's all about personal attention.  That's what sets us apart.

For the month of January we have a SPECIAL!!!  Refer a friend who purchases an initial consulation package and we'll give you a free session.

Front of our building

Christmas diet

I definitely go right along with the magazines… December is the month of sweets and anything delightful! January (or for me the first week anyway) is the month to make up for December. I am already seeing how that sugar withdrawal week will go…. Yikes!

Source RecipeGirl

While teaching Pilates this week, a topic came up about avoiding gaining weight during the holidays. For me, I don’t focus on that any more than I would if it was another ordinary month. I have a way that I eat. I try to eat healthy, but when that doesn’t work out, it’s no big deal. If I eat junk for lunch, then I try to eat something healthy for dinner. Not that complicated. When I get more junk in my diet, I then will have a week or so that I focus more on the nutrition I need.

Also, I don’t like fast food. If I eat “fast food” then it’s Panera Bread, Chipotle, or Five Guys… Not too fast. I stay away from soda and when I have my kitchen stocked, I usually have waaaaaay more fresh food in the fridge than frozen food in the freezer. I like to see what goes in my meal… I like it to be very clear.

But between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my daily diet definitely goes down the drain. It's funny to see how I make up for it. Today, I am giving you my top 6 tips to keep up with the holiday!

1. When sweets are out to grab, also put out carrots and celery with some sort of dip. For me, the dip makes the vegetables seem more special and I then proceed to eat twice as many veggies than sweets … Usually it would be reverse.
2. Make sure you eat a little protein when pigging out. Left over chicken leg in the fridge? Cheese out on the cutting board? Man this saves me! Instead of eating three times as many sweets and then collapsing with a sugar crash and over-eating a full blown meal that I didn’t really  need, I have a much less severe crash. I’ve gotten some protein in.
3. When you are snacking. Stop as soon as you realize you are now only eating because you are either a) bored or b) trying to be comfortable in that awkward conversation. Stop now. Be happy later.
4. Keep up your fitness routine. Don’t let yourself get down. First of all, working out usually works off those calories. Also, you know we are going to totally (and caringly) kick your butt when you come back in to see us ;)
5. Keep the treats hidden. You know where to find them if you want them, but be sure they are behind closed cupboards. In the open, keep something you know you will be happy to grab but is also a healthier option… For me? It’s currently cheese and crackers! Crackers are on top of the fridge and I see them as soon as I walk into the kitchen!
6. And finally, Christmas parties! If you find yourself drinking beers, martinis, wine or anything in that same category, cut out the sweets. If I find myself enjoying cocktails, I definitely count that as my guilty pleasure for the day and say goodbye to the sweets. Once I start eating the sweets, I won’t stop until I am in a sugar/alcohol coma.

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. These are only my opinions and my personal habits. I realize they aren’t all completely healthy… but hey! It’s Christmas season!

Happy holiday eating :)

Morgan

Update on training after our second intermediate weekend

An update on training:

1) Pilates is fun!

2) 600 hours is a lot.  We practice teaching on each other, so if one of us is practicing, the other is working out, thus, we usually get in more than an hour or two of exercise each day.

3) Pilates is fun!

4) We take mat classes when they're being taught at the studio even if we have our semi-private lesson later that day.  On days like today, we've done an intermediate mat, practiced on each other, AND had our semi-private!!  Okay, maybe on days like today we practice the easy exercises on each other .... will someone please pass the turmeric?

5) Pilates is fun!

6) As we learn to teach the more difficult exercises, putting in the hours we put in with the beginner exercises becomes much more challenging.  

7) Pilates is fun!

But we're doing all this because we're passionate about pilates and what it does for a person.  It makes you stronger, leaner, more fit.  It makes your musculature work in an integrated way.  And it's efficient so, unless you're in training to become an instructor, you don't have to spend more than an hour about three days a week working out.  

We had some great client feedback this week.  She was wondering if after so few sessions it's normal to already feel a difference.  Well, here's what Joseph Pilates said, "After 10 sessions you will feel a difference.  After 20 sessions you will see a difference.  After 30 sessions you will have a new body!"

Give us a call, we think you'll like it, too!