When Michele started Pilates she wanted to increase her core strength. However, she’s found that her overall health has improved—from her posture to her back pain.
1. What are the three things you like best about the center Studio?
a) Individualized attention & coaching – I really appreciate that the group classes are kept to a small size so the instructor can still work with each of us individually to correct our form or adjust the exercise to our skill level.
b) Variety – I like that Mary Jo regularly offers new classes and introduces new equipment at the studio and Sabrina is great about mixing up our workouts so that no two advance reformer classes are the same.
c) Challenge – Even though I’ve been taking Pilates at the center for years, the instructors continually find ways to challenge me. There’s always something new to learn or a more advanced way of doing something. I like that the studio encourages us to set goals at the beginning of each year – we all know we should do this but it helps to have a nudge from your instructor.
2. What did it feel like when you first started lessons at the center?
It took me longer than I expected to master some of the basics. Even though I’d done a variety of different exercise classes over the years and thought I was in ok shape to start with, I lacked the core strength and body awareness at first to do some of the basics. I’m so glad I started pilates with Pilates Studio because I’m sure I would have injured myself or thrown in the towel if I had been in bigger classes or with less attentive instructors someplace else.
3. How has Pilates helped you reach your Health and Fitness Goals?
I started doing Pilates with the fitness goal of increasing my core strength – I’ve certainly made great progress there but the beauty of that goal is you can always keep working towards it. The unexpected benefits, though, really came around my overall health. Pilates has greatly improved my posture and alleviated the back pain I used to get regularly from sitting at my desk all day long. That greater sense of body awareness that I’ve learned through pilates helps me make adjustments in how I sit or stand, how I lift things and even my stride when I run.
4. If you had a friend who was interested in starting Pilates but wasn’t quite sure about it, what advice would you give him/her?
The variety and ongoing challenge in Pilates make it unique – your workout can evolve as your skill level and strength does.