Quarantine Lessons!

We have all settled (or maybe just accepted) our new normal in the quarantine lifestyle and that we are living through a strange time in history.  I believe that God has crafted this time for us and our families to take away some lessons he is wanting us to learn and reflect on.  The best way to reflect is to find your Quarantine Lessons!

While there are hard and slow days, and other days are fast and easy, there are lessons and growth that we can pull from it all! We are each learning about ourselves and our family a little deeper than before, and loving them a little harder than before.

Aside from the lessons of, never go low on toilet paper again, make sure there is plenty of wine in the house at all times, and always have electronics for the kids charged, there are some silver linings in this situation that we can all take away!

Top 3 Lessons from quarantine:

  1. I LOVE my kids.
    1. I know, I know everybody loves their kids. But! I have found a new love, understanding and appreciation for their little personalities and needs.
    2. They are hilarious! Their minds are so free of fear (fear of judgement, fear of being made fun of) that is amazes me what they come up with! And they can be sweet to each other!
  2. I love what I do
    1. Movement has been a pivotal part of my sanity through this process, so the workouts I teach or take from our team are the highlight of my day!
    2. My kids have been a part of my workouts and me staying healthy, so that has opened talks about what that means, why we do it, and what mommy does!
    3. The community of clients that have come together to help and support us during this process is amazing. I miss stopping and catching up on everyone’s lives, but it is great to at least see smiling faces in a square on the screen!
    4. Our team here at the studio are AWESOME teachers! There are a lot of FREE things out there, but nothing compares to the talent of these ladies! It has been fun to have to time to take from all the teachers again! I have been so sore these past few weeks from these amazing classes! I think we all teach a little harder online!
    5. We have opened a new online world of training and teaching that I think is just the beginning! I have been wanting to move online for a while now, but have always been too scared, didn’t know enough, excuse excuse excuse… But when your back is against the wall, you figure it out! This has been a blessing in DEEP disguise!
  3. People are Awesome! I have seen more people come together (from afar) to support each other in the past two weeks than ever! 
    1. I feel as a community we are realizing that it isn’t just his job, or her job, or their jobs as teachers, healthcare workers, doctors, studio owners, or restaurant owners, but it is a collective job of ALL OF US to make an impact, step up and help, and support each other! 
    2. Our clients are the sweetest! I know, again, I am a little biased, but for real! 

It is easy to watch and listen to all the gloom and doom, but our minds and what we put into them are very powerful! I encourage you to find gratitude and happiness, seek it out! It is amazing what happens when you choose to seek joy! Can’t wait to hear what lessons you’ve learned!

In strength and confidence,

Stephanie

Top 5 Reasons Pilates and Barre are better (for me)

When I first started Pilates, I was a marathon runner, triathlete, and traditional exercise junkie.  I loved trying the hottest new workout trend with my friends, and I loved the feeling of getting my tail beat! I loved being sore!

I also got injured… a lot.  Let me start by saying, I am not an accident prone person, nor were my injuries a result of a specific accident.  A majority of my injuries were from overuse, not enough rest, and not proper form.  Let me also say, you can be a marathon runner and triathlete and NEVER have any problems, that just wasn’t true for me!

While doing all these wonderful exercises, that were also hard on my body, I suffered a stress fracture in my hip and then a labral tear in my hip that left me on crutches.

Around that time, I found Pilates.  I have to admit, I didn’t love it at first (shhh…don’t tell anyone!).  Thinking I could muscle my way through the exercises (because that was how I was used to doing things), most of the exercises felt pinchy, compressive, and challenging in a not so good way.

But as I continued doing Pilates (and really learning HOW to do Pilates) through two pregnancies and recoveries of said pregnancies, I found that Pilates is the one thing that continues to bring me back to working from my core, realigning my body, and changing the imbalances that life creates.  Not to mention, I was able to keep up with my Pilates and Barre workouts to stay healthy during my pregnancies. The low impact and modifiable nature of Pilates and Barre are a healthy way to keep moving during pregnancy.  If I didn’t have those two, I would have not gotten in as many workouts, making recovery much more challenging.

I started to allow Pilates and the equipment to change my body instead of forcing the equipment to do what I wanted just to complete a flashy move! (Ok, I’m slightly competitive!)

Partnering my Pilates workouts with Barre have been great because Pilates changes my body, then Barre immediately tones, tightens, and shapes the new form!  This helps me stay flexible, but also toned and have definition.  I am a short person, so I never wanted to build much mass because on my frame, it is just too much.

Pilates and Barre are different from traditional exercise in several ways, but here are my top five reasons why I believe it is better for me!

  1. Form is KEY!! In Pilates and Barre, our teachers really focus on proper form and making sure that you are doing things correctly.  The form is often slightly different from traditional exercise to ensure that you are engaging and working from your core first.  Those small changes make a HUGE different in the body.  This is also why changes in the body happen so quickly!  If you are in proper form, you don’t have to do as many reps because you are able to work deeper in the engagement.
  2. Did I mention it changes my body? I don’t mean it makes me six feet tall with long legs (I wish!) I mean that when I have imbalances, and everybody does, it helps to correct those.  It also makes me aware of them, so I can think about them when I am doing daily tasks like driving in the car!  The more we are aware of them, the more I can do to correct them!
  3. I feel better after a workout! I feel like I have worked, don’t get me wrong, but I also feel lengthened, toned, and all around BETTER!  It’s like taking a big deep breathe that relieves stress, tension, and tightness in the body!
  4. I stand taller! Because Pilates and Barre help to open up the body and strengthen our postural muscles, I feel like I have grown 5 inches when I am finished.  And for this 5’1″ girl, that’s HUGE!
  5. It’s easy to do ANYWHERE! I love classes and privates.  That is where I do my best (remember, I am competitive), but if I need to sneak in an exercise and can’t get to the studio, Pilates and Barre can be done ANYWHERE! I have done it with kids crawling around me, outside, and in the kitchen while waiting for dinner to cook! It is super easy to get in 10 minute chunks when I am with the kiddos and I try to do as many of those 10 min chunks as possible throughout the day!

It is important to find an exercise that is right for you, helps you achieve your goals, and more importantly – you LOVE to do!  Pilates and Barre are exercises that I love because of the way they make me feel and the results I get.  I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone, try new things, and find something you love! Find something that doesn’t feel like punishment. Find something that helps you get the results you want!

In strength and self-confidence

Stephanie

The Pilates Barre Studio

What is Pilates and Barre and where do I start?!?!

We often get asked the question, “What is Barre?”, or “What is Pilates?”!

We are so glad you asked!!

Barre is a full body workout inspired by dance, body weight exercises, and Pilates! At our studio, we focus on proper alignment, while also offering modifications, or progressions! We understand that not everyone is at the same place in their workout journey and we do our best to provide you with moves that meet you where you are!  We don’t care if you are flexible (YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE!), done a million different workouts, or this is the first time you have EVER worked out! Barre can be modified to challenge every level! We use a mat, small ball, resistance bands, 2 pound weights (that feel like 10 pounds when we’re finished!), and steps to challenge you.  We also take pride in the fact that EVERY CLASS IS DIFFERENT! There is benefit to doing the same thing over and over, but that just isn’t our style! We like to mix it up in order to keep the class interesting, challenging, and most importantly FUN!

Pilates is a full body stretch and strength system of exercises on specialized Pilates equipment!  Believe it or not, it was created by a guy, but became popular among the dance community when Joseph Pilates moved his studio to New York near a dance studio.  Because of the specialized equipment, it is a great workout for people with ailments, post surgery, or specific fitness needs! But don’t get me wrong, it can also be super challenging.  Pilates focuses on healthy movement of all joints.  We try to do flexion, extension, side bending and twisting in all of our classes so your body can loosen up and move in the dynamic way it was made to move!  Although there is a specific classical Pilates repertoire, we mix up the classes and you will NEVER have the same class twice! We also add cardio or increased speed and endurance to our Amped, Jumpboard, or Intermediate classes through the use of the Jumpboard (laying down while doing cardio – sign me up!)

 

Where to start?

If you are interested in Pilates, we recommend a private first.  It is a great way to have a trained teacher look at your body and see your common movement patterns.  That way, you are able to meet your goals in a class setting.  It also allows you to feel confident when walking into a class!  If you have any past injuries or surgeries, we highly recommend that private.  If you want to go straight to classes, our Wednesday evening Back to Basics Pilates class is a great place to start!

If you are interested in Barre, you can jump right in to classes (as long as you have no current injuries!) Our teachers pay attention to the class to make sure you are in proper form.  This is SO important to us because if you are in good form, you not only keep yourself safe, but you don’t have to do as many reps to see results!  (Hallelujah!) If you are new to fitness and exercise, we recommend picking one of our regular Barre classes and work up to TRX Barre if that interests you!

 

Our Why

To say that we love helping people is an understatement.  We love helping people find strength, confidence, and inspiration to be their best selves.  You don’t have to be a certain size, weight, flexibility level…we just want you to be YOU! Pilates and Barre are so great for EVERY body we want to help spread the word, while creating a sense of security and community amongst our clients!

Can’t wait to see you here!

In strength and self-confidence

The Pilates Barre Team