pilates

Pilates is Easy

Think Pilates is easy? You probably aren’t doing it right. Every time I take a pilates class I’m surprised at how difficult it is, and I like a tough, challenging workout. There are exercises that I didn’t find difficult at first, but once I understood them better (from years of practice) I found them to be my most challenging. Many of the beginner exercises are actually the most difficult. And when I’m not doing an advanced exercise as well as I should, it’s usually going back to one of the beginner exercises that will make me realize how I should be moving my body in order to do the more challenging exercise properly.

Even an exercise like ab prep–it seems easy, but it’s not at all. You are basically lifting your head and shoulders off the floor. Many people mistake it for an abdominal crunch, but the exercise is so much more, and once you discover all the intricacies, you can find what may seem like the simplest exercise extremely rewarding.

It may not happen right […]

Pilates is EasyMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:55-04:00

Brooke Siler

I had a wonderful time as the Art of Control Pilates Conference I attended last week. I came away with new ideas to incorporate into my classes, and I was really excited to have gotten to train with all these famous pilates people. I couldn’t wait to tell friends and family. The problem is, outside of the pilates world, most of the people I trained with are not famous. It’s kind of a letdown to come home excited about getting to work with someone famous in your eyes and have people not entirely relate.

Brooke Siler wasn’t a letdown though. Of all the presenters listed at the conference, Jay and Brooke were the two that intrigued me the most. I thought I would just attend all of Jay’s workshops because he is an elder and comes from California. Brooke is in NY, so I thought I’d probably get a chance to train with her at some point. I’m so glad I went to her reformer workshop.

She is a wonderful teacher, with a great, fun-loving […]

Brooke SilerMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:52-04:00

Mari Winsor Pilates

Mari Winsor was also presenting at the conference. I felt star struck when I saw her. Mari deserves the credit with getting me hooked on pilates. The first pilates I ever did was a Mari Winsor video, and I loved it right away.

I still generally prefer her pilates videos to STOTT videos. Her videos move faster, although her style, like Jay Grimes, is different than what I have trained in. I’m okay with that though.

On the second day of the conference I took a mat class with Mari. There were about 100 people in attendance. It is pretty cool to have 100 people together doing pilates. Mari didn’t disappoint. She is a hot ticket. More petite than I anticipated, but a little ball of energy with a fabulous sense of humor.

Personal Euphoria

Mari Winsor PilatesMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:53-04:00

Jay Grimes–Pilates Elder

Last week I attended the Art of Control Pilates Conference in Purchase, NY. The presenters at the conference were all very famous pilates practitioners and teachers—Jay Grimes, Mari Windsor, Brooke Siler, etc.

In my attempt to train with all the living elders, I signed up to have time with Jay Grimes. He teaches a style of pilates that he claims is the same as Joe Pilates. Jay said that his goal is not to have anything in his studio that Joe wouldn’t recognize if he came back to life today. The work was challenging and hard especially because of the subtle differences in exercises I know a certain way.

He was a very helpful teacher, funny and encouraging. He gave good cues, although more often than not he told me which exercise to do and watched as I did it, critiquing as I went along. He was so hands on that by the end of the session I’d felt like I’d had a massage from the inside out. I was impressed (but I feel that […]

Jay Grimes–Pilates ElderMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:53-04:00

Pilates Instructor’s Journey: Maggie

My first experience with pilates was my first year out of college. I’d always had mild low back pain that would occasionally nag me. So I downloaded some DVD’s and tried it. I enjoyed the exercises and really felt the strength I was getting. I fell in and out of doing it. Working full time put a damper on my exercise routine and I was letting fitness fall to the wayside.

I started feeling stressed because I need exercise to calm me down, so Matt took a risk and bought me a membership to a gym—this could have been taken the wrong way, but I loved it. It’s funny how unexpected choices can change your life. I started attending a pilates class at the gym and a year later they asked me to teach it.

I loved getting to teach again—since that was my original career path, and I had somewhat strayed from it. I loved pilates so much that I got certified. From then on the ball was in motion and I was hooked. I […]

Pilates Instructor’s Journey: MaggieMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:55-04:00