Pilates Tutor Blog

5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Mat Pilates Class

2010-08-22T12:05:00.027-04:00

Mat Pilates exercises can help you build a strong core, improve your posture and help you move better in your daily life. Here are several tips that apply to the budding enthusiast as well as the experienced practicioner.

1. Choose a well trained, certified instructor.

Mat Pilates certifications run the gamut from $99 dollar, weekend certificates to intensive Mat training programs of 100+ hours. Effective teachers should know the specific anatomy and purpose of each mat exercise, how to modify the exercise to make it harder or more difficult, and how to teach the exercise to students with different learning styles.

2. Choose a setting that provides the best instructional experience.

There is a vast difference between a Mat Pilates classes taught in a gym environment and Mat Pilates class taught in a studio. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to receive the proper level of instruction in a large group setting. Mat Pilates exercises require precise movements and small adjustments in form to create a deep connection within your body. Limiting class sizes to 8 students or less ensures that each individual receives proper cuing and corrections.

3. Choose the correct level for your experience.

Being in shape doesn’t mean that you should enter an intermediate Mat Pilates class right off the bat. Take the time to learn the fundamentals – alignment, core-connection and breathing, before moving on to more difficult exercises. This applies to fitness newbies as well as “gym rats”. Spending a few weeks in an introductory or beginner Mat Pilates class will help you get more out of the harder exercises later on.

4. Inform your instructor of any orthopedic or metabolic issue you might have, both chronic and acute.

This includes but is not limited to arthritis, osteoporosis, muscle and joint injuries, pregnancy, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and being a cancer survivor. The more information you can provide to your instructor, the better able he/she will be to accommodate your unique situation. Some Mat Pilates exercises are contra-indicated for various medical issues; it is unwise to perform certain movements as they may exacerbate a condition. Your instructor may need to provide safer alternatives. Sometimes this means taking Private Mat Pilates Lessons or putting off Mat Pilates until acute conditions are resolved.

5. Make your Practice about you, not about the other people in the room.

You don’t need to look like anyone else in the room. Everyone is different; everyone’s body is different, and everyone learns at a different pace. Just because someone has their upper body flexed, or has their legs in the air doesn’t mean that that version of an exercise is right for you. Listen to the instructions and practice at your own level. This will help you reap the most rewards from your Mat Pilates exercises.

Mat Pilates classes at Pilates Tutor Studio are an affordable way to receive instruction from some of Atlanta's best Pilates Instructors. Visit our website for more information.

Our Favorite Things: Kombucha

2009-07-29T18:17:00.000-04:00

Kombucha is a fermented tea that is quaffed for medicinal purposes. Kombucha is generally fermented using a visible solid mass of microorganisms called a "kombucha culture". Some call it a tea, some call it an elixer. Either way, it's a miracle and it's been used around the world for hundreds of years to restore health and vitality.

Drinking Kombucha is an acquired taste. Its been described as drinking vinegar. However, the health benefits outweigh the taste. While serious Kombucha drinkers can make their own at home, we prefer a brand called "GT's" which can be purchased at Whole Foods, Harrys or Good Nutrition. GT adds fruit to the tea to create a more palattable drinking experience.

Why would you drink Kombucha? Simply because it is a super healthy food that helps the body to find (or regain) its natural balance, which promotes overall well being. Just like regular exercise, Kombucha is something that supports a healthy lifestyle. When the body is healthier, its natural defenses are stronger.

How to drink it? Have one in the morning instead of coffee. Sip one throughout the day for sustained energy. Drink one with a meal to help control your appetite. Drink one now !!

East Cobb Pilates Instructors Receive Top Honor

2008-07-17T13:43:00.000-04:00

They say that those who can't do teach, but Mary Jo Falvey and Elizebeth Ellison prove otherwise. STOTT PILATES® has given its highest certification designation to these two local Pilates instructors. Falvey and Ellison are the first STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor Trainers in the state of Georgia and are part of a group of only 200 Instructor Trainers worldwide. The certification allows Falvey and Ellison to train instructors in the STOTT PILATES curriculum. "We are really excited to be able to teach this method of Pilates," Falvey says. "There is a shortage of qualified Pilates instructors in Atlanta, and this certification program allows us to meet the demand."

Stefania Della Pia, the Assistant Program Director of Education at STOTT PILATES, says of certification, "Mary Jo and Elizebeth are amongst the most qualified STOTT PILATES Instructors in the world and are key figures in representing the brand in Georgia and the world."
Between them, Falvey and Ellison have 25 years of Pilates Instruction and Personal Training experience. Each holds a Personal Training Certification from the American Council on Exercise and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Instructor Trainer candidates must have a minimum of 1,000 hours of documented Pilates instruction, be recommended by another Instructor Trainer, and submit videos of their teaching repertoire. After the application process, finalists receive an invitation to attend specialized instruction at the STOTT PILATES headquarters in Toronto, Canada.

Della Pia applauds the hard work of Falvey and Ellison. "Both Mary Jo and Elizebeth's attention to detail and precise cueing and correcting are exceptional," she says. "They both have a professional yet extremely approachable and patient manner that makes them excellent Instructors and Instructor Trainers."

How to Keep your Commitment to Fitness this Summer

2008-05-16T14:38:00.000-04:00

Here are some tips to keep you on track as the weather warms up.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate – Make sure that your body has adequate water to keep yourself feeling energetic and ready to move.

Exercise with a buddy – It’s hard to miss a workout if someone is counting on you to be there. Team up with someone with similar fitness goals.

Plan exercise time on a weekly basis – Don’t wait until the middle of the week. Pull out your calendar and schedule each workout into your daily activities.

Get it done with – Putting exercise at the beginning of the day is a key to sticking with your program. Plus the temperatures are cooler, leaving little excuse that “it’s too hot to exercise.”

Keep an open mind – Drop your preconceived notions about exercise. Try a class at a local rec center, join a sports team or pick a new class or exercise routine at your local gym. Summer is a great time to try something indoors.

Cheat – OK, that means get in extra exercise while performing daily activities. Instead of burning gas circling the parking lot, burn a few calories by parking at the end of the lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, take your dog for a brisk walk or play in the pool with the kids.

Watch Your Mouth – Not just what you put in, but watch what comes out. Use positive language when referring to your workout. Use terms like, choosing, renewing, loving, learning, changing, etc. Eliminate words like, can’t, won’t, awful, fat, and ugly.

Don’t Give Up – If you backslide a day, few days or week or more, realize it’s part of any goal to have obstacles put in your way. Get back on your horse and try again!

Pilates Tutor Studio
Pilates Tutor Studio is located at 296 Village Parkway at the Paper Mill Village in Marietta, GA 30067. The Studio is owned and operated by fitness specialist Mary Jo Falvey, who holds a BA in Sociology from The State University of New York and an MA in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology from Adelphi University. She is a certified STOTT PILATES® Instructor Trainer and is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer.

adapated from an article by Karin Koser, KPK & Co. http://kpkco.com/

Yes, Men Do Pilates

2008-04-16T08:28:00.000-04:00

After all, Joesph Pilates was a man.

His exercise method has it foundations in Greco Roman wrestling, "German Gymnastic", Body Building and Yoga. Think : those olympic guys who do incredible feats and make it look incredibly easy.

Folklore tells us that Pilates developed his method of "Contrology" as a personal rehab practice for his own young body, which suffered from the effects of rickets and asthma. So there's Joe, doing his exercises daily, and eventually developing the strength and abilities to become a circus performer. This is all from doing a series of exercises, without performance enhancing drugs. By his own strength and determination, he makes it to the Big Top.

Pilates originally taught his method to men, who like himself were interred in British camps during World War I. He was a Personal Trainer before the term was ever coined. Think: sweaty guys working out at the gym. Instead of "pumping iron", they're doing a controlled form of exercise, using the body's own weight as resistance. During this time, Joe adapted his method to help rehabilitate the injured. Folklore again tells us that Joe created his first machine using hospital bed and matress springs. He called his invention a "bednasium". That guy was a genius.

By combining core stabilization work and exercises that strengthen the body's major joints in all ranges of motion, Pilates is an exercise method that any man should consider doing.

Today Pilates is used by top professional athletes to enhance their performance. From Golfers to Ball Players, the method can be adapted to meet the requirements of a particular sport.

Pilates is also practiced by men who suffer from low back pain/strain and want to get their lives back (no pun intended).

And just look at the guy. That's him at age 77, with one of his inventions. (Of course he's holding a cigar in his left hand but we won't go there). Wouldn't you want to have health and vigor at age 77?

So if you're thinking: "I could never do that" or "Pilates is a bunch of women lying on the floor writhing about" or "what are those machines used for ?", I encourage you to explore Pilates for yourself. Pick a place where the instructors are certified and knowledgable, and take a lesson or two.

And think of Joe when you are practicing your breathing or doing your 100's. His exercises worked for him. They'll work for you.

For more information about a really great Pilates studio that teaches men and women of all abilities, visit http://www.pilatestutor.com/