FITNESS INNOVATOR

Imagine for a moment that everything your professional career is built on – the things that defined you as a teacher – became irrelevant. Visualize the work you put into your practice coming to feel outdated or unable to resonate with today’s students.  In 2007, I was completing my observation hours at a Classical Pilates studio and was approached by the owner after she had finished her class. Having watched her teach effortlessly, I inquired how long she had taught and what she felt her secret sauce was. She told me that she had been teaching for more than 20 years and that her strict approach to teaching and adhering

It seems like only yesterday that I was listening to my parents lament about how the world was changing too fast. I never put much thought into what they were saying and went on with my daydreaming. Perhaps my parents were medieval thinkers or simply old-fashioned? Well, times have indeed changed, and we are at a critical juncture presenting two choices: be left behind, or dive headfirst into the modern world. It can be challenging to update our way of thinking and learn to embrace change. There are two integral components necessary in making the leap to modern thinking. First, make time to deepen your personal practice. Challenge your mind

With the latest technology constantly redesigning fitness equipment to offer you a better workout, it’s a challenge to know what the best choice truly is. No matter how artificially intelligent and expertly wired your workout device or equipment is, you might be surprised to know the most innovative fitness tool was created in the 1920s—and has been right under your nose all along: the Pilates Reformer. More than one hundred years after its inception—and having seen countless fitness machines come and go—the Reformer still stands, used not only for its original purpose of rehabilitation, but also for athletic strength training and conditioning. Whether you want to build a strong core and

When I teach, my most often used quote is: “If the resistance applied to the extremities is greater than the ability to maintain proper breathing and alignment, then the resistance is too heavy.” Yes, I said it! It’s not about strength. It’s about balanced and coordinated movement. In addition to lifting functional loads, one of the most overlooked aspects of strength is flexibility. If a rubber band is inflexible and can’t be fully stretched, it won’t have the force to generate power. Athletic Pilates is similar to other forms of strength training, but is devoid of excessive and compressive spine loading. The most notable difference is that the emphasis is