Pura Vida Blog

MindBody Online

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:10:32 -0500

You Asked, We Answered! We are thrilled to announce Pura Vida’s new online scheduling system through MindBody Online. MindBody is an online booking system that will allow members and guests to view class schedules, reserve a space in reservation required classes, as well as book Small Group Pilates and Small Group Kinesis classes online AS WELL AS via the Pura Vida app on your smart phone device.

What does using Mind Body Online do for you? For starters, the new system will allow you to reserve a class 24 hours in advance, no more phone calls to reserve classes, and an up to date schedule of all Pura Vida’s classes, including SUBS! You will also enjoy the convenience of online /app scheduling for Small Group Pilates and Kinesis.

Setting up your MindBody account can be done in minutes and once registered, will allow instant access to online reservations.

To begin go to Pura Vida’s website www.puravidaclub.com and click on CLASS SCHEDULE from the main page. Once directed to the Mind Body Online site, in the top right hand corner of the screen, select the Sign up! Icon. The system will ask if you are New to Our Site? Begin by entering your first and last name, and select next. If you are already a member you will be asked if the name listed is you. If this is you, select yes and an email will be sent to the email address that we have on file for you. From the email you can select the link to reset your password. Once you have reset your password, you will be automatically logged into the site. In order to proceed, you be required to enter your billing information.

After you complete your credit card information, the main classes’ page will be displayed. For classes that required a reservation you will see a Sign Up Now link that allows you to register for the class. PLEASE READ THE NEW GUIDELINES SURROUNDING CLASS REGISTRATION.

The new guidelines surrounding MindBody online and class registration are as followed:

Class reservation windows open 24 hours in advance.
If a class is already full, you may be able to waitlist for the class up to 5 people. If at any time before the class a spot opens up, you will be automatically be notified by email that you got into the class.
Please note, if you are registered for the class and for whatever reason will not be able to attend, remember to early cancel your class reservation. If you fail to do so you will be charged a $10 no show fee.
Because we are now using a waitlist system, please be mindful of other members and if you are not able to attend the class remember to cancel your reservation in a timely manner.
Upon entry of the studio that hosts your reserved class, be sure to SIGN IN on the clipboard provided to confirm your attendance. This will be the manner in which NO SHOW reservations are confirmed. As stated above, failure to sign in will result in a $10 No SHOW fee.

Row 2 Go - Workout #4

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:19:15 -0500

Warm Up - 1000 meters @ 26SPM

Workout -

200 meters @ 28-32 SPM
400 meters @ 28-32 SPM
600 meters @ 28-32 SPM
400 meters @ 28-32 SPM
200 meters @ 28-32 SPM

Repeat 2-3x

Cool Down - Cruise at 26SPM to the song of the week

Rowing Song of the Week - Montana by Youth Lagoon

Row 2 Go Workout #3

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:50:11 -0500

Warm Up - 600meters, alternating between 24 and 26SPM (strokes per minute) every 100m

Workout -
500m @28SPM. Recover 60seconds

350m @ 28-32SPM. Recover 60seconds

250m @ 28-32SPM. Recover 60seconds

150 @ 28-32SPM. Recover 120seconds

Repeat 2-3x

Cool Down - Cruise at 26SPM to the song of the week

Rowing Song of the Week -( Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding

Row 2 Go Workout #2

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:18:07 -0400

Warm Up - 600, meters 200m at 24spm/ 200m at 26spm / 200m at 28spm (strokes per minute)

Workout -

30seconds @ 28spm/ 30seconds @ 24-26spm.
60seconds @ 28spm/30seconds @ 24-26spm
90seconds @ 28spm/ 30seconds @24-26spm
120seconds @ 28spm/ 30seconds @ 24-26spm
90seconds @28spm/ 30seconds @ 24-26spm
60seconds @28spm/ 30seconds @ 24-26spm
30seconds @28spm/ 30seconds @ 24-26spm

2minutes of recovery @ 24spm

Repeat 2-3x

Rowing Song of the Week - Seventeen Years by Ratatat

Row 2 Go Workout #1

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:41:30 -0400

The health benefits as well as the total integration of lower, core, and upper body movements make rowing and excellent source of cardiovascular exercise. Leg Press, Hip Hinge, and Row your way to stronger body with the weekly Row 2 Go workouts!

Row 2 Go Workout #1

Warm Up - 500 meters 250m at 24spm/ 250m at 26spm

Workout -

250m at 28-32spm/ 30-60 seconds rest
250m at 28-32spm/ 30-60 seconds rest
250m at 28-32spm/ 30-60 seconds rest
250m at 28-32spm/ 30-60 seconds rest
500m at 24-26spm

Repeat 2-4x

Rowing Song of the Week - Stay Close (RAC Mix) by Delorean

Transformation Enzymes

Sun, 07 Oct 2012 22:57:31 -0400

Pura Vida Holistic Nutrition Department now carries Transformation Enzymes’, Proteolytic Enzymes, to naturally alleviate muscle aches and pains.

Proteolytic enzymes are a natural answer to exercise’s unwanted muscle aches and body pains. We are now offering a highly effective formula-a combination of digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and herbs, designed to promote overall wellness for oxidative stress and is especially beneficial for supporting muscle pain and fatigue after exercise.

Our very own Tim Harris is a fan. Tim, a personal trainer with Pura Vida, started taking proteolytic enzymes for sciatic back pain instead of taking Advil. Advil is naturally hard on your digestive tract, and Tim wanted a more natural anti-inflammatory. Tim says “I am feeling significantly better, 95%, using alternative therapies including proteolytic enzymes for inflammation that was causing my back pain.”

Contact Robinh@puravidaclub.com for more info, or discuss if these would be helpful for you.

Robin Hutchinson

Board-Certified Master Nutrition Therapist

Meet Angie Arnold, Pura Vida Yoga Instructor Hometown: I am...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:55:58 -0400

Meet Angie Arnold, Pura Vida Yoga Instructor

Hometown:

I am originally from Lakewood Colorado, though Prospect Heights, Brooklyn has a very special place in my heart.

Classes Taught at Pura Vida:
I teach Align and Vinyasa Yoga. I like to think of it as a special blend of innovative sequencing, colorful poses, and a side of my quirky sense of humor.

Favorite Yoga Pose:
Maha Mudra, it doesn’t look that pretty, but it works like a charm. You simultaneously lock all three bandhas (energy sources), I get the sensation of real true containment- connecting to the plum line. It’s amazing you have to try it!

Current Music of Choice:
Florence and the Machine just out of sheer loyalty, I had the honor of teaching Miss Florence this summer. She’s humble, generous, and dedicated to her practice. An amazing singer and yogini! Right now I’ve been listening a lot to “Cosmic Love” from her 1st album LUNGS (and yes she does have incredible lung capacity, it’s insane!)

Words to Live By:

At the center of your being

you have the answer;

you know who you are

and you know what you want.

There is no need

to run outside

for better seeing.

Nor to peer from a window.

Rather abide at the center of your being;

for the more you leave it, the less you learn. -Lao Tzu

Maybe it’s time to change the focus….

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:50:15 -0400

If there’s one sentence I hear often when asking new members during their first session about their goals is “My weight when I was in high school/college/got married was …. So if I can get to that weight again I would be very happy”. Of course there are many ways to change that sentence and make it match the thoughts that cross your mind once in a while, but why do we (yes, we, sometimes they cross my mind too!) always go back to those days way back in the past? It seems very unfair to ourselves, doesn’t it?

So let’s think of how you can change your focus and have a more realistic goal that not only will benefit your present and future wellbeing but make you get to the gym consistently. First, leave those beautiful memories of that body you had 10, 20, 30 years ago aside and get your mind in the present; how is your life now? What kind of routine, lifestyle do you have at the moment? Are you a parent? A grandparent? Do you work 50+ hours a week? What are the tasks you feel challenged to do in your daily routine? Maybe you don’t have enough energy to play with your kids or your back hurts when gardening. Do you say no to a ski trip because you feel you can’t keep up with your friends? Is going up the stairs a challenge for you these days? The list is long and you know the things you wish you could do, or do better and I guarantee 99% of them do not require a toned six pack or 7% body fat. Take a moment to think about the things that bring you joy and fulfillment; those things that make you put your head on the pillow at the end of the day and be proud of who you are and let them be your goal from now on.

The second step is to choose a training program appropriate to your lifestyle/goals, and that requires some guidance, because when it comes to finding a workout routine that fits your needs, most likely you will not find it in a magazine. So when you have a minute, talk to one of us here at Pura Vida to see how we can help you.

So make an effort to switch the focus of your training and start a healthier approach to exercising, trust me, all that sweat will start to make sense…

Breath

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:30:25 -0400

Breathing is possibly the simplest of actions and yet for most of the time it is so far away from our everyday waking awareness.

Thomas Friedman coined the phrase ‘continual partial attention’ which to me perfectly describes a mind that is engaged in several activities at once: isn’t it true that so often our minds are over stimulated? For example, right now my mind is filled with lots of different thoughts and emotions, some trivial, some more serious: right now I’m alert to the movement of my energetic border collie and I have to be constantly aware as he wanders around by the river; or if I’m writing, at the same time, I’m also listening to music and I’m thinking about what I fancy for dinner this evening! I’m multitasking, but am I really present breathing now in this moment?

To illustrate how awareness of our breathing can allow us to create space and allow us to concentrate on one specific task, try this simple exercise:

Stop all other activities, put the phone on silent (never fear, for just a couple of minutes) and remain aware of all the sounds and smells around you. Just gently notice your breath, temper the rhythm and allow it to calm ever so slightly.

Keeping this practice in focus let your eyes shut and completely concentrate on your next nine breathes.

Like any new exercise or yoga pose, breath awareness can be challenging when you first try it. But with time and application you become more competent and more mindful of the breath. So on your next visit to the gym I invite you to apply this breathing awareness to your exercise routine. And please feel free to come and ask me for guidance if you have queries about this particular practice or any other breath practice.

Jonathan Berry

Be Efficient with your Cardio workouts

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:52:10 -0400

When it comes to getting good results in the gym and burning stubborn fat, it is simply not enough to just do cardiovascular work or resistance training. What I mean by this is that we need to fully understand our bodies’ three energy systems in order to know how to plan out our cardiovascular work, resistance training, and nutrition to maximize efficiency and results. Our bodies’ three main energy systems are the ATP/PCR, glycolytic and oxidative system. Why this is important is because the ATP/PCR and glycolytic systems are anaerobic, meaning without oxygen, this state of exercise is associated with higher intensity cardio training as well as weight lifting. This is important to know because our bodies’ main sources of fuel for these types of exercise are carbohydrates as well as potentially lean muscle mass, depending on how depleted muscle glucose/glycogen (carbohydrate storages) is. Only after a certain duration is fat more prevalent to burn. So even though a person might go straight onto a treadmill and start running for a period of a half hour or so, this does not ensure them that they are necessarily burning body fat. What the person could potentially be burning is the carbohydrate meal that they consumed earlier in the day and simply burning calories putting them more in a negative energy balance.

Now the oxidative system is aerobic, meaning with oxygen, this state of exercise is associated with more moderate paced cardiovascular work such as a walk on a treadmill or steady pace on the elliptical. This is important to know because when it comes down to burning fat in the gym, one should work smarter not harder. This type of exercise is associated with fat burning because fat needs oxygen to burn efficiently. The only hiccup is fat is stubborn and longer bouts of aerobic training are needed to fully enhance the fat burning effect. An average person has a carbohydrate storage of roughly 2,500 kcal with an average fat storage of 75,000 kcal. Even though the average person has so much more fat to burn than carbs, carbs are still the initial energy substrate our bodies’ depend on so we need to do longer aerobic bouts to induce fat burning.

Contact Brian to schedule a session at briand@puravidaclub.com

How to Do a Perfect Wall Sit

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:17:10 -0400

From Tier II Trainer, Adrine Writer

It’s not a complicated exercise, but many people do NOT perform it correctly. This is an isometric exercise for strength and endurance in quadriceps muscle group, glutes and calves. You know you’re doing it right if you form a right angle at your hips and your knees, your back is flat against the wall, and your heels are on the ground.

Start with your back against a wall with your feet shoulder width and about two feet from the wall.
Slowly slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Adjust your feet if you need to so that your knees are directly above your ankles (rather than over your toes).
Keep your back, shoulders and head flat against the wall. Press through heels not toes. Relax hands on thighs palms up.
Hold the position for 20 to 60 seconds, rest 30 seconds, and repeat the exercise three times.
Increase your hold time by five seconds as you increase your strength. Try to build to 3 min. without breaking form
You may feel a burning sensation in the quads, but if you have pain in the knee or kneecap, stop the exercise.

Modification-

~ To decrease the intensity of the wall sit, don’t slide down the wall quite as far. Aim for a 45 degree angle at the hips rather than a 90 degree angle. This will take a bit of pressure off your knees and lighten the load on the quads.

~Another way to modify the exercise is to hold the position for a shorter amount of time at first and increase your hold time as you get stronger. Try a five or ten second hold in the beginning.

Advanced Challange-

Only after you can properly hold above wall sit for more than 1-1.5 minutes.

Once in position lift one leg up and time how long you can properly hold single leg wall sit- once other leg drops stop time- Test other leg (compare strength one Quad to other)- Remember proper form- Pain free!

You will also note with this exercise some postural issues you may need to address.
~ For instance forward neck posture- you will notice how difficult it is to pull your head back against the wall. If so with slow progression work on drawing chin toward the wall- Isometric contraction of neck extensors.
~ Anterior pelvic tilt (swayback)- working on bringing that back flat against wall will engage those weak or lengthened abdominal muscles. (Hopefully in turn helping with any low back pain!)

Adrine Writer

Pilates Abroad

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:25:47 -0400

Amanda Fletcher recently had the opportunity to teach Pilates Instructors in Istanbul, Turkey for three months and these are just a few of her experiences from her time there:

It is amazing to walk through some of the oldest streets in the world
on my way to work every day. Istanbul, the cradle of civilization, is more populated than New
York City, with a much less stable infrastructure.

I am learning how to slow down, one of my reasons for coming here, as nothing gets done on
time. I used the word efficient in class today, and my translator
literally could not come up with a Turkish word to mean efficient. I
think the concept doesn’t even exist here.

The historic parts of the city are beautiful, windy narrow streets,
the Grand Bazaar, spice market, fish markets, restaurants. My Turkish
friends are very proud of their culture, history, freedom. Even the
young people have a picture of Ataturk, the first President of Turkey
and founder of the Turkish Republic, in their homes. Yesterday was the
73rd anniversary of his death, and everywhere his picture, flowers,
and the Turkish flag were on display.

My students and the people I have met are awesome, so warm, kind, and
helpful even when we have to use google translate to communicate with
each other, mixing up phrases and laughing about google’s word
choices. I am going to miss a few of these girls!

Only about 10-15% of the women are covered here, most are “modern”.
You can hear the sound of the call to prayer from every mosque five
times a day, beginning before the sun rises. Yet none of the people I
know pray that often even if they are Muslim.

The food is by far my favorite part! Everything is fresh and healthy,
vegetables, fresh pomegranate juice, fish, yogurt with every meal. If
only I could eat less of the cheese and bread, delicious!

I spent the Muslim Byram holiday in the Asian part of Turkey, in
Kemer, a part of Antalya. It is in the southern part of Turkey on the
Mediterranean, thankfully far from the second round of earthquakes
since I’ve been here. I hiked through the ruins of Olympos, and a few
other ancient cities. The weather warm enough for sun bathing, 20
degrees warmer than Istanbul.

The Hamam, Turkish bath, was another adventure. I decided to
experience a package of services, not knowing exactly what I was
getting myself into. The surprising part was that I was actually
bathed at one point, scrubbed and washed and rinsed. Then a massage,
followed by soaking in a private hot tub of sea water from the
Mediterranean, all very relaxing. You must go to a Hamam if you visit
Turkey, and I even recommend the bath part.

Amanda Fletcher
STOTT PILATES® Instructor Trainer

A Pilates Poem

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:15:41 -0400

Inhale find the length throughout the crown of your head

Engage muscles that you didn’t know you had

Awaken your muscles that have been almost dead

Pilates is perfect for many ages, athletes, mom or dad

Pilates on the mat, barrel, reformer, Cadillac or chair

Standing, sitting, supine, sidelying or prone

Give it a try is my dare

And you too can be sitting tall on your thrown

Stand taller, compact your muscles, feel stronger,

Of coarse better posture and a stronger core

And don’t forget you might become longer

Knowing that each and every class is never a bore

Pilates in the early morning, afternoon and night

The hundred’s, mermaid, hug a tree or hug a moon

Is really almost as much fun as flying a kite

And will never be that class you doom

Exhale draw your navel to your spine

Pilates shall cause a change in postural lifestyle

With more flexibility and strength, you will be feeling fine

Come take a class, it will be worth your while.

~Ann Samson

With my now 3 month old baby Dylan finally sleeping in my arms...

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:50:21 -0500

With my now 3 month old baby Dylan finally sleeping in my arms and sounds of Pandora’s toddler tunes dancing in my head, I finally put myself down to snuggle up with my Mac hoping for a solid 10 minutes to catch up on the current ways of the adult world.

I thumb through women’s health topics - my obsession. I wonder why there is so little information out there on putting our bodies and minds back together once we meet our wee one’s in turn giving us the ever so necessary tools to meet the extreme demands of motherhood.

We all have our own and very personal birthing story to tell. The bottom line is each of us went from carrying a watermelon inside of our incredibly stretched out pelvis, of which stretched further than any of us can or would care to imagine, hopefully resulting in the birth of our little beauties. The part I can not wrap my brain around: after that sort of trauma to our bodies and more times that not, our psyche, we are left with very little if any guidance on how to put ourselves back together.

The good news: I am not the only mother who has had these thoughts. Everyday I find more and more new and exciting research on women’s heath issues, such as postpartum care. These include oh so simple exercises to get us all pulled back together. Beware, these exercises do not include getting out our jog stroller as soon as we’re given the go ahead at that much awaited 6 week visit ;)

Maybe future birthing centers will include a “put me back together for dummies” manuel in the diaper cake, so that we are respectfully given the tools that will enable us to again dig deep and find the energy necessary for that 3rd night time feeding with a smile that says, I can do it.

After more than a decade of working in the health and fitness industry and having my second child, my clear goal is to prevent unnecessary low back or pelvic pain in as many women’s lives that I am able to touch, and just maybe more and more women can laugh out loud and, get this, even sneeze in public without the worry.

Tammy Kinsman

Roger Martin-Pressman on Anusara Yoga at Pura Vida I joined the...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:08:57 -0500

Roger Martin-Pressman on Anusara Yoga at Pura Vida

I joined the Yoga teaching staff at Pura Vida in November of last year and teach Anusara yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I love being part of the community here and would like to take this opportunity to explain my practice both as a student and teacher of Anusara yoga with a little more depth.

I discovered Anusara 6 years ago, randomly in the basement of the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine. My first teacher is a retired lawyer who, at the time, was offering the classes for free. I came to class searching for flexibility after years of playing soccer, being a “gym rat, ” and generally moving towards a tighter state of being. I was surprised to find a powerful physical gateway into a deeper understanding of, and connection to, my emotional, psychological and spiritual selves.

Anusara appealed to me at first because of my scientific mind. With a degree in exercise physiology, I tend to resonate with the technical side of things and have found the human body to be a source of great fascination for me. Anusara’s Universal Principles of Alignment (UPA’s) provide an extremely powerful way to understand how the human body fits together and moves at its fullest potential in all of the diverse ways possible.

The use of themes and stories both at the beginning and throughout each class was also something new to me when I first came to Anusara. Through the thoughtful weaving of these themes, my teachers have shown me over and over that the true power of this yoga is not necessarily in the physical, but in the use of the physical postures as metaphors for something greater. The transformative power of Anusara lies in its ability to unify the body. This is achieved by drawing both deep and subtle energies into each posture and practice using the Universal Principles of Alignment paired with heart-based themes.

At its heart, Anusara yoga is about making powerful connections, which we can build upon in order to enhance our life and the lives of others. Throughout my journey with Anusara yoga I have learned how to cultivate a practice of making these connections, and have experienced great richness as a result. I believe this to be central to the practice of yoga regardless of the particular style. My hope is that you will join me and the other teachers at Pura Vida and share in a similar experience.

What’s in my mason jar you ask?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:39:00 -0500

If you are a pilates regular and in the studio weekly, you’ve probably noticed my mason jar full or green, orange or red liquid. Many people are curious about the concoctions and continue to ask me about the process etc. So, I thought I’d blog about it to give everyone who is interested the details.

Long story short, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago. We were told she needed to increase her consumption of green, leafy vegetables and avoid processed/packaged foods. She was also encouraged to follow a whole food, plant based diet. We took this advice very seriously, and I started juicing for her daily. I made drinks for myself too and in the process became a huge advocate for fresh, juiced vegetables. We were both not the type to crave vegetable or snack on something other than crackers and cheese. Introducing vegetables in this form to my diet changed my cravings, weight, skin, digestion and more. The benefits were tremendous and most importantly, my mom beat cancer and is healthy and vibrant today….and still juicing!

Juicing has become habit. It can be time consuming and tedious, but the benefits are endless and it is always worth it in the end. I try to have at least one juice a day and believe me, I notice when I don’t have one. The juice isn’t a meal replacement; it is a supplement to my diet. I view it as an easy way to fill my body with dense nutrients I can easily absorb and digest. There is approximately 8-11 pounds of fresh vegetables in each juice.

Here are a couple standard recipes I make with my Die Cast Juice Fountain Breville Elite:

Green Drink

3 apples

2 cucumbers

1 lemon

½ bunch of celery

½ bunch of spinach (with the root attached)

1 bunch romaine

½ bunch of Laciato kale

2 quarter size pieces of kale

Red Energy Drink

2 small beets

5 carrots

2 apples

2 pears

½ bunch celery

2 quarter size pieces of ginger

Does Fashion Harm?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:08:57 -0500

Does fashion harm? Well, when considering wearing high heel shoes women understand that fashion can cause undue pain and lasting discomfort. But, what about less obvious fashion treads, for instance, piercings, specifically belly button piercings? From an “energetic” point of view, the fashion of piercing potentially harms the body. Physically we are an energetic system, in Chinese medicine the “chi” or life force flows through pathways called meridians. A belly button piercing dissects a specific meridian pathway.

Personally I have seen the power of opening that pathway by removing the piercing. REALLY!

A physical therapist working with athletes has been researching the correlation of performance with piercings. During a workshop I observed the difference myself. An individual had her belly button pierced for 18 years. Her movement pattern was obviously different before and after the ring was removed. It was unbelievable! This individual was emotional about the physical difference she felt and because of the change, she never put that thing back in. Fashion be damned! Fortunately I worked with this individual for many months and knew her body well. It WAS different working with her after the ring was out versus when the was ring in. I won’t go into the physical complications, but the experience and struggle she had for years, and the “blocked” meridian (by piercing) in Chinese medicine, is responsible for the flow of energy to the problem areas. You might not experience the difference my student did if you take our your belly ring but, you will be opening up the flow of energy. Try it, fashion be damned!

Colleen Glenn

Pilates is for Everyone

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:47:18 -0500

Ruth Kobin: 100 Years Old and Healthy Thanks to Pilates and Weight Lifting

About 7 years ago Kitty Carlisle Hart at 95 (and in tights and a leotard no less) was featured in a New York One segment on Exercise for Seniors. A young male personal trainer who was very full of himself was talking about the importance of exercise for ‘the active agers’, and what this population should be doing. Ms Hart looked at him and told him that she had been doing Pilates for years, at which point she then got down on the exercise mat and demonstrated her Pilates prowess, while the wide eyed and wide mouthed personal trainer just stood there watching.

Pilates is the fountain of youth! What we must keep in mind though, is that Pilates really is for everyone. While there are countless women who do Pilates - the reality is that Pilates was created by a man for men. It just so happens that woman were drawn to the method and seem to have embraced it more than men have. If I can continue to move and do all the things that I easily did at 25 when I am 65 or older then I think - enough said!

Kevin Bowen

Training and Intimidation

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:34:32 -0500

I am 5’-7”, 160 pounds, and have a receding hair line. Never in my life have I thought I would be considered intimidating. Intimidating may not be the right word, but I have recently learned that some people view me much differently than I see myself.

During a great talk with one of my clients, it was stated how difficult it is to decide to get a trainer. After asking him, my wife, mother, and other clients I found out that my profession is intimidating to some people. I never knew there was a fear of doing something wrong, or of being judged on on their body, or of just looking stupid. I want everyone to know how wrong this is.

Every trainer I know and respect chose this profession for their need to help people. We would all agree that if we had a friend that wanted to ski, they should get a lesson. Trainers are no different. We enjoy teaching the beginners the lifestyle that excites us. We love showing the intermediates how to get to the next level. And those seasoned veterans, we can give you 5 different ways to get your butt kicked again. So, please, come ask anyone with a name tag on the second floor any question you have about exercise, nutrition, or training philosophy. I promise, no one will get hurt.

Timothy Harris, Master Personal Trainer

Pilates. Why Not? I talk about Pilates a lot. Most days, even...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:00:06 -0500

Pilates. Why Not?

I talk about Pilates a lot. Most days, even when I am not teaching I find myself talking about it. I don’t have to, I want to. I like to. Sometimes I can’t help myself. Am I addicted? Perhaps. Although a bit weird to admit, I’ve woken myself up many a time stretching, doing the hundreds, a Pilates favorite :), or talking a client through an exercise. I’m not sure if it makes me fluent, but I love what I do. I can speak for the other eight instructors at Pura Vida that they do too.

Speaking Pilates is not just giving detailed instruction, or promoting certain exercises or conquering footwork. It’s a belief and focus on better posture, balance and overall being. So what is that really? It’s how you sit, stand, and feel on a daily basis. These are really the results that you “see”. Yes, you might lose inches and tone and get a flatter stomach, but truthfully it’s instilling movement and values and an understanding in what you do when you are outside of the studio.

If you think about how much time and money we invest in THINGS that make us happy, why wouldn’t you do the same in something that is proven to give you a better quality of life.

For more information:

http://www.sportsmd.com/SportsMD_Articles/id/410.aspx

http://pilates.about.com/b/2011/08/29/stats-pilates-keeps-on-growing.htm

Stacy Weinstein