Explore Pilates Insights for an Active, Balanced Life

I feel sad about the current cancellation of fitness classes. I teach because I like to help people feel better in their own skin; to feel stronger, heal from injury, surgery, or illness. I love helping runners and recreational athletes feel their best and dodge injury in their sports. I really DO love what I […]

As any good fitness instructor will tell you, you should warm up before you dive into your workout. I tell this to my strength training clients all the time! But when it comes time to warm up for Pilates, you don’t have to do anything at all. Other than Pilates, that is.  Warm Up for […]

It’s no secret that exercise is an integral part of my life. And while I know that not everyone lives and breathes fitness like I do, I believe that it does have a place in everyone’s life – and not for the reasons you may think (like weight loss). If you have been struggling to […]

In my conversations with friends and family lately, the topic of injuries keeps popping up. A pulled muscle while reaching for something on a high shelf, achy joints, or chronic low back pain – all of the “usual” things as we’ve been getting older. While all of these aches and pains seem spontaneous, they’re actually […]

Last week, I wrote about the reasons people run – and (surprise!) it isn’t only about being fit. Rather, most runners I know say their number one reason for lacing up their trainers has to do with feeling good in other ways. I also promised that I’d share my favourite Pilates and strength exercises for […]

It’s no secret that I love to run, but I know it isn’t for everyone (and I’m not here to convince you to try it). Rather, I have put together some tips for runners at any level to remind them why they run, help them enjoy running more, and keep them running long into the […]

I love my job in fitness! The energy, competition, and conversation bring me so much joy. So you might be wondering why I created my app, Sweat with Melissa, when I can’t be with you in person. With everything I do, you know I have a bunch of reasons, and the two biggest ones are […]

On Sundays, I lead a pace group for long runs – sometimes up to two hours – at a conversation pace. We have a lot of time to chat, and I often get asked about Pilates. For some reason, this week I started thinking about the perception of it, and that many people think Pilates […]

Have you thanked your feet lately? They are so important! They connect you to the ground and keep you moving forward, be it walking, running, or riding. Considering how much they do for us, we don’t really give them that much attention. Whenever I talk about feet during a class, someone admits that they never […]

The other day, I started wondering about people who push through the pain of their favourite exercise. It came up for me because after a long run, I woke up SORE the next day. My back was tight, my hamstrings hurt, and even my calves ached. I know why I hurt, and how to fix […]

Fitness has changed a LOT since 1989, when I tried my first aerobics class. Those SWEAT classes were high impact with ten to fifteen minutes of leg lifts or abs, and were what got me hooked on working out. Soon, I was trained as an instructor and teaching people how to have a safe, fun, […]

Are you a runner? If you have ever laced up a pair of shoes and attempted to run 1km or 100km, you are a runner in my mind. And no matter where you are in your running journey – one week or ten years – I bet you have had to deal with running aches […]

We are only halfway through Pilates Bootcamp 2.0, and we are having so much fun! This time around, I have several participants who are part of the Run Club that I lead.  I’m really enjoying their feedback about Pilates; especially since they are already physically active. Some things that I am hearing from them are:   […]

Who has been sitting at their desks way more than normal? I sure have been. All of the virtual meetings, family dinners, weddings, fitness classes, school, and shopping online has us on our computers more than ever before. I’ve put together 7 simple exercises and stretches if you sit all day and are starting to […]

Isn’t being young wonderful? You can run and jump and play all day, and wake up feeling fresh and flexible. I was a Scottish dancer since I was four years old, and then switched to aerobics when I was eighteen. I jumped around every day, pain free! Soon, I was taking classes and teaching aerobics. […]