Explore Pilates Insights for an Active, Balanced Life

I am feeling rather disappointed in myself right now, because I have realized that I’ve done a disservice to you all – and myself. How so? I’ve been talking about Pilates in a way that I ASSUMED others will respond to, rather than speaking my true opinions and experience. I have been holding back, and […]

Taking care of our minds and bodies is such an essential part of life, and one that was hard even before Covid-19 exploded here two months ago. It has taken me awhile to figure out how to redefine my fitness and self care in quarantine, but I am getting there. I am trying to be […]

Starting something new can be intimidating, especially if you aren’t 100% sure what you are getting yourself into. I feel that Pilates is “one of those things”. When you start Pilates as a beginner, it can seem so foreign – there is special equipment, the moves have strange names, and darn those instructors look fit! […]

It is that time of year when magazine and blog headlines lean more heavily to topics like “How to Get a Pilates Body,” or “Lift Weights to Get a Beach Body by Summer”. In fact, we are bombarded with headlines like this all of the time.  What Makes a “Pilates Body” or “Beach Body”?  Headlines […]

There are great activities and get-togethers happening in my online communities right now. Yes, all of my communities are getting creative these days, and I’m excited about it! I’m talking about:   My literal communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows My local fitness community My global fitness and Pilates community In each of these groups, […]

Did you know that even Pilates instructors sometimes skip their workouts? It’s true. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t practice for just two weeks and ended up with pretty serious back pain. Not fun. Here is how I found my way back to the mat, and how Pilates fixed my back pain.  A Happy Little Story […]

We have all been forced to make quick changes in our lives this past month, in both our personal and work lives. I feel lucky that I am already used to working from home, but my workday has been anything but normal. In addition to changing how I work, I have learned a lot while […]

Wow! Life certainly has thrown us a curveball, hasn’t it? It seems that with each day there is a new development or change that we must adjust to. My daughter said that it feels like she is in a movie right now; life is feeling a bit unreal. With all of the health implications of […]

Spring is quickly approaching, and so is marathon season. Here in BC where I live, runners are thinking about how to train for the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 3, 2020. Whether you are running 42.2km, 21.1km, 8km, or a Relay running event this Spring, it is time to plan your training!  Marathon Running Training […]

For the seventh year in a row, March MATness is underway. “MarchMATness founder Benjamin Degenhardt kicked things off in March 2013 with daily posts to inspire conversations around the Mat work.” This little idea literally exploded into, as he says, a THING. Each year, Pilates instructors and lovers alike share stories, pictures, and get creative […]

In some of my recent social media posts, I’ve been talking about something called the toe gizmo. Also known as a toe corrector or toe tensometer, it is one of the smaller devices that Joseph Pilates designed and used with his students.  Pilates spends a lot of time focusing on your feet, how you are […]

Stress is an inevitable part of life. We are busy, things don’t go to plan, and (unfortunately), bad things happen. While we can’t stop these things from happening, we are in control of how we react to these situations. And finding ways to reduce stress with fitness is one of my favourite ways to cope. […]

I am going to tell you the story that the tongue of my left shoe tells me. The left leg of my leggings tell me stories too. In fact, they both were talking to me non-stop for months before I paid any attention. Perhaps they spoke up so often because I wasn’t listening.  For years […]

I have spent the past twenty-five years up in front of groups of people as I teach fitness classes, pilates, and personal training. I always do my very best to dress for the job, and in this case, that is fitness! Take advantage of my years of knowledge, and learn what the best clothes to […]

I am a Pilates and Fitness Instructor who also runs, does HIIT, and skis (among other things), which gives me insight into many types of exercise. Thus, clients and others often ask me, “Should I practice Pilates or Yoga?” And so on down the list: Pilates or Running? Pilates or Crossfit? Pilates or Strength Training? […]