Explore Pilates Insights for an Active, Balanced Life

If you want to get the most out of your workouts, you need to be dripping sweat, collapse on the floor, and have major muscle pain, right? I’ve seen those people many times at the gym, and I grimace thinking about how sore they’re going to be the next day. I’ve also seen the same […]

Sometimes, life gets crazy. Right now, it’s the holidays, but it’s not unusual to find yourself overwhelmed or out of routine at any time of year. Spring Break, summer holidays, or even a sick person at home can get you off-balance in life. It’s these times that fitness often falls to the side, but in […]

Have you ever thought of running a marathon? It takes a lot of training to run a successful marathon because it’s a long freaking distance! 42.2km (26.2 miles) is about the distance from my home to the edge of Vancouver, which can take almost an hour to drive. And despite telling everyone I’d never run […]

Since I’m a runner myself, when I work with other runners I can predict exactly which exercises will make them say “this feels so good”, “this hurts so much”, or “this hurts so good”! The Pilates exercises runners love most pay attention to the tight spots in the lower body that are so common in […]

When it comes to your hobbies and interests, have you ever taken the time to figure out what it is, exactly, that you love so much about them? I’ve been thinking a lot about why I love Pilates and fitness, and the answer didn’t surprise me. It does, however, explain why I fell hard for […]

I think there might be some people out there who love putting themselves in new situations. That person is not me. I still get nervous to start something new, even when it’s fitness-related. Yes, the Pilates teacher gets nervous before going to a new class. If you feel the same way, you are far from […]

When I was talking with some clients about why they started coming to the studio, many of them said that they started doing Pilates for pain; either to prevent it or relieve it. I find it interesting that the common motivation for starting Pilates is so different from that of other types of fitness because […]

I’m part of several Pilates communities, some of which overlap, and I love them all. I have found community with my clients, in my business coaching group, and even in international forums and groups. Recently, I gathered in person with the Pilates Teachers Collective here in Vancouver at The Pilates Collective. My friend started holding […]

The words we tell ourselves matter. They creep into our subconscious minds and set up shop, affecting all the other thoughts and actions we have. If you let the good thoughts in, more good will follow; but if you max out on picking out what’s wrong, things become harder. Do you pick out your flaws? […]

Pilates can be very scripted. Exercises are meant to go in a certain order, the positions are very specific, and your breath should match your movements. As a previous dancer, this type of exercise feels like home to me; there are rules to follow, and I love a good rule! My husband, however, believes that […]

When we are learning something new, we are often so eager to get past the fundamentals and on to the next stage or accomplishment. I know that as a child, I thought the fundamentals were boring. I was a Scottish dancer from age four to nineteen, and we always had to practice our foot, arm, […]

As a kid, I know I looked forward to summer. Unstructured days of pure freedom! As adults, though, we obviously have obligations to take care of, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break, too. Since it’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life that we create for ourselves, I’m […]

Weak glutes are fairly common in our seated culture, which is a problem because they are a large muscle group that keeps us upright and propels us forward. When your glutes are weak, other parts of your body have to work harder to do these tasks, leading to pain, strains, and injury. Bridges are one […]

Our bodies sure do love to complain, don’t they? When we don’t take care of our body or something is off, it finds a way to let us know: sore feet, tight neck, and tight hips are common symptoms of something else going on. My clients and running friends often ask how to fix tight […]

I’ve always thought that I love fitness because of how it makes me feel physically. It’s such a great feeling to push myself to do hard things and challenge myself in new ways. And while not everyone loves to get hot, sweaty, and out of breath from exercising (I do!), our bodies simply feel better […]