Pilates with Robin at Total Body By Bender

10/13/2026

Still time…
Jump Board
Tuesday 9:15
Yes, it’s low impact.

10/12/2026

Jump board!
Tuesday 9:15

10/05/2026

Spots available for group reformer tomorrow at 9:15. You must have an initial private session/assessment prior to joining group sessions. Use the Vagaro app to access Total Body by Bender to schedule.

Send a message to learn more

09/27/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19nw4ToxAT/

Boyfriends and husbands are learning the hard way that their female companions are not going to 7 a.m. classes just to stretch. Gym bros accustomed to bench-presses and burpees swagger into serene studios expecting to spend 50 minutes doing light exercises with toy dumbbells.

Many severely underestimate the difficulty of Pilates or its high-intensity offshoots, which are built on low-impact movements that prioritize core strength, posture and slow burn. They leave broken men—much to their partners’ delight.

Columnist Jamie Waters is a HIIT class regular and a keen runner, so he figured he would do alright. One recent weekend Waters headed to reformer Pilates with his sister.

Here’s what happened: 🔗 https://on.wsj.com/4xzCjkY

08/30/2026

I thought I might mislead you with the cover photo - but that’s me leading a short breathing meditation before a special Pilates class.

But here’s why you’ll want to keep your practice an eyes-open affair. 👀 (I’ve also thrown in a solid plug for why you might want to close them on occasion too.)

Pilates emphasizes precision, alignment, and awareness on a subtle scale so with your eyes open, you can visually orient yourself. Like noticing whether your pelvis is level, whether your legs are tracking evenly, etc.

Even if you’re not consciously looking at anything, your visual system is still contributing.

Keeping your eyes open gives your brain an additional stream of information to integrate with your proprioceptive & vestibular systems. (Which are generally accessed more with eyes closed).

So with eyes open, you’re utilizing full sensory integration.

You maintain spatial orientation and even lying down, your brain benefits from knowing where “up,” “down,” and the surrounding environment are.

Keeping your eyes open gives your nervous system more information with which to control movement.

Where you look can influence head position, neck tension, balance, and movement strategy. This is why Joe invented his eye chart.

So what changes when you close your eyes?
The sensory information your brain receives changes, even when the exercise feels completely stable (like the 100)

The proprioceptive & vestibular (inner ear) demand is greater. Balance and spatial orientation is more challenging. Cognitive and motor challenges can be harder.

But remember Eyes closed doesn’t automatically mean better body awareness.” Sometimes you can close your eyes and become more internally focused. But sometimes you simply lose useful information and become less precise.

So here’s how you might integrate the two (if you’re interested to do so):

Once you’ve learned an exercise safely, briefly close your eyes as a sensory challenge, and try to sense things like:
• pressure through your feet / hands
• your rib movement as you breathe
• amount of muscle tension
• subtle differences between your left and right sides

👀 What were you taught? What do you teach? What do you practice? And why?

I’d love to know.

Follow for more “Myths” & “Truths” about Pilates, its history, its practice and mindful movement technique.

If you can think of others who might be interested in this information, please share.

08/23/2026

I’m happy to be back at
Total Body by Bender on Tuesday mornings.
Private sessions at 8:15 & 10:30, group sessions at 9:15.
Use the Vagaro app to reserve your spot.
(If you need a different time or day, contact me, I’ll try to make it happen).

07/16/2026

Interested in joining but need a private intro class?

We’ve been busy around here (which we’re so grateful for!) & have had lots of people interested in getting started. That also means our private intro classes have been filling up FAST!

If you haven’t been able to find a time that works with your schedule, give us a call or send us a text at (513) 449-1802. We’re often able to work around schedules a little easier that way! 🥰

We also recommend booking as far in advance as you can! Popular group class times may be converted to private intros if no one is signed up, or private slots may become group classes as the schedule fills.

Thank you for your support, patience, & understanding. We’re so grateful for this community💙

www.totalbodybybender.com

07/10/2026

Welcome back Robin!

06/29/2026

Tracy is a certified & licensed athletic trainer with 29 years experience in medical fitness & post rehab. She is professionally Pilates certified & is excited to push forward with us!

Look on Vagaro for her bio & Group Reformer Classes on Wednesday mornings & one Saturday a month, Private Stretch & Release sessions, & Therapeutic Pilates Privates. Her Therapeutic Pilates Privates will be half off in July!

https://www.vagaro.com/cl/gLPgOyxWZ6Crxf1iaHztvkg92TCfm6uQqkqQ-Q53K60=

05/20/2026