The Hundred Barre

05/17/2022

Flexibility + strength = Reformer! ☺️

09/24/2021

Let’s face it- we all have bad days sometimes. Days when your confidence in yourself is lacking. Or when all you can see are your weaknesses, the things that you hate about yourself, or the things that you hate about your body.

Rather than shame spiraling into negative feelings that will leave you discouraged and depressed- try and focus on your strengths. Find your positives. Some of our strengths are actually a result of our weaknesses.The picture above was taken on a really, really bad day.

A day when I was feeling low, and all I could focus on were negative things that were staring me in the face. Then someone sent me this photo they took of me in class, with a kind comment below. I realized that I shouldn’t be obsessing over things that are lacking, or things I may never be able to fix. Instead I should focus on the wonderful things that I can do. Celebrate those victories, even if they are small.

Appreciate your strengths & what unique gifts you have to offer. See yourself through the much kinder eyes of the people who love and care about you, and kick those negative thoughts out the door!

09/22/2021

I learned recently that comparing ourselves to other people and picking ourselves apart has a negative effect on our mental health no matter what. If we think we are better than the next person, we’re feeding pride; if we believe we are less than the next person, we’re feeding insecurity.

09/20/2021

The core, your body's "central hub".

According to Mayo Clinic, strengthening your core leads to better balance and stability, whether you're on the playing field or in daily activities. Most sports and other physical activities depend on stable core muscles.

08/18/2021

08/13/2021

If you need me, I'll be here

07/28/2021

Feed your mind, fuel your body.

07/16/2021

The prop room is a place of wonder and intrigue. There are so many items that seem to be extraordinary in their ability to enhance your workout experience, but what do they all do? In this post, I'll break down the benefits of each type!

1)Small, Light Weights: Adding weights, such as hand or wrist weights to your workout can offer some benefits for muscle toning. Depending on the exercise performed you will have an increase in muscles used from arms and shoulders down into core using both eccentric contractions that build long strong muscles.

2) Mini Ball: You can activate more muscles when doing pilates exercises between the knees by placing a ball there. This will help create balance and good alignment, especially if you place it under your foot or in-between your ankles. The instability created as a result of having to work harder is great for strengthening core muscle groups!

3)Gliders: These allow you to do some of the same exercises you would perform on the reformer, on the go! They are an excellent way to get in a great workout and strengthen your stabilizing muscles. Not only do they fire up the small, less-used muscle groups that may not normally be activated during traditional workouts, but these postures also activate more of them than traditional exercises will.

07/14/2021

It is only by truly doing the work that we will see results! There are many "get quick" and "how-to's", but in order to have a lasting result, you need to put in the time.

We often try shortcuts or tricks because they seem like an easy way out of dedication; instead, these methods lead us astray from our goals. Truer words were never spoken than those which remind people it takes hard work for anything worthwhile!

06/11/2021

Pilates is not a one size fits all workout. To be successful in Pilates, you have to pay attention to what your body needs at any given time and how it feels during the routine.

If clothes are sliding down or shortening when you're trying new moves, that means they aren't compatible with the exercise no matter how cute they may look on! Try wearing pants without elastic waistbands for more flexibility in your movements.

The key to mastering a new sequence is preparation. Think ahead: are you familiar with the following exercise? If so, listen carefully for transitions from one move to another; getting there quickly will save your energy from performing complex movements later in class.
Remember not to fidget too much before or after each exercise! Saving up this extra energy can make all of the difference.

Though it may seem like small changes, the most significant difference between an intermediate and advanced level in any practice is the details!