Did you know there’s a chain of gyms called Fitness For Life? (I think it’s the best name ever…says it all!) Well, fitness is for life, for a good, capable, high quality life. Mud doesn’t stop me from taking my two labrador retrievers on a hike. Sometimes I think it should, as the clean up required post-hike is urgent, physically demanding, a little gross, time consuming, and not fun! At any rate, here’s how it typically goes: I get the...
I’d like for you to do one of two things: 1. imagine balancing a book on your head, or 2. grab an actual book and place it on your head. If you can, do it right now and then walk around for a minute or two, or go from sitting to standing a couple of times, all while maintaining the position of the book. Notice anything? What you probably notice is your head is micro-aligning...
I want to go way back to the day I met Pilates. It was in the mid-nineties and at the time I was fully invested in the workout world, teaching aerobics classes. These classes were all standing, lots of jumping, double knotting sneakers, and moving fast, like a tiger was chasing you. Pilates Mat couldn’t have been more opposite. First off, in Pilates we left our shoes at the door. This was revolutionary to me....
I just listened to a podcast discussion between a celebrity stylist and a magazine editor. The topic was beauty tips. The entire 90minute show was spent discussing skincare creams and potions, eye masks and exfoliants. Beauty, according to these two women, seems to be all about maintaining youthful skin with products. Look, I like a good serum as much as the next person, and it’s true what they say – hydrated and nourished skin looks and feels...
‘Tis the season for parent-teacher conferences and while there is a Zoom option, I really like having them the old fashioned way, in-person. It’s nice to sit face to face with each teacher, in each classroom. The conferences are set up like this: parents are booked for 10minutes with each teacher, and then there’s five minutes between each appointment to travel from classroom to classroom. We follow the same order as the child does in...
I bet you have a pessimistic friend or family member. This is a person who tends to think about the worse case scenario, or perhaps they offer a negative comment here and there. Sometimes this person is super funny and pessimism is part of their humor. They crack you up and their words are benign to your psyche. Other times, this person is bad for your health. (Not kidding!) I’ve recently distanced myself from a...
“Detox” is a buzzword that’s been buzzing for a long time. Some might think it means some sort of drug rehab. Others may think it’s a serious liver cleanse. However, “detox” should be part of our everyday. It simply means getting rid of unwanted stuff, and you know what? If you’re exercising, you’re detoxifying. Here’s how: 1. Exhalation Every exhale is detoxifying. The amount of inhaled air contains (approximately) 21% of oxygen and 0.04% of carbon dioxide, while...
I always always always “read the room” when it comes to teaching classes. When a group of people congregate for yoga, Pilates or a some sort of fusion format, their collective energy informs me what’s up. Sometimes, we need to get moving right away. Sometimes, we need to settle in for a bit. Sometimes, the class needs to be extra alignment focused, and sometimes, the class needs to center around mindful breathing. It all depends on what intel...
Thankfully, my “throwing my back out” era is well in the past but when I was living through it, it got a little scary. My son, Luca, was about 2 years old the first time it happened, and then almost an exact year later, it happened again. Both times, I was outside, it was cold, and I was awkwardly carrying a heavy object. Both times it happened in an instant – I felt my lower...
Kick off your shoes and grab a chair, it’s EPIC BARRE time! Yes, our newest video workout has arrived and the peppy pace, the concentrated moves, and the core galore make for a truly epic, 45minute, cardio sculpt experience. There are three things I want to quickly mention about EPIC BARRE: 1. We don’t sit down all that much in this workout! In my mind, when I decided on the cover pic, I thought the photo illustrated a unique “pose,” adding a...
