The Pilates System: A Day in the Life

The Pilates System: A Day in the Life (Now with bonus videos!)

Welcome all you amazing Pilates people! Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to join me for here for a bit of Pilates Nerdery (a bit?!).

A special welcome to new subscribers – thank you for signing up for the long haul as we traipse along our Pilates Path.

My Morning Go-To Exercises

Today I am fresh off my personal “This is for you” exercises and feeling tall. Funny how our list of exercises we need on a daily basis grows ever longer. Hmmm?

The more you know…

Here’s how my list started:

Small Barrel

  • Arm Circles
  • One arm Up/One Arm Down
  • Hug
  • Breathing
  • Leg Circles
  • Scissors
  • Bicycle
  • Shoulder Bridge (when I can remember to do it… weird…)
  • Rolling/Rest

This was my list at the start of my Small Barrel Project 30-Day challenge.

Here’s my list today:

Foot Corrector

  • Ball of foot
  • Heel
  • The Massage (oh SUCH a goodie…)
  • Arches
  • Ball on Top with Heel Lifted

Small Barrel

  • Arm Circles
  • One arm Up/One Arm Down
  • Hug
  • Breathing
  • Swan Dive (balanced on top of barrel)
  • Swimming (yeah, same place)
  • Single Leg Pull (low back balanced on top of barrel)
  • Double Leg Pull (same place – if you’ve not tried these I recommend it…)
  • Leg Circles
  • Walks
  • Beats
  • Scissors
  • Bicycle
  • Shoulder Bridge (ridiculously I still “forget” to do this one if I am not super focused. Weird…)
  • Jay’s Exercise (it doesn’t really have a name and I learned it from him)
  • Helicopter
  • Hip Twist
  • Teaser (roll up to balance on top of barrel)

High Chair

  • Pumping (if I am not pressed for time or if I feel particularly gimpy…)
  • Going Up Front
  • Going Up Side

Cadillac

  • Standing One Leg Spring (recently added and nearly impossible…)

Whew!

Looks like a ton of exercises, but it only takes about 20 minutes or so to do. Perfectly manageable even on a busy day.

Random Acts of Pilates

The longer one studies and practices the Pilates Method, the more immersed one becomes in its tenets. One’s awareness can heighten to the point where every daily mechanical action of living is filtered through our Pilates mind.

I love waiting in line during my day and lifting up my waist to open and stretch my hips. A little bit of secret Pilates on the inside. Perhaps I have said too much…

Conversely, I am more than willing to entertain a Pilates thought when it is delightfully unexpected.

Read my other Random Acts of Pilates posts here and here.

And now for a Random Act of Pilates from the magical Seth Godin:

Beginning is underrated

Merely beginning.

With inadequate preparation, because you will never be fully prepared.

With imperfect odds of success, because the odds are never perfect.

Begin. With the humility of someone who’s not sure, and the excitement of someone who knows that it’s possible.

Thank you Seth Godin for knowing exactly what I need to hear exactly when I need to hear it.

Beginning.

Beginning each workout.

Just start.

It’s everything!

Its a leap to your future self even if you are unsure of who she will be.

The last sentence from Seth is my favorite. Beginning requires humility. So. Does. Pilates.

Beginning is exciting and empowering. Pilates. Every. Time.

Think of the beginning student who lifts the pedal in the Pull Up for the very first time. Perhaps beforehand they even told you it was an impossible request.

But they did it.

Boom.

30 Day challenge anyone?

The Pilates System: A Day in the Life

One of the exercises recently added to my morning (and evening) go-to workout is one with which you may not be familiar: Standing One Leg Springs on the (near the) Cadillac.

These exercises (shown in the photo to the back, but also done to the front (across the body) and to the side, were not part of original training programs. They were part of The Work, part of my study with Vintage Pilates and Jay Grimes.

And boy are they a doozy for a little crooked person like myself. Perhaps twisted is a better descriptor for me ha ha…

Bottom line is I cannot be trusted to complete these few exercises daily as I am not a huge fan of them… yet!

Although if you’ll remember one of our Pilates mantras…

The Pilates System: A Day in the Life

Well yes, this is a favorite – but the one I need right now is another oldie but goodie…

The Pilates System: A Day in the Life

Or in my case, What I don’t like I will do twice 30 times!

Sounds about right.

So in the spirit of ‘Make your apparatus your Teacher’ I propose a 30-Day challenge on the Standing One Leg Spring exercises.

And with you, dear readers I know I will be held accountable.

As usual it’s a challenge for myself and anyone else who’d like to join in the FUN, shall we say?

Don’t worry.

Maybe these Standing One Leg Spring exercises are new to you or perhaps you’ve never even heard of them? I smell a long overdue video tutorial to help us on our challenge.

It’s a date!

This week’s COLLAB video with Lesley Logan

The Pilates System: A Day in the Life

Lately I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my YouTube collab with my Los Angeles colleague, and owner of Profitable Pilates, Lesley Logan.

Do you subscribe to my YouTube channel? Become a subscriber today and never miss my weekly videos.

In this week’s collab we look at the Mermaid exercises all around the studio.

Check it out and thanks for watching!

And find Lesley’s video on the Mermaids here.

Lesley takes a look at the Mermaids done on the Wunda Chair.

View her tips on the exercises and then have a go at my new Wunda Chair workout. Be careful – this one’s a wild ride… you won’t want to miss the moment where I fall off the chair!

The struggle is REAL…

Also kudos to my sister, Fran, for making the blog this week! She’s in the featured image for this post, above.

Nice looking Stomach Massage, yes?

Look at her all decked out in her nerd gear as well… #soproud

Coming Up on the Blog

Recently on Social Media there has been much discussion and interest in the concept of the 2-way stretch we use in the Pilates Method.

It’s one of my favorite topics and can be such a boon to your teaching and practice.

Stay tuned for another in-depth post in which I’ll dissect the opposing reaches of the body and illustrate how they can deepen our connection to the center, to our powerhouse.

If you’ve got questions about the origins and/or implementation of the 2-way stretch leave me comment below or contact me via email.

Hello Hong Kong!

I am super excited about my upcoming trip to Hong Kong. I’ll be teaching many of my favorite workshops as well as lessons and classes. You know how much I adore the Reformer

I hope you’ll join me at Flex Studio in March 9-12. Teachers and clients are all welcome!

Workshops will include a Reformer workshop based on my most-viewed posts On the Order of the Pilates Reformer Exercises and Transitions! Transitions!, a Mat workshop based on the posts On the Order of the Pilates Mat Exercises and Transitions on the Mat plus 7 Spot-On Quotes to Keep you Honest and The 3 pilates Barrels.

Register here.

And here’s a few more places you’ll find me in 2018.

4 Responses

  1. OMG Fran! Yeah! love it = #PilatesSisters. Super! Just did it with you and finished watching tute; you def. make that look really easy. Also, cool to see Gail’s shoulder/arm position, not up by ear but very connected. Interesting on the order placement too, I guess it sorta is a floater exercise… Side note, there is a Mermaid bar here in Montana. Girls swim behind the bar! And Pat, the organ player has been there since the 50’s!! You’d love it 😉 #muskateersgomermaid.

    I’m pretty excited to do you and Gayle’s WUNDA = 30 minutes of pure challenge 🙂

    THANKS!

  2. So good to see that we all have growing exercise lists???????????? mine started out pretty much like yours, foot corrector and barrel (read spine corrector for me????) …. I usually also add footwork, 100 and frogs/circles on the reformer too. Now I have my rollover practice (from Amy) on the spine corrector and now I have a 30 DAY teaser challenge!!! ???????????????? I think I may add those teaser variations on the spine corrector as it seems to help my low back to open up a bit more… I shall try it out and report back????????????????????….
    ooh and looking forward to the two way stretch post, given that I’ve only just found mine..????. #jointhedots…..
    love that Mermaid bar Cor????????‍♀️????????‍♀️????????‍♀️ What happens when it freezes over? Do they skate over with your martini orders? ????????????
    Looking forward to seeing you in September for another #pilatesmesketeersnerdout????????????????????

    1. A video tutorial on the Standing One Leg Springs will be up on the blog/my YouTube channel next week. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more info on those beastly exercises – LOL today is day 3 of 30 days with them. Glad to have made it to 3 ha ha…

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