What's the difference....

Between Mat and Apparatus other than price? This is a GREAT question. There are a ton of opinions on the subject of Mat.... my opinion is if you are a TRUE Pilates instructor you know the difference and believe in BOTH and you teach BOTH. It amazes me when I hear an Instructor say that Mat is a waste of time.... WOW is my reaction to that-So, here is my take on them and why they are both important.

Let's start with MAT. Joe Pilates came up with the MAT exercises first. He brought breath, mind and body all together in his mat work. When you really learn it correctly, it can become a form of Choreography, if you will, with the way one movement flows into another. It also takes a VERY strong person to be able to do it all. You use your own body weight and strength. The Mat work is a challenge, but it's supposed to be.... you are working out LOL. I've heard stories from the older generation who took from Mr. Pilates or from his pupils, that to even be able to get onto the Apparatus you had to be able perform the whole mat work. It is also very important to start from the BEGINNING. There are series of exercises that are fundamentals to your future with Pilates. These exercises and fundamentals NEVER CHANGE ( kindda like the rule I before E except after C). You continue to apply them to your more advance work. Yes, Mat work is less expansive, this comes from the fact that you are not using the Apparatus, which is very costly, you don't get one on one attention, and you are in a class with usually more than 3 people. The teacher will usually be doing some of the exercises with you and also watching and giving out corrections. Mat class however is not good those who are injured or hurt, one could be too weak to keep up with the class.

Apparatus- This is NO joke :) I will speak more general as apposed to breaking down the difference of Private, Semi- Private and Trio sessions. The cost goes up for number of reasons, but I will give a little history first. Joe Pilates came up with Apparatus for the more sickly, and weak patients he had. He found by having assistance his patients got better faster and were strong enough to go into the mat work. However, a well person can be even more challenged by the apparatus. And as more and new exercises are made up you can get one mean workout on it. You also get more one on one attention, you get a very close watchful eye on you. Issues get addressed, for example: tight pecs, a weaker leg, turned out feet which goes up to the knee, a painful low back, scapula's that wing out, bad posture,and so it goes. If you have goals they will be met. The client themselves become educated about their own body. Because Apparatus is so one on one, this is great for an injured person, or someone who just got out of post therapy, and those who want to take they workout to the next level. It is pricier because of the apparatus, the attention, the workout plan, and the liability of it all. Someone who isn't being watched or not doing the exercises right can really get hurt.

There you have it :) Whichever way fits into your budget and your need is how you can go about getting into Pilates. Both are very fun and exciting workouts. Time and time again it is phenomenal to the clients and myself what strength and flexibility comes from the practice. So, anytime you are ready - jump right in ;)

Coming in at THIRD PLACE!!!!

proud to announce that our Pilates Studio got third place in "The Best of Silicon Valley".
Don't believe me see for yourself! "The Best" in the Metro.
So, exciting and thank you to all of the Clients who voted :)

Friday....WOW

That went fast. I didn't get to put up another post, like I had planed. That's seems to be my life lately. I have to do things like make a "TO DO" list to remember anything and to get it done. With Noah now in 1st grade, we have more commitments than last year- so that also takes up brain and will power.

I did however; get my painting done at the studio. HUGE accomplishment! So, in the midst of hormones overload and being an emotional roller coaster from being 5 mos. pregnant.... when at time I felt like this:

In the end I feel a little bit more like this:

Life can get so overwhelming with running a business that hangs by every new person that comes in and people who end up leaving- It takes every bit of well power and brain power to not let an overwhelmed husband or yourself get to you. (thank you Peter for dealing with me) Let alone others who have expectations of you that you didn't even know there was. At times I have to stop and think- just like the angry wall that I just painted over with three coats of WHITE paint, ( thank you Jo Ann!!! ) things can be washed away.... and I can just start all over- I am blessed with the love and grace of my GOD and all that matters is creating a future for this very sweet lovable guy-
Have a great weekend!

Which instructor ..... and WHY?

WOW what has education done for me!? A TON and if possible,( if I had endless amount of money) I would go back and learn even more. All in good time with the growth of clients this will be a possibility....Enough of my bibble babble...my point being without educating yourself you will NEVER know. (Noah first day of Kinder, 2008)

Not too many people when calling me up ask me educated questions about my studio or my background.

(niece, Haylee, calling asking educated questions :) )

After getting off the phone, I wonder, did they see my bio? Or are they mindlessly calling for the classes and prices? I'm sorry to have to admit, but I seriously think it's mostly mindless wondering for classes. I come to this conclusion for a couple of reasons.... I've had clients say things to me like, 1)" Yeah, you know maybe after so long of doing this I could go and get certified." 2) " Oh, you graduated from college,... where did you go?" 3) "Well, at the gym I can get a free mat class." ....

I know there is still a big MISUNDERSTANDING of what Pilates is, what it can and will do for you; but, most importantly what your instructor can do for you..... or can't do for you-

I want to walk you through all if this and hopefully, at the end weather you decide to come my studio or somewhere else, you have an idea of what all you should be looking for.

Firstly, to become a Pilates instructor- It is not a weekend get-a-way. For myself, it took me 6 months to finish my Pilates studies, I had at lest 215 hours total of observation and also so many hours of practice teaching. I had to take a test both practical and written. My cost, since you can just look it up yourself, I will say here, was about $3500.00 that was back in 2003. It has now gone up in price.... oh I left out my books about $30.00 each for my books and my Mat certification. Plus, once a year I got back into classes to further my education. In other words, no real instructor just wakes up one day and says, "I think I'm going to be a Pilates instructor." .... True story: I was in a class while in training with a girl who thought taking a year of Pilates was enough to become an instructor.... she ended up dropping out, because she didn't have a clue where her latissmus dorsi was. Ask where they got certified from. This also answers your question as to why Pilates from a studio is on the pricey side ... Quality vs. Quantity

Second, If you want real Pilates go to a Pilates studio NOT the gym. Sorry to be a diva in the next statement, but I'm practicing my freedom of speech in my next sentence..... The gym group instructors are weekend get-a-ways. How DO YOU know? You may challenge me with: I have had too many people come off the street and in my class who say, " WOW this class is NOTHING like my gym class." " Thank you for explaining to me how to sit up tall." and my favorite, " WOW! you really know what you are talking about!." or last but not lest, " it feels totally different here." At a studio you learn how and what you should be doing vs. just doing the exercises. If you do look into your gym find out where they got certified from...if it was there own certification chances are they don't know REAL PILATES.

Thirdly, Find out what the instructors background is. You want somebody who has a body knowledge background. For example, mine is dance, I danced all my life and I'm educated in it. Look for somebody who either was big in some type of activity all their life or has a physical therapy background..... and what is their education background. I got my degree in Dance at UC Irvine. And last thing that I like to look at is the instructors body- are they overweight? Do they look like they practice what they teach? How do they walk, and stand. Is that what you want to look like?


Some food for thought-... take minute and think about all that you read. This is your body, you only get ONE and you want to do what is BEST for it, right? Here is something to think about when picking your studio and instructor..... true story: After leaving her other studio after taking Pilates for 10 years there.... she came to me. After her session with me she was amazed at how different her Pilates session was with me. She feels things differently, her understanding of the exercises are better and she now knows the dynamics of all of it. The instructor that she had, had no real physical activity background, she was certified from a good Pilates program, but didn't further her education, her training was very much like a gym where, there was no rhyme or reason and form was never checked. Pilates is a method of movement yes, it will make you look great, feel great and give you a whole new body, but you want to find the best place to do at.

(Peter, Noah and I at Noah's Kindergarten graduation)

Now you are educated in finding the Pilates instructor and after 30 sessions you will have a whole new body and you will confidently be able to pose for your next picture!

How Can Pilates help with other activities?

As a dancer, who hardly gets to go dance anymore- I can say one thing about stepping back into a class. My extensions may not be as high, but my balance, pirouettes, and releves are A.O.K. Now, of course this could be because Dance is second nature. I did take it for 16years, get a College degree in it and Dance professionally for 4 years. But with that said, I haven't done it on a regular basis for 4 years. So, I feel pretty good that I can waltz right back in and do ok. But since I am extremely bias to this subject, I will let you hear from someone else.

Meet Lisa! I loved when Lisa joined the Studio, not just because she's way cool and totally kicked back, but also because she had done Pilates before. It made the start-up sessions even more fun! I was able to put her right in an existing group. Like, the last two clients, I am honored to have Lisa tell you herself why she loves Pilates and working out here at the Pilates Body.

"Since taking pilates with Heidi, my overall strength and posture have improved dramatically. I was regularly working out on my own with jogging and aerobics videos, but I was not seeing any noticeable difference. Once I began taking pilates, I learned to be in touch with my muscles and body movements. I was able to incorporate what I was learning with Heidi into my other workouts and I am finally seeing measurable changes."

Thanks Lisa for being such an awesome client of mine. The changes I have seen are remarkable. See you Tomorrow for your session and in Mat class.

Pain CAN go away!

Just last week, I got a call from my Big Brother, Bill, who was complaining of back pain. "Heidi", he said, "it hurts when I breathe." My reply, " Well, Bill, I haven't seen you in the Pilates studio in about 2 weeks." "Well, " he said, " I don't know what I could have done? I only slept on the coach one night." I asked him, " Have you done any rolling bridges or stretched your legs like you know you should?" ......, with a strike to the ego, I hear a deflated, "oh, no..... so I should do that." I said, " ok, let me know when you can come in this afternoon and I will see you then."

Luckily, I don't get too many phone calls like this, put I do get people coming to me in pain, who desperately want to get out of pain. I clearly understand. I myself have been in pain, which I will I will save for another blog time. Today, I want Carol, to tell her story. Carol came to me, and wanted to do a mat class series. Not knowing what all she been through, I put her in a Thera-band Mat class. She did alright, but I could just see that she really needed more. So, finally, I asked her what her history is all about. I knew right away she needed way more then just a Mat class. She needed some one on one time and she needed rebuilding of her Muscles of her whole body. My heart went out to her. I wanted to help her, and with that I came up with the injury plan. With Carol, I mostly work on her core, balance and leg strength. Here is Carol, to tell you her story in her own words.

I used to be an active healthy person until a spinal fusion set me back. Nerve damage caused loss of signals to my abdominal and leg muscles. My muscles atrophied or shriveled up at a rapid rate. I was as weak as an old woman in a nursing home. Yet I needed to go back to work as a nurse! I knew it was important to not only get back in shape but strengthen my muscles to prevent future back injuries. My surgeon suggested pilates.

Heidi is a life saver for me. I was weak and extremely frightened of injury. Even though I knew I needed to exercise, I was very fearful. Heidi reassured me that she could help me and would not cause harm. Her extensive educational and practical background helped me trust her.

What worked for me was signing up for Heidi's one on one series of floor and mechanical exercise. She could watch my every move and make sure I was doing it correctly. Why go through the motions and not have results? It is important to do it correctly. When your muscles are extremely weak, it is difficult to exercise properly without one on one attention.

I can not believe how much stronger I am now, and only after 6 week mat series and ten 1 on 1 sessions. And I am shocked that I returned to work in such pitiful condition. I should have started working with Heidi long before I did!

I intend to continue training with Heidi. Strong core muscles are needed to prevent future injuries and I do not wish to ever be injured to such a severity again.

I highly recommend pilates with Heidi as your trainer.

Carol Cherico RN BSN