| OK, so January is over. Have you kept your fitness goals? True confession: I have not. It has not all been a failure though. I have started swimming again. We joined a new gym closer to home, and I have tried swimming laps early in the morning before work. The hardest part was shopping for a swim suit. Trying on swim suits can be torture sometimes. As I’ve gotten older I think I look more like a biscuit can that’s been popped open than a fit athlete in workout clothes. I mean I’m more fluffy than fit these days. But exercise has such tremendous benefits that it is worth the self-consciousness of facing ourselves in the mirror. I have more energy, less stress, sleep better, and tone up. How about you? Have you ever tried a new exercise or sport? Is there something you have never tried but are curious about? For me that would be Pilates. I have always heard of the benefits, but I’ve never tried it. I recently heard of a unique Pilates studio in Brooklyn, NY called “Aline,” which is owned and operated by a woman entrepreneur named Carey Macaleer. Carey has an interesting philosophy about fitness: it starts with your feet. Carey and her team put together customized training sessions for a large clientele that centers on your feet as the foundation for health and wellness. She has been practicing Pilates since she was 12, and today works with celebrities, athletes, pregnant clients, veterans and newbies to create bespoke programs that speak to their needs. Her studio has been growing to the point where she is even about to open a second. I had the opportunity to ask her some questions about Pilates, and I thought you might be interested in her responses: What are the benefits of Pilates? Why is it better than any other exercise? The benefits are endless! Stronger Core … Balance …Better Alignment … Improved Posture … Less pain … Optimizing Musculoskeletal health … What is Pilates and what type of person is it best for? Pilates is an exercise regimen that strengthens the “core” (the core is the abdominals, hips, and lower back) while stretching, stabilizing and engaging the small muscle groups that often times are ignored. Pilates helps you to learn how to engage certain muscle groups that may not be firing so the body works evenly and systematically helping to improve balance, flexibility and deep core strength. Pilates can be done with no machines and on a mat or on Pilates apparatus. At Aline I teach women, men, professional athletes, elderly over 80 years old, those with Parkinson’s and MS, marathon runners, prenatal and postnatal clients. Everyone is a good candidate! What is the best way for a beginner to get started with Pilates? I always suggest taking a few private sessions to start. If you’re finding a connection to the work after a few sessions, you can transition to classes. But I caution people to stick to small class sizes in order to keep working on form and the deep core connection. Is equipment required? A gym membership? Pilates studios offer some classes that are with no machines called “mat classes” and other classes on the apparatus. Those are called reformer and tower classes. Studios usually sell by the individual class or offer packages. If you belong to a gym, they usually offer mat classes. What are the best techniques to do at home or when traveling (maybe in your hotel room)? Aline offers a video called the “Aline last,” a 15-minute video that can be done anywhere and requires no machines. Just a floor with a towel or mat. Discuss some of the new trends with Pilates. A major trend in Pilates — and exercise in general — is on demand classes. I see firsthand how busy our clients are and how difficult it is to find the time to make it to the studio. So, with that in mind, I began creating a series of videos to give them their Aline Pilates fix when they’re on the road or unable to make it to the studio. The first video is called the “Aline Blast” and it’s a tight, 15-minute workout that can be done anywhere without a reformer or props. Our goal with these videos is to provide all of the unique high-quality instruction found within our studio, but for anyone that is time starved or doesn’t live in close proximity to Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Another trend is athletes are doing Pilates more and more. Racquet sports players find that Pilates helps to keep their knees strong and increase rotation through their torsos. The marathon runners depend on the deep stretching and over all muscular balance that is brought to them through Pilates. The golfers find that their swing is stronger and rotation greater. Cyclist are able to go longer with less pain in hips. Finally, we put an emphasis on feet. Most of us don’t realize how much we need our feet to be healthy, and by stretching and strengthening them we can avoid Plantar Fasciitis and knee/hip pain. More and more people and especially those who are athletic are reaping the benefits of the foot work in Pilates. Is there anything else you think my readers would be interested in knowing? Yes. At Aline we use a simple mantra, “Strength for Life,” which means using a classical Pilates approach tailored to each person’s individual goals and every day of their lives. We understand that our clients come to us with individual goals which could be as simple as strengthening their core or toning their body, but a lot of times it represents something else happening in their lives. This ranges from recovering from a sports injury or strengthening their body after the birth of a child. We take a classical Pilates approach and tailor a program for each client to help them achieve the goal that is so important to their life. We have a firm belief that by introducing Pilates into people’s everyday routines, they will become stronger both mentally and physically. Aline has an incredibly diverse group of clients from all walks of life and ages, from teens to seniors. Our hope is that we can open their eyes to a sustainable Pilates program that will exist outside of our studio walls. We aim to give them a road map for keeping their bodies strong over their entire life. Sounds like something I might want to try. What about you? Are you already a Pilates enthusiast? I would love to hear your stories! |
