Putting Pilates at the top of your To Do list
March 8, 2008
Originally uploaded by troymccarty
Making Time for Pilates
More than likely you have children, a job, a house, a spouse, extended family, a hobby or two, and on, and on, and on. Our list goes on forever. Many of these things you wouldn’t trade for the world. But face it – with all of those obligations, our lives often become over-programmed.
You wake up in the morning and your head is swimming as you try to figure out how to give everything on your list attention. You look at your list or desk full of post-its and say, “okay I’ve got a full day to get through this.” But more often then not, we move things over to tomorrow’s list.
What I’m trying to get at is that I understand that it’s hard to set aside one hour for your exercise. But not only is this an hour you can’t simply move to the next day, it is actually, an hour that can carry you through the rest of the day.
Many of my clients schedule their sessions first thing in the morning. I used to think they did this to get it out of the way. One day a client stated, “this is how I want to start my day.” It put a whole new spin on the clients I’m meeting at the studio at six o’clock in the morning. Starting your day off with a Pilates session – just think of it conquering your day ‘one vertebrae at a time’ (yet another Pilates saying).
I always remind my clients to take what you have learned in your session and carry it through your day. You’re driving to make an appointment and all of sudden you notice your sitting up so high on your sitz bones…you get out of the car and you glide so easily…you walk in with such posture. You carry yourself through that errand with such form and function your now impressed with yourself. Now all these things on your “to do list” are so easy to get done. You now have joined the league of super moms or dads, but you’re doing everything with such economy of motion.
But try to think back to life without that Pilates session – how would you have felt? Slow? Sluggish? Poor posture? I don’t want to put words in your mouth – but remember –there’s not much your Pilates instructor misses.
Most studios have early morning classes for their clients. One of my colleagues states that her “CEOs” are her “morning people.” They all want private or semi-private classes and are frequently talking her into meeting them early so they can catch the corporate plane to a meeting. She insists that they will do anything to avoid missing a session and that there has to be a correlation to the fact that these people are so professionally successful and personally committed to their Pilates practice.
I start at 6 am and have been known to come in at 5:30 for that special client in need of his/her session. I’m a morning person so I’m eager to get the day started. I love those clients that start off with Pilates. I see them come in first thing in the morning on the sleepy side, bed hair, and a Latte in hand and it’s off they go into reformer land. I see these clients slowly come alive as we start our foot work. I know as a teacher I’m preparing them for their day.
So the night before when your making your lists put PILATES at the top and you will be thankful.
