It is no surprise that there is a long list of reasons why sitting all day is bad for your health and body. Luckily, Pilates can help ease the aches and pains caused by a sedentary work life. When you have no choice but to sit at work for hours each day, Pilates can help to work out the damages done.

The risks of sitting all day include:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Stiff neck and shoulders
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Varicose veins
• Back pain
• Poor posture
• Weakened muscles

When you incorporate Pilates into your exercise routine, you can fight the effects of long workdays sitting at a desk.

The Westwood Pilates experts at Sheppard Method Pilates are here to help you feel your best, from improving posture to building a strong core to help reduce back and neck strain. Let our team help you meet your fitness goals while combatting the effects of sedentary work life.

Call Sheppard Method Pilates to schedule a Pilates class with our amazing Westwood Pilates team.

4 Ways Pilates Helps Combat The Effects of a Sedentary Career

Pilates, a low-impact exercise form, can do much more for your mental and physical health than strength training alone. It helps in combating the effects of sedentary workdays. There are several benefits to practicing Pilates if you are required to sit all day.

1. Strengthens the core muscles. Your core muscles support the abdominal organs, the pelvis, and the spine. Sitting all day weakens these muscles, leading to poor posture, back pain, and neck and shoulder stiffness.
2. Improves posture. Working at a desk or computer all day leads to poor posture. Pilates not only strengthens the back and neck supporting muscles but also helps to release tension in these areas helping to keep the spine aligned.
3. Reduces stress. Tension and stress built up throughout the day, from confrontations with angry coworkers, pressure from bosses, and everyday workload, can create back and neck stiffness. The breathwork and mindfulness that is an integral part of Pilates help reduce and release stress and promote relaxation. It can also reduce anxiety and depression when practiced regularly.
4. Increases flexibility. Muscle stiffness and reduced mobility are an inevitable consequence of sedentary workdays. Pilates lengthens and strengthens your muscles, increasing range of motion and improving flexibility.

Westwood Pilates Classes at Sheppard Method Pilates

With regular Pilates classes and other forms of exercise, you can fight against the muscle weakening, poor posture, and back pain that comes with sitting all day. Our team can work with you to build a practice that makes you feel strong while reducing the debilitating effects of being sedentary. Let our Westwood Pilates instructors help you have more energy, less tension, and stronger core muscles with Pilates classes at Sheppard Method Pilates.

Call the Westwood Pilates instructors at Sheppard Method Pilates to learn about the various classes we offer. Schedule your class today!

The post How Pilates Can Help If You Sit All Day appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

Building your shoulder muscles can help with range of motion, movement, posture, and creating a gorgeous shoulder silhouette. Pilates is a great choice for sculpting long, lean muscles, in class on the Reformer and on the mat.

Most Pilates moves target multiple muscle groups at once, but some exercises are targeted directly at the shoulders. Stabilizing the muscles in the shoulders is crucial to the health of the rotator cuff while supporting muscles like the pecs and lats help the shoulder overall.

At Sheppard Method Pilates we are happy to help you discover Pilates moves for all your muscle-sculpting goals. Call the Westwood Pilates instructors at Sheppard Method Pilates to schedule your Pilates class!

Mat Pilates Moves that Build Shoulders

1. Shoulder Bridge: This move starts with lying down on your back, with feet planted on the floor and knees bent. Press the palms, arms, and shoulder blades into the mat and lift the hips off the floor into a bridge. Pressing the arms down engages the triceps, rear deltoids, and latissimus dorsi (the back of the arms and shoulders, all the way through the mid-back.) You can lift a single leg while keeping the shoulders equally engaged to add variation and challenge yourself, making sure to do each side.
2. One Leg Kick: Starting at tabletop, or kneeling plank position, place forearms on the floor. The shoulders, hips, and knees should align in a straight, slightly diagonal line. Use the arms and shoulders to support the body, then bend and pulse one knee. Keep the shoulder blades wide and collar bones pressed back and down, this strengthens the shoulder girdle.
3. Breaststroke: Lay face down with legs extended and arms reaching out past the ears. Lift the chest and sweep the arms down the body into the thighs, palms facing in. Reach the fingertips down and back, toward the toes, engage the underarms, and lift the chest higher. This move strengthens the delts, rotator cuff, and entire posterior of the body.
4. Leg Pull: Sit on the mat with legs straight and together, hands on the floor, with fingertips facing forward. Lift your seat and thighs off the mat, pressing your hips into a reverse or upward-facing plank. Hold the knees together and straight and press through the shoulders evenly to strengthen the shoulders, back, and core.
5. Pilates Push Ups: From a standing position, roll down to a forward fold and walk the hands forward on the mat into a plank. Stay in a full plank (or plant the knees for a modified plank). Bend the elbows and slightly lower the chest, pausing for a breath, then lower the same way two more times until the body is at the lowest pushup point. Push back to the plank in one smooth movement. This move builds the pecs and scapular stabilizers along with the stabilizing muscles in the entire shoulder.

Try Pilates in Westwood at Sheppard Method Pilates

When you are ready to elevate your strength exercises, try Pilates at Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Our expert Pilates instructors can help you determine if you want to take a Reformer class, a mat Pilates class, one-on-one, or group classes. We are happy to discuss your strength and fitness goals and find the moves that work for you.

Call the Westwood Pilates team at Sheppard Method Pilates and schedule your class today!

The post 5 Pilates Moves that Build Shoulder Strength appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

At Sheppard Method Pilates, we understand the importance of practicing Pilates for mental health. While staying in great shape through Pilates exercise is great, it also contributes to mental wellness by feeling our physical best. Our Westwood Pilates instructors prioritize the mental and emotional connection between the breath, focus, and movement that will enhance your overall physical and mental wellness. Read on to discover how Sheppard Method Pilates can help your mental health!

Want to learn more about how Pilates can help boost your mental health? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Contact our office to get started!

Pilates Keeps You Active and Physically Healthy

Studies repeatedly show that any daily movement to stay physically active benefits your mental health and promotes overall longevity and wellness. From stretching out general aches and pains to blowing off some steam due to stress, we feel our best mentally and emotionally when feeling good physically! Pilates practice is a perfect low-impact practice to incorporate into your routine to ensure you move your body regularly and stay active and healthy.

Treating Anxiety and Depression With Pilates

6.8 million Americans suffer from anxiety and depression each year, and physical exercise is proven to reduce the effects of low mood. Because Pilates focuses on the mind-body connection, your Pilates practice goes beyond the typical release of neurochemicals such as serotonin and endorphins in the body with physical exercise but also promotes an act of self-care. This is especially prominent in group Pilates classes, which ensure you are a part of a supportive community.

Pilates helps With Your Sleep Cycle

Through movement, stress and anxiety reduction, and relaxation, Pilates can even improve your sleep cycle! Staying active through Pilates practice allows you to balance daily energy and nightly REM cycles, decreases the stress hormone that often disrupts sleep and causes insomnia, and helps to relieve physical aches and pains that can affect sleep.

Pilates Improves Memory and Brain Function

Pilates requires concentration to move, breathe, and think consciously. This practice of using the mind and body simultaneously challenges the brain, effectively “training” your mind to be engaged and active in your daily life. Additionally, exercise helps to increase memory retention and helps protect your brain from injury and disease. While all exercise can help improve brain function, Pilates is different—a study in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health reported significantly superior brain function after a mindful movement practice like Pilates or Yoga compared to aerobic exercise.

Stress Management With Pilates

Coping with everyday stresses can compound other physical and mental health issues. Luckily, Pilates helps with stress management and relaxation by decreasing the body’s stress hormone cortisol and increasing endorphins. This process not only gives your body a natural emotional boost during your practice but also improves your ability to cope with stress off the mat long term, as well.

Pilates and the Mind-Body Connection

More than anything, the promotion of the mind-body connection in Pilates is the key to mental wellness. By using the breath, you can find mindfulness and a space for meditation and movement. Through conscious breath, Pilates helps supply oxygen to the body, bringing your focus inward and allowing you to thank your body for all it can do. You can be your happiest self through acts of self-care; Pilates is one of the kindest acts you can do for yourself!

At Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood, we want you to feel your best. Through a variety of Pilates classes, allow us to improve not just your physical wellness but your mental health as well, through regular practice.

Contact Sheppard Method Pilates for more information about our class schedule and available instructors!

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At Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood, we understand the importance of long-term health and wellness. By strengthening the deepest muscles of the core, optimizing mobility, stability, flexibility, and balance, and offering a low-impact movement to recover and prevent future injuries, Pilates may be the rehab and recovery you need to get back to your sport.

Want to learn more about how Pilates can help you recover from sports injuries? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Contact our office to get started!

Why Pilates is Great for Injury Recovery

There is a reason why physical therapists recommend pairing PT with Pilates practice. The long-term benefits of practicing Pilates and the inclusivity of Pilates’ low-impact, accessible movements allow Pilates to meet you wherever you are in your stage of recovery and continue with you long after you are healthy again.

The top fundamental reasons that Pilates is great for injury recovery include:

1. A focus on deep core muscles
2. An emphasis on both stability and mobility, which helps to strengthen and lubricate the joints and tendons, preventing future injuries
3. Pilates helps to build balance – balance throughout the body, helping to maintain proper form in athletics and preventing future issues.
4. Exercises that work muscles statically and dynamically for easy translation into any athletic movement
5. Pilates exercises are functional and easily adaptable for any skill level or recovery stage
6. The focus on breathing, which encourages healing and full-body wellness, as well as emotional and mental benefits during rehabilitation
7. Regular Pilates practice is a form of conditioning for both mental and physical endurance and control
8. Increased flexibility will help prevent future injuries

Is Pilates Safe to Do for Sports Injury?

The short answer is YES! Depending on the type and severity of the injury, the time between injury and beginning Pilates for recovery will vary from person to person. Your physical therapist and your Pilates instructor will be able to consult you on exactly when and where to start your Pilates practice and what movements may be best to help you with your specific injury recovery.

Athletic injuries that Pilates can help rehabilitate include:

• Knee injuries
• Hamstring issues
• Hip tendonitis
• Stroke recovery
• Disc herniations
• Lower back pain
• Weak neck
• Scoliosis
• Meniscus injury
• Joint replacement
• ACL recovery
• Shoulder pain or injury

Pilates Practice for Sports Injury Rehabilitation

Pilates works best as a complement to physical therapy for injury recovery rather than a replacement. However, if you do not have a physical therapist, experienced a minor injury, or have a chronic issue when playing your sport, Pilates can still be safe to practice. It is recommended to practice Pilates two to three times a week for the best results on your road to recovery.

Any Pilates is appropriate for sports injury recovery: mat Pilates, Reformer Pilates, hybrid Pilates, and more. Your Pilates instructor can help you determine what is best for you and assist with any adaptations you may need to perform the movements or use the equipment.

Sheppard Method Pilates: Your Key to Sports Injury Recovery

At Sheppard Method Pilates, we offer several options for you to practice Pilates to recover from sports injuries. Group classes are a low-risk option with a variety of classes offered. Here, you can still discuss your treatment goals with your Pilates instructor, who will ensure you’re needs are being met in class. If you cannot be mobile or prefer one-on-one instruction for a more targeted rehabilitation, we also offer private classes and at-home sessions where an instructor will come to you. No matter where you are, or what injury you have suffered, Sheppard Method Pilates is here to get you back to your sport, healthier and happier than before.

Contact Sheppard Method Pilates for more information about our class schedule and available instructors!

The post Using Pilates to Recover from Sports Injuries appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

Luckily, studies have shown that doing Pilates regularly can improve pelvic dysfunction by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor and reversing symptoms and issues related to pelvic floor disorder. At Sheppard Method Pilates of Westwood, our expert instructors are well versed in Pilates for the pelvic floor and can assist you in your healing journey through a variety of class options.

Want to learn more about how to bring private Pilates classes to your home? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Contact our office to get started!

What is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

Not everyone who experiences a weak pelvic floor is diagnosed with pelvic floor disorder, though prolonged pelvic floor disfunction can lead to more serious issues. In fact, 1 in 3 women will experience pelvic floor disorder in their lifetime. Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor usually result in issues with the bladder such as recurrent UTIs and/or leaking urine when coughing, jumping, laughing, running, or sneezing. Other indications of a weakened pelvic floor include sexual dysfunction; pain during sex; dull pelvic pain; lower back pain, and a sense of heaviness in the pelvic area.

The risk of experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction due to weakened pelvic floor muscles is heightened by:

• Aging
• Pelvic prolapse
• Hysterectomy
• Bladder surgery
• During and after menopause
• During and after pregnancy
• Fibroids, endometriosis, and other conditions
• Hormonal imbalance
• Lifting heavy things
• Obesity
• Chronic coughing
• Irritable bowel syndrome

How Pilates Strengthens the Pelvic Floor

Pelvic floor strength and control are tied to the ability to both tighten and relax the pelvic floor muscles. Consistently tense pelvic floor muscles can cause discomfort and dysfunction as much as weakened muscles.

Unlike other muscle groups, having a strong pelvic floor is not about measuring strength, but rather maintaining control over the pelvic floor muscles, since week pelvic floor muscles inhibit the ability to control your bladder, sexual organs, and bowels. Pilates is the best way to restore pelvic floor function because it’s low impact and focuses on both core strength and breathing exercises. This creates an ideal marriage of precision, control, constriction and relaxation of the muscles for PMD relief.

Pilates Exercises to Strengthen the Pelvic Floor

While all Pilates movements can help strengthen the core and pelvic floor, there are many specific Pilates movements that can target the core and pelvic floor muscles to treat pelvic floor dysfunction. These include:

1. Standing marches
2. Flat back hinge
3. Bridge pose
4. Pelvic tilts and rolls
5. Cat / Cow
6. Clamshell
7. Birddog
8. Moving frog plank
9. Bear plank
10. Deep squat
11. Bent leg circles
12. Tabletop leg lifts

Pilates for PMD in Westwood

At Sheppard Method Pilates, we can help you target your pelvic floor to strengthen the muscles necessary and restore function and control. While our beginner group classes can be a great option for general Pilates that will help improve your pelvic floor through regular Pilates exercise, we also offer private in-studio and in-home classes. This option may be optimal for specialized, targeted pelvic floor Pilates for a consistent, individualized journey of strength and health.

Contact Sheppard Method Pilates for more information about our class schedule and available instructors!

The post Can Pilates Strengthen My Pelvic Floor? appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

Want to learn more about how traditional Pilates classes work? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood to get started! 

What is Traditional Pilates?

There are essentially two methods of Pilates: contemporary and classic. This divide can also be distinguished as traditional versus modern Pilates. Classical Pilates adheres as closely to Joseph Pilates’ original ideas, including his 34 original Pilates exercises and routine. Different studios may have minor adjustments, but overall encompass Pilates’ core vision.

In contrast, contemporary or modern Pilates often fuses different exercises and ideas with a Pilates routine. This is why you may see classes such as Pilates boxing, HIIT Pilates, Pilates-Yoga, cardio and dance Pilates, and even Pilates fused with strength training and weight lifting. Contemporary fusion classes all vary tremendously and will look different depending on the method, studio, and instructor style.

What Can I Expect in a Classical Pilates Class?

A typical Pilates class lasts for about 4-60 minutes. Classes generally begin with breathing exercises, followed by a movement routine. While classes may not follow Joseph Pilates’ 34 movement regimen, they will incorporate these movements into the practice depending on the goals of the class.

Some Pilates classes may be geared towards different muscle groups, such as Pilates for the core, lower or upper body, back, or other specific goals, and the movements selected will be aimed to strengthen those designated areas. Class is often spent most of the session on a mat or one of the Pilates devices such as the reformer—again, depending on the type of Pilates class it is (i.e. mat or reformer).

Regardless of class type, most traditional classes progress the movements included in the routine from warm-up to complex coordination and strength exercises. Finally, the class will conclude with a standing alignment exercise, breathing, and celebrating what you just did for your body.

Traditional Pilates Classes in Westwood

At Sheppard Method Pilates, we teach classical Pilates with a personal touch. This incorporates Joseph Pilates’ original Contrology methodology with a personalized approach to what Pilates can do for you. With the expression of your authentic self within traditional Pilates movements, you allow your body to move in a fluid, efficient, powerful, coordinated, and relaxed way so that you can get the most out of classical Pilates.

Interested in taking Pilates classes in Westwood at Sheppard Method Pilates? Contact us for more information about our class schedule and available instructors.

The post What Is the Structure of a Traditional Pilates Class? appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

Want to learn more about how to bring private Pilates classes to your home? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Contact our office to get started!

Bringing Pilates Instruction to Your Home

When scheduling conflicts, childcare, transportation, or other obstacles get in the way of Pilates practice, the last thing you should do is give up practicing. Instead, allow the world-class Pilates instructors of Sheppard Method Pilates to come to you! At-home private Pilates sessions include a personal evaluation of your needs, fitness level, and goals during a 55-minute one-on-one session. From there, you will receive an established personal fitness plan and Pilates session schedule, all without having to leave the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Who is At-Home Pilates For?

While scheduling and convenience is one of the major benefits of in-home private Pilates classes, it is certainly not the only advantage. Our at-home Pilates programs are a perfect way to bridge the gap between ability and a personalized Pilates class that works for you and your needs. This tailored approach to Pilates practice allows your instructor to meet you where you are at and address your specific needs, rather than trying to keep up with a group class.

People who choose at-home private Pilates classes include those who are:

• Rehabilitating from an injury or illness
• Recovering from a stroke
• Seeking privacy and comfort to practice, but wanting guided instruction that home videos cannot offer
• Pregnant or recovering postpartum (with no need to find childcare!)
• Seniors, disabled folks, and other individuals who may need different pacing or may not be able to get to the studio
• Families and couples who want to practice together
• Beginners, introverts, those in transition – literally anyone!

A Pilates Class Designed Just For You

At Sheppard Method Pilates, you don’t need to visit our studio in Westwood to receive the best Pilates instruction possible. Our at-home Pilates classes serve the areas of Beverly Hills, Westwood, the San Fernando Valley, and Santa Monica. Through personalized private Pilates classes, you can get exactly what you need out of your Pilates practice, and you can schedule your classes consistently as needed. Think of the team at Sheppard Method Pilates as your own personal support team!

Interested in taking private Pilates classes at Sheppard Method Pilates? Contact us for more information about our class schedule and available instructors.

The post The Benefits of In-Home Private Pilates Classes appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

The Pilates reformer is an iconic piece of equipment that uses resistance to help lengthen and strengthen your muscles during high-intensity, low-impact workouts. By lifting, pushing, and pulling on the various apparatuses and combo offerings the reformer uses, you can access different kinds of movements than with classic Pilates mat routines.

The varied combinations and workouts on the reformer are endless. Of course, there’s only one way to truly understand just how the reformer works and why it’s such a revered piece of Pilates equipment—by taking a Pilates reformer class at Sheppard Method Pilates of Westwood!

Want to learn more about how you can join the Pilates community? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Contact our office to get started!

What is the Pilates Reformer?

The Pilates reformer was first created by Joseph Pilates in 1946 and uses a system of pulleys and springs, which are adjustable for different levels of resistance. The machine is made up of a padded carriage on a wooden frame that is connected with the springs; on one end are shoulder blocks to keep your body aligned, and on the other end is a foot bar to push with your feet or hands as you use your strength against your set resistance to slide the carriage like a sled along the reformer track.

Additional reformer equipment and props such as straps, jump board, vertical tower, Pilates box, dowel sticks, and Pilates balls and rings can also all be added to the machine or incorporated into reformer exercises to create a diverse, and even more effective strength and cardio workout, depending on what you are looking for.

How Does the Pilates Reformer Work?

Like mat Pilates, the reformer will benefit your posture, improve your circulation, and increase overall mental health. Additionally, your body weight and the reformer system’s resistance allow for a high-intensity and low-impact full-body workout. With the Pilates reformer, you will also improve muscle tone, flexibility, and range of motion. Resistance training also helps to build strength without the risk of injury, as weightlifting can.

Pilates reformer classes offer a slow-paced, therapeutic routine that can focus on alignment and biomechanics, or a high-intensity cardio workout that burns calories without putting stress on the joints, knees, ankles, or lower back. Your mat Pilates experience will also improve, as the increased muscle strength as you focus on using new and subtle muscle groups to lift, push, and stretch yourself on the reformer.

Combination Workouts with The Reformer

One of the many advantages of the Pilates Reformer is its versatility. Through combination approaches and the use of additional props and equipment, you can truly make a Pilates reformer workout anything you need it to be. Some common reformer additions and combos include:

• Jump board: The cardio of the Reformer, this padded foot plate is locked into place at the foot of the machine, allowing you to “jump” while lying supine on the carriage, using your rebound to accelerate back and forth on the reformer track.
• Pilates sitting box: This prop adds height to the reformer to assist you in optimal sitting positions. Using this box allows for a greater range of movement in the torso, arms, and legs while facilitating exercises when lying on the reformer.
• Up stretch combo: The long stretch series is a popular routine using the reformer and includes the up stretch combo. Using the shoulder blocks and foot bar opposite—your feet are actually on the shoulder blocks and your hands on the foot bar! By alternating between a pike and a plank in this position, you will work your core, shoulders, legs, and back.
• Tower and reformer combo: A trapeze table or half trapeze, also known as Cadillac Pilates, is a separate piece of equipment that is similar to the reformer in its use of pulleys and springs. Some reformer machines, however, offer tower systems that can be attached to a reformer machine to offer a combination of tower and reformer Pilates, expanding exercise options.
• Pilates props with the reformer: Pilates props that we often see in mat Pilates such as the Magic Circle, small Pilates balls, as well as wooden dowels can also be incorporated into reformer workouts for added resistance and mobility to target different parts of the body and vary your reformer workout.

Reformer Pilates Classes in Westwood

At Sheppard Method Pilates, we offer regular group reformer classes, guided by our expert Pilates instructors. By tailoring reformer workout programs for all levels of fitness and experience, you do not have to worry about your experience with the reformer machine. Every workout is different with all the combination options, so the reformer can offer something special to your Pilates routine. Come try out reformer Pilates at Sheppard Method in Westwood!

Call the Westwood Pilates instructors at Sheppard Method Pilates to discuss how we can help you include Reformer Pilates in your exercise regimen and boost your overall health.

The post How Does the Pilates Reformer Work? appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

At Sheppard Method Pilates of Westwood, we offer a variety of Pilates classes to better serve you and your individualized needs, even as they change by the day. Through detailed supervision, you’ll receive one-on-one instruction for a deeper, more intimate session so you can grow in your Pilates practice at your own pace. The adaptability and freedom of private classes allow you the space to explore and learn without having to keep up or face a group setting. This is especially helpful for beginners, those who need to modify Pilates movements and anyone with a busy schedule that needs flexible class time options.

Our expert Pilates team at Sheppard Methos Pilates in Westwood is excited to offer private and semi-private Pilates classes, both in the studio as well as in your own home. This flexibility and individualized approach to Pilates instruction is a core tenant at Sheppard Method Pilates as we aim to make Pilates an accessible, viable fitness option for anyone and everyone.

Want to learn more about how to make private Pilates work for your schedule? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Contact our office to get started!

A Private Pilates Class is Designed Just For You

The biggest advantage to taking a private Pilates class is that the entire session is specially tailored for your body and individual needs. By customizing your Pilates session, you are getting exactly what you need out of your Pilates workout when you need it. You’ll benefit from gentle progressive stretching, individualized exercises, and flowing movements that develop your Pilates experience how and when you need it. You will have the freedom and space to work with a number of the Pilates apparatuses such as the Cadillac and Reformer, without having to book separate classes.

Private Pilates fitness plans include a personal evaluation of your needs, fitness level, and goals and scheduled 55-minute one-on-one sessions with an expert Sheppard Method Pilates instructor with the added bonus of learning and moving in privacy. In addition to in-studio private lessons, we also offer at-home private and semi-private lessons where our instructors come to you, offering an even more flexible option for private Pilates instruction.

Private Pilates Works Well For All Bodies and Needs

Pilates works for any and all bodies, but sometimes, a more intimate session with a private instructor can help to accommodate and guide each specific movement at your pace, using any needed modifications. When you schedule a private session, you will receive detailed supervision to guide you through each movement, with provided modifications as you work through your individualized routine. In a group setting, you may not be able to spend the time you’d like to when working through specific movements that may not work for your body.

Additionally, private instruction helps to apply Pilates to your goals, be it rehabilitation, pain relief, postpartum recovery, or even the desire to focus on meditation and stress relief. Private classes, for example, can really help if you are suffering from stress and anxiety and the idea of a group class is daunting. In a private setting, you have the freedom to stop, slow down, adapt, and adjust as you go—all with the guidance of an expert.

You may benefit highly from the one-on-one instructor relationship of private classes if you:

• Are a Pilates beginner
• Are pregnant or postpartum
• Suffer from herniated disks and spinal injuries
• Need physical therapy or rehabilitation
• Are in recovery for a traumatic brain injury
• Have a permanent or temporary physical disability
• Experience chronic pain or arthritis
• Need relief from stress and/or anxiety
• Are an athlete who wants to improve performance

Master Pilates and Learn About the Practice on a Deeper Level With Private Classes

A superior advantage of opting for private Pilates classes is the ability to learn about the practice at a deeper level. As you work through each movement, you can learn Pilates lingo to further develop your understanding of the Pilates language and instruction. Additionally, by learning why we perform movements (not just how) you will increase your mind-body connection to really understand what it means to strengthen your core, increase your flexibility, and improve your posture. Your instructor can guide you, correct your movement execution, and explain it all each step of the way, pausing and focusing on exactly what your body needs.

Your Sheppard Method Pilates Private Classes Can Fit Into Your Busy Schedule

It is true what they say: the hardest part is showing up to the mat. With private Pilates classes at Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood, you don’t need to wait for a group class to open up at an available time for you to squeeze in your daily exercise. Whether you are scheduling an in-studio private or semi-private class or an at-home session, our private class scheduling offers flexible options that don’t need to adhere to the group class scheduling system, allowing you to stay consistent in your Pilates practice, no matter what.

Interested in taking private Pilates classes at Sheppard Method Pilates? Contact us for more information about our class schedule and available instructors.

The post The Benefits of Private Pilates Classes appeared first on Sheppard Method Pilates.

Integrating Pilates into your other regular workouts is the perfect way to use cross-training in your fitness routine. Cross-training provides variety to your weekly workouts, which prevent boredom, avoid overuse of one muscle or joint group, and increase flexibility and core strength—all of which improve athletic performance of all types.

You don’t have to be a hardcore athlete to reap the benefits of cross-training with Pilates, either. Combining Pilates with your other workouts even informally can improve your overall fitness level as well as how you feel on the Pilates mat, too.

Want to learn more about how to integrate Pilates into your regular fitness activities? Contact Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood. Contact our office to get started!

Benefits of Pilates in Cross-Training

Cross-training in general, is simply varying your fitness program by combining different types of exercise activities. This can be by alternating a few different exercises, movements, or modalities throughout the week on different days to vary muscle group use. This can also be accomplished by tacking on Pilates before or after an exercise as a warm-up or cool-down strategy. This variance in workouts helps your body for a number of reasons, with several studies demonstrating the positive effects of developing a varied weekly health and fitness routine.

And while cross-training is beneficial regardless of approach or what workouts you are performing, Pilates specifically integrates into a cross-training regimen, due to its focus on core strength, flexibility, and breathwork. A stronger core allows heavier lifting in strength training, better posture in athletics which allows natural flexibility in the limbs, and stronger muscle stabilizers that help to prevent injury. This all leads to performance benefits in all your exercises and athletic activities. But even more impressively, Pilates’ low-impact movements also specifically help muscle recovery and rehabilitation, making it the perfect way to start or end other exercise activities and as an alternate workout to rehabilitate the body with supplemental movement on rest and recovery days.

Benefits of integrating Pilates to cross-train include:

• Stronger core
• Increased balance and mobility
• Improved body awareness
• Better breathing techniques
• Increased cardio endurance
• Overall strength-building
• Increased flexibility and range of motion
• Better performance
• Increased metabolism
• Overall physical and mental recovery
• Injury prevention
• Keeps you from getting bored—therefore, helping you stick to your fitness routine!

How to Combine Pilates With Other Workouts

There are many ways to combine Pilates with other workouts:

1. Pilates and strength training— Not only does increased core strength help you lift heavier, but increased flexibility and range of motion of the muscles also help to increase performance and build muscle as well as protect the joints and prevent injury. Pilates works well to warm up the body before an intense strength-training workout, and also as a recovery tool for cool down. Use Pilates to alternate between upper body, lower body, and total body strength days for active rest, or as part of your workout routine before or after you lift.
2. Pilates and yoga— Many people think Pilates and yoga are so similar, that you don’t need Pilates if you are already incorporating yoga into your weekly exercise regimen. However, the two are different in several ways, and Pilates-yoga combination workouts have actually been proven to improve bone density, reduce neck pain, and increase functional movement. You can alternate Pilates and yoga on your active rest and recovery days or use Pilates to warm up and yoga to cool down for other exercises.
3. Pilates and cardio— Perhaps the most popular of Pilates cross-training combinations, incorporating Pilates into your cardio routine creates a well-rounded workout that boosts heart health, and lean muscle mass, and gets the most bang for your buck with both cardio and Pilates performance. The best way to benefit from this combination is to do both on the same day. Do Pilates after a HIIT workout, run, or other cardio-boosting activity to help recover heart rate and muscle use. There are also Pilates classes and routines that directly combine cardio with the workout!
4. Pilates and athletics—From rock climbing to cycling, running, and general sports playing, Pilates and athletics are the perfect combination to keep you healthy and active. Because athletics tend to overuse one muscle or joint group, using Pilates as a recovery method or on active rest days between athletic activities can help to rehabilitate your body by promoting blood flow and increasing lung capacity. This prevents injury, increases and maintains flexibility, stability, and mobility, and helps you avoid having to take time off of athletic activity. Pilates also simply makes you a better athlete by increasing your overall VO2 max and performance endurance!

Your Westwood Pilates Cross-Training Plan

At Sheppard Method Pilates in Westwood, we offer a variety of classes to help integrate the benefits of cross-training with Pilates into your regular fitness routine. Not only will you see improvements in your daily movements and other exercises and athletic performances, but you will also notice an increased awareness in your Pilates routine as well. The combination of Pilates with other workouts not only clearly improves your physical and mental well-being, but it’s fun too! That’s what Sheppard Method Pilates is all about, wellness you love to participate in that works for you and compliments your healthy and active lifestyle.

Call the Westwood Pilates instructors at Sheppard Method Pilates to sign up for Pilates classes, today!

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