By Carla Vercoe   One of the things I’ve enjoyed during these six months of being (mostly) homebound is the variety of online class offerings in which I’ve been able to participate — my favorites being the 30-minute classes that some instructors are offering. Why do I love them? They make great, quick workouts if I don’t have time for a full hour. While I always make time for my morning walk, I don’t always have an hour during the day to do a full workout. 30 minutes is enough to be advantageous…more on this below. They make great additional workouts to concentrate on a specific thing ..read more

By Julia Hughes   For years I have encouraged my teenagers to do Pilates, as it is a perfect complement to their swimming, running, dancing, and otherwise stressful school lives. With their busy schedules, carving out the time to make it into the studio for sessions has not always been feasible.  Working one-on-one with their mom is not necessarily their first choice, although they both enjoy duets and classes. I absolutely understand!     One of the best additions to my schedule during the past few months has been my “Pilates for Teens” class. As so many activities gr ..read more

By Carla Vercoe   Summertime is finally here. This summer is very different than most, but it is still important to schedule a vacation if possible. While most of us are avoiding air travel, there are plenty of other options to take a break. Five favorite summer local “vacations”:   Beach: I just returned from a weeklong vacation at Rehoboth/Dewey Beach, DE. On the way there I shared with my family the realization that I have been going to the Delaware beaches for 45 years. We went every year with my family when I was a child, and I continued the tradition once I was on my own. If, l ..read more

By Cathleen Rodgers   There’s no doubt about it — these last few months have sent everyone’s lives into a tailspin. Weeks of confusion, worry, and chaos surrounding the effects of the pandemic have left many of us  wondering what life will look like in the coming weeks as the world continues to adjust. What we must remember most as we move forward are the positive outcomes that quarantine brought us. Here are some of the brightest silver linings we’ve seen emerge from the lockdown:   FAMILY TIME With everything closed and everyone on a stay-at-home order, there was a lot of oppo ..read more

This is the first time in a long time that the entire world seems to be focused on just one thing: the Novel Corona Virus/COVID-19. Everyone is fixated on it, and for different reasons. There are small business owners who are concerned with losing their businesses; there are people worried about the economy crashing; others are worried about their personal health and the health of their loved ones.   One thing I have learned over the years is that whatever concerns you is real. It’s real to you, and therefore it is a concern. I’m not saying that COVID-19 isn’t to be feared. As someone who ..read more

By Vicki Fleury In 1918, Joseph Pilates was interned on the Isle of Man during the Spanish Flu Pandemic. During that period the internment camps were affected by the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, and many of the internees died. It was there that Mr. Pilates reportedly developed and taught his Contrology exercises to over 8,000 internees. He would humbly boast that not a single person who regularly practiced his method died from the Spanish Flu.  Fast forward: it’s 2020, and the Coronavirus is spreading quickly. On March 30th Virginians are notified to stay at home until June 10th. We are t ..read more

By Cathleen Rodgers The annual “flu season” may be coming to an end soon, but that doesn’t mean we should forget about the importance of our immune systems. Built to fight off unwelcome bugs and viruses, our immune systems work year-round to protect our bodies. A strong immune system is especially critical when we are exposed to new germs or bacteria that our bodies are unaccustomed to—whether through travel, the latest virus to circulate the globe (looking at you, Coronavirus), or some other reason.  Luckily, there are a number of things we can do to strengthen our immune systems. Cons ..read more

By Cathleen Rodgers Take a moment, wherever you are, to think about your feet. Really tune into them. Whether you are sitting at your desk, standing up, or curled into a ball on the couch—close your eyes and bring your attention to your feet. Do they feel stiff? Sore? Cold? Completely indifferent? When was the last time any of us really gave a second thought to our feet? If you are able, try now to bring your feet flat on a surface. Stand firmly on the ground beneath you; if you are seated, bring your legs into a position in which your feet can rest on a surface (the ground, your couch ..read more

By Cathleen Rodgers The topic of self-care has been trending in the last few years; and with good reason. Life can get incredibly busy, stressful, exciting, and even a little chaotic. You may often find it difficult to get any time to yourself…many of us do. Whether it’s work, kids, family, or other such variables, it is all too easy to put everyone and everything else first. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, feelings of burnout may begin to surface if we neglect ourselves as time keeps passing. A little self-care—whatever that means for you—is imperative to staying healthy, motiva ..read more

By Cathleen Rodgers We all know that practicing the Pilates Method comes with many benefits—a stronger and more flexible body, increased circulation, good body awareness, and improved concentration, to name just a few. Attending your sessions regularly will yield good results, which you will likely notice more and more as time passes. And yet, there are a few simple things you can do every day outside of the studio to really help all that Pilates pay off. Here’s how can you get the most out of your Pilates practice: Breathe – Pilates himself was a huge advocate for deep breathing, wh ..read more