By Jessica Schmidley

You've decided to start Pilates! The good news is, you are absolutely ready for this journey, just as you are. Wherever your body is at this moment, is exactly where you need to be to start Pilates. 

A common misconception is that you need to “get in shape” before starting a Pilates practice, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The exercises and concepts range from beginner to super-advanced, and your instructor will help you assess and navigate your practice. The Pilates method is meant to meet you where you are, right now. You are ready for this!

Whether you haven't worked out a day in your life, or you are a professional athlete...everyone has a Day 1. Everyone starts at a different place, but Pilates is truly for EVERY BODY. Get excited!

So how do you prepare for your first Pilates session? Once you have chosen a studio, here are 3 things to consider before you get on that Mat (or Reformer, or Cadillac...) for the first time.

1. What to wear:
First off, you don't have to go spend all your savings at Lululemon to do Pilates (although we all do love any excuse to grab some new workout gear)!

The most important factor to consider is your comfort level. Everyone has different preferences, so let that be your first guide. Your clothing mustn't be skintight and made of spandex, but overly loose and flowy clothing may get in your way and move around too much as you navigate your practice.

For women:

• Wear fitted clothing (to your comfort level) so that your instructor can see how your body moves and properly assess your form and alignment.
• Coverage where you want it, keep in mind you will be moving your body in all different directions; sitting, standing, kneeling, hips up in the air (think downward facing dog), lying on your back with your feet lifted...you don't want to be fussing over your clothing. Choose attire with coverage where you need it so you can focus on your movement, not your clothing.
• Pilates is pretty low impact, so choose a bra that is comfortable and supportive to your preference.
• We often keep the studio a bit on the cooler side, so you may want layers that you can take off as you warm up.

For men:

• Fitted clothing (to your comfort level) so that your instructor can see how your body moves and properly assess your form and alignment.
• I usually recommend pants/joggers or shorts with compression shorts underneath so that everything is "covered" no matter how you move. As mentioned above, you will be put into some strange positions during your sessions.
• Though Pilates isn't a cardio workout, you may work up a sweat. If you tend to get warm while working out, wear light layers that you can remove and stay comfortable.

Hair:
You are moving about on equipment with springs and wheels attached to it. Long hair should be pulled back and out of harm's way.

Footwear:
In general, shoes are not worn in Pilates classes, unless you have a medical condition that requires it. Check with your studio's policies on proper footwear, some will require the use of socks and others may allow bare feet. Socks should have some type of rubber grip on the bottom to prevent slipping and sliding while performing exercises. This is for your safety.
Here's a list of our favorites:

• Toe Sox
• Crescent Moon
• Bombas

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2. What to eat/drink before:
Just like any workout, you wouldn't want to walk in with a full stomach and bladder. Keep this in mind as you approach the start time of your class. Depending on what time of day you come to the studio, you may have one or more meals in your system. I typically recommend eating no sooner than 90 minutes before your workout, so food has a chance to get out of your stomach and move a little further into your digestive tract.

If you are an early riser, try to have something light with a higher carbohydrate concentration... some fresh or dried fruit, toast, or part of a granola bar. Carbohydrates are easier to digest and will give you energy, but won't take as long to process as protein and fat. Avoid spicy, acidic foods especially if you tend to get heartburn when laying down.

I personally love to have a little coffee in the morning, especially before a workout. It helps me get a little spring in my step so I'm ready to move and focus. Make sure you are sipping water throughout the day, to stay hydrated and prevent muscle cramps during exercise. Just allow a little time when you get to the studio to empty your bladder before all the abdominal work!

Do not partake in alcoholic beverages, recreational or prescription drugs that may impair you. You will be working on highly specialized equipment that can be potentially dangerous. Our job is to keep you safe above all else during your workouts.

3. Keep an open mind:
You may think you know what Pilates is about, you may have even done Pilates at another studio or gym before, but keep an open mind that first time you walk in the studio.

Your first session will likely consist of filling out intake forms, a brief chat with your instructor to go over pre-existing conditions, injuries, surgeries, or issues going on in your body. Next, you'll have an introduction to the equipment you'll be using and probably fundamental exercises to set the groundwork for a successful practice. Whether you are new or an experienced exerciser, everyone needs fundamental work. It is the foundation to upon which your entire practice is built upon, and it's likely that you'll spend a good portion of your first sessions focusing on.

Pilates is like no other workout, and no two Pilates instructors teach the same way. You'll be working your body in ways that may feel foreign and engaging muscles that you may not realize you had! So, it's important to just dive in with an open mind and go with it! Communicate with your instructor if you are feeling any pain, discomfort, or confusion with the work.

Leave any preconceived notions you may have about Pilates or your ability level at the door. The beauty of the Pilates method is that it is completely customizable, and can be adjusted based on what your body needs and where it thrives. Everyone is strong in their own way, and EVERY BODY can do Pilates.

by Jessica Schmidley

It’s an understatement to say these past few months have been surreal. A few months ago, the concept of sheltering in place and social distancing were new and seemed like a distant reality that would never really hit us. We quickly learned that not only would we quarantine, but we would have to swiftly pivot to a new way of doing business and living our lives.

As a boutique fitness studio, we watched other businesses shutter their doors permanently just days after the official Shelter in Place (SIP) order was in effect for Illinois. Questions began to arise: How will we survive this? Will we stay afloat? How can we keep our clients happy when they are accustomed to a totally different class delivery?

Through team work and ingenuity, we shifted to a fully virtual Pilates and Fitness studio in just a matter of days, just in time for the official SIP deadline. For months we waited for the order to be lifted, for Phase 3 to commence when we could finally reopen our doors to our clients. We’ve been in Phase 3 and open for a few weeks now with limited offerings. The absolute joy of both clients and instructors is palpable and we are simply elated to begin Phase 4 with the following guidelines effective immediately.

What is Phase 4?
For boutique fitness studios like ours, Phase 4 details that regular business and classes can commence with capacity of the studio/class at 50 people or less. As a modest size business, we have always capped our class sizes to keep that smaller group feel, Pilates classes no more than 6 participants and Yoga & Fitness classes at 8-10 on a typical day. Even at absolute capacity, we rarely have more than 20 clients in the building at any given time, even adding in our instructors that still keeps us well below the approved 50 person maximum.

Studio Guidelines:
Clients are encouraged but not required to wear masks in common areas of the studio, including entering the building and waiting in our reception area for their appointment to begin. We highly encourage clients to arrive no earlier than 5 minutes prior to their class or session time, so we may control the flow of clients in and out of the studio. Clients are encouraged to maintain social distance between themselves, other clients and staff while in the studio. Hand sanitizer is available throughout the studio for use, everyone is encouraged to use sanitizer or wash hands before and after class.
 
Contactless payment is available through our new Bewe scheduling system. Simply login to your account and add a credit card onto your file. When you need to purchase sessions we can process that for you in the studio, or you may conveniently purchase while logged into your account from anywhere.

All class sizes are limited and prior registration is required for all classes, virtual or in-studio. Walk-ins will no longer be allowed. 

Clients who are sick or exhibiting symptoms are asked to stay home. 

Our cancellation policy is 24 hours for all classes and private sessions.

Fitness & Cycle Classes:
Per the guidelines of Phase 3, fitness classes were required to be done outdoors and with less than 10 participants including an instructor. We will continue to offer our fitness and cycle classes outdoors (weather permitting) with the same smaller class sizes that we have offered through Phase 3. This will likely continue through the summer and fall.

Yoga & Barre Classes:
Yoga and Barre classes will continue to be offered virtually and will now expand in-studio classes for up to 6 participants. We have created a format where clients may take these classes either virtually or in-studio, at the same time! All classes will be live streamed through our new software Bewe Stream, and will continue to be offered in this format indefinitely. When registering for classes, be sure to note whether you have selected either “in-studio” or “virtual”, as it will show as two separate classes in our schedule so we know which clients are registered for which option. In studio classes will continue to be offered with no hands on cuing or spotting from instructors. 

Pilates Apparatus Classes:
Our Pilates classes are officially back, with up to 6 participants per class! We have spaced each piece of Pilates equipment a minimum of 6 feet apart, and instructors will also maintain 6 feet of social distance between themselves and clients. Instructors and clients are encouraged to wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after their classes. As with other class offerings, there will be no hands on cueing or equipment changes from the instructor. Clients will be responsible to make any equipment adjustments required during class. All equipment will be fully sanitized between each class or session. 

Private Pilates and Personal Training Sessions:
We will continue to offer Private (1 on 1) and now Semi-Private (2 on 1, 3 on 1) Pilates and Personal Training by appointment. All stipulations mentioned above for Pilates classes also apply for Private Sessions. 

Class Times:
To allow for proper social distancing, equipment/exercise area sanitation and proper flow of traffic in and out of the building, we have added extra time (no less than 15 minutes) between classes for the remainder of the summer. We plan to adjust class times closer together if appropriate, starting in September.  

Our foremost priority is to keep our clients and staff safe as we continue to navigate through this time. We are so happy to be open to a greater capacity and will continue to earn your business with the best possible Pilates, Fitness and Yoga experience while under our roof! 

Please note: We have recently transitioned to a new scheduling software (Bewe), we are no longer using Mindbody for scheduling or payment processing. If you have not already, please register on our new software by clicking here.  If you have any current, unused sessions from our previous system, please reach out to Jo Ann directly at [email protected] to have those sessions transferred.