Pilates and Wellness for EVERYBody - The Pilates Center

Meet Grace!

3/29/2023

If you know me, you know a high emphasis is placed on quality instruction in our studio. Which means we tend to have higher than average credential standards for our instructors.
What does this mean? It means that ALL the Pilates instructors at The Pilates Center have completed at least a 500+ hour, comprehensive and 3rd-party certified teacher training program. They are fully educated on all apparatus and repertoire fundamental to advanced level.

Why is this important?

In the Pilates industry, there are no governing requirements to call yourself a Pilates Instructor which results in varying degrees of quality instruction studio to studio. And working out on a reformer doesn't necessarily mean you are doing Pilates.

For the client, working with a highly trained instructor translates to not only a SAFER experience, but a better experience.

So, I’m particularly excited to announce a new face you’ll be seeing in the studio. Meet Grace O’Gara!

Grace had a love for movement and fitness from a young age, and grew up taking karate and kickboxing classes, as well as dancing at Atlanta Ballet. However, it was not until she entered Texas Christian University School of Classical and Contemporary Dance and was required to take Pilates for her BFA that Grace found a love for Pilates and the functional understanding of her body and movement it offers.

TCU’s School for Classical & Contemporary Dance is an extremely competitive program. It’s more than 650 hours long, limited to ten participants per cohort, and is by application only.

The program's comprehensive training includes history, philosophy, ethics, functional anatomy, and physical practice.

Grace is comprehensively trained in Mat, Reformer, Chair, Cadillac/Tower, Ladder Barrel, and various other props. She is well versed in both Contemporary and Classical systems, and has been highly trained in how to manage physical conditions or injuries that require modifications or deletions from practice.

Grace is graduating in May of 2023 with her BFA in Ballet, BA in Political Science, and Pilates Teaching Certificate, and is so excited to be starting her professional Pilates journey with The Pilates Center.

Plant Powered Pilates

3/24/2023

Plant Powered Pilates

Whether you made a new year’s resolution to eat healthier or not, we could ALL do with adding more vegetables in our diet! In 2022, the CDC revealed that only 9% of Americans eat the recommended amount of vegetables per day–which is a measly 2.5 cups for women, and 3.5 cups for men. WOW. This means that 91% of Americans are missing out on the AMAZINGNESS that is the humble vegetable.

Seriously. Check out the known benefits of eating vegetables:

Fight inflammation
Reduce blood pressure
Improve heart health and reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease
Improve the look and feel of our skin
Keep us fuller longer
Prevent some types of cancer
Improve gut health
Protect and support the immune system

Vegetables just don’t get enough good press these days. Farmers don’t exactly have budgets to market vegetables as superfoods, but honestly EVERY VEGETABLE is a superfood! And usually at a fraction of the cost of things marketed as superfoods (hello acai bowl, I’m looking at you). In my opinion, every vegetable in the produce section should have it's own advertisements!

Okay okay, I’ll get off my soap box. I know it can be hard for people to incorporate vegetables, especially if you don’t know how to use them. Many of us grew up being fed boiled vegetables, which is one of the least tasty ways to enjoy them. But the preparation options are limitless! In my own nutrition journey, I aim to make vegetables the MAIN course of every meal, not just a side item. Try filling your plate with 70% vegetables with a side of protein and complex carbohydrate like quinoa or sweet potatoes. I promise, your body will thank you!

So this month I’m sharing a recipe with you, based on the very tasty Mexican casserole, but in a veggie-full version that even the kids should enjoy.

Check it out here, and let me know what you think! Do you have a favorite veggie-packed recipe? I’d like to hear it!

March MATness

2/22/2023

Somewhere along the way, Reformer Pilates has earned a reputation as the gold standard of Pilates. While the reformer is an incredibly versatile and effective piece of equipment, the real work begins and ends on the Mat.

You see, Joseph Pilates invented the machines and equipment to support people in building the strength and flexibility necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of performing the Advanced Mat work unassisted.

That’s right–the reformer was an intro to the more advanced work- mat work! The ultimate test in strength is pushing and pulling your own body weight around unassisted, which is exactly what we do on the mat.

So where exactly did mat Pilates come from?

Origin of Pilates

Classical Pilates as we know it today was invented by Joseph Pilates. Joseph grew up in Dusseldorf, Germany with a naturopath mother and a gymnast father. As a child, he suffered from rheumatic fever, rickets and asthma which saw him bullied by other children. As a result, he became very dedicated to fitness, yoga, bodybuilding and gymnastics.

At the outbreak of WWI, Joseph volunteered to be a hospital attendant at a camp in the Isle of Man. It was there that what we know as the modern day reformer and affiliate pilates equipment was spawned. He used bed springs to provide resistance to enable bed bound patients the ability to exercise.

Around the year 1925, Pilates migrated to New York where he set up his own Pilates studio with his wife Clara. In New York he refined his pilates methods and concepts and started bringing the whole focus to “contrology”, or ‘using the mind to control the muscles.’ He paid special attention to the core postural muscles that keep the body balanced and provide support for the spine. He also started teaching an awareness of breath in exercise and how to use the breath while in movement to keep the body stable and balanced. He taught well into the 1960’s and had a strong following consisting mostly of ballerinas and dancers.

March Matness

Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates’ infamous protege, once said in an interview with Washington Post in 2003: “The apparatus are good, but the mat work is everything. If you can do the mat work perfectly, you don't need the apparatus. But people love toys.”

While we all love the Pilates apparatus with its endless versatility for challenge, in March we honor where it all started… on the mat.

Follow us on social media for March Matness, where we’ll post a video of a Pilates mat exercise every day for the entire month!

How Pilates Can Help Us Move With Animal Ease

2/17/2023

What do the Elephant, Crab, Swan, and Snake all have in common?

Yes they’re all animals.

But they are also exercises from the Pilates Repertoire!

Joseph Pilates, the guy who created Pilates before it was Pilates, was SO ahead of his time. Without the benefit of technology or the world wide web, he developed a whole system of movement. He took inspiration from modalities such as Zen Buddhism, the ancient Greeks, martial arts and, of course, the study of animals.

He says in his book ‘Return To Life’, that “true rhythm and control is observed both in domestic pets and wild animals – without exception.”

The beauty of animal movement is something that every one of us has surely admired in some way at some point. Whether it is the gait of a dog chasing a truck, the rhythm of a dolphin speeding through the water, or the precision of a bird flying through the sky, marveling in the movements of animals is not new to us. However, being open to the notion that we are animals too, and imagining that we can move with the very same agility, precision, and stealth of our graceful animal friends is an interesting way to explore movement.

There is indeed something majestic and graceful about watching animals flow and move through their natural habitats. The sense of confidence and ease they embody when they move their bodies is a beautiful thing. And it’s that beauty that Joseph Pilates wanted to bring back to the human experience of movement. He did say: “Your body will be as supple as a cat’s.”

The problem is, over time, we as humans (as opposed to our animal friends) have struggled more and more to move with ease, flow, and strength.

What happened?

Civilization, that’s what.

I’m not saying the civilized world is bad. But with every step forward, something has to be sacrificed. Take cell phones, for example. Such an AMAZING invention! But as a result of this invention, we hunch over more, we move our bodies less, we call a colleague instead of walk to their desk, our posture suffers, and our brains suffer as we try to multitask. We start to lose some of our body’s natural alignment, we lose flexibility, we lose functionality of our joints…we get stiffer, more stressed out, and sicker.

The antidote?

Pilates. Pilates brings our body BACK into its natural movement patterns. It helps us remember how we used to move– as babies, as animals, as nature intended. And it does so for every body. Whether you’ve worked out for years or not at all, whether you’re pregnant or post menopausal, male or female, young or old, Pilates caters to you.

So when you’re ready to move with more agility and ease, give us a call to get started. We can’t wait to meet you.

Let's Talk About Love. Self Love.

2/2/2023

It’s February (can you believe it!?). While this is the month most people think about the ones they love, I want to take this opportunity to talk about something else– SELF love. It can be tempting to search for external ways to find a sense of self-worth and happiness. It might sound cliche, but it’s not “out there” that we’ll find it, it’s “in here,”.

You can call it a lot of things- self love, self esteem, confidence- but whatever you call it, it’s how we really feel about ourselves deep down. Do you LOVE yourself- imperfections and all? Or do you feel like you won’t be happy (with yourself or your life) until you’re ___ (fill in the blank: thinner, prettier, fitter, wealthier, partnered…etc etc!)?

Think about how you talk to your best friend. You might say things like:

You’ve got this!
You’re beautiful!
YOU LOOK AMAZING!
You can do anything- you are SO STRONG
You will figure this out
I am here for you
I love you

Now think about some of the things we say to ourselves:

Am I good enough?
I don’t have what it takes
I feel like an imposter
I’ll never be _____ (fit, healthy, happy)
I can’t believe I did ____
I hate the way my ____ looks

Can you imagine saying those things to your best friend?

It sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Because those things aren’t loving. They aren’t supportive. They aren’t helpful. They won’t get someone through the storms of life, and they won’t make someone shine. We want to support and encourage the people we love, rather than beating them down.

So this February, try treating yourself like you would your best friend. Especially in your thoughts and words, but also in your actions. Make yourself a priority, the way you make a date with your best friend a priority. Nurture yourself with wholesome food that supports your goals. Move your body- with or without friends! Let this month be about the love you have for YOU.

Join us on Saturday, Feb 11th for a Galentine's Mat Class and some bubbly after. Sign up through our website or the Mindbody app.

How to Meet Those New Years Resolutions

12/29/2022

How to Actually Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

I’ve got nothing against new year's resolutions. I think setting intentions any time of year is a good thing. Intentions help us be mindful and thoughtful about the things that are important to us, they allow us to put our inner dreams and wishes out into the world and work to make them a reality. So why do so many abandon their resolutions come March?

Take a look at my top 3 tips for setting and keeping your resolutions all year long:

Make them meaningful: While I applaud any intention that helps us become the best version of ourselves, the best new year’s resolutions are those that actually mean something–to you. It’s great if you’ve made a resolution to lose weight or to get healthier. But WHY are you making this resolution? Check in with yourself about why you’re setting a goal that you’re setting. Is it to make someone else happy? Is it to gain someone else’s approval? Is it so that you’ll fit in with a particular group? If you want to lose weight because you think it will make your partner more attracted to you, that’s a tricky road. If you want to lose weight because YOU want to fall in love with yourself again, you’re more likely to stick with it. This is because the approval of others is a slippery thing. It’s not to say it’s bad that we want others to be proud of us, or find us attractive, or think we’re special. But if WE do not already think those things about ourselves, we’re just trying to fill and empty cup.

TAKEAWAY: Make sure your resolutions are about YOU.

Share them with someone: This one is super powerful. When we tell someone else a goal or a dream we have, even just giving voice to it can give it power. We’re making it real, we’re sharing a part of ourselves with someone else, and doing this can make you more likely to follow through. Not to mention that telling others helps keep us accountable. Once we start getting others in on our excitement, we’re a little bit more in the public eye. As long as the outward pressure doesn’t get TOO strong, a little outside encouragement is always helpful.

TAKEAWAY: Share your resolution with someone you love and trust.

Support yourself in their achievement: Words are one thing. And while they are powerful, even something said aloud is just that- a beginning. In order to REALLY achieve those resolutions, you’re going to need to surround yourself with things/people/environments/thoughts that SUPPORT that resolution. For example. If your resolution is to get more fit, you’ll want to make sure you have your walking shoes, your workout gear, your equipment– all within reach, visible, and easily accessed. Take it with you in a bag to work, for example. You’ll want to surround yourself with people who understand and value fitness as well. You’ll want to spend more time in environments that encourage fitness- like parks, the Pilates studio, and your own mat. And you’ll want to cultivate motivating and positive thoughts like—I can do this, This is possible, I acknowledge where my body is today and honor that, I am strong—and work to rid yourself of nevative/unhelpful thoughts like I’ve got so far to go, or I’ll never make it or Why would this work this time?

TAKEAWAY: Support your resolution with things/people/environments/thoughts that SUPPORT your progress instead of detract from it.

What about you? What are your resolutions this year, and how will YOU work to keep them?

Love Cheesecake?

11/30/2022

It might be the holiday season, but that doesn’t mean we throw our nutrition goals out the window! I love being on the lookout for healthier, plant based alternatives to some of my family's favorite dishes, and this one was a true standout. It’s beautifully red and green for the holiday season, it’s plant based, and it requires NO baking!

Try it and let me know what you think.

Vegan No Bake Matcha Cheesecake, from Running on Real Food

If you’re a matcha-lover or have some matcha powder you don’t know what to do with, this matcha cheesecake is such a fun way to use it! You can use ceremonial or culinary grade matcha but you’ll get the best color with a bright green powder, usually what you’d find in a good quality ceremonial grade matcha.

This simple cake is gorgeous, perfectly zesty, and lightly sweetened with a hint of earthy matcha flavor. It’s like a matcha latte in cheesecake form!

Enjoy this beautiful dessert for a special occasion this holiday season or–let’s be honest– store it in the freezer so you can pull a slice or two anytime you need one!

INGREDIENTS

For the Crust

1 cup almond flour (112 g)
1 cup pecans (100 g)
4 tablespoons of maple syrup (70 g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

For the Cream Filling

1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 6–12 hours) (200 g )
1/3 cup of melted coconut oil (50 g)
1 cup of coconut cream (215 g)
1/2 cup maple syrup (115 g)
⅓ cup lemon juice (50 g)
2 tbsp matcha powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon soy lecithin (optional, for better emulsion. Buy online or in well stocked grocery stores)

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak Cashews: Soak the cashews for at least 6 hours up to overnight in a bowl of water. When you’re ready to make the cake drain and rinse.
Make Crust: Add the ingredients for the crust to a food processor and blend into a moldable dough. Use your hands to firmly press the dough into an 8-inch springform pan until you have a smooth, even layer.
Blend Filling: Add the drained cashews to a high-speed blender with the rest of the cream ingredients and blend into a very smooth consistency.
Add Filling to Crust: Pour the cream over the crust in the pan. Smooth with a spatula if needed.
Freeze: Place the cake in the freezer for 2 hours up to overnight.
Serve: Let thaw briefly at room temperature or in the fridge for 30-60 minutes before serving.

If you try it out, let me know what you think!

Top Fall Seasonal Produce to Stock Your Pantry

11/2/2022

For many people, fall is the season of turning leaves, cozy sweaters, and all things warm and cozy. But for farmers it’s also the time of harvest, and this brings an abundance of fresh foods that grew all summer to our grocery store shelves.

Thanks to a growing global supply chain, most fruits and vegetables are available in supermarkets year round. So why should you seek out seasonal produce? Seasonal fruits and vegetables are:

-Better for your health: When fruits and veggies are eaten in their proper season, they are more nutrient dense because they have matured on the plant, rather than being picked early and made to ripen in a truck with chemicals.
-Better for the environment- Seasonal produce more often comes from local farms, which means less emissions from airplanes and trucks necessary to bring us produce from all over the world. Eating local also reduces water use, land use, soil degradation, and pollution
-Better for your taste buds: An apple freshly plucked from a tree will be much tastier than one shipped thousands of miles or left in cold storage for months.
-Better for your budget: Fruits and vegetables are likely to be at their best price in the fall, so you’ll save money by sticking to what’s in season.

So what's in Season this Fall? Check it out:
1. Sweet potatoes
2. Beets
3. Pumpkin
4. Butternut squash
5. Brussel sprouts
6. Apples
7. Cranberries
8. Kale
9. Eggplant
10. Broccoli

Not a big fan of the raw veggie? All of the above veggies taste WONDERFUL when you roast them in the oven. Just cut up your chosen one, toss it lightly in olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees until browned. Simple and your body will thank you! What is your favorite fall recipe?

Abs Aren’t Just for Show

10/13/2022

Contrary to what Instagram might be showing you, there are so many benefits to having a strong core that have nothing to do with “six pack abs”. A strong and stable midsection can help you avoid back pain, improve posture and balance, feel stronger, and become more agile.

Why our Core Strength is Important

Abs are one of the most important groups of muscles in our whole body. Beyond aesthetics, strong abdominal muscles help us perform everyday tasks better and improve our overall fitness level. Think of your core muscles as a foundational link in a chain connecting your lower and upper body. Whether you’re vacuuming the house or practicing an advanced Pilates exercise, your core is working. No matter where the body motion starts, it travels through your core to your other muscles. This means that a weakness or imbalance in your abdominals can impair how well every other muscle in your body moves!

Injury and Fall Prevention

Correctly and consistently building a strong core enhances balance and stability, a fact that is increasingly important as we age. A strong core helps prevent falls and injuries during sports or other activities.

Everyday Activities

But a strong core is important for everyone, whether you are involved in sports or not. Having strength and flexibility in our core helps improve everyday acts like bending over to tie our shoes, picking up a child, turning to look behind us in traffic. Even showering, dressing, and sitting in a chair require use of your core! Any work or home task that involves lifting, twisting, and standing all rely on core muscles. For those who do office work, sitting at a desk for hours puts a lot of pressure on our spine and back. If you have a strong core, however, and keep your core engaged while sitting (which you’ll learn to do through Pilates), your back is much less likely to give seat-dwellers a problem.

Posture and Mobility

Strengthening your core is also imperative for our posture and mobility. Good posture not only projects confidence, it lessens the wear and tear on other parts of our bodies (like mentioned above), helps you take deeper fuller breaths, and helps you gain full benefits from the effort you put into exercising.

No matter the reason, having a strong core is so important, and there truly is no better way to achieve this outside of Pilates. Pilates not only strengthens your core, it strengthens and lengthens your muscle simultaneously. The ultimate result is a more balanced and mobile body that can accomplish what you want it to with more ease!

Pilates During Pregnancy: Is it Safe?

10/5/2022

We have many clients who come to us either preparing to get pregnant, are already pregnant, or are post pregnancy. You can DEFINITELY do Pilates during pregnancy- in fact, I strongly encourage you to do so! As always though, check with your doctor before adding exercises to your routine while you are pregnant.

Practicing Pilates during pregnancy can:

Calm the nervous system, thereby lowering blood pressure
Help build the mental and physical stamina needed for labor and delivery
Aid postpartum recovery and lower rates of c-sections, episiotomies, and preeclampsia
Increases body awareness and prepares you for pushing
Decreases back pain and improves sleep

Here are my top tips for doing Pilates during pregnancy:

Aim for 2-3 sessions a week, and with one day of rest between sessions. Don’t be hard on yourself when and if you feel more tired or uncomfortable working out– even doing exercises you could do easily when you weren’t pregnant! Self compassion will go a long way during your pregnancy.

If you can, and especially if you are just starting Pilates, opt for private sessions. This is important for all of our clients, but especially important when you are pregnant. Your body is going through a lot during pregnancy. Your joints and ligaments are moving and changing (becoming more lax/flexible), so you will benefit from the one on one attention you get from having your own experienced instructor. Our instructors are experienced in working with prenatal clients and know how to modify the exercises to work for you!
Wear light, comfortable clothing, have snacks on hand just in case, and be sure to drink plenty of water.
The Reformer is your friend! Not only does the machine offer modifiable resistance, being up off the floor is often more comfortable for pregnant clients than those trying to do mat Pilates.
Have fun, and listen to your body.

Heather Gradke

I'm a BASI Certified Pilates Instructor by day, somewhat competent housewife by night. I used to have hobbies but then CHILDRENS. I am married to the love of my life and somewhat charismatic Rustin Gradke. I have 4 kids that are wonderful sometimes but mostly they just eat a lot. I'm a lover of God and movement and the occasional bowl of queso.

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