home workouts

THRIVE in 15; Pilates for YOU

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I fell in love with yoga curtesy of a well worn Kathy Smith VHS in 1997.

To this day, I can quote the cheesiest yet true Baron Baptiste and Bryan Kest moments from their late-’90s Power Yoga videos.

There was a brief time around 19 when I was magnetized to belly dancing. Living in rural West Virginia made my in-person class options rather slim but the “Belly Dancing for Beginners” video my aunt gave me for my birthday quenched my thirst.

When I lived in Peru for a year and couldn’t afford a gym membership or internet, I begged visiting friends to bring me Pilates DVD’s and “spent time” with my favorite celebrity instructors on the regular during one of the loneliest and least healthy times of my life.

My introduction to kettlebells was the instructional video that came with my pink, plastic, sand filled first ‘bell.

Throughout my 20+ year history with ‘workout videos’, I’ve always gravitated towards the shorter ones.

Even though I would often complete several “10 Minute Solutions” (a great series by the way) at one time, I like the pace and the mental undertaking of shorter workouts.

Let’s be real; getting started is the hardest part and on the other end, not seeing a workout through to the end doesn’t have the same sense of completion and satisfaction.

In the Spring of 2021 I created my own short-format Pilates video series and call it THRIVE in 15.

THRIVE in 15 is a program of fifteen Mat Pilates workouts that are geared to improve mobility, strength, posture, and form all within 15-20 minutes.

Pilates is amazing cross training for life. Pilates exercises supports you and improves your physical capacity in everything from active/athletic endeavors to functional necessities in life like carrying groceries to sitting all day.

In my humble opinion, it is the “miracle cure” it sounds like. However, to derive the benefits, you have to do it. 😉

THRIVE in 15 AD

HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?

Each Monday in November participants will receive that weeks workouts delivered via email. Once you have access to the workouts, you are free to repeat as many times as you’d like during the program. The links will expire December 6th, giving you 5 weeks to complete the 15 short workouts at least once.

WHAT PROPS DO I NEED?

All you need in a little bit of time, a little bit of floor space, and a mat or large towel or blanket plus a device/internet to access the recording.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Two dollars a workout. The THRIVE in 15 program is $30 per household, I encourage you to get other members of your household to join with you because a workout buddy is fun and encourages us to achieve our goals!

WHAT LEVEL ARE THE WORKOUTS?

This program is appropriate for anyone free of chronic or acute major illness or injury. Not every single exercise or every single repetition will be right for every participant but it is designed with a range of humans in mind.

Please feel free to ask if you have any specific questions about whether it is appropriate for you.

-Katrine Sophie, busy working mom, Vienna Austria

I am intentionally choosing to offer this program for the second time during the month of November, where things are majorly shifting in the Northern Hemisphere. As our days are getting shorter and colder & the holidays are rapidly approaching, it can be challenging to focus on our physical well being and carve out the time/energy for exercise. I want you to THRIVE during this next month, as we approach the end of another weird year for the record books.

THRIVE1-1

THRIVE in 15

15 workouts delivered via email during the month of November

$30.00

SIGN UP TODAY TO GET STARTED THIS MONDAY AND THRIVE THIS FALL!

Giving Props to Props

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The title says it all, here are my favorite props to enhance home Pilates workouts. Whether you are looking for “stocking stuffers” for friends or family or for some ways to reinvigorate your own practice, here are some amazing props to assist, pun intended.

The loop is all about adding resistance to hip work, primarily hip flexors, glutes, and outer hips. It can also add stability and feedback for knee alignment in basic squats and hip lifts.

Pros: cheap, durable, portable/lightweight

Cons: I haven’t found many good ways to use it for the upper body so it’s less versatile than all the other props on the list.

I have the Power Systems Versa Loop “light. Less than $10

I love, love, love the big stability ball.

Let these workouts speak for themselves in regards to the versatility & added challenge of the big ball.

Pros: cheap, super versatile, fun!

Cons: big and ugly

I bought my ball so long ago that I don’t know exactly where it is from but this product is an old physical therapy and gym staple and very easy to find, often under the generic name Exercise Ball, and generally retailing for about $20. Note: this type of ball comes in different sizes so make sure to get the size appropriate for your height.

The small ball is quite possibly my number one favorite prop. It adds challenge to lower and upper body exercises as well as serves as an amazing self massage tool, especially addressing the torso.

Pros: unique tool for self-massage, cheap, small, relatively portable, versatile.

Cons: I cannot think of any! If I really had to come up with something, I’d say that it’s limited for arm and shoulder work.

Bonus note: my favorite thing to do with this ball is, as Kelly Starlett lovingly refers to it as, The Gut Smash. There are several ways to do this but the simplest is to lay on the ball (not overly inflated) with in under your belly, below your low ribs and above your front hip bones. It’s an incredible massage for your stomach muscles.

I use the Coregeous ball from Tune Up Fitness. This type of ball is usually $10-15

The resistance stick is new to me, I ordered it on a whim from Amazon because at $11.72 I figured it was worth a shot. It’s awesome. It adds resistance and feedback in similar ways to a Pilates Reformer.

Pros: low cost, versatile, portable, easy to store

Cons: the one that I bought is light on the resistance, I would love a little more resistance and the ability to adjust the the resistance would be awesome. Of course, the resistance also changes depending on your dimensions, which could be considered a con.

I teach Virtual Mat Pilates with Resistance Stick every Friday at 12pm eastern time, drop ins welcome (Zoom based, recording available if you cannot be there live). Schedule HERE

The one I have is Jiaojo but there are several similar products available.

The sweet old classic; the foam roller. Name a muscle group and I’ll name a foam roller exercise to address it. The foam roller increases mobility, challenges stability, down regulates the nervous system, increases strength, just to name a few. It’s that good.

Pros: it’s just awesome. 🙂

Cons: not the easiest to store and although it’s the classic for myofascial release (self massage), it’s not actually the best tool for most areas of the body.

I teach Virtual Mat Pilates with Foam Roller every Wednesday at 5:30pm eastern time, drop-in’s welcome (Zoom based, recording available if you cannot be there live). Schedule HERE

Foam rollers are easy to find, at big box or online, for under $25.

The links to products are provided for your convenience, none are affiliate links (I do not profit from them).

Do you have a favorite prop that isn’t included on this list? I’d love to hear about it. It is the year of home workouts (home everything!) and I love seeing all these wild new inventions pop up, I just ordered a “new” style of resistance band, keep your eyes out on the Gracefulfitness YouTube Channel for videos with it if I like it!