Author Archives: Victoria Kelly

Private or Group Class? Things to Consider

It’s 2023, and one has an abundance of choice in selecting a Pilates studio. Are you interested in a studio’s staffing, their mission, their vibe? It’s best to be as clear as possible about what you are looking for. Is an affordable price point the most important thing? Convenience? Or maybe you are feeling theContinue reading “Private or Group Class? Things to Consider”

What I Learned from Covid

… is that we didn’t know nearly enough mat exercises to get us through, especially the first four months! On Zoom my students looked mystified by all these small props and by way too many of the mat exercises and yoga flows that they desperately needed after having their weekly or daily(!) workouts yanked away.Continue reading “What I Learned from Covid”

The Expression Is Telling

I mount the hybrid cardio apparatus – part bike, part track, part ice cream machine. I preset the look on my face because I already know how I feel about it and I would like to perform my cardio in emotional neutral. Perform is the wrong word as there is no one watching except forContinue reading “The Expression Is Telling”

Thoughts on Pain Management

Like many, my health care people are telling me to manage the pain that I’ve got. I’ll take a step back. First they let a comment dangle like, “I assume you’re including *that* in your pain management plan.” The flat way they have of putting the onus elsewhere is not really the beginning of aContinue reading “Thoughts on Pain Management”

Know the ABC’s of Your Pilates Practice

Words, words, words, words, words. Teacher and students need to speak the same ones. In a Pilates setting you could be doing grasshopper when I’ve said elephant; pulling when I said pushing; placing down your malleolus when I said metatarsal. Not only wouldn’t it be pretty, it would be confusing, stressful, and unsafe. When IContinue reading “Know the ABC’s of Your Pilates Practice”

A Three-Way on the Tower

The “Tower” is part and parcel of Joseph Pilates’ “Cadillac.” The Cadillac is the first workout apparatus that Mr. Pilates invented in his Contrology system, as the Pilates method was first named. Because of this machine’s mammoth size and many, many movement possibilities, it was considered the “Cadillac” of his inventions. He did not haveContinue reading “A Three-Way on the Tower”

Does Your Body Unravel When You Travel?

“Aaargh, I haven’t done anything for weeks!” moans the client who has just come back from a vacation or a business trip. And the litany of recriminations begins. What happened?! The first thing that probably happened was the physical constriction of being cooped up in an airplane cabin or a car. Not only are theContinue reading “Does Your Body Unravel When You Travel?”