Teaser Prep
This is a classical exercise that will help build balance, define your legs and give you that killer six-pack that you always wanted. Begin by lying on your back with your feet in table top position and your arms overhead.

Exhale and reach your arms toward your legs and roll your back off the mat as much as you can or until you are sitting up in a V shape position with your legs bent and your hands reaching toward your feet.

Inhale at the top, and then exhale to roll yourself back down with control back to lying on the mat. Repeat 10 times, rest, and then repeat an additional 10 more times. Avoid if low back pain occurs (If you would like to challenge yourself, try it with straight legs).
Leg Pull Down Prep
This exercise will help tone and strengthen the arms, abdominals, and glutes.

Start in a plank (push up) position with the shoulders over the wrists, the inner thighs together, and the torso in one line from head to feet. Lift one leg toward the ceiling with the foot pointed.

Pulse leg to the ceiling 10 times, then switch legs, rest, and repeat 4-6 more times. Keep your torso in line and hips level throughout the exercise. Avoid if low back pain occurs (If you would like a challenge, bend the arms and keep them bent throughout the exercise).

Making better bodies,

David

Pilates Breath- Kay Creighton-Hays
All movement stems from the center of your body, starting with your breath. The focus of Kay’s class is to teach how to utilize breathing more efficiently in your workout as you move through exercises. By using your breath you gain a stronger center and stability through your body.

Lengthen & Tone- Alessandra Casuccio
Because of Alessandra’s dance background, her goal is always to help you lengthen and tone your muscles helping you gain flexibility and strength without the bulk. Expect a fun class that will challenge you and give you a stronger and better looking body.

Mindful Movement- Jennifer McNamara
Jennifer’s focus is not just to give you a hard workout, but to help you understand how your body is meant to move. In this class expect to focus on the details of the exercises, which will help bring you into proper alignment.

Pure Strength- David Gensheimer
David teaches a fast-paced class that focuses on building strength. A workout with David will challenge you to your limit—whether you are a beginner or an advanced client. Expect to have fun, work hard, and sweat.

Realignment & Stretch- Lisa Brown
With Lisa, you can expect to have fun while focusing on the fundamentals of Pilates. Expect to stretch and release tension, while focusing on proper alignment, moving through exercises at a more moderate pace.

Start in a reverse plank with the wrists under the shoulders and the hips lifted as HIGH as possible. Keep your eyes focused on the wall in front of you.

From there, lift one leg off the ground (without letting the pelvis drop) and pulse it to the ceiling 2 times, then set the leg down and repeat on the other side.

Do this 4-6 times then relax. (If this is too difficult, do it with bent legs and feet flat on the ground!)

The best way to get into the side bend prep is to start in a regular plank (push up position), move one hand to the middle under your sternum and then rotate by lifting the opposite hand off the ground where you are facing the wall. Your wrist should be under your shoulder and the top foot should be in front of the bottom foot (as shown in the picture).

Hold for 5 seconds, and then rotate to the other side and face the opposite direction, hold for an additional 5 seconds.

Relax and then repeat 4-6 more times. (If you would like more of a challenge, try all 4 reps without relaxing).

Once you’re finished with these exercises, take a few minutes to breathe deep, or get into child’s pose. Breathing and child’s pose will also help you to center your body and your mind!

Making better bodies,

Neck Pull: Is nothing like it sounds, it is all rectus abdominis work.

Lie supine (on your back) on the mat with the back of your fingertips on your forehead, elbows wide and legs mat width apart. Imagine your legs are glued to the mat. Make sure the back of your fingertips stay attached to your forehead and your elbows stay wide.

Inhale: engage the abdominals. Exhale: start to roll up, peeling one vertebra off the mat at a time keeping the legs glued to the mat. Continue to roll up until sitting tall. Inhale: at the top, sitting on your sit bones.

Exhale: slowly start to roll down placing each vertebra onto the mat as you continue rolling down.

Repeat 5-10 times.

Airplane: If you have ever taken my class you know that is one of my favorite back strengthening exercises!

Start lying prone (on your stomach) with arms directly out to the side like you have wings. Keep your legs straight and sit bone width apart. Try not to let them go wider than shoulder width apart.

Exhale: engage the abdominals. Inhale: lift your arms, torso, and legs off the ground. Continue looking at the edge of your mat.

Hold for 10 slow counts, squeezing your mid and lower traps together.

Relax and repeat 5 more times.

Remember a strong back is an essential component of a strong core! Keep checking back for more exercises you can do at home.

Making better bodies,

David

The first step to success this Christmas is to set your intentions mentally and have accountability to help you succeed. I often set out to work out and eat well over the holidays, but fail to do so because of a lack of planning. Find a friend, spouse, or family member who will plan on taking this journey with you. Plan specific times over the break when you can do some kind of daily physical activity. You don’t even have to be at Pilates class or the gym to get moving! Go out for a game of touch football with the family or bundle up for a hike with a friend. As long as you are being intentional to move your body you’ll succeed!

For actual Pilates exercises you can do from home or wherever your travels take you, we’ll be posting some of our older monthly muscles in the blog.

Lastly, I love my sweets over the holidays. Below, I’ve included some of my favorite dessert options on the healthier side of things, as well as a few tips for making your old favorites a little bit healthier. I promise you, you won’t miss the extra sugar or fat!

Have a happy and healthy holiday!

Making Better Bodies,

David

Try out these healthy dessert options from one of my favorite vegan cooking sites, Post Punk
Kitchen.

Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf – I tried this one over the weekend, and it’s fabulous!

Cinnamon Apple Crisp – one of my all-time favorite desserts!

If you can’t resist making your traditional holiday treat, try these quick tips to make your dessert a
healthier indulgence:

• Substitute cane sugar (or another raw sugar) for refined sugars to decrease the intake of
harmful additives
• Use whole grain flours in place of refined white flour to prevent a loss of nutrients in the milling
process
• Adding applesauce and lowering the butter or oil content

Did you buy one of our daily deals (on Groupon, ActiveBuys, or Living Social)? Great! We know from running a few deals that it can sometimes be confusing on the customer’s end of things. So we’ve made a list of Daily Deal FAQ to help you know what to do.

What classes is my Groupon good for?

Check your deal–does it say “Mat” or “Equipment” on it? Our most recent deal was a groupon for 5 Mat/Yoga Classes. So, that groupon is good for any Mat for Everybody, Pilates Flow, or Yoga class. Equipment will be good for any Reformer Beginner, Intermediate, or Circuit class.

What class should I take?

For a mat deal: Mat for Everybody and Yoga are easily suitable for any level. Whether it’s your first Pilates class or you’ve been practicing for several years, these classes are for you. The exercises are easily modified and are appropriate for all levels.

Pilates flow classes are a bit more fast-paced, flowing from one movement to the next. This class is a combination of Pilates Mat and Vinyasa Flow Yoga that is best suited for those a bit more experienced.

For an equipment deal:

If you’re new to Pilates equipment, we ask that you start with a Reformer Beginner class. This will get you familiar with the equipment and the exercises. If you’ve practiced for awhile and are familiar with Pilates equipment and exercises, a Reformer Intermediate class could work for you.

How do I sign up?

To sign up for classes, head over to our website www.sbalanced.com. Up in the right-hand corner, click on “Schedule a Class.” Once you’re in the scheduler, create a log-in. You’ll create a username and password, and your information will then be in our system. That way, when you come in, we can easily put you in class.

I just went to the site and made a log-in, but why can’t I sign up online?

You won’t be able to sign up for your first class online with your Groupon. Once you come into the studio, we put the classes into your account (remember that log-in you just made?). And that way, you’ll be able to sign up for the remaining classes online!

Can you reserve me a spot in my first class? I’m worried it will fill up.

The Mat and Yoga classes all hold about 20 people, so you don’t need to worry about reserving a spot. When you find a class you want, all you need to do is show up about 5 minutes before class. We’ll have you sign a liability form, and you’ll be all set!

More questions? No problem! Email us at info@sbalanced.com

At the outbreak of WWI, Joe was living in England and was placed under forced internment.  During that time, he lived in two different camps, refined his ideas of a fitness regimen, and trained other internees in his system of exercise developed over 20 years prior to his forced interment.  He was also a nurse/caretaker to the many internees struck with wartime disease and physical injury.  Taking springs from beds and rigging them to create spring resistance, he began devising equipment to rehabilitate his “patients” and created “movement” for the bedridden, which led to his later equipment designs.  An influenza epidemic struck England in 1918, killing thousands of people, but not a single one of Joe’s trainees died.  This, he claimed, testified to the effectiveness of his system, which he called “Contrology”.

His experience led to the development of his unique method of physical and mental conditioning, which he brought to the United States in the 1920s with his wife, Clara, where they opened up a body conditioning studio in NYC.  In the early 1930s and 40s, popular dance choreographers, such as Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Merce Cunningham, embraced Pilates’ exercise method.  Joe continued to train clients until his death in 1967, at the ripe old age of 87.

“I must be right.  Never an aspirin.  Never injured a day in my life.  The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises.  They’d be happier.” – Joe Pilates, age 87