Top 5 Reasons to Try OUR Studio!

Top 5

1. Our trainers at Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit are highly trained in various Pilates methods and are constantly seeking to improve their knowledge and experience.  Whenever you try a new Pilates studio, you should ask about the instructors’ training, as many take a very short course before training clients.  I have been a fitness trainer for many years and have a degree in Exercise Science and Fitness from Ball State Universaity.  My other instructors are highly trained as well.  You need a trainer that can work with you, and any limitations you may have, to safely work out and boost your fitness level.  I am excited that one of my current clients has decided to start learning to become a trainer—I will be telling you all about her in an upcoming post.

2. We offer flexible scheduling and many different classes and work hard to make them fit into your schedule.  You can also schedule private, or semi-private sessions that are tailor made for your personal schedule.  We currently offer yoga classes, Piloxing classes, Zumba classes, group equipment classes utilizing the various pieces of equipment in the studio, Ballet barre classes as well as mat Pilates classes.  There is going to be something to fit your mood and your schedule and get yourself into shape!

3. All our classes are limited in size so that you are guaranteed personalized attention from our well-trained instructors.  We do not have huge mat classes that are so big your instructor can barely see you across the room.  Whether you are in a private session or a group equipment class, you will get individualized attention from our trainers.  You are not going to get that at a gym.

4. Our studio is very centrally located in central Indianapolis no matter what part of town you live in.  We are just off Binford Boulevard on 65^th Street.  If you live North, and commute downtown, we are right on your way and offer many classes at convenient hours both before and after work hours.  We also have plenty of free parking available right in front of our studio.  We have hours as early as 6 am for certain classes and sessions and many in the evening as well.  We also offer classes on Saturdays.

5. We also have a ton of fun here in the studio.  It will be a rare occasion will you won’t laugh during your session as well.  We love getting to know our clients personally and many of them have become friends with each other as well.  We work hard, but we also have a great time doing it.  It isn’t everywhere that you will find such fun and friendly trainers.

We at Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit would love to meet you and talk about your fitness goals.  We are happy to help figure out what will best fit in with your schedule as well.  Check out our online schedule or call us at 317/281-6762. 

Pilates and Football

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If you know me, you know how adamant I am that Pilates is not just for women, and is such a great exercise for men as well—but you KNOW I am serious when I tell you about how Pilates can benefit football players!

Not only do we here at Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit train the entire Cathedral High School football players in the art of Pilates, but we have also trained a few other current and former professional athletes, including several former football players.   I recently spoke at the NFL Alumni Association-Indianapolis Chapter and tell a bunch of former players just how this kind of exercise could be beneficial to them and could benefit their quality of life.

Football players often focus only on increasing their brute strength by lifting weights and similar kinds of training.  Pilates, while it may seem foreign to such big guys, is an amazing complementary exercise practice to all that muscle building.  Pilates focuses on the core, as well as all the muscles throughout the body which can add a competitive advantage to a player who has been spending most of their time with heavy weight lifting. That will strengthen those large muscle groups, and Pilates will get to all those deep, often smaller, muscle groups.  And we will surely work your legs, glutes and arms as well to get you faster and more flexible.  More flexibility and paying attention to all those deep connecting muscles will also help you prevent injury and/or stay toned whether you are a current or retired player.

Pilates strengthens the core, an area that many football players may not focus a lot on—and a strong core can help prevent injuries to the back.  Actually, the strengthening and increased flexibility that comes from Pilates is going to help prevent all kinds of injuries.  I have had clients who have started Pilates with things like constant knee pain who now tell me they no longer feel any pain in that area since continuing a consistent Pilates practice.  And check out this USA Today article from a few years ago discussing the benefits of Pilates for all types of athletes, as well as in particular, a football player discussing how Pilates has helped him remain injury free and feeling better in general, both after games and practices. 

Here’s a few of the current athletes using Pilates:

LeBron James

Kobe Bryant

Tiger Woods

Jason Kidd

Chris Simms

DeMarcus Ware

Eddie Cheever

Danny Granger

Curt Schilling

Ruben Brown

And those are just a few of the individual athletes—many teams incorporate Pilates into their workouts routinely now.

So all you football players out there, don’t think Pilates is too girly for you—I have several football player clients (not to mention the whole Cathedral team) who would tell you while Pilates is very different, it certainly kicks your butt too! It is gentler than many form of exercise, but is by no means easy.  And I even have a special machine designed for larger/taller clients which I have utilized extensively in training my athletes.  You ought to come check it out too!  Contact us at Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit and see what it is all about!

Pilates for Brides (and Grooms!)

Getting married?  Instead of doing that whole, “I know I can lose ten pounds before the wedding if I just stop eating chips/bread/carbs/sugar” or whatever, think about starting a series of Pilates classes or sessions before the wedding at Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit.  Going sleeveless? Think of how we can help transform those arms and shoulders!  Especially if you still have a few months, we can help you work on any trouble spots that are bugging you.

Another cool thing about starting a Pilates practice before your wedding?    You can improve so many other things that maybe you aren’t thinking about but that can make your special day even that much more special.  Picture yourself walking down the aisle—you don’t want to be walking down with bad posture!  Pilates can make a real impact on that. I have several clients who have told me that they have been complimented about their good posture after several Pilates sessions.

And if you are engaged now, I am sure you already know about the stress that can come along with the planning and preparation of the wedding—not to mention I am sure there will be a bit of stress and nerves on that special day.  Pilates’ focus on breathing and awareness of our breath and its connection to our bodies and minds will not only help center you during your practice, but can help you on the big day as well.

And if you want to feel “sleek, sexy and powerful,” don’t forget about our awesome Piloxing classes that we have started.  What a great way to bring out all those attributes as well—and hey, they couldn’t hurt for the honeymoon either!

And hey future grooms, you know we want to help you get into shape too! Pilates isn't just for the ladies and we have lots of clients who are men as well. Pilates is for everyone!  And all these same suggestions apply to you as well (ok, well maybe you won't be going sleeveless, but you get my point).

So if you are looking for a way to sculpt those muscles before your wedding day (and possibly drop a few pounds too), and you want to be at your best by feeling great and looking amazing, contact us at Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit to talk to one our certified trainers about what program might work the best for you.  Put this part of your wedding planning into our hands. We will take great care of you and get you ready for that once in a lifetime day!




Check us out at our booth at the Diva Bride Bridal Show on July 24th!

 

10 Reasons to Try Pilates

 

1. Lose Inches From Your Body: Pilates is a great way to firm up every part of your body, and lose inches.

2. Improve Your Posture. Remember your parents telling you to stand up straight?  Pilates will help you do this naturally. 

3. Improve Your Flexibility.  This is a key factor as we age, but is important no matter what your age.  I have had very physically active clients who came in tighter than people who never work out at all. Pilates can dramatically improve your flexibility and range of motion.

4. Help prevent Osteoporosis.  Resistance training is great for strengthening the body and preventing osteoporosis.

5. Improve Your Mental Health: With the Pilates' focus on breathing throughout exercise, it helps you focus on the present moment which can help improve your mental health.

6. Minimize Back Pain.  You may have heard before that having a strong core will help your back immensely.  Many people with chronic back pain can be helped with a regular Pilates practice.

7. Pilates is the perfect exercise for everyone.  It is great for men, women, young and old and people of all physical ability.  All exercises can, and will be tailored to your physical fitness.

8. Moms--Fix that Baby Belly.  Many women who have had babies suffer from what is known as diastasis, which is separation of abdominal muscles.  Our Pilates instructors are trained in ways to heal that problem and therefore minimize that "baby belly."

9. Personalized Attention from Trainers:  Pilates is one of the few exercise programs, even with group classes, in which you are constantly getting the attention of highly trained Pilates instructors.  You aren't going to get this at the gym.

10. Improve Your Sporting Activities.  Pilates is great to help improve your other physical activities for all the reasons above.  Check out my posts specifically on Skiing and Golf.  And if you have questions about another sport, please let me know.

Pilates and Golf

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I love the hot weather and summer—seriously it is my favorite time of year.  The heat doesn’t bother me a bit and I love all the outdoor activities you can participate in—tennis, swimming, biking and of course, golf.  I have several clients are big golfers and have seen the real benefit of Pilates on their golf game. 

So there are a couple reasons why Pilates is so great for golf.  First, and the one we always go back to in Pilates, is a strong core, or center (if you want to know more about the core, check out my earlier post here.)  Pilates exercises focus on this core, to strengthen the deep abdominal muscles.  If you core is strong, you will have more force to hit those power shots in golf.

Also, if you think about the game of golf, because everyone who plays always hits the ball from the same side, it can become easy to have little “tweaks” in muscles, and for the body to become imbalanced.  Pilates does an amazing job at getting the spine, and the entire body into alignment.  We always evenly work each side of the body, and it becomes apparent not just to the trainers, but to you yourself, as you continue to work on your Pilates practice, where you are weak, and what side of your body is stronger.  Your personal body awareness increases, and we are able to focus where it is necessary to bring that balance back. 

As I have also discussed before, Pilates is an amazing practice to increase flexibility.  As your muscles and body become more flexible, just think how that will help your golf swing.  If you are stiff in your shoulders or back, that is going to hinder how well you can hit the ball.  If you muscles are flexible and strong, you are going to improve your game immensely.

Finally, because a big part of Pilates practice is mental, Pilates will also help your focus by teaching you to concentrate on your breath in relation to your body.  Having this intense focus will also certainly help your golf swing by allowing you to direct your energy on the swing and not get distracted or lose your concentration.

As a personal note, I have several clients who have told me how much their golf games have improved—they were psyched and I am always happy when my clients can see their progress in other places in their life.  If you are a golfer and would like to know how to direct your Pilates practice toward improving your golf game, be sure and let me know.

Massage! It's a Good Thing

I seriously love massages—if I could only have one every day, I think every day stresses would be so much more bearable!  Of course that isn’t possible, but in an effort to make it that much easier for my clients to relax and find balance, I am happy to say we are now offering massage right here in the studio.  We have set up a separate room with a relaxing massage table and environment and we have a wonderful therapist available to give massages on Tuesdays and Sundays.  Heather Chaney is a licensed massage therapist who is studying to be a physical therapist and makes it one of her personal missions to help work out that tension that we carry with us, or to help loosen up those muscles after a session here at the studio.

If you have ever had a massage, you know the instant benefits of relaxation and calm that can reduce stress and soothe sore muscles—but did you also know, according to a recent Mayo clinic article, as well as an article in Newsweek, massage can help reduce blood pressure, boost immunity, and manage anxiety and depression?  If you are already taking care of your body by exercising with us, why not take the next step and schedule a massage too?  Who couldn’t use a boost in immunity?

Heather can also offer some unique angles to her massages that you won’t often see from other massage therapists.  First, she can utilize a tool called the “fusion therapy tool” which is a small metal tool that Heather uses while massaging that is particularly amazing at targeting larger muscle groups.  This tool is great in helping clients who want to increase mobility and function and is great for people with past injuries, ailments or muscular restrictions.  Heather can also use the Pilates barrel in her practice, which is a great way to simultaneously stretch muscles and get a massage.  Of course, it is completely up to the client whether or not he or she would like to try these techniques, as Heather is always happy to perform a traditional “hands-on” massage as well. 

We welcome our clients, as well as non-clients, to take advantage of Heather’s services.  And if you are like me, and very busy during the week, she offers hours on Sundays, when the studio is very quiet.  You can schedule directly through our webscheduler, or call Patrea at 281-6762 and we’ll find a time that works for you!

Piloxing!

“Sleek. Sexy. Powerful.”  That is the mantra of our newest class here at Indianapolis Pilates by 15 to Fit.  “Piloxing” is a new exercise phenomenon in L.A. and is the brain child of Viveca Jensen.  Now, we traded some jokes about what exactly “piloxing” means (is it a cross between pillow fighting and boxing?)  but in reality it is an intense workout combining Pilates and boxing that is done in a group class setting. Celebrities such as Kirsten Dunst, Heather Morris from Glee, and Haley and Hilary Duff are doing it.  Just think, you can be one of the first in Indiana.

Piloxing combines the “power,” agility and strengthening of boxing with the grace, toning and flexibility of Pilates (i.e. the “sleek”).  These moves are done in varying intervals, and are complemented by some fun dance moves to bring out the “sexy.”  The intense boxing intervals will bring your heart rate up and burn calories (you can burn up to between 400 and 800 per hour class) and the Pilates aspect of the workout will bring the heart rate back down a bit and stretch, tone and lengthen those muscles.  The class is done barefoot (so no fancy footwear required) and utilizes lightly weighted gloves that can be purchased at the studio.  We also incorporate a mat workout to cool down and will provide yoga mats for that part of the program (or you can bring your own if you like).

The class is led by one of our lovely instructors, Anne Hasbrook, who is one of only two certified Piloxing instructors in Indiana! And we have her!  Our first class is scheduled for Tuesday May 3rd at 6 p.m. and we expect to continually add more as demand grows.  Contact us to schedule your class.

For more information, check out piloxing.com and these recent articles from Harper's Bazaar, In Touch, Redbook, and People.  And if you would like to see a video of one of Viveca's classes to see what's in store for you, click here.

So now that you know all about "Piloxing" and have scheduled your class, for a giggle, what else can we come up with to combine "Pilates" with?  "Pilooking" (Pilates and Cooking)? "Pilurfing" (Pilates and Surfing)? "Pilopping" (Pilates and Shopping)? "Pilunting" (Pilates and hunting)? "Pilyaking" (Pilates and kayaking)? "Pi-latte" (Pilates and waiting in line at Starbucks?) Please share if you come up with something cute!  You know, laughing is one of the best exercises for your core!