Pop Pilates

Cheerful, energetic, sexy, and fun to watch. Short, specialized exercise videos by Cassie are powerful, with great titles and pop music.

But how many of us get out our mat and work out with those? Few people actually click to work out. Why not? These are good trainers. It looks like fun. 

I can think of a few reasons.

We already know that there are men and boys who watch pilates workouts for the thrill, but what about people looking for a workout routine? What about those who would like to begin changing their bodies.

That’s the tough part. Here’s the scenario: You look through a bunch of thumbnails and titles. You see one that you think you might like. It might target a certain area of the body like everyone’s favorite, the “butt” or “bum” in Europe. Don’t you feel objectified already?

You click. Watch a commercial. Then your instructor comes on and tries to fit several super duper butt exercises into a 10-15 minute video. You watch their cute body and start to think, “My god, she looks good. I could never look that good. My butt is so flabby and fat compared to hers.”

So you just sit and watch.

What if you are really determined that day?

You do your best and feel pretty good afterward. But wait a minute, where do I go from here? What about the rest of my body?...Let's see....maybe I can find one for flat abs. Oh, ok. “Lose the Muffin Top.”

You click and wait for the commercial. Then a different person comes on. “Wow! She sure is skinny. I wonder if those are real....Okay, let's go.”

This time you're not sure if it’s pilates or something else. You try and follow along and ten minutes later the video ends. You’ve just done crunches, pushups, and side planks. Your back feels achy and tight. What about the stretching and warm up in the beginning? What about the stretching and relaxation at the end? What about my neck, legs, and shoulders? 

Let’s find another one...

OK this looks like a pilates yoga combo. You watch the ad....Maybe I’ll get more stretching here. She looks nice. Very peaceful...OMG what is she doing? How do you get your foot over there?  ...A little advanced for me. 

On to another....

Whoa! the camera seems to really focus on her glutes and chest. Oh Brother. Now those can’t be real....Okay let's glance at the thumbnails on the right....hmmm...What the heck is that? They look like they are having fun....Is that the Loch Ness monster?...

That’s enough. I’m going back to Judy.

Postpartum Pilates - What Just Happened to My Body?

You're on facebook at 3:36 am wondering why nobody's on chat. You haven't had an intelligent conversation in months. You don't know why nothing feels happy. You wonder, "Will I ever ever enjoy sex again?"

No, you're not hospitalized in a psych unit.

Having a baby is without competition, the most out-of-control time in a woman's life. Yes, you may have learned some tricks that you've  kept in your hip pocket from the last one. There are always more books to read and online stuff to look at that is helpful.  But the reality is: We lose control of our body and often parts of our mind during this time.

This is not to say there is no joy. Humans can experience great love and joy no matter what their physical condition. This lack of control of our body is actually a fascinating ride as we touch with our hands the person who came from inside us, as we lie in bed right after the birth feeling like a rock star, and as we feel our milk come in. OMG.

What I'm saying here is that no matter how well you've prepared, there is a certain amount of letting go and trusting the process that you have to do when giving birth.

This can be downright terrifying if you've been one of those high achievers. You know, the organizer that has everything done and the event prepared down to snacks for the clean up crew. Or the one who manages ten people at work, goes to the gym five nights a week, and remembers to ecard everyone on their birthday.

I was one of those. I practically ran my college. I did not get all A's. I think they had to give me the Outstanding Senior plaque because the list of things I was in charge of, was twice as long as anyone in the class.

Yup, I just loved organizing things; the bigger the better. But having that itty-bitty baby was more challenging than any of the other stuff. I didn't fit into any clothes. I felt fat. And looking down at those giant boobs...Was that really me?

After about three babies I finally learned that I had to allow my body to go through its changes and let nature take the time it needed. I learned that my real job was to make myself feel as good as possible, so that I could give love, not just care, to my family.

After a C-setion with baby number seven, nothing I did could flatten my pooch. I think it was the control freak in me that found pilates back when the only one doing it was Mari Winsor. I said to myself, "This is it! Finally a way to flatten my belly. If I can just do some every day, I will fit into my clothes again!"

In my interactive video pilates workouts, it's all about control. I guess after going through so many pregnancies, I can't get enough of that fantastic feeling of a toned, fit pilates body. Call it an addiction if you like. I jokingly tell my students, "Pilates is great for codependants. It's all about control!"

But it's no joke when you don't know if you'll ever have your body back. When you know your partner loves you but you can tell he'd like it back too. My Pre and Postnatal Pilates series covers everything. Even pilates tips for a few days after the birth.

What was the challenging part of your recovery? Leave your comments. I really do read them and respond.