Heads Up on Your Body

Don’t Talk Yourself Out of Trying Pilates!

It can be intimidating to try anything new, especially pilates in a one-on-one type of situation. The equipment is strange, the attention is all on you, and working out is not easy!

If you’re nervous to try a private pilates session, don’t worry its normal to feel nervous. There are many normal emotions that might try to hold you back from trying it out:

-you feel like you won’t know what to do
-you feel like you’ll look ridiculous
-you feel fat
-you don’t think you have the money right now
-you don’t think you have the time

These are all common thoughts, but don’t let them hold you back from taking a private session. If find yourself thinking any of these self-sabotaging thoughts, contemplate these answers… then call your local studio and book your first pilates session- it could change how you feel about exercise, your body, and your life!

You feel like you won’t know what to doWell, that’s true, actually. You won’t know exactly what to do. If you’ve tried a pilates video at home, or if you’ve taken mat classes, you’ll have an idea of what pilates is like. Working out on the equipment is similar, but not exactly the same. Your instructor would never expect you to know what to do in the first session, so don’t be so hard on yourself!

Remind yourself of this- no one has ever known what to do the first time they’ve ever done something.

You feel like you’ll look ridiculous
You most likely will not look silly or stupid doing pilates. All the pilates instructors I know are very compassionate, fun people, and none of us think our clients look ridiculous. We are used to seeing people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and styles coming in and out of the studio- we’ve seen it all. Chances are, you are not the most ridiculous!

One thing that’s fun about pilates is that we can have a good time working out. We laugh, joke, and talk during the sessions, so the focus is not on how you look.

You feel fat
There is no weight requirement for starting pilates. I’ve worked with people who range in weight from 85-250lbs. If you really are “fat”, then you should be doing pilates! If you’re not obese, but just feel fat, then pilates is perfect for you. It will help tone your body and adjust your posture, so the “fat feeling” will quickly go away.

Remember, your instructor will never judge you based on your real, or perceived, weight.

You don’t think you have the money right now
Hey, I know how it is. There is only so much money to go around and right now your body is not the top priority. However, it should be one of your top priorities. How healthy you feel, and are, will effect the rest of your busy life in innumerable, positive ways.

There are affordable ways of doing pilates at a studio that you may not have thought of.

Many studios, like my studio, Rhinebeck Pilates, offer discounted sessions with apprentice teachers. Most studios offer a range of class rates, depending on the type of class, or sometimes depending on the time of day of the class. You can pair up with a partner and take duet pilates sessions, which are about half the cost of privates. Many studios also offer discounted private sessions if bought in bulk.

The best thing to do is call your local studio, and ask what your options are. You might even be able to work out a bartering situation- you may do web design, silk screening on t-shirts, cleaning, or office work in exchange for pilates.

You don’t think you have the time
Trust me, there is time for exercise in everybody’s life. I know how it feels to THINK you don’t have time, believe me. Between my puppy, my studio, my husband, my house, my garden…. I sometimes feel like I don’t have time. But it is there, you just have to get creative.

Most studios offer classes at all hours of the day. A studio I used to work at even had a class at 7:30am. You could fit a quick class in during your lunch break, on the weekends, in the early morning, or just after work.

Pilates studios are flexible, just like you will be after you start taking classes!

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