If you have questions about Pilates, our Studio and Instructors, or your individual practice, please see if any of the answers below are helpful. We are always happy to answer questions by phone or email as well.
I prefer doing apparatus work to mat work. Do I need to do mat work in my pilates sessions?
If I have an injury, should I just rest from my pilates and other exercise until it feels better?
Is it better to work with one instructor, or several to learn my Pilates?
Can my friend start Pilates with me in a group class?
Is it okay to feel some pain when I workout? Isn't that just me working through a tough spot?
If I think I'm not doing the exercise right, should I skip it in my own workouts at home?
Why don't Pure Joe instructors demonstrate the exercises? Wouldn't that be a faster way to teach us?
How often should I do Pilates to get the maximum benefits?
What other types of exercise should I do to complement my Pilates routine?
Is Pilates supposed to make you sweat?
How can Pilates help me from injuring, or reinjuring my back?
Why doesn't Pure Joe teach mat-only classes?
I prefer doing apparatus work to mat work. Do I need to do mat work in my pilates sessions?
Joe Pilates invented mat work first, but found that the exercises were very difficult for a large number of people. He invented the apparatus, a system based on springs and isometric work, to help you better understand how your body works. Ideally, then the mat work, which uses no apparatus, would make more sense and would be a tool for you wherever you go. You are naturally feeling what Joe Pilates saw- mat work is hard! That's why we typically start you on the reformer, so that your body gets feedback on how it's working that day. However, as you continue your apparatus work each session, it is good to check in with how you are able to work on your own. That's why we often do the mat work in the latter part of your pilates session. There will be some sessions where you might not get to your mat work, but remember that mat work is an integral part of the pilates system, as it teaches your body independence and coordination within a method of stretching and strengthening your muscles.
I take from several instructors and sometimes I feel that each one is telling me a completely different way to do an exercise. How can I understand what everyone wants?
When your instructors are looking at you executing an exercise, they are looking to see what you initiate with, what you favor and if there are any imbalances. They are also looking to see if you are getting the stretch, strength, and/or control that you need out of that exercise. Because there are so many variables and so many levels to an exercise, each instructor may focus more intensively on one or two of those each session with you. And because your body is always going to be working differently each day, an instructor may need to focus on one aspect of the exercise more than what another instructor did the session before. It's best not to think that each instructor is telling you THE way to do an exercise, but instead that we are each giving you clues on how to understand your body within the exercise.
I have been a pilates student for a long time- why do I still have one side of my body that is stronger than another?
In your pilates practice, you learn to work evenly and uniformly in your exercises. In your daily life, you may still have very strong habits that utilize one side of your body more than the other. So, your pilates practice may be keeping you more balanced than you would be without it, but it will take a bit more mindfulness at home and at work to continue the work that you are doing in your pilates. For example, do you always lead with your right foot going up stairs? Do you always reach for groceries with your left hand? Notice your habits, and then, even if you are not able to change the side you do a task on, perhaps be more aware of how the other side, and your center are engaged to help you. And, if you are not practicing your pilates at home, now is the time to start. Just do the first five of your mat exercises and they will reiterate to your body the concept of balanced work.
If I have an injury, should I just rest from my pilates and other exercise until it feels better?
One of the strongest concepts in pilates is that "circulation heals". If you have an injury and stop exercising, you probably stop putting stress on the injured area, which is good, but you also stop bringing blood and oxygen to it, which is not so good. With an injury, we like to move the areas around it in order to pump blood through it. Blood brings oxygen to the injured area, just like a very gentle massage, and therefore promotes healing. Depending on where your injury is and how bad the damage is determines what your exercise regime should be, but rarely will you need to stop exercising. Your instructors are all trained to work with injuries so that the rest of your body can still keep it's strength and so that you can help yourself to heal. In general, if you are able to safely and painlessly make it to the studio, then you are able to do your pilates.
Is it better to work with one instructor, or several to learn my Pilates?
At Pure Joe, all of our instructors have had the same extensive training and we all put our own teaching style on top of that. We always first schedule you based on your time needs. When you are seeing multiple instructors, we keep an exercise card that displays any injuries/conditions you have, as well as the exercises you have been working on. This way, you have consistency in your workouts while getting multiple points of view. Many clients feel that they benefit from the eyes and feedback of multiple instructors. But, at any point in time, if you find that you work best with one or two instructors, you can request them and Amanda and Sarah will do their best to acommodate your time and instrcutor requests. You always have a choice and we want you to have the best experience possible!
Can my friend start Pilates with me in a group class?
Traditionally, Pilates is practiced one-on-one with an instructor until you have learned enough to become more independent in your lessons. At this point, which is usually at about an intermediate level, your friend can take the group classes. This ensures that you are not merely going through the motions of the exercises, but learning to do them for your body. It also takes into account that many people have injuries or conditions that are unique and must be dealt with before going into a group situation. Although group classes are less expensive, they do not deliver the full system workout, nor the individual attention that you should get from your Pilates. These group lessons are meant to be a supplement, not a replacement to your weekly workout routine.
Is it okay to feel some pain when I workout? Isn't that just me working through a tough spot?
Actually, we truly do not want you to feel pain at any point in your workout. You may feel a stretch and you may feel new muscles work, but try not to confuse those sensations with pain. If, for example, it hurts your neck when you lift your head up for the hundreds, then tell your instructor RIGHT AWAY, and not after the fact. We help you best when you inform us. Depending on what you are feeling and where you are feeling it, your instructor may help you find other muscles to engage, modify the exercise, do the exercise somewhere else in your workout, or eliminate the exercise and replace it with another. There are hundreds of exercises in the pilates system, so if one or two cause pain, we can still give you a good pilates session without those exercises. Your instructor won't go easy on you, but instead will help you achieve the most benefits possible from your exercises.
If I think I'm not doing the exercise right, should I skip it in my own workouts at home?
Sorry to say that we will rarely give you an excuse to not practice your Pilates! By all means, do the mat work that you remember and that your instructor says you can do at home. Perfection is rarely reached within each exercise, but the goal is to receive benefit, not to be 100 percent right. By practicing your exercises, and trying to apply corrections you've received, you will still receive the stretching and strengthening benefits, and you are more likely to make them more and more correct. There is no need to do more repetitions, just focus on the few that you do, and your body and mind will begin to understand. If you have concerns about any of your exercises, please ask your instructor, and he or she can make recommendations for you to help you practice in a way that seems productive and safe for you.
Why don't Pure Joe instructors demonstrate the exercises? Wouldn't that be a faster way to teach us?
Some people are most comfortable learning by watching, then there are those who need a full explanation of each movement before they want to try it, and there are others that just want to move and as they go, they'll figure it out. Ideally, we are teaching you to learn in all three of these ways. You must listen to your instructor to be able to take enough cues to do the exercise, and you can watch his/her cues to help with the energy and flow of the exercises. Also, each exercise looks different on different people, so if we were to demonstrate to you, you would be trying to mimic the shape of an exercise on someone other that you. This does very little as far as helping you to actually understand an exercise and it's goals for your body. Because Pilates is a mind/body workout, every part of your 50 minute session is catered to helping you in achieving more depth in your use of your mind and body.
How often should I do Pilates to get the maximum benefits?
Joe Pilates prescribed 3 private sessions a week for 10 weeks straight to begin your Pilates training. If you do any less, you are fighting your daily habits more and it takes the Pilates method longer to help you combat those habits. How do you get 3 times a week? Although ideal, three weekly private sessions can be costly. But at Pure Joe, because consistency and focused workouts are so important,we do offer other options, such as apprentice sessions and small group classes. A huge benefit to being a Pure Joe client is that you can take lessons from apprentices (teachers in training) for a very reduced cost. Stage one apprentices are only $25, and stage 2 apprentices are $50. They only teach when one of our teacher trainers are on staff, to ensure that any questions or concerns that anyone has can be answered. We also offer group classes (2-6 students), which incorporate mat and cadillac exercises. And, of course, you should be doing your mat at home as well!
What other types of exercise should I do to complement my Pilates routine?
Pilates, once called "Contrology", was designed to be a complete body workout that aids you in whatever else you do in your life. It builds endurance, works every muscle and joint in the body, is aerobic, and the isometric work is equivalent to weight bearing exercise. So, if you do no other form of exercise, Pilates is sufficient. But, if you already sail, or play tennis, or run, for example, then a Pilates workout is not simply a workout, but a way of training your body to be more efficient in its other practices.
I'm strong enough to do "advanced exercises", so why won't my instructors put them in my regular workout?
You may be strong and able to move through advanced exercises, but if they are not benefiting you, and are simply a way to fill time, we'll choose more wisely for you in your workout. The goal of a Pilates workout is not to do a full advanced system, but to do each chosen exercise to your utmost potential in a way that advances your mind or body. And if we notice you have certain needs, we will choose exercises from the entire system to best suit you. Remember, exercises can become more difficult because of a variety of reasons. Sometimes they require more strength, sometimes they require more coordination and balance, and others require more stretch or imagination or control. Based on what each exercise offers and what you require each day, we advance YOU, not the system.
Is Pilates supposed to make you sweat?
People come to Pilates for many reasons. Some use it instead of rehabiltation, some want to lose weight, some want motivation to exercise, some want relief from pain, and others just want to try Pilates! Pilates is meant to give you what you need. That said, yes, it is a workout and if you work hard, you will feel heat move through your body, and you will sweat. You are asked to think about the movements you are performing, but not to overanalyze them such that they lose their flow. By repeating motions time after time, you learn how to deepen your work and your workout becomes more intense. If you are first learning Pilates, or if you are focused on precise work because of injury, ailments, or a condition, you may not work up a sweat immediately in your sessions. You have something to look forward to!
How can Pilates help me from injuring, or reinjuring my back?
As you know, Pilates works from the center of your body to the extremities. We focus on the center because it is where you must stabilize and support your body weight. When you learn to move from your center, any body part's movement you then choose to do is more efficient and safer. The muscles we focus on are the abdominals, lower back, and the muscles of the pelvis and upper thigh. Many of us tend to overwork our lower backs and fronts of our thighs, which pulls on the lower spine and often causes discomfort or even pain. When you work to balance the effort across other muscle groups, like the abdominals and the back of the thighs, you are also lessening the pressure placed on your back. So, your back then releases some and has greater movement possibilities. As you continue in your Pilates practice, you are given exercises that continue to offer greater range of motion as your muscles simultaneously get stronger and more flexible.
Why doesn't Pure Joe teach mat-only classes?
We teach the original method as was developed and proven successful by Joseph Pilates. While the mat work is an integral part of your workout, it also requires the most body awareness and skill as a Pilates practitioner. It is also the easiest aspect to "cheat through" because of it's complexity. We strive to inform our clients' bodies first by using the apparatus and then the client can apply that information to his/her matwork. In our small group classes, we make sure that cadillac work is always done so that even "mat students" receive the benefits of the apparatus with their matwork.