First it was good ole’ fashion mental stress.

Followed by upper crossed syndrome. Then we added text neck, and Laptop-itis to the problem. And just recently we have the “Zoom Hunch” making neck and shoulder tension worse and than ever before.

Prior to 2020 people spent, on average, 6 hours 31 minutes a day in front of their computer. And this does not include phone time.

When we sit for that length of time, especially with poor ergonomics we experience:

• Eye strain
• A Forward Head position
• Neck Pain
• Mental Stress
• Clenched Jaw
• and more.

In Head, Neck and Shoulders we work to maintain the 34 or so muscles in our neck and shoulders and the 20+ joints in the neck.

Stretching brings relief to these undeniably overstressed muscles. Gentle range of motion exercises give the joints some well deserved TLC.

And there’s more. When you add this safe moves sequence into your routine you significantly increase awareness. First, your head, neck and shoulders will feel cared for and will come to expect that care for all they do. These parts will begin to position themselves in healthier ways while you’re interacting with your computer.

Your instructor keeps the sequence of stretches and movements consistent so you learn them and can perform them anytime. Yet, she also adds a bit of variety to each class keeping it fresh, and interesting.

You’re in a zoom meeting and catch a reflection of yourself in the office door. 

Immediately you sit upright and think “wow, this feels a little unnatural”. But it feels kind of good.

10 minutes later one of 2 things happen:

1. You see the same reflection. Your shoulders rounding forward, your head closer to your screen than the rest of your body. And you’re shorter.
2. You’ve maintained that “good posture” but now your back hurts. It was so much work. You Immediately feel better when you return to your comfortable slumped position.

Posture is the way we hold our body. Like breathing, we can consciously change it. But good posture can be an unconscious act. Postural muscles, when functioning properly, hold our body in such a way that alleviates the strain of gravity and eases the tension on our muscles and ligaments. And once your body knows what to do, good posture is easeful.

In this class we do gentle exercises and stretches from the bottom of our feet to the top of our head. The whole body is a team when it comes to good posture.

Think of the Easeful Posture class as your posture coach.

This 20 minute class trains the major, and minor posture players.

A good coach recognizes:

1. The job of each player
2. The strengths and weaknesses of the player
3. What motivates the player
4. How the player operates with other players
5. How the player contributes to the team as a whole

The objective of this team? To make good posture an unconscious, easeful act so you can focus on your meeting.

Do you pause to reconsider taking a hike because your knees will be unhappy afterward?
Knees are commonly the most stressed joints in the body and just like mental stress, sometimes the fix is not as straightforward as we think.
In Happy Knees we look above and below the knee to identify reasons why our knees could be unhappy! When we get the ankle and hip to work together in unison, the knee feels supported from below and above. 

The result? Happy Knees, capable of doing the job they were designed to do.
This 20 minute class is more of a movement exploration than a workout.

• We begin with the ankles.
• Our ankles need mobility to navigate over uneven surfaces- like a wooded path.
• We take a closer look at the hip joint and perform small movements mindfully discovering the connection between the hips, knees and ankles.

After class your knees should feel like they got the attention they were craving. The hips and ankles are paying attention and doing their part together. Like when an overly stressed person seeks help, your knees will get the support they need and will carry less load alone after this class. 

Have you ever gone on a delightful long hike and afterward your lower back hurts more than your leg muscles?
If yes, then this is a class you need!
The spine. Literally the backbone of our life. 

Anatomically, our spine has the duty of supporting our whole body. Enclosed in it, the spinal cord has the function of linking our brain to most of our body parts.

If the spine is compromised in any way, big or small we feel it.

Stability does not mean: stiff, or immobile. Stability is the control of mobility.
In Safe Moves Stabile Spine we explore the Interconnection, movement and function that exists between our spine and our shoulders and our spine and our hips.

This class is packed with benefits

Benefits like Improving your range of motion at the joints and training your core muscles to give the spine the support it needs to keep you stable, healthy and pain free. 

So maybe you have used that lumbar support pillow in your car for a while.

•  Or, you swapped your traditional pillows out for expensive ergonomic pillows. 

• Or, you heard that sitting too much is bad so you bought a standing desk.

But your lower back and neck still hurt. What gives?

The spine has three sections: the cervical (neck), thoracic (back), and lumbar (low back). Each has different capabilities and functions. Most importantly, each segment of the spine is designed for a certain range of motion. The thoracic spine is built for mobility and movement bending and twisting. It's designed for flexion, extension, side bending, and rotation.

In Safe Moves Mobile Spine we pay attention to the most overlooked part of the spine: The Thoracic Vertebrae.

Here you will get a great dose of movement for the thoracic spine to keep it ready for any direction of movement. 

• You’ll find ease backing out of your driveway.
• You won’t believe how much further you can throw a ball or socks across the room into the laundry room.
• With a mobile thoracic spine you will feel ease while moving your body.

More about Thoracic Mobility

A lack of thoracic spine mobility means that the lumbar spine, pelvis, shoulders and surrounding muscles all compensate to allow you to move how you want to move. Long term, those compensations can lead to stiffness, strain, pain and injury.

What causes a lack of thoracic mobility? Simple, Immobility.

As a society we aren’t moving very much. We’re sitting in cars, sitting (or standing!) at a desk, waiting in line and watching Netflix. When we are moving it often looks the same: walking, running, spinning, skiing,...

These activities are wonderful for our health for so many reasons, but they all happen in the same plane of motion. We need our spine to move every which way, not just forward and back.

When the thoracic spine returns to a mobile state, the rest of the body focuses on the tasks at hand instead compensating for missing mobility.

No fuss, no muss. Let’s get right to it.
There's no question that props can add variety and challenge to a class but sometimes a mat workout with no accessories can be the most challenging one of all.

On the mat you have to control all your own body weight, and you can’t rely on the springs, bands, balls or other props to help you. Navigating the movements while figuring out what parts of the body to use is challenging for muscles, joints and the brain as well. Mat work forces you to stay focused on your body and on your movement in a different way than exercise involving props or machines.

This development of overall body organization translates to activities off the mat. Once your body learns how to move, stabilize and function correctly, you will notice improvements in all your movement whether it’s unloading the dishwasher or running a 5k.

This is an approachable class that will strengthen your body using any bath sized towel in your linen closet.

The towel

• It offers many benefits beyond general strength training. 
• It's a great tool for working towards better posture.

The proprioceptive feedback improves shoulder stabilization, and aids in spine articulation.

We’ll also use it for stretching and bolstering. Bolstering, or supporting, a body part with a towel can assist you in finding proper alignment which will make the pilates mat exercises more effective and produce better results.
Mat with towel is the class to start with when moving into level 2 classes. 

After becoming familiar with the safe moves level 1 classes grab your towel and we’ll meet you on the mat.

While it’s commonly known for its deep self massage role in runners’ communities the foam roller originated from the Feldenkrais method. This mode of movement aims to reduce pain and mobility issues in bodies and increase people’s overall body awareness.
It might be an annoying prop to store in your home but the foam roller is well worth it.

In Mat With Foam Roller we will use the roller for:

• That oh-so-good self massage
• but mostly to challenge our balance.

Because it is only 6 inches away from the mat we can attempt some wild balancing acts such as laying on the roller and keeping our arms and legs in the air. For a second. Maybe two.

More about the Foam Roller

Rollers can also be used for bolstering. This can assist you in finding proper alignment which will make the pilates mat exercises more effective producing better results.

The firmness of rollers is personal preference but for this class you will need a full length one (36”) to fully enjoy the rewarding chest stretches included in every foam roller class. 

It’s amazing what a little resistance can do. 

The band is a prop class favorite because of its versatility. Throw a resistance band into most pilates mat exercises and we take your strength training up a notch.

Pilates with more resistance is great for bone density for 2 reasons:

1. When your muscles work a little harder than usual, the muscles and their tendons exert a stronger pull on the adjacent bones, stimulating osteoblasts in the bone to create more bone.
2. Standing exercises with a band also improve agility and balance. This decreases the chances that you’ll fall and chance a fracture.

In Mat With Resistance Band we will challenge your shoulders, arms, legs as well as the core muscles so you get a maximum benefit from your time on the mat. 

Never underestimate the power of 2lb hand weights.

They start off light, but somehow as the minutes tick by these unassuming dumbbells get heavier with every pulse.Mat With Hand Weights starts with a series of arm movements while holding the weights and progresses by adding a new movement each round. By the end, your arms will be begging for a rest.

After the standing arm series we take the hand weights down to the mat and incorporate them into pilates exercises. The added weight challenges shoulder and rib cage organization.

As you progress, you may want to move up to 3 or 4 pound weights but it is not necessary.If you are new to Pilates, no matter how much upper body strength you have, consider mastering Safe Moves Head Neck and shoulders before taking this level 2 class.

In Mat with Hand Weights we we consider performing the arm exercises safely and effectively to be substantially more important than increasing the amount of weight.

In this class we approach the tug of war between hamstrings and hip flexors with strategy and care.

We address all players and their needs and can usually de-escalate the tension in the game.

Tight hamstrings and hip flexors will often occur together. And tight hamstrings aren’t as straightforward as you may think.

One major reason hip flexors give us troubles is because of how much time we spend sitting.

• The strong pull of tight hip flexors can lead to an anterior (forward) pelvic tilt and increased curve in your lumbar spine.
• The back gets angry and uses pain to get your attention.

Meanwhile, this forward tilt of the pelvis causes the nervous system to take action. It sends a signal to the hamstrings instructing them to play tug of war to bring the pelvis back to a neutral position while the brains simultaneously sends along the directive, "Don't lose, no matter what!"

So the hamstrings comply and hold on.

Muscles that hold this excessive tension, especially for long periods of time will tighten. The sad part of the story is that we then get frustrated with the hamstrings because we don't see significant change no matter how much we stretch them. This class can help you change all that.

In Hips and Hamstrings your body will learn that unwinding this tug of war is what will lead to significant length and agility and that is worth working for.

The story goes that Joseph Pilates created the pilates circle out of parts from a beer keg.

His intelligence around how the body moves, and how to condition it correctly, combined with his engineer-like mind explains the many interesting stories about the origins of pilates equipment.

This one is a flexible metal ring, covered in soft rubber that has padding in the places you squeeze it.
Why is it magic?

There’s no official reason known but our interpretation is it is magic because of how versatile it is for different bodies, doing different levels of mat work.

For the Body that wants to level up:

This powerful little ring increases body awareness, creates a deeper strength, improves alignment and posture when incorporated into mat class exercises. When you press the circle, it presses right back. This means that the circle meets you at your strength level and asks for just a little bit more.

For the body that is brand new at this:

You can position the circle in specific areas to assist your alignment for any of the mat exercises. Proper alignment = maximum benefit = greater results.

For the Body that has adapted inefficient patterns (aka “cheats”):

The circle exposes imbalances in the body which are very common by the way! Our body creatively figures out ways to keep moving and functioning around our individual imbalances. Our body means well, but over time the imbalances can cause stress to the joints.

Mat With Magic Circle Incorporates a circle into your pilates mat work providing the feedback you need to begin self-correcting immediately during each exercise.

Big Ball goes by many brand names but what they have in common is what matters! They are all a big ball. It's probably the most fun exercise equipment you’re ever going to use.

In Mat With Big Ball we use the ball in many ways to experience its myriad of benefits like:

• Added weight to exercises
• Challenges to proprioception
• Increase balance and stability.
• Develop overall control and strength of the core body muscles.
• Learn proper posture.
• Increase lumbar (low back) mobility.
• Improves muscle strength and endurance

Sitting or lying on the ball stimulates the body’s natural motor reflexes.

• You’ll work muscles you never knew you had.
• All you have to do is balance on the ball during your exercise and your body will take care of the rest.  
• You’ll unconsciously trigger the core and other stabilizing muscles.  You won’t need to know, or think about what to, or what not to engage.  

Basically, have fun and don't fall off.

It may look like a discarded childrens toy- being somewhat deflated.

But the squishy ball is a fun and malleable little prop that can be a perfect addition to any level class.

Inner thighs are a big fan when it comes to working with a squishy ball.

Gently squeezing the ball between your knees can help you stay properly aligned in exercises such as the bridge and anything when your legs are in a table top position. As you progress more deliberate and repeated squeezes on the ball will bring a lot of attention to your inner thighs.

The thoracic spine is especially happy when you lie on your back over it. The ball is squishy soft and absorbs your spine for a lovely, passive stretch.

Core muscles get giddy about the ball because it adds a challenging stabilizing component to many of the mat exercises. The natural wiggles and wobbles you’ll feel with your pelvis on the ball instead of the ground will give your obliques an exciting time and a big job to do. Floundering is common and laughter is guaranteed. : )

Barre is a technique inspired fitness class that blends principles of pilates with elements of ballet barre work.

Barre class is designed to be a full-body, muscle endurance workout. Rep after rep of muscle-burning moves will trim, and tone your body like never before. Portions of class address stretching to increase overall flexibility and ease of movement in the body.

No ballet experience required.

The actual barre is a prop used for balance. You can just as effectively use a counter top, or back of a chair or couch. Not every class will use the bar or high surface. Sometimes instructors will take those movements to the mat to do them in a non weightbearing orientation!  While you’ll hear ballet terms used there is no requirement to know them. Your instructor will demonstrate every position and movement.

One of the best ways to build muscle and bone strength on the mat is weight bearing exercises.

The trouble is, wrists. They commonly complain when they are called upon to support the body in positions like: hands and knees, plank, push up or downward dog.

We can’t blame them. That’s a lot of performance pressure to put on the wrists. The great news is your wrists don’t have to suffer and you can start mastering more advanced mat exercises.

The first portion of Weight Bearing Prep and Practice is nothing short of an intense wrist workout. The rest of your body gets to sit back and bear witness as we put the wrists through their paces.

The second portion of class will challenge the wrists and their new found strength and confidence by attempting weight bearing exercises such as plank, and pushups.

Oov stands for "Out of Vocabulary"

The sensations you feel after being on the OOV are often indescribable. This makes writing a description about Oov class challenging but let’s have a go at it.

The Oov is made of dense yet yielding foam that both supports you and conforms to match the natural curves of your spine.

But it looks unusual. Many people appreciate the OOV’s zoomorphic likeness to that of a duck or bird.

In Oov class we start lying on the OOV. We work with concepts like “Loaded Eccentric Control”, Sloth- like Slow Movement and Balance Training. The result is a body that is vibrating and pulsating with work and at the same time more relaxed than having a massage.

The OOV brings you out of the fight or flight nervous system into the easy parasympathetic, so at the end you are energized but mellow. Your breath capacity is improved and your body moves more efficiently.

In the OOV class you will need some weights (or soup cans) and a soft ball and a theraband. We use all of these tools to give information into the body so that the body can make the best movement choices. If you're going to try one then try two just to get the sense of all that can be done with the bird shaped OOV!

You’ve completed Level 1 Safe Moves Classes
In Mastering The Squat you’ll work toward a youthful squat!

Do you love or hate the squats? Folks usually feel strongly one way or the other but whichever side you're it’s time to start doing more. And learn how to do them correctly.
Many of the benefits of squats are overshadowed by images of young, fit ladies and gentlemen posing their squat in a way that shows off their backside. This class is not about that.

By mastering the squat you’ll

• Improve overall balance and prevent falls
• Increase your lungs capacity for bigger, deeper breaths
• Build your bone density to slow down, or prevent Osteoporosis
• Boost circulation in the lower extremities 
• Make your small intestine work more efficiently 

You’re ready to take your new found mobility and flexibility from Healthy Hips Lvl 1 and apply it to learning variations of the squat. 

It’s time to give our attention to the glutes and hamstrings.
These muscle groups are major movers for our body. They move us forward and keep us going. Strong glutes are key for pelvic alignment and lower back support. Over time, weak glutes and poor pelvis alignment will cause:

• Tight muscles in the pelvic and thigh areas
• Weak stomach muscles
• Poor posture with a protruding stomach
• Trouble in the SI Joint(s)
• Pain from head to toe

The hamstring muscles are responsible for our hip and knee movements in walking, squatting, and any time we bend our knees. They often get a bad rap for being tight instead of praise for all they do.

The Glutes and Hamstrings work well together when each group is functioning properly. In Increasing Hip Extension we will address and strengthen their relationship which will result in long-lasting benefits for our whole body. 

When talking about fish the lateral line is a system of tactile sense organs that are used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in water. The lateral line gives the fish spatial awareness which is essential for orientation and organized movement.

In humans, the lateral line is structurally different but has a similar purpose. Our lateral line is the fascial and muscular connections that move the body in the coronal plane (bending side to side and moving arms and legs out to the side and back in).

The lateral line is also very important in the sagittal plane (forward and backward motions) because it is the stabilizer of the movement, and it is important in many rotations because it can keep spine length and be the breaking force.

In other words, it is the silent culprit for instability throughout the joints.

Side planks here we come.

After a day of back-to-back zoom meetings, you give yourself a pat on the back. Your body feels pretty darn good. Easeful Posture Lvl 1 has you able to sit through a day like this without any back or shoulder discomfort. The faded sticky notes with the curling corners that were once your visual reminder to “Sit up tall! Shoulders down!” are barely still stuck on your monitor and you realize you haven’t needed or even noticed it in weeks.

Strong, healthy posture is now effortless for you while working at your desk, or preparing meals for your family.

But shoveling? You’re still sore the next day. And not the good kind of sore.

Navigating through a room strewn with your kids, or grandkid’s toys? It’s only a matter of time before one takes you down.

Easeful Posture Lvl 2 adds dynamic instability through the exercises you are familiar with. Your balance will be challenged and you’ll learn ways to maintain a healthy posture when you are in situations where you’re not so steady on your feet.

This class will also improve your postural endurance making easeful posture your natural posture all day long.

Now that we’ve got our ankles, knees, and hips on the same page and working together it’s time to ramp things up and see what our lower extremities are capable of.

In Happy Knees Lvl 2 we’ll be doing a lot of lower body strengthening. Rather than addressing each joint separately, the ankles and hips will need to work together in these exercises to keep our knees happy.

Some exercises will feel familiar only happening in more challenging positions like planks and squats. 

“Contrology is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work.”
— JOSEPH PILATES

By now you’re feeling pretty good about the Pilates exercises you’ve been working on. You are rolling up and down the bridge with more spine articulation, your mermaid, or Z-sit doesn’t feel as awkward as it once did and you can sit with your legs long in front and almost reach your toes during spine stretch.

Now we’re ready to flow.

Mobile Spine Lvl 2 will introduce you to transitions. We’ll reduce the start/stop between exercises and find the flow from one to the next. The newfound mobility in your spine is ready to participate in the flow of these transitions. With consistent practice on the mat, you’ll begin noticing that our everyday movements off the mat will begin to flow with the same ease. 

Feet get a lot of wear and tear. And due to the overwhelming cuteness of tiny baby shoes, this unfavorable path can start young. Then we grow up and cram them in shoes, often ill-fitting, for most of the day. The feet don’t get nearly enough fresh air and playtime.

This causes your feet to lose the pliability they are meant to have in order to support us in any of the standing movements we make. Every myofascial line starts in the feet and your feet and the interconnectedness of your foot bones helps communication within our whole body.

Pedicures are great TLC for the outside of the feet- like the skin and nails but this class will make the feet happy from the inside out.