Catie Smiley Pilates, Chicago, IL Videos

Pilates Towel
When your Pilates instructor makes you do towel work, remember it’s only out of love! ❤️ The towel is a small Pilates prop that packs a powerful punch! Many have a love/hate relationship with this prop as it can be quite challenging on the shoulders/ upper body. What makes the towel unique is the fact that it does not stretch like a traditional resistance band would. Instead, the challenge truly comes from resisting yourself by pulling (R to L) while remaining in control of your scapula (shoulder blades) and ribcage. It creates a close chain circuit of energy between the two sides of the body which is why it feels so difficult. It may appear simple, but don’t let looks fool you! This is a great prop to add to your personal collection if you are looking for variety in your workouts!🔥🔥🔥 Pilates + Coffee #balancedbody #balancedbodypilates #balancedbodyreformer #reformerpilates #reformer #pilatestowelworkout #pilatestowelwork #pilatestowelexercises

When the average person takes a break, they may find a comfy chair to lounge on. When Pilates teachers take a break, we can’t help but play on our chairs! Had fun in between clients playing around with some Jack Knife variations on the Combo chair. It revitalized my whole body and gave me the energy I needed to keep going for the day. It’s so essential to take time every day to move, even if you only have a few minutes to spare! Starting small is ok! Even 10 minutes of movement a day can go a long way! @pilatesandcoffee #pilates #pilatesinstructor #pilatesworkout #pilateschair #pilateschairexercise #pilateschairworkout #jackknife #jackknifevariations

Have you ever taken an exercise class where you felt confused or like you were in WAY over your head?? No one likes to feel like they aren’t good enough to be in class. One way to avoid your clients leaving with that negative experience is progressions. Whether it is a private session or a group class, progressions are a must! If you want your client to be able to achieve a more advanced exercise, you can’t just throw them into it expecting success. They need to build up to it gradually. For this video, my peek exercise was Long Back Stretch on the Reformer (the sequence at the end of the video). But if I saw my client was unable to complete the previous introductory exercises, the final sequence of Long Back Stretch would not be an appropriate choice for that session. Doesn’t mean it won’t ever be the right exercise choice. But for the time being, look at it as an opportunity to build your client towards a new goal. They will leave feeling successful and more capable if you progress them over time! Exercise smarter and not harder. 😉 #pilatesreformer #pilates #pilatessequence #reformerpilates #progressions #longbackstretchreformer