February 2009 Schedule

Well, it’s almost Valentine’s Day and I think we all know what that means… chocolate! Also, the Girl Scouts have hit the streets and that means cookies are on the way. I don’t know about you, but I love Girl Scout Cookies. This means we need to take a preemptive strike and work out even harder this month! See you in class!

Tues 2/3 – Elgin
7:15-8:15pm Pilates 

Thurs 2/5 – Post Oak
7:15-8:15pm Pilates

Sat 2/7 – Greenbriar
11:30-12:30pm Yoga
*I have this one on the board for a sub because I have a committee event so double check the online schedule first.

Sat 2/14 – Greenbriar
10:30-11:30am Pilates
11:30-12:30pm Yoga

Tues 2/17 – Elgin
7:15-8:15pm Pilates

Sat 2/21 – Greenbriar
10:30-11:30am Pilates
11:30-12:30pm Yoga

Thurs 2/26 – Post Oak
7:15-8:15pm Pilates

Sat 2/28 – Greenbriar
10:30-11:30am Pilates
11:30-12:30pm Yoga

Upcoming Subs

Hello everyone! I just wanted to give you a head’s up for classes that will have subs in the next week. Both classes this Saturday morning at Greenbriar will have subs (Stacey House will be subbing Yoga and the Pilates sub should be on the schedule online). Also, you will have a sub for Pilates next Thursday night at Post Oak. Again, the sub should be on the schedule online. See you again next week!

UPDATE: You will have a sub again at Post Oak next Thursday, 1/22/09 for Pilates from 7:15-8:15. Sorry to miss two weeks in a row but I have a meeting that evening!  See you on the 29th!

January 2009 Class Schedule

Happy New Year! Let’s keep those resolutions by coming to class! See you there! ~ Mandee

Tuesday, Jan 6
7:15-8:15pm Pilates @ Elgin

Thursday, Jan 8
7:15-8:15pm Pilates @ Post Oak

Saturday, Jan 17
10:30-11:30am Pilates @ Greenbriar
11:30-12:30pm Yoga @ Greenbriar

Tuesday, Jan 20
7:15-8:15pm Pilates @ Elgin

Thursday, Jan 22
7:15-8:15pm Pilates @ Post Oak

Saturday, Jan 24
10:30-11:30am Pilates @ Greenbriar
11:30-12:30pm Yoga @ Greenbriar

Thursday, Jan 29
7:15-8:15pm Pilates @ Post Oak

Saturday, Jan 31
10:30-11:30am Pilates @ Greenbriar
11:30-12:30pm Yoga @ Greenbriar

No Class On Turkey Day

The holiday season is here and with that always comes a busy schedule! Well, I’m here to tell you that this Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, 24 Hour Fitness group classes are cancelled at the Post Oak location. The club may be closed altogether so I would definitely call before trying to stop in for a work out. Have a fabulous Thanksgiving and be careful on the roads if you’re traveling. I’ll see you back in the gym next week!

October Class Schedule

Here is my class schedule for October! I’m so excited to be back on a regular schedule after Ike! All of these gyms are back on track so I will see you in class!

Oct 1 – Wed – Richmond
7-7:30pm Pilates (Subbing)

Oct 2 – Thurs – Post Oak
7:30-8:30pm Pilates

Oct 4 – Sat – Greenbriar
10:30-11am Pilates
11-Noon Yoga

Oct 5 – Sun – Greenbriar
11-Noon Pilates

Oct 7 – Tues – Elgin
7:15-8:15pm Pilates

Oct 9 – Thurs – Post Oak
7:30-8:30pm Pilates

Oct 16 – Thurs – Post Oak
7:30-8:30pm Pilates

Oct 21 – Tues – Elgin
7:15-8:15pm Pilates

Oct 23 – Thurs – Post Oak
7:30-8:30pm Pilates

Oct 25 – Sat – Greenbriar
10:30-11am Pilates
11-Noon Yoga

Oct 26 – Sun – Greenbriar
11-Noon Pilates

Oct 30 – Thurs – Post Oak
7:30-8:30pm Pilates

New Class On Tuesdays!

From now on I will be teaching a Pilates class on Tuesdays at the NEW 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport on Elgin and Louisiana in Midtown from 7:15-8:15pm. I will be alternating every other week with another instructor named Angel. She will be there next week so I will see you all the following week… July 15. Last night was my first visit to this new club and if you haven’t made it out there yet, you definitely need to check it out! It is awesome! Everything is brand new and absolutely gorgeous. I fell in love with the classroom… the entire back wall is windows and it’s on the third floor of the building so you don’t have to watch nosy pedestrians walk by. I am so excited about this new class and can’t wait to see you all there! See you in two weeks!

Calorie Burn Calculator

Burn Baby Burn!

Ever wonder how many calories you burn during class? Frankly I wonder how many calories I burn doing anything. That’s why the Bodybugg was so awesome. I miss that little bugg sometimes. Anyway, back to the point… it’s difficult for me to tell you how many calories you burn in class because it can vary so much from person to person. Depending on how much you weigh and how intensely you participate in class, the numbers can be all over the board. I found a nifty little calorie calculator online that I wanted to share with you all. It’s from the Self Magazine website. Check it out here! You can change the activity to see what you burn during pilates, yoga or running or whatever else it is that you do.

It gives you the option to choose between Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. For purposes of calculating calories for my classes most of you would be safe choosing Intermediate. Obviously some portions of class are harder than others and some people work harder than others but I would say that it averages out to be an intermediate class when it comes to calorie burn. This may not be dead on but it will at least give you some sort of an idea! See you in class! Have a great weekend!

June Class Schedule

Here we are almost halfway through the year! I can’t believe how quickly time flies… I guess we must be having fun! This is my schedule for the rest of the month of June. See you in class!

Wed – June 11 – 7-8pm
Pilates / Galleria

Thurs – June 12 – 7:30-8:30pm
Pilates / Post Oak

Sat – June 14 – 10:30-11am & 11-Noon
Pilates & Yoga / Greenbriar

Sun – June 15 – 11-Noon
Pilates / Greenbriar

Wed – June 18 – 7-8pm
Pilates / Galleria

Thurs – June 19 – 7:30-8:30pm
Pilates / Post Oak

Sat – June 21 – 10:30-11am & 11-Noon
Pilates & Yoga / Greenbriar

Sun – June 22 – 11-Noon
Pilates / Greenbriar

Wed – June 25 – 7-8pm
Pilates / Galleria

Thurs – June 26 – 7:30-8:30pm
Pilates / Post Oak

Sat – June 28 – 10:30-11am & 11-Noon
Pilates & Yoga / Greenbriar

Sun – June 29 – 11-Noon
Pilates / Greenbriar

Mon – June 30 – 7-8pm
Yoga / Voss

(No) More Pain… More Gain

Ok maybe not no more pain… Let’s try and keep it to a minimum, though!

During Yoga or Pilates class (or while practicing any sort of physical activity) you should throw that “No Pain No Gain” mindset out the window. While you should probably be feeling some discomfort if you are truly pushing your body and muscles in ways they aren’t used to, you should never be in true pain. Only you can know your limits and it’s up to you to stay within them. While you want to definitely push yourself (that’s how we improve) you don’t want to hurt yourself. There are a few particular “pain issues” that have been brought up by students that I would like to address. If you have any other questions or comments regarding this topic please feel free to add to this! Here are a few tips that may help you.

• The question I get the most is probably regarding wrist pain during the plank series of class. First let me say that if you are new to Pilates or Yoga or are not used to putting that sort of pressure on your wrists they will almost definitely be sore for the first few classes and will continue to be if you don’t stick with it. Those muscles in your wrists aren’t used to being used in that way and with repetition they will grow stronger and the soreness will subside. If you have a history of wrist problems, planks can also be done on your fists or forearms to alleviate pressure. You can also fold your mat back (if you have a thin mat) to create more of a cushion.
• Shoulder pain during the plank series. Ok I get that there is a pattern here. The plank is hard! There is absolutely no denying that, but it is probably the MOST beneficial series we do in class. It strengthens the entire core along with your shoulders, arms and glutes. It is intense, though, so listen to your body. If it’s saying “Let me down!” then you should consider taking a little break. Also, form is SO important on this one. Your shoulders have to be aligned correctly – no questions asked! The side plank is what gets most people. When I say to open your body completely to the side, I’m not saying it for MY health but for YOURS. See my previous post about the plank (Plank You Very Much) under Strike A Pose for more tips on how to properly plank.
• Lower back pain… This is a biggie for a lot of people. First let me just say that our abdominal and back muscles (our CORE) work together. If one side is stronger than the other, it will start overcompensating and the other will not get stronger because the other side is doing all of its work for it. This is what happens a lot with our abs. Most people have extremely weak lower backs which can also create a curve in the spine (sway back). I speak from experience on this one. At one time I could barely lie on my back and get my spine down to the ground. So please believe me when I say it’s something that can be corrected. Lower back pain often means that our abdominal muscles are taking over. If this is an issue for you, take the back excercises we do in class and practice those more at home to start evening the playing field for your spine. We like to keep it neutral! If you would like more suggestions please come talk to me after class.
• Another common source of discomfort can be muscle cramps. A lot of times, people come into class without warming up because we do so much stretching that they feel that they may not need to. If you can get five minutes of cardio (even walking) in before class, your muscles will respond better than if you come in cold. Also, I notice that my muscles cramp up sometimes when I’m not drinking enough water. That is almost always a dead giveaway for me. If you repeatedly suffer from muscle cramps you could be short on potassium. Bananas are a wonderful source of potassium.

Of course if you are experiencing serious pain at any time, please stop what you are doing and reassess your form or take a break. If you have a question about how to properly execute a pose or movement NEVER hesitate to ask me. That’s why I’m there! If you know your form is correct and you are repeatedly experiencing some sort of pain you should consult your physician. I am not a doctor no matter how smart I may seem… See you all in class!

 

Drumroll Please…

Finally A New Soundtrack

I know I’ve been talking about this forever but I have finally compiled a new mix I think I might be happy with. It will making it big debut tonight at the my Galleria class. Usually I have to tweak it a few times after I start using it but hopefully it will work. For those of you who have been with me a while I know this is long overdue and I appreciate your patience. I am fairly certain you could all recite every lyric and tell me which move it corresponds to. No longer! You now have some new songs to learn. While the last CD was still a mix, it was all by one artist. This mix is different in that it is a compilation of various artists, including but not limited to: Sia, Moby (new), Flunk, Frou Frou, and more. Please let me know what you think!