2010 has been a year of growth for us at It’s A Core Thing. As Myrtle Beach’s premier Pilates studio, we’ve had the fortune to work with clients from all walks-of-life. Athletes, busy moms, stressed-out execs & more have discovered the benefits of a Pilates workout.

We’ve also brought the TRX Suspension Training System to the Grand Strand. This intense workout has proven successful as a great strength & stamina builder. It’s also become quite popular among those training for events like the marathon, triathlon & more.

While we’re proud of our growth & success as a business, really we’re only the messenger. The real success story here is the Pilates method itself. With each passing year comes more evidence of the benefits Pilates gives to its practitioners. Whether it’s rehabilitating injuries, building strength & stamina, or bringing balance to the bodies & minds of people worldwide, this much is clear: Pilates method has become a staple of good health & fitness everywhere.

The Past, The Future, The Self

We look back to see where we’ve been, and assess which decisions & actions helped (or hurt) us. What goals did we set for ourselves this time last year? Did we make the best effort? Did we stick to our promises? These are important questions to ask, and maybe should be asked more than once-a-year.

Looking ahead is the trickier of the two. There are always so many unknowns, ifs & hows that we can’t yet determine or see. And that’s o.k. It’s not about quantifying the unknowns. It’s about working with what we’ve got, and preparing ourselves to tackle the inevitable challenges that await us in the unwritten future.

Let’s be honest. There are many more things in life over which we have little-or-no control. And this is incredibly frustrating for most of us. It creates anxiety, causing us to lose focus & feel “trapped”.

But this is a prison of our own making. The good news? We’re not only the prisoner, but also the warden & governor. And it’s in our power to pardon ourselves. It isn’t going to happen overnight, because we’ve been building this prison, brick-by-brick, for years. It’s going to take some time to tear down!

Can Pilates Give Us The Tools To Break Out?

Absolutely. At the beginning of 2010, we talked about American founding father Benjamin Franklin. A master multi-tasker, Franklin never had time to worry about what he couldn’t control. He was too busy achieving greatness in the fields of Science, Art, Politics & Commerce. This is because he put so much effort into developing himself, an act he likened to “sharpening his axe”.

What Pilates method offers is exactly that ~ an opportunity to sharpen your axe, both mentally & physically. The underlying principles of Pilates are about awareness & control. Other fitness methods tend to focus on toning & building strength. Often, the focus is exclusively on one area or muscle group. We’re bombarded by ads promising to help “flatten our tummy” or give us “buns of steel”. This narrow, overspecialized approach can be found not just in fitness, but in many other aspects of American life.

And how well has this served us? We’re becoming a nation of overweight, overworked & overstimulated basket cases. We’ve lost sight of the whole, opting instead to treat individual symptoms & problem areas. Maybe a change in method is just what we need to make the next year our best year.

Use The Force!

Remember when Luke Skywalker went to study with master Yoda? He was all about learning how to do awesome Jedi stuff, but Yoda explained that the fundamentals had to be learned first. The little green guru understood that if Luke didn’t learn control, especially mental control, he would never be able to face the challenges ahead. Because being a Jedi wasn’t about having “killer abs”. It’s about having a heightened awareness of your self & your environment. And you can’t get that by doing endless amounts of sit-ups & crunches.

Pilates method is not unlike that taught by master Yoda. Our studio is a little nicer than Degobah. And we don’t have that scary cave where your fears appear before you in grainy hallucinations (we thought about getting one, but it really slows down the plot of the movie). But we understand the underlying principle: if your mind is clouded by stress, fear & anxiety, the challenges ahead will seem impossible.

Exercise itself is proven to relieve stress, and the kind of focused training we offer can help you do just that. The world isn’t going to stop throwing obstacles your way, and that is a fact. Armed with a clear mind, strong body & a desire to develop yourself as a whole, you can be prepared to overcome any obstacle.

Stop into the studio to meet our qualified trainers. Think if them as your own personal Yoda (except taller, not so green, and much more attractive). 2011 is gonna be your year. We can just feel it!

We’ve spent the past six months showing you how Pilates is a health & fitness solution for anyone & everyone. Certainly, its inclusive, holistic design is a huge part of what makes Pilates Method so attractive to so many people. Adaptability to body types, age & physical condition gives Pilates a personal touch that appeals to folks who may be intimidated by the “gym culture”. Pilates Method is also incredibly compatible with other workout routines. Many find that it doesn’t “replace”, but “augments” other fitness methods. This can (and does) improve the overall results from your normal exercise regimen.

But what about the (soon-to-be) Moms out there? What benefits can Pilates provide to the constantly changing bodies & minds of pregnant women?

Pilates is about developing self-awareness ~ of your body as well as your mind. The human body is a pretty incredible thing. It’s designed to give itself constant feedback. All day long, while we’re caught up in our busy lives, our brains are receiving information. Tension in the lower back from too much slouching at a desk. Sore knees from standing on our feet all day. That tingling sensation in our wrists, all-too-familiar to those of us who work at computers for hours on end. Each of these “messages” gives us the necessary heads-up on what is going on with our bodies. How we choose to use this information is up to us.

For an expecting mother, there are a whole host of other “messages” being sent. Not just from her own body, but from the tiny one growing inside. This is why developing stronger physical & mental self-awareness is so crucial to women at this time. Pilates can help prepare an expecting mom for childbirth in several unique ways. It is also effective in helping her regain her figure afterwards.

We’ve all heard the expression, “She’s eating for two” to describe the often oddly comical dietary cravings of a pregnant woman. But what about “Exercising for two”? We’re not suggesting that you double your workouts, and strongly advise consultation before even beginning any new fitness routine. But we do encourage re-evaluating your current routine to include a Pilates regimen. Here are just a few of the benefits:

• Developing Core Strength builds childbearing muscle groups ~ Abdominal, Back & Pelvic Floor/Kegel
• Can be constantly adapted for changes occurring in each trimester
• Pilates improves balance ~ important, as your center-of-gravity is in flux
• Works with other exercises for a quicker recovery

Even if you’ve done Pilates before, we do highly recommend consulting with a trainer who understands the unique (and changing) needs of Moms-to-be. It’s A Core Thing can help design a workout that meets these needs head-on. We offer (and encourage) private sessions that can help you gain this physical & mental focus. The more heightened our senses become, the greater we are able to asses any complications. This can, in some cases, prevent what may seem like small issues from developing into long-term problems. Contact us today to find out how we can help make you the fittest Mom on the block!

The cost of human health has been very present in the news lately. A plurality of Americans don’t have (or can’t afford) health insurance. Mention “The Public Option” and you’ll hear extremely opinionated – if not misinformed – outcries from either side of the political aisle.

If anyone reading this has ever had an injury (and most of you have), then you’ve probably gone through this mental routine:

To Self: “Ouch! This is not getting better on its own. Maybe it’s time to see the doctor.” checks bank acct. “Hmmm. Maybe I’ll just take a few more Ibuprofen. Try no to put pressure on it. I’ll be all right for awhile longer…”

We’re not going to get political here. Let’s leave that to the “Journalists” on the major news networks. Our goal is to offer you a possible alternative to costly medical procedures & rehabilitation*. If we could potentially save you thousands of dollars, and help you prevent further debilitating injuries, would you continue reading? Yeah, we thought so…

A Familiar Story

Have you ever noticed that the moment we injure ourselves it’s often accompanied by this thought: “Agh! That was stupid!”? Like a moment of clarity, maybe brought on by our brain’s helpful endorphins. We’re suddenly aware that our knee/ankle/wrist/back/etc totally wasn’t meant to do that!

It doesn’t need to take an injury to develop awareness of our body’s limits ~ or its possibilities. Pilates can & will give you this awareness. And body knowledge is body power. So how can this knowledge save you the big bucks?

Who’s Using Pilates, Anyway?

I went to high school in Lake Placid, NY. Not surprisingly, the school was a big draw for aspiring Olympic athletes. Alumni included Stanley Cup winner & 2002 Olympic Silver medalist Mike Richter, and World-Champ skier Thomas Vonn ~ whose wife Lindsey Vonn has recently made headlines, bringing home the Gold in Vancouver. In fact, Lindsey’s medal-winning teammate Julia Mancuso proudly incorporates Pilates into her training regiment. Her personal coach, Kazuko Ikeda, is a certified Pilates instructor.

Though I only skied for fun (c’mon, I’m from South Carolina!), many of my classmates were competitive skiers. I’ll never forget hearing horror stories from athletes, returning after a training accident on the slopes. The first question was always, “Is it a torn ACL?” This fairly common injury was/is a potential career-ending one for would-be Olympians. Serious business, indeed. Vonn’s victories are made more impressive when one learns that she’d sustained similar injuries, yet managed to overcome them, without surgery. An inspiring story, with much to teach us.

How Much To Fix Me, Doc?

The avg. cost of minor ACL surgery is in the neighborhood of $6,000. If you have good insurance, they’ll maybe cover 2/3rds of that. Ask around, and you’ll discover that more serious surgeries on this delicate part of the body can set you back as much as $30-40K! Anyone who’s ever injured a knee knows that it doesn’t take much physical force to do so. Plant your foot the wrong way, shift your balance just so, and, “AGH!!! That was stupid!” Sound familiar? 10Lbs of pressure and you could be out tens of thousands of dollars!

Good News!

Pilates will not only not cost you tens of thousands of $, it very well could save you from needing surgery. Furthermore, Pilates can be one of the best ways to rehabilitate an existing injury after surgery. Do yourself (and your body) a favor ~ check out our rates and compare them with those of even a brief visit to the hospital for a minor surgery (is there even such a thing?). Sound like a better deal? Yeah, we think so too…

*Disclaimer: Always, always, always consult your doctor before beginning ANY type of physical rehab. The more you know about your injury, the more we can do to help you regain strength & function (and maybe even avoid the knife!).

You can forget that excuse! Some physiotherapists believe that Pilates can be of great benefit to those suffering from arthritis and other ailments because it is a controlled, gentle form of exercise. This means it can be practiced by people whatever their previous level of fitness or age; and because it is a controlled form of exercise, it is suitable for men and women of any age, even if they have not exercised for many years.