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!

I’d like to talk about “Gym Face” for a moment. You know what I mean, right? That look people get when they are going for that extra rep, lap or set. That look that suggests maybe somewhere in their body, a vital organ is about to explode. Gym Face shows your neighbor that you are serious about fitness. Somewhere in America, right now, is a coach/personal trainer yelling at someone: “C’mon! You gotta get mean with it! Get ugly!” Never trust someone who encourages you to work through the pain.

These people stress me out. And keeping fit isn’t supposed to stress anyone out. It should feel natural, and relieve stress naturally. This is one way Pilates Method stands out from traditional Western fitness techniques.

Get Mean!?

Weightlifting, whether with free weights or machines, is designed to stress specific muscles. The repetitions are done with the mind/body focusing on one area. Running to stay in shape (an incredibly popular form of exercise) works just a few areas of the body. With each of these practices comes a range of potential injuries & maladies. Over time, what has served as a means of fitness can become a source of pain & frustration. Think Gym Face with every rep. Nobody needs that.

Get Nice!

Effective fitness is not about struggling against our bodies. It’s about eliminating struggle with our bodies. Pilates Method teaches this through careful, mindful control ~ of our movements, our breath, and ultimately our entire body. It is mindful, willful awareness that allows us to develop core strength. And it is core strength that will make us stronger, more focused & less stressed. Everybody needs that!

Changes & improvements tend to involve some struggle. That’s true. But not all pain is equal, and not all struggles are equally rewarding (mentally or physically). It’s A Core Thing understands this. Our trainers are dedicated to teaching you the control & awareness you need to convert struggle into reward.

Pilates is for everyone. That’s Everyone. And the benefits are quickly becoming common knowledge in & out of the fitness world. Pilates can relieve stress from our jobs, improve a runner’s stamina and help repair injuries. Keep in touch & keep checking our blog for more ways Pilates can improve your life!

Myrtle Beach has attractions, shopping, dining, golfing, a myriad of live entertainment & more. But there’s still one feature of the Grand Strand that is largely responsible for drawing the millions who visit us each year: The Beach. Over 60mi of sand & surf make up the Grand Strand, and that’s a lot of real estate for beach goers to walk, bike, surf or sail.

Just about everyone has a pre-beach season ritual. This usually involves hitting the gym, doing our best to “tone-up” those parts we’d covered up in the winter: legs, tummy, arms, butt, etc. Whether you begin in late Winter, early Spring, or are rushing to get the perfect beach body just weeks before Summer officially begins, Pilates can offer so much to help you meet (& surpass) your goal. Here are three ways Pilates can get you in “beach-body-shape” this Summer:

Core Strength = Stability = Better Posture

The advent of mass communication technology means more people working (and playing) on mobile devices. While this might help us stay organized, accomplish more & communicate with more people, it has a few downsides. Typing on computer keyboards all day is terrible for our posture. Even a toned body looks “sloppy” if it’s constantly slouching. A huge part of looking fit is simply how we carry ourselves. How we sit, walk, run, dance, etc. Pilates’ focus on developing better core stability helps correct this. The benefit is two-fold: better posture reduces back & neck pain, and “shows off” newly toned muscles.

Tighter, Toned Legs & Thighs (Without Sacrificing The Knees!)

The maxim holds true: to develop stronger legs, you gotta use ‘em! For most, this means running, jogging, biking or weightlifting. While effective, many find that running can have a debilitating effect on the knees. Some of this is due to the simple effect of gravity ~ the heels come down hard on the pavement. After enough repetition, this can cause some serious damage. Toned legs & thighs just don’t look as good when you’re hobbling across the sand, am I right?

Pilates method takes this into account when working on those important muscle groups. Exercises are done with an ‘evenness’ that helps develop the body in greater harmony with itself. There’s really no need to sacrifice the knees & lower back (as with running, biking, etc) to get those perfect beach legs & thighs. Learning these methods also has the benefit of improving performances in related beach activities (e.g. volleyball, surfing & swimming).

The Ever-Important Beach Belly

Did you just look down at your own gut after reading that heading? I did. No matter the beachwear you choose to sport this Summer, there’s no way around hiding the tummy! Fortunately, Pilates method begins in this area, “The Core”. You’ll hear us talk at great length about this concept, as it is central to the philosophy behind Pilates, and what makes it work so well.

Beginners are made aware of their core through initial breathing techniques. These methods are crucial to a successful Pilates session, and your expert trainer at It’s A Core Thing will continuously work with you to improve your control over your breath & movement. The result? A tighter, stronger tummy is often the first improvement for Pilates newbies, and this is a good thing! As we strengthen our core, the combination of better posture & a toned tummy gives us more confidence as we walk the beaches. After all, self-improvement through Pilates is a physical and mental process. Feel better, and feel better about yourself.

These are just a few of the many benefits of Pilates. The professional & certified trainers at It’s A Core Thing specialize in creating a workout that fits your body, and can help you set (and realize) your goals. Contact us today to find out how we can help give you the best beach body you’ve ever had!

People talk about building “the home of their dreams”. It’s a huge goal, one that is planted firmly in the psyche early on. We want that dream house so badly, we’re even willing to borrow & finance beyond our means to do so. And while it’s always tempting to take (what we think is) the shortcut, the consequences often outweigh the benefits. So, is it wrong to dream of the better life? Absolutely not.

The problem isn’t the size of the dream. It’s (often) how we go about pursuing it. The world is full of stories of people who “made it big”. Who achieved greatness. And doesn’t it often seem like they “made it” overnight? Maybe this is part of the appeal of looking for the quick fix. The easy money. The buns of steel in two weeks! So how can we overcome our self-imposed handicap of “want now (work later)”? We believe the answer is through the Pilates Method ~ a proven way of cultivating strong mental & physical self-awareness, focus and core strength.

A favorite quote of mine, by founding father Ben Franklin, goes something like this: “If I have three hours to cut down a tree, I spend two hours sharpening my axe, and one hour cutting down the tree.” This was a man who clearly understood the concept of developing the right tools to succeed. Franklin was a post-modern multi-tasker before it was cool. Achieving the many things he did in his life took, above all, an ability to focus on the task at hand. Fair enough. But how can Pilates, a strength-training method improve mental focus?

As we’ve talked about before, Pilates is personal. We help you develop focus & balance by beginning your training on a one-to-one basis. No noise. No distractions. No room full of TVs locked on the 24-hr news cycle. Just you and a certified trainer, building the mental & physical foundation you’ll need to succeed in 2010 (and beyond). Here are three ways Pilates will help you make this your best year ever.

Focus Your Mind

Everyone who begins to learn the Pilates Method begins with breathing. By first focusing on the basics of proper breathing, you are preparing yourself mentally to engage in physical activity. Trainers of all disciplines will tell you that initiating a proper breathing technique is crucial to good performance. However, you will also learn to foster a renewed mental clarity. Though this technique is being applied to prepare you for physical training, our clients regularly tell us that they find themselves using the breathing exercises to “feel sharper” during everyday tasks. We say, “Great! Ben Franklin would be proud!”

Focus Your Body

With the mind clear of the day’s distractions, we focus next on core awareness. This means developing greater mental & physical balance. Combining the proper breathing technique with subtle adjustments of your posture, your Pilates instructor will help you develop a better awareness of your body. Which muscle groups are strong? Which are weak & neglected? Which have been injured in the past? This is ultimately how Pilates succeeds where other methods so often fail. By training your mind & body together, the axe of self-improvement is more finely sharpened.

Western conditioning & training tends to focus on the muscle groups most often used by the practitioner. While this makes kind of sense ~ if I’m a cyclist, I should develop lower-body strength, etc ~ targeting specific muscles & training hard on them can have a debilitating effect. The Pilates Method is like building a house. The land is prepared, the foundation is built, the frame is set and then the specifics are worked on. It’s A Core Thing trainers are essentially the architects of what should be our first “dream home”. Our bodies.

Focus Your Life

Don’t be fooled by what might appear to be “Zen-trend language”. Pilates is a very grounded, very physical workout. Building core strength means engaging often-neglected muscle groups. You will sweat. You will be sore (at first). But you will (re)gain control, focus and physical & mental clarity. Whether you want to augment your current exercise regimen, improve your performance on the court, field or golf course, or are just tired of the quick-fixes that fix nothing, Pilates is your answer. Our certified Pilates professionals are ready to help give you the edge in 2010. It’s A Core Thing has made our New Year’s resolution: to give Myrtle Beach residents the sharpest axe in the forest!