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Movement is fundamental to life. People of all ages and body types can benefit from greater ease of movement, flexibility, and core strength. We know, because we've experienced the enormous difference Pilates and Integrative Movement can make in our lives. Once you feel it, you'll know too.
We work with the whole person: body, mind, and inner self. As a Certified Pilates Instructor, Bartenieff Fundamentals Practitioner, and Laban Movement Analyst with advanced degrees in theatre and dance, Lucille Dyer offers a uniquely integrated approach to designing your fitness program and working with you to meet your individual needs.
Because it is more than just movement, you develop an awareness of what is moving and how you are moving. Through awareness you discover habitual movement patterns that may be the root cause of joint pain, weakness, or stiffness. We focus on correct alignment and sequencing of muscles and, through practice, most people can re-pattern habitual movements into ways of moving that are more comfortable, more effective, and more expressive of who you are.
Why 123 Pilates?
When you come to the studio, you can truly focus on your health and wellness, because that is what your instructor is focusing on: how to guide you on to a path that leads to health and wellness through regular exercise. At 123 Pilates we are interested in whole person health and wellness. Just as Joseph Pilates believed, we believe that exercise is not just for the fit. People with chronic pain, scoliosis, fibromyalgia, arthritis, can all benefit from modified Pilates exercises. You do not need to be in shape, or lose weight, before you begin. Beginners are welcome.
"Lucille Dyer is willing to work with you, no matter what your fitness level is. Her non-judgmental approach, along with her wealth of knowledge of Pilates will leave you renewed, and looking forward to your next visit." — Rosalie Hinckley
What Brings You to Pilates?
Everyone is unique, and we all have different answers for what brings us to Pilates. A way to answer the question of "Why Pilates?" is to make a quick sketch of one's life, asking simply, what am I doing now, and what will likely happen if I continue doing what I am doing? One example might be: "I overeat, am sedentary all week, and run with my friends on the weekends." Another could be, "I lift patients at the clinic every day, and by the time I get home all I want is some ice cream and a movie." It is fairly easy to see where these paths may lead. Each could result in a cardiac event, orthopedic surgery, chronic pain, or ill health. In general, most of us need to be doing something more than we are, to establish a state of greater overall well-being.
Have You Tried Pilates?
Today you can find Pilates DVD’s, balls, straps, gizmo’s — even the book Pilates for Dummies! You might think that those are an "easy way" to learn Pilates, but in fact they are not. Many people I talk to say they tried using a DVD and found it was too difficult, or were even injured. You can find flimsy Pilates "reformer" equipment sold on the home shopping channels, and unfortunately see television models demonstrating repetition after repetition of a select few exercises. The method of exercise is hawked as a way to shape certain parts of the anatomy, and they practically guarantee you’ll look just like the model on the screen if you buy their products.
In the real world, one simple feature is far superior to all the DVD’s, home systems, books, and gizmo’s: a certified Pilates instructor. A skilled instructor helps you to develop control, precision, and mindfulness. A skilled instructor can adapt the exercise for your current level of strength and flexibility, and when you have developed a level of mastery, will continue to challenge you.
What Is the Original Pilates Exercise?
Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in the late 1800’s. His parents were physical and knowledgeable: his father was a boxer and his mother a naturopath. Joseph as a child was weak with asthma and rickets, and was bullied by the neighborhood boys. Through perseverance and study he developed his knowledge and practice of a healthful lifestyle, the result of which are the exercises we practice in the studio today. The results of his practice in his own body was proof to him that he had developed a valuable and enduring method of exercise for the body, mind, and spirit. Despite obstacles and skepticism of the public, he shared his knowledge with those who could feel the value of his exercises, and now Pilates is almost a household word.
Real Change Starts Within Us
All true change begins on a deeper level, within us. More and more today, we are lured into buying things that are not very good for us, things such as liquor, sweet and fatty foods, or toys that require sitting around for extended periods of time. Every day I hear people who feel they are stuck in lifestyles that inevitably result in chronic pain, suffering, and illness. To remedy the effects of this lifestyle, we are sold medications, make-up, and skin plumping lotions. It starts, for some, to feel like decorations; as if we are decorating ourselves so that nobody, not even ourselves, will see how weak, stiff, and out of breath we are.
As a fitness professional I have talked with hundreds of people about their lifestyles and have always wondered why — when we learned basic daily grooming, general cleanliness, and good habits — daily exercise was excluded. I began to wonder when it was that people started complaining about having to exercise, and what I could do to help people change their habits to include exercise. Every day I hear how challenging it is to incorporate exercise into people’s lives, and when we look at where their lifestyle is leading it isn’t healthy. It is clear that no matter how many decorations, face lifts, or beauty products we use, if we are stiff, in pain, and have chronic conditions, nothing can cover that up. For myself and many of my colleagues and clients, the answer is a balanced approach to whole person health, a way of moving that is restorative, fortifying, and invigorating. In other words: Pilates exercise with Integrative Movement.
"Over the last few years it has been increasingly difficult to exercise due to chronic pain from injuries and myofascial pain. Lucille helped me find a level of movement that I can tolerate. I'm becoming stronger, more flexible and pain is resolving. In group classes I receive the individual attention I need to be safe and comfortable." -Gail H.
Regular practice of Pilates will result in:
Strength:
Pilates exercise results in balanced strength for the entire body, promoting better alignment and ease of motion, and a healthy level of bone density.
Flexibility:
Pilates exercise is designed to restore flexibility around the spine and all of the joints, allowing for a greater range of motion with more stability.
Endurance:
Pilates exercise is practiced as a continuous sequence of movements which promote endurance and improved circulation of oxygen.
Weight Management
Regular practice of Pilates positively impacts effective weight management plans with reduced stress, better sleep, effective digestion, and increased muscle mass and metabolism
Many students experience:
- Increased mental alertness and memory
- Improved mood, digestion, and sleep
- Increased ability to discover creative solutions to life's challenges.
- Overall, an improved quality of life.
Links:
Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies
Pilates equipment by Balanced Body
Bloch Proform Canvas Split Sole ballet shoes
Sansha Split Sole Leather Ballet Slipper "S1L by Sansha"
What is the Pilates Method Alliance?
The PMA promotes the evolution of Pilates by maintaining the highest standards of education and distribution of information across the industry. Membership to the PMA is open to any individual or business wishing to further their knowledge and professionalism or support within the Pilates method of exercise.
Anyone interested in the study and practice of Pilates, supports the objectives of the corporation, and is willing to contribute to the achievement of the organization's objectives is eligible to become an Individual Member of the PMA. Individual Membership Fee: $150 annuallly