Align Pilates® Minneapolis

Lululemon Athletica, purveyor of clothing for life’s sweaty pursuits, is bringing the Twin Cities fitness community together. In honor of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Friday February 12 through Sunday February 14th, 17 studios throughout the Metro Area are offering over 40 free classes to Lululemon members and guests, and Align Pilates is one of them!

What: FREE Pilates Mat 2 Class

Where: Align Pilates Studio

When: Saturday, February 13th
10:30 am

How: It’s easy as 1, 2, 3:
1) Stop into the Lululemon Minneapolis Showroom
2) Pick up a postcard
3) Bring the postcard into Align on Saturday, February 13th @ 10:30 am to enjoy FREE Pilates!

But wait, there’s more! Bring your Align-signed postcard back to Lululemon and receive a participation gift. It’s that simple. In addition, prizes will be given to those fitness gurus who complete the most classes throughout the Metro. Check in at Lululemon for a list of participating studios.

Physical exercise is good for us—this is not to be disputed. However, we tend to place so much emphasis on conditioning the body that we often forget a very essential part of our being: the brain. Keeping your brain fit and agile is just as important as keeping your physical self in line. As this Prevention article explains, doing “mental aerobics” can stave off “cognitive impairment” and certain diseases which often accompany age.

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What, exactly, does “mental aerobics” include? Good question. Prevention suggests a regimen of game-playing (such as their online teasers or a rousing game of chess), doing the daily crossword puzzle and even attending the theater to keep your noggin in tip-top shape. Basically, any mind-engaging task that you can amuse yourself with for 20 to 30 minutes several days a week will help keep those neurons stimulated.

Experts also suggest learning something new to keep your brain engaged. If you are new to yoga or Pilates, this sounds like the perfect time to try a Reformer or mat class—kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and keep both the brain and body in fit and fabulous condition.

Plus, it sounds way more fun than chess. Checkmate.

Pilates = elongation and core strength. When you practice the Pilates method, you are working to fortify the core muscles—the abdominals, lower back and pelvis—in order to create balance and alignment. Hence, the “Pilates body” walks around with improved, self-assured poise and posture. But did you know that a regular Pilates routine can do just as much good on the inside as it does on the outside? A strong core and prim posture can also mean enhanced digestion, improved sleep patterns, fewer headaches and healthier bones.

We know you didn’t really need another excuse to pursue Pilates—once you start practicing, it’s hard to deny the positive effects. But, as they say, the more you know, the more you grow. Check out this Natural Health article to find out more about the internal benefits of proper physical alignment.

Ah, 7:00 am sessions with the Reformer: part finely-tuned and elegant fitness machine, and part early morning torture device. But somehow, some way, we find ourselves at the end of three summer Boot Camp series. And much to our dismay, it didn’t kill us. Therefore, we must give props to Jennifer Roberts, Align Pilates Reformer instructor extraordinaire.

Totally supportive of our very 7:00am-esque attempts at gracefulness and elongation, Jennifer got right in there and showed us what’s what, in a good way. Always there to show us the right form and perfectly willing to answer our pre-coffee, fuzzy-headed questions, Jennifer had a great knack for showing us how to navigate the Reformer’s tough-love ways while making us feel like we figured it all out on our own. And now we’re feeling pretty savvy in the world of Pilates. Swan? Under control. Elephant? It took a few tries, but I think we got it. Teaser? Well, not without laughing. But we’re getting there.

Even though this summer’s Boot Camp Series has come to a bittersweet end, we’ll be back to the Reformer. Why? Because she’s got us hooked. Literally. (I’m talking straps and pullies, people.) And now that I’ve had time to reflect, I’m pretty confident that the Reformer exercises have allowed me to be more aware of my physical and mental well-being…despite the equipment’s medieval connotation.

Patient, knowledgeable and all-around superior death/severe injury avoidance coach. What more could you want in an instructor?!

This morning, I took my first Pilates reformer class.

As this was only my second experience with Pilates (the first being a mat class I took a million and a half months ago), it certainly does not come naturally to me. And at 7:00 am, it comes even less naturally. Ergo, I struggled with certain details, like figuring out where to put my feet, hands and limbs so I didn’t go flying off of the equipment and become the first woman ever to suffer a Pilates-induced concussion.

Luckily, I love a class that can laugh…both with me and at me.

When I walked into Julie Odderman’s class, I immediately admitted that I did not, by any stretch of the imagination, know what I was doing. Julie replied, “That’s really very okay.” She wasn’t lying. Throughout class, she was equally attentive to her four students, was quick to adjust and help correct our postures and, in my case, point us in the right direction. Literally. And all this with a smile and an optimistic joke. Her good humor and support kept the class enjoyable and lighthearted. And I indeed felt really very okay.

Thus, I managed to get through my first class without any significant bodily damage and I feel great. I’m already looking forward to the next session.

But the best part? When it came time for pushups, Julie went easy and allotted only three to me.

I think this is the start of a beautiful reformer relationship.

What happens when an old MTV VJ and Nintendo come together? You get Daisy Fuentes Pilates.

This summer will mark the arrival of the first Pilates program for Nintendo Wii Fit, and Daisy Fuentes—a long-time celebrity Pilates lover—will guide the virtual workout.

In place of a real-life instructor, the program will use the Wiimote to detect your movements and offer instant responses, so you can make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. An onscreen timer and motivational cues from Daisy herself will help you stay the course.

If you have a Wii Fit, this looks like a great way to delve into the world of Pilates and start learning the ropes (if you haven’t already). If you don’t have a Wii Fit, I think this might be a pretty good excuse to get one.

A healthy creation via an MTV VJ and Nintendo. I guess the 90’s brought us something useful after all…well, besides Hypercolor and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

J’aime pilates!

Ich übe pilates

Amo pilates!

¡Amo pilates!

M’encanta Pilates

Volim Pilates

Jeg elsker Pilates

Miluju Pilates

Ik hou van Pilates

Ma armastan Pilates

Rakastan Pilates

Imádom Pilates

Jag älskar Pilates

Kocham Pilates

Ben Pilates TR

I love pilates!

Literally. If you are like millions of other Americans, you sit in front of the computer for 99% of your day, stuck in a cube somewhere in Suburbiaville. Five days of this routine is not only draining on the psyche, but on the body too. Even the simple act of sitting can do harm on our necks, shoulders and backs. It’s enough to make you quit, but don’t. Instead, stir things up a bit. Literally.

If you apply the principles of Pilates to your workday and take just a few moments to move and stretch the body, you can do wonders for your stiff and angry muscles. It can be as easy as rolling out your shoulders or readjusting your posture. Take some tips from NeverSayDiet.com and start making small adjustments in between your keyboard taps and mouse clicks. Before long, you’ll start feeling the tension ease and release from where you feel it most. Plus, it’s better than taking your aggression out on your computer monitor…or that creepy co-worker with the Metallica breath. But he’s a different story.

Although it’s -20 below right now and the closest anybody is getting to lush fields of green and warm sunshine is through their TV set, let’s talk golf.

Pilates for Golf can help your golf game on and off the course. Pilates promotes control, discipline of smaller movements, better alignment, good posture and flexibility which are all very important to your golf game.

And hell, if it helps people like Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate it may be worth a try.

Start on your training now and you’ll be better and stronger for your game this spring. Once your clubs thaw.

I generally don’t like the practice of comparing myself to the air-brushed-perfect-pictures of the celebs, nor do I want to be BFFs with the likes of Paris Hilton, but I couldn’t help stopping at this one. Ill take these legs anyday. Word on the street is it’s a result of a healthy diet and pilates.

I’d also take her co-star status with Mr. Leo, but that’s a different story all together.