Align Pilates® Minneapolis

This new year, make a resolution to check out Align’s brand-new reformers! Designed by Amy Taylor Alpers and Rachel Taylor Segel (founders of the Pilates Center in Boulder and Adrienne’s teachers) and manufactured by Balanced Body, the new CenterLine equipment replicates the original reformer designed by Joe Pilates himself. These reformers have been specifically designed for the classical style of Pilates that Align teaches–you’ll love the how the clean and simple design feels in action. From the alignment of the headrest to the slight drag of the carriage wheels (the better to engage your core!), these reformers have been designed to facilitate ease of movement and encourage fluidity in your Pilates practice.

Reserve your spot in class so you can experience the new equipment for yourself! Coming to Align in January. Visit Balanced Body for a video tour of the new CenterLine reformers.

Fun fact: Align co-owner Adrienne Fitzmaurice is responsible for naming the CenterLine suite of equipment!

The new CenterLine reformer is specifically designed for the classic Pilates repertoire.

Touch and movement have been used since the ancient times to enhance well-being and to heal. The power of touch is what helps us make connections to the world and each other. Being the earliest of the five senses developed when we are in the womb and after birth we continue to grow and thrive by receiving touch.

Dr. Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that the power of touch is much more profound than we might have realized. Dr. Keltner reports on a wave of studies that have documented incredible emotional and physical health benefits that come from touch throughout our life suggesting that touch is truly fundamental to human communication, bonding, and health. He continues that touch is our primary language of compassion, and a primary means for spreading compassion.

To maintain health we need sleep, good nutrition, water, air, sunshine, exercise and love. Compassion is an aspect of love. By caring for ourselves we have more to give to others. Taking time to reward your body and mind with a recharge of energy to renew your senses. One way to refill our cup is by receiving a massage. Many are finding out the many health benefits to receiving a massage:

• Improving circulation
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles
• Increase joint flexibility
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin
• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller
• Lessen depression and anxiety

Studies have shown significant biological changes as the result of a single massage! With so many kinds of bodywork there is something for everyone. At Align we offer Pranassage, Thai massage, Indian Head Massage, and Reiki.

- Mary Sullivan CMT

If you live near a lake—and in Minneapolis, it’s more than likely that you do—you’ve probably seen those people running barefoot. You might have done a double take. You might have thought, What the? Or you might have asked, Really? But the real question is, Is running barefoot good for you?

As semi-avid runners ourselves, it’s hard to believe that pattering across hot pavement and letting tiny pebbles and other miscellaneous particles of debris (let’s remember, there’s a lot of dog walkers out there) embed themselves into the tissue of our feet (unless, of course, you go this route) does not seem like our idea of a good time. Nonetheless, barefoot running remains a trendy topic amongst exercise and health experts alike. And the small portion of American runners that enthusiastically indulge in the fad say that it helps them keep better form and stay injury free.

Although we’re certain not solve the debate here, maybe this NY Times article will help shed some light on the topic, or at least help you save some cash on those fancy running shoes.

Here’s a scenario. You rush from work, fight traffic and finally get to the gym with minutes to spare before your favorite yoga class begins. You rumble with minivans, Camris and sedans and finally find a spot in the most remote, uninhabited, you-might-want-to-think-about-carrying-a -knife part of the parking lot, and start your mad dash to the dressing room. You perform an adept scavenger hunt for a locker while wrestling with your purse, over-stuffed gym bag and oozing water bottle while doing a balancing act on your too-high high heeled shoes. You quickly squeeze your way in, begin unpacking and throw on your gear—just in time to toss your locks up into a loose bun and grab your mat. As you make a run for the door, you pass by the mirror. You can’t help it. So you take a look. And thank god you did. Those. Pants. Look. Awful. Every naughty nook and cranny exposed, every bulge…bulging. Plus they are way too short. Are you waiting for a flood? No. You are just waiting for someone to show you the light. Grab some shades because it’s about to get bright in here: introducing Gap’s eBalance pants. Fitted. Flattering. Fabulous. And guaranteed to give you a warm 95% cotton, 5% spandex hug in your time of yogic distress. Namaste.

The ballet barre workout is sweeping the nation, yet the appeal is not new. Ladies have long lusted after the lean and poised physique touted by dancers. And while you don’t want go so far as to kill for a ballet bod, like Natalie Portman’s rather disturbed Black Swan character, you may be interested in bellying up to the barre to see what you can do.

Align’s very own Barre Class uses many of the movements that you already know in a new way—even if you’ve never donned a pair of toe shoes. Combining the stretching and toning movements of Pilates and yoga, the strengthening and sculpting principles of ballet plus an energetic cardio workout, you’ll target your arms, tummy, butt and thigh muscles. The small focused movements are meant to tone without adding undue bulk. No tutu required.

Finally, a bar that’s belly-friendly.