Getting Back at it is…Tough!
In class last week, one of our clients tried to assert that summer was basically over. It didn’t go well for him. I, for one, refuse to accept that summer ends when the CNE begins, or when they start selling Halloween candy and pumpkin spice lattés. It is literally 31 degrees as I write this post! But to give our client the benefit of the doubt, it starts to feel like summer is over right about now. Labour Day Weekend tends to mark our lives in a stark before and after fashion. Everything before Labour Day seems fun and frothy and relaxed, while everything after Labour Day looks serious and practical and business as usual. And that transition is ROUGH, am I right?
While many of you have taken some well deserved time off and time away from the studio this summer, a lot of our clients take advantage of a more flexible schedule or staycation to do Pilates every single day! Maybe you’re lucky, and the arrival of September doesn’t dictate your schedule too much, but If you’re a teacher, you’re back in the classroom, or if you’re a parent, you’re running point on school drop offs and lunch bag prep. If you’re a titan of industry, August probably wasn’t your busiest month. Odds are there are more demands on your time and energy going into fall, and that might mean your calendar fills up quickly. And if you’ve been away from the studio for a few weeks or months, how do you drop back into Pilates without skipping a beat?
The amazing thing you’ve probably already realised is that your Pilates practice actually helps you do everything else in your life with a little more ease. It’s a lot simpler to return to a habit that makes you feel good and provides countless benefits, like more energy and better sleep. The practice of Pilates incorporates mindfulness into movement. The emphasis on breathing and focus on body awareness help to regulate emotions and decrease stress. And as we learn every month in our Client Spotlight feature, Retrofit is also a social hub that provides positive interactions and peer support, whether you’re on a wellness journey, recovering from illness or injury, navigating the trials of new parenthood, or supporting ageing parents and partners. Your Pilates practice can help you feel strong, stable, and prepared to handle whatever school, work, or life throws at you. Every single one of us chooses Pilates for a different reason, and our awesome Client Services team can help you find the classes or personal training sessions to fit your individual needs and reach your goals.
I’ll be away for part of September, and I’m so glad I’ve had Pilates in my corner the last few months as I’ve trained for a gruelling physical challenge. I’m not saying I want to do it every single day, but I think sometimes it’s good for me to push my limits and work at something. As Glennon Doyle says, “We can do hard things.” Some days, that hard thing is Pilates. But most days, the hard things get a little less difficult because we have Pilates in our lives.
Nobody promised life would be easy, but getting back into the groove after a long summer can be tough. How can your Pilates practice help you do hard things? Tell us all the ways Pilates has your back! And follow us on social media for insight, exercises and helpful tips!
See you in class!
Pam Ferguson
Retrofit Master Instructor
Lead Instructor/Operations Associate
