One component of many addiction treatment programs, including non 12 step residential programs, is the inclusion of physical activity to strengthen the body and give people something to do where they can focus on anything other than drugs or alcohol. Pilates makes a fabulous addition to any addiction treatment due to its focused mind and body work and quick to feel results (which is something most addicts like).  Read More →

In general, even if I had beautiful rings, necklaces, and even a watch that I adorned with wholesale diamonds , I would not wear them to work out in the gym or pilates studio. I even take my basic rings and watch off when I exercise. Rings can dig into your fingers or get caught in equipment, watch crystals can break with kettebell training, and any hanging jewelry can also be a recipe for disaster.  Read More →

Q: Lynda, I have an Allegro pilates reformer (which I love!) and just purchased the box and a foot strap. Where is the strap supposed to be attached? I tried the area by the springs, but then I’m too close and my legs aren’t straight. I also tried the area on the back of the footplate, where the wheels would attach if I didn’t have the 14 inch feet. That sort of worked, but still didn’t seem right. Any other suggestions?... 

One thing that I really like about working as the Pilates and Fitness teacher at Parrot Cay is that I do not have to deal with Halloween. Other than the candy when I was a young girl, I have never really liked or seen the point of Halloween. It is such an ordeal to get a great Halloween costume , and everyone looks and judges what you wear. Halloween is not a holiday that I miss.  Read More →

It took me years to find reliable, high quality, not too expensive Pilates clothing. Unlike the ubiquitous running shorts or tank top, Pilates clothing needs to be breathable, form fitting but not not binding, comfortable but not too loose, and needs to cover the body well enough to avoid flashing people but not so well that people cannot see how you are moving. My favorites are Lululemon and, believe it or not, Old Navy.  Read More →

While I love to teach Pilates, I also miss taking Pilates classes and privates from other teachers. So I use my time on holiday to take Pilates for myself. Where do I go? At this moment I have plans for Movements Afoot , Real Pilates , Pilates Shop Yoga Garage , and Pilates on Fifth . Any other suggestions? What’s your favorite NYC pilates studio? Related articles by  Read More →

When we first moved to the islands I was amazed at the number of weddings and honeymoons at Beaches. Seriously, it’s a fabulous resort but a Family resort so it is full of children. Short of a full on Disney Orlando vacation , Beaches is the next most crowded kid friendly resort so close to the US. Places like Parrot Cay are very kid-friendly but not always kid-focused (except for around the big holidays), and the Shambhala Spa where I work... 

Since we do not maintain residency in the US my only driver’s license is a Turks and Caicos license, plus my Parrot Cay buggy license. It is somehow freeing to not have to worry about the DMV, car insurance , registration, parking, and all the other hassles of having a car in the states. Instead we just rent as needed both in TCI and the US. Much easier!  Read More →

Around this time every year we get “vacationitis” at Parrot Cay. Hubby and I take our annual holiday in NYC every September, and the hotel itself closes for 6 weeks, so everyone is hard at work (after all, we still have guests in house and coming) but ready to go away. This year I am taking the radical step of not teaching a lot. I plan to take lots of Pilates, kettlebells, and TRX classes . In fact, I am taking our TRX with me (already... 

Well, the 2010 hurricane season is upon us and we have already seen a brief if intense tropical depression form right over us here in Turks and Caicos (this is now TS Bonnie, by the way). As umbrellas do next to nothing in high winds and heavy rains, a good pair of rain boots and a large poncho are my best solutions to a walking commute. This allows me to get to the Pilates studio relatively dry and go about my day.  Read More →

I have discovered the joys of making money on the internet, which is exciting because I can work from anywhere on my laptop or Blackberry device. I have a good laptop warranty in case the hardware goes, and there is enough open source free software on the web that all you need is an inexpensive hosting account and some domain names and you can do quite a lot. Obviously one of my niches is Pilates, and as someone who used to be solely tied  Read More →

The lovely Marguerite Ogle does such a fabulous job on the About.com Pilates site, and today I discovered a fun page she has of quotes from the Joseph Pilates book Return to Life Through Contrology . Here are some of my favorites: Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily... 

After I lost 32 pounds people around me started to ask my advice on how they too could drop the unwanted pounds. Most of my friends have tried every quick weight loss trick in the book, including single food diets, liquid diets, cleanses, and weight loss pills. With me I am trying instead to change how they shop, how they eat, and how they think about food, No high fructose corn syrup, no white flour, lots of nuts, seeds, produce, lean protein,... 

Pilates is a truly anti-aging exercise. While many types of exercise will strengthen your heart and other muscles and keep you strong, Pilates works on keeping the spine and other joints moving while as strong as possible. In this way you feel great, you feel young. Joseph Pilates once said that we are only as old as our spines. If your back is killing  Read More →

To have a good size Pilates studio with full equipment you need at least 600 square feet of continuous space. Whether you rent in an existing building or storefront, use a garage or steel building , or set up in a gym make sure you have enough space. In terms of equipment it is good to start with 2 reformer/tower combos, 2 wunda chairs, and 1 each of the barrels, ped-o-puls, and other pieces. Finally get some good quality floor mats for classes...