90 days to a new you!
Come to your senses
and commit to yourself!

Hear it…….You’ve heard of Pilates, why haven’t you tried it?
See it……..Results with a plan to last.
Feel it…….The change in body, attitude and confidence.
Smell it…..The sweat and lots of it!
Taste it…..Success in a short period of time.

LIVE IT!!!

Muscle Confusion….the C2 Pilates way….Push your limits and meet our challenge!

A complete program that will teach you how to safely infuse Pilates into all fitness regimens. Through weight training, practicing yoga and sweating it out through plyometrics and cardio you will be prompted, corrected and monitored.

This program is not for the feint of heart!
With the help of Our instructors and Your team, you will be challenged in every way possible!

90 days of focused, dedicated fitness and nutrition, combined with a little
bit of will power and your own your way to a new you!!!

For more information on how to sign up contact:

C2 Pilates 781 251 0501
www.c2pilates.com
c2studios.pilates@gmail.com

Come try our challenging new class designed especially for runners.  This 50-minute workout utilizes a variety of Pilates apparatus for a full-body strength and conditioning workout that will help you improve athletic performance and prevent injury.

C2 Pilates for Runners classes can help you:

•Build strength with an emphasis on core stability and power
•Improve posture and gait
•Optimize flexibility and joint mobility
•Increase breathing efficiency
•Alleviate muscle imbalances

Saturdays at 8:00 a.m.

Please call the Dedham studio at (781) 251-0501 with any questions. Class size is limited so call early to reserve your spot.

Pilates can help you alleviate the discomfort of hamstring tightness by assisting you to stretch and strengthen this group of muscles. In Group Classes, taught on an apparatus called the “Reformer”, exercises such as Bend and Stretch and Lift and Lower allow you to work your hamstrings eccentrically and concentrically to both lengthen the muscles fibers and also to strengthen them at the same time.  At home, try these Pilates mat exercise on your own to keep those hamstrings supple:

Single Leg Extension:

Single Leg Extension is a simple exercise that will help you improve hamstring strength while simultaneously working your core and glutes.

Lie on your stomach with a neutral spine and pelvis, your forehead resting on your hands, your legs extended out on the floor hip-distance apart, laterally rotated with toes pointed.

Take a deep inhale, breathing deep into the sides and back of your rib cage. As you exhale, pull your belly button up toward your spine as you reach one leg straight up off the floor. Inhale, lower that leg to the floor. Take another deep inhale, continuing to pull your belly button toward your spine as you reach the other leg off the floor. Inhale as you lower that leg to the ground. Try to keep your pelvis still as you lift each leg. Complete 6-8 repetitions with both legs.

Spine Stretch Forward:

Sit up tall with your legs straight in front of you, just wider than hip-distance apart, weight equally distributed on your sit-bones. Rest your hands between your legs on the floor. Take a deep inhale to prepare, then as you exhale, nod your chin as you lengthen the back of your neck and continue rolling forward one vertebra at a time from head to tailbone. Take a deep inhale as you maintain this position. As you exhale, roll back up from tail to head to return to your start position.

While Spine Stretch Forward is primarily taught as a spine stretch, you can modify the exercise to gain a hamstring stretch by reaching through the heels and allowing the pelvis to hinge toward the thighs without rounding the low back as you hinge.

Your C2 Pilates Instructors are always available to discuss and help you address your fitness goals and concerns. Let us know if you have a fitness topic you would like us to discuss here on the C2 Blog.

I began running in college and for many years ran recreationally, churning out the same 25 or so miles a week at the same pace, year after year. But last year, just after my 39th birthday, I decided to step up my commitment to running. I was coming off of 3 years of surgeries and chemotherapy for a rare form of cancer and wanted to focus on my health in a positive way. So, I hired a coach, joined a competitive running club, increased my mileage over the course of several months to as much as sixty miles a week, and got back into road racing.

Although I had always tried to work into my training some strength work and stretching at the gym, I found that as I increased my training mileage, it was a challenge to stay ahead of the knee and back pain and other aches that had before been fairly manageable. I began researching other types of training that might be useful or supportive. I had always wanted to learn more about Pilates, although I thought it was primarily a program of stretching, so I signed up for a package of private Pilates classes with CC Martin at C2 Pilates.

What I found through my initial Pilates classes was that I was able to target both flexibility and strength training all in the same workout. As I continued my practice, I found that my running became less injury-prone, particularly with my knees, and that my running pace became more efficient. Specifically, here are the ways in which I believe Pilates has helped my running.

1. Ameliorating Muscle Imbalances: One of my favorite series of exercises is Footwork, either on the Reformer or the Stability Chair. The many positions of footwork force your quads and hamstrings to work at many different angles. In running, you mostly use the same leg muscles, in the same way, which may or may not be particularly efficient, depending on your gait. With footwork, you are able to strengthen the quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calf muscles in a balanced way and to target those muscles that may be underused yet provide essential support, during running.

2. Proper Alignment: We all know that Pilates is about bringing the body back to its proper alignment. This is essential for healthy day-to-day functioning but it is also particularly key for running. When your body is in proper alignment, it is a more efficient machine, and will require less energy to do more work. I find that the core strength I’ve gained through Pilates practice keeps my pelvis better aligned while I’m running which means less wasted energy. On a 20 mile run, this improved alignment and efficiency makes an enormous difference.

3. “More Bang for your Buck”: If you’ve done a group or private Pilates class, you know that you get a serious, all-in-one workout. I always tell my clients that one of the great things about Pilates is that you get everything in every workout. You’re going to stretch and lengthen your muscles, but Pilates is also a strength training workout in disguise. The bonus is, that even when you’re working your arms, you’re working your core. When you’re working your legs, you’re working your core. In an hour, you get a balanced, full-body workout and a stretching session, all in one. Add in some Jumpboard Interval Training and you’ve got your cardio covered as well!

The intersection of Pilates and athletic conditioning is a fascinating topic that I believe is only beginning to be explored. I’d love to hear about ways in which your Pilates practice has helped your performance in running or any other sport. Share your experiences with us by posting a comment here on the C2 Pilates blog or email your questions and comments to us at c2studios.pilates@gmail.com

As always, please call the Dedham studio at (781) 251-0501 to pre-register for these new classes to ensure that we will have a spot for you.

New Essential Reformer Group classes (Dedham Studio):

Monday: 6:oo p.m. to 6:50 p.m.

Tuesday: 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.

Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.

Thursday: 6:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.

The most up-to-date class schedules for all group classes at the Boston and Dedham studios are online at www.c2pilates.com.

Our small mat class size of 6-12 people offers you a safe, high quality, and appropriate workout tailored to your individual fitness level. This is perfect for beginners or individuals looking for a new challenge in their Pilates practice.

Classes run for 8 consecutive weeks. Choose the package that works best for your schedule:

Tuesdays 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Thursdays 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Cost: Once per week $120.00 (8 week session)
Twice per week $192.00 (8 week session)

Class size is limited so please call the Dedham studio (781) 251-0501 to pre-register.

Classes are sold in 8 consecutive week packages but are ongoing so you can register at any time to start your 8 weeks.

Let us know what you think! And feel free to suggest topics that you’d like us to address or write about here on the C2 blog.