OPP Logo
Optimum Pilates LLC Newsletter 
 
 Developing Great Exercise Habits

October 2014


Our studio is fully equipped with professional reformers, cadillacs, stability chairs and springboards. All this equipment helps assist or challenge your workout.
 
 
"In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference.
In 20 you will see the difference, and in 30 you'll have a whole new body."
 
-Joseph Pilates
 
QUICK LINKS
Get a Pilates body!
snake   
Group classes most evenings and mornings. 

We are also willing to add classes if you and a couple friends want to start your own!
Like me on Facebook
Consistency Matters

 

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" - Aristotle

 

Consistency is a big factor in the success of exercise routines of any kind. It may not be that difficult to start a fitness routine. Yet sticking with it may be more of a challenge for a lot of people. All too often, our initial enthusiasm and energy wanes, we get distracted by other things going on in our lives, or we don't think we're seeing results quickly enough.

 

Yet many people fully embrace fitness, and would no sooner skip their regular workout than they would brush their teeth. What is it that's working for them? Web MD published a recent study by researcher Diane Klein, PhD, on the subject. Long-term exercisers (who had been working out for an average of 13 years) were asked to rank what motivated them to keep up with their regimes. These were their answers.  
  • Sleeping better
  • Fitness
  • Feelings of well-being
  • Pep and energy
  • Enjoyment of movement
  • Feeling alert
  • Being relaxed
  • Weight management
  • Appearance

Dr. Michael Joyner, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., points out in The New York Times' Well Blog, that exercise has long-lasting, cumulative effects on your health and fitness, but it also produces acute (short-term) effects that don't necessarily linger. Endurance fades if you skip exercising too many days in a row. The same is true, sadly, with motivation. In study after studio, researchers have found that one of the primary reasons people continue exercising is that they enjoyed yesterday's exercise or the exertions of the day before; they felt healthier and more physically masterful afterward and wish to relive that sensation. Longer periods between exercise sessions potentially could dull that enthusiasm."

 

He adds, "The key is probably to not miss more than two days in a row," Dr. Joyner says, "and skipping only one day is even better."

 

Here are a  few other nuggets of wisdom:

  • Habits take 60 days to form. (By some estimates, 30 days does the trick, but let's get real.) That means stocking with a program for that long so that it starts to feel disconcerting not
    to follow it.
  • Schedule time for your workouts as you would any other appointment. Don't try to fit them in haphazardly; put workouts on your calendar or have a set time each day.
  • Caitlin Smith's comment in last month's newsletter said it well, "I find doing a little bit consistently is better than doing a lot inconsistently."
  • If you are tired, put on exercise clothes and give it a try. Exercise actually boosts your energy. 

Be aware of all the indicators of progress. It's great when you catch your posture in a window reflection and you look aligned, your clothes fit better and you can do harder and harder exercises, plus many more:

  • Getting a good night's sleep.
  • Thinking more clearly.
  • Having more energy.
  • Feeling pain free and/or more flexible
  • Realizing your muscles aren't screaming after you've cleaned out a garage or walked a long way.
  • Hearing your doctor congratulate you on improved cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, triglycerides, and blood sugars.
 
Parking Alert Saturday Oct 25th

 

On Saturday, October 25th, Piedmont Avenue will hold it's annual Halloween parade at 11am. If you sign up for the 11am class that day, give yourself a few extra minutes to park, grab a coffee or green smoothie in the neighborhood and check out the kiddies before class.

Friendly Reminder

 

A friendly reminder about studio policy #9, no perfumes or heavily scented lotions. Actually powder is an even bigger problem. It clogs the springs and the ultra-sensitive wheels of the reformers. Thanks for holding off on these products until you are done working out!
Flash Sale
$50 off

To help you build a healthy habit, this month we offering $50 off the 30-Day 8-class Challenge 

  

Take $50 off a 30-day 8 class challenge, for $174 ($22/class)! 

Act Now! Offer expires 10/24/14 (packages are good for 30 days from date of first class). Located under "Series and Memberships, Small Group Training." May not be combined with other specials or offers. Use promo code: autumn8class when you check out. One per person.

 

 

Up to 
3 free classes



Every Day Special Offer! 
Bring a Friend

  

When you bring a friend or family member who is new to Optimum and s/he signs up for an Intro Bundle, you get $30 off your next 8- or 10-pack of any kind. 
 
When your friend or family member signs up for a 10-pack following the Intro Bundle, you get $60 off your next 8- or 10-pack. 

That's up to 3 free classes for you! Write to: [email protected] to let us know more and arrange for the discount.
Ongoing offer!