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APG Pilates' Blog & Events

September 2020 Newsletter

By Newsletter

Click here to read the September 2020 newsletter

We are pleased to report that the Department of Health has inspected the studio and we are good to go! The studio is open by appointment for private and semi-private sessions. We are now offering half hour classes as well as 55 minute classes – if your budget is tight consider the 30 minute session.

Saturday Pilates at Downing Park is starting at 10:30am today and will continue on Saturdays as long as the weather cooperates. We apologize that due to some red tape with the City, the classes did not start in August as we anticipated. Walk-ins welcome, but a free registration will be recommended to receive the link for the Covid-19 waiver and the release form in advance.

There is no charge for the classes, but donations to help fitness instructors recover from the impact of Covid-19 are welcome. Please bring your own mat and mask.

Acupuncture is back at APG Pilates! Scroll down for details. Lisa  Knowles from Partner to Heal is still available for massage, but is taking a break from working at the studio. To book call her at 845-522-0825 or visit her website.

Hope to see you at the studio or on Zoom soon!

Best and Love to all of you, Angela

The Fight Against Racism and Inequality in Our Society

By Blog Post

I usually describe myself as being Métis (mixed race), not at all because I consider myself more important for being lighter or for having some white blood but because I have always been proud of both my culture and heritage, and will never diminish one over the other.

But today I’m going to talk about myself as being a Black woman. Not because everybody else will define me that way anyway but because today, this side of me needs to get louder to support an important cause: The Black Lives Matter movement.

Today, I need to show how proud I am of that big part of me, to fight against racism and inequality in our society. I am a Black woman business owner in the city of Newburgh, a city where I feel comfortable because of its diversity but where a lot of work needs to be done to give opportunities for the black and brown community to get better representation at a higher level.

The community needs to get back some trust and self-confidence and needs to be pushed up not down. I am a Pilates instructor and one of our slogans is “Pilates is for everybody”, because it is for everybody! Every color, size, height, body type, age, social class. So nobody should feel judged because of any of those reasons when they are coming to my studio.

I want to thank all my clients, and during this time my white clients, for trusting my capacity to help them and for never ever being condescending toward me. I am fortunate enough to have your support and please keep showing your support to our brothers and sisters in this specific time. It is truly needed.

Let’s be proud to mixed all of us to support Black Lives Matter, to fight racism, not only today but every future day!

spring fitness resolutions

Renew Your Fitness Resolutions This Spring

By Blog Post

Spring is the best time to renew your health and fitness resolutions! The days are getting longer, the weather is better, and with the warm weather comes lighter clothes. The flowers coming up make me think about how the same thing is happening to our bodies – after a long winter of being dormant, it is time to reach toward warmth and sunlight and grow and bloom.

The reality is that even if some of us were courageous enough to go out and exercise when the weather was cold and gloomy, most of us would rather be cozy and warm at home. And after working all day, going to work and coming home in the dark, congratulations to those who made it to an evening class after a day like that! But even if you didn’t stick with your New Years’ resolutions, no problem! Either way, you can renew your fitness resolutions now, while the sun is shining, flowers are blooming and spring and summer are in sight!

As with New Year’s resolutions, remember to start small if you haven’t been working out in a while. No sense getting injured now, with the weather cooperative enough that you can spend some time outside. As always, it’s recommended to get in a routine and work up to your goals. Know that with any renewed fitness program it will take some time to see results – four to six weeks is the norm, depending on how fit you are when you start.

Now’s the time to up your Pilates game. Get in touch to plan out what classes and private sessions you want to book. Purchase your package and put your workouts on your calendar and treat them like an appointment you can’t miss. Life can get in the way, but all you can do is your best.

 

 

 

love and nurture yourself

Love and Nurture Yourself

By Blog Post

Make this the year that you learn to love and nurture yourself. It’s even more important than loving and nurturing others, because if you are not physically and emotionally in the right place, it’s hard to be there for others.  

We know, it’s easy to get mad or frustrated with yourself. We see it in class and private sessions all the time, where you disdain your big butt or your inability to nail that teaser pose. Instead of putting it down, realize how your body is there to help you and to protect you. Even an injury might be a way to let you know that you need to slow down. And it’s ok to take some time off to take care of your body, as long as you take that time to love and nurture it.

Listen to yourself and appreciate yourself. Thank yourself for everything you accomplish and keep on nurturing yourself. Your body and your mind are soulmates, they need each other and they need to love each other. 

  • Appreciate yourself and take the time to deeply love yourself. 
  • The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. 
  • Keep your dreams alive. 
  • You were born to be real, not to be perfect. 
  • Be yourself. 
  • Letting go of toxic people in your life is a big step in loving yourself.

As we approach February 14th, the day of love, take some time to love and nurture yourself, and let your mind and body be soulmates this Valentine’s day.

Four Ways Pilates Can Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

By Blog Post

Can Pilates help you keep your New Year’s resolutions? When a new year comes, we all resolve to eat better, work out more, and lose weight in the new year. Studies show that while half of adults make new year’s resolutions, only about 10% of them actually keep them. The good news? People who make New Year’s resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve them than those who don’t.

We not only have a new year, we have a new decade. A clean slate to drop all those bad habits. But it’s so easy to go back to our old habits. How can we make this year, this decade, different?

If you’re reading this, then you probably have done Pilates, or are thinking about it. You’ve probably tried all sorts of diets and exercise.  You’ve probably even succeeded in getting thinner and stronger. But. Life gets in the way. How can this year be different?

  1. Be realistic: You can’t do everything at once. Going from couch potato to working out 6 days a week is just not going to happen. Start with one Pilates class a week. Do that for six weeks. Don’t be a “tourist” – get on a regular schedule and stick with it. You’ll start to see the benefits, then can add an additional class and really crank up the results.
  2. Accept that you’re not perfect: Really? Really. You’ve learned these bad habits over years and years, accept the fact that no matter how determined you are, you’ll mess up from time to time. That’s OK.
  3. No pain means no pain: Know your body. Is that your transverse abdominal that hasn’t been used in a while feeling some muscular pain? Or did you aggravate that old hip injury? Know the difference. There are a myriad of ways to modify in Pilates, and a good instructor can work with you to get better and stay on track with your workouts and help reduce injury.
  4. Be consistent: Showing up is half the battle. And exercise releases endorphins in the brain which bolster self-esteem, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep. Who doesn’t want that?!

Whatever your goals, your current state of fitness, your financial status – the only thing worse than a quitter is someone who doesn’t even start. Make this your year, your decade, to use Pilates to help achieve your fitness goals.

Why Shop Local? It’s About Community!

By Blog Post

In a world where you can click a button and have something delivered to your door, why go through the bother of getting in the car, finding parking, child care, a break in your busy schedule, etc. to patronize a local business? Why “shop local”? In short, community. Studies show that when you shop local and spend $100 at an independent business, $48 of that money stays in the community. Even if you shop at a chain in your town, $14 still stays in the community. On Amazon? Or at the Outlet Malls? $0. Now, we could argue that you saved money that you will then put into the local economy! Good. It’s normal and smart to save when you can, but still important to support the community you live in.

There are also things you can do from behind your screen or without spending any money:

  • Like, comment and share social media posts
  • Write good reviews on Google, Facebook, etc.
  • Communicate with the owner or manager if you’ve had a less than perfect experience and let them try to fix it before you blast them online
  • For your birthday, holidays or other special occasions, send a list to family and friends of local businesses or charities you’d like them to support
  • Be nice

As always, stay real to your budget, and don’t feel pressured to spend if you can’t afford it. When shopping local, think of not just physical gifts but also services, massage, Pilates (of course), local charities, restaurants and street vendors.

APG Pilates offers discounted intro sessions and packages, gift certificates, merchandise and a low-priced mat class. Check the website for class schedules, or give us a call, text or email to get gift certificates and merchandise.

Happy, Healthy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year!