WEBVTT
00:00:09.374 --> 00:00:09.853
Hello.
00:00:09.853 --> 00:00:10.964
Hello everybody.
00:00:10.964 --> 00:00:18.013
Welcome and welcome back to Pilates Students' Manual, helping you get the most out of your Pilates classes.
00:00:18.263 --> 00:00:19.344
I'm Olivia.
00:00:19.794 --> 00:00:27.004
Remember, you'll get the latest updates about everything I'm working on by joining the community at BuyMeACoffee.com/OliviaPodcasts.
00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:40.359
The Book is now available for purchase as both an EPUB and PDF from me at shop.OliviaBioni.com, and on Kindle on Amazon.
00:00:42.609 --> 00:00:50.929
You can convert that EPUB or PDF into a Kindle friendly file by visiting amazon.com/sendtoKindle.
00:00:51.939 --> 00:01:00.338
Today's episode is all about the power of setting goals and also valuing the progress over the perfection in that goal.
00:01:01.014 --> 00:01:08.034
As you continue in your Pilates practice, the new year, new me energy is starting to wear off as the year continues.
00:01:08.213 --> 00:01:16.884
So the goal of this episode is to inspire you to continue your Pilates journey and appreciate the journey as you work towards those goals.
00:01:17.153 --> 00:01:26.304
And I know that appreciating the journey is like such a cliche thing to say, but it is so important in all things, but especially in our Pilates practice.
00:01:27.953 --> 00:01:39.384
Goals themselves can be a really useful tool to help motivate us to keep going, and there's so many cool and difficult Pilates exercises that would make great goals.
00:01:41.694 --> 00:01:46.674
There's the teaser, the rollup, elephant, upstretch, pikes, snake.
00:01:46.703 --> 00:02:04.998
It is completely natural to see those super cool exercises and want to do that thing, and but on your way to nailing that thing, there are so many little milestones and so much growth that you can really appreciate as you work toward that peak exercise.
00:02:05.899 --> 00:02:17.538
You may also come to your Pilates practice with a totally different set of goals, like moving with more ease, or being able to bend over to tie your shoes, or to get out of a chair without using your hands.
00:02:17.778 --> 00:02:25.218
Those are also amazing goals, and Pilates can support you on your way to reaching those goals too.
00:02:27.258 --> 00:02:33.639
Anytime you wanna do something and you can't do it, there's a gap in capacity.
00:02:34.269 --> 00:02:46.149
What I mean by that is that if there's an exercise that you wanna do and you're not able to execute that exercise, you need to increase your capacity in some way in order to do it.
00:02:47.378 --> 00:02:52.239
You have to fill in the gap from where you are to where you want to be.
00:02:54.223 --> 00:02:56.413
You may need to get stronger.
00:02:56.653 --> 00:03:04.394
For example, if your goal is to do a pushup, you need to be able to hold up your body weight in a plank before you can do a pushup.
00:03:04.873 --> 00:03:14.084
And to do that pushup, you'll need additional strength in your arms and chest to lower and lift your body weight even more than just holding that plank shape.
00:03:14.533 --> 00:03:17.413
So the gap in capacity could be your strength.
00:03:18.163 --> 00:03:19.633
It could be flexibility.
00:03:19.693 --> 00:03:30.318
If you're attempting to do the front splits on the reformer and you really wanna get that split with straight legs, you may need to increase the flexibility in your hip flexors and hamstrings to achieve that position.
00:03:31.783 --> 00:03:35.084
The gap in your capacity could also be your coordination.
00:03:35.443 --> 00:03:49.123
If you're doing something like teaser on the reformer, it's as much about timing the lift of your arms and legs as the strength of lifting your arms and legs through that spring resistance and lifting your legs up against gravity.
00:03:50.938 --> 00:03:54.403
Reaching your goal is about learning to fill those gaps.
00:03:54.943 --> 00:03:58.334
In that teaser example, it could be two gaps, right?
00:03:58.334 --> 00:04:00.644
It could be your coordination, it could also be your strength.
00:04:00.644 --> 00:04:02.924
It could be both of those things at the same time.
00:04:05.804 --> 00:04:08.174
Our goals give us a sense of direction.
00:04:08.204 --> 00:04:13.003
They help us identify where the gaps are and help us know where to grow.
00:04:14.024 --> 00:04:25.798
I wanna recommend that, while I love a goal and I love working towards something, I also don't want that to be the end all, be all because the goal is just a tool to direct your energy.
00:04:26.129 --> 00:04:30.059
There's more to Pilates than just a goal.
00:04:32.069 --> 00:04:41.759
But in the pursuit of that goal, there's something called the said principle and exercise said, stands for specific adaptation to imposed demands.
00:04:42.059 --> 00:04:46.709
And it means that our bodies consistently adapt to what we ask them to do.
00:04:47.278 --> 00:04:53.639
So whatever your goal may be, practicing that thing is how we get better at doing that thing.
00:04:54.884 --> 00:05:04.033
Something I absolutely love about Pilates are the echoes of shapes and so many exercises and on so many different pieces of equipment.
00:05:04.603 --> 00:05:13.093
There are many opportunities to practice the shape when you do Pilates, that challenge your coordination, your flexibility, and your strength.
00:05:13.874 --> 00:05:26.834
One of my favorite examples that demonstrates that is the exercise swan, because you can do a version of swan on the mat where your arms are supporting you and your legs and torso are resting entirely on the mat.
00:05:26.863 --> 00:05:29.353
You are mostly supported by the ground.
00:05:31.303 --> 00:05:34.903
Then you can take swan and move it to the long box on the reformer.
00:05:35.908 --> 00:05:40.603
Now your trunk is supported, but your lower legs and your head are not supported.
00:05:40.603 --> 00:05:42.644
You're now responsible for holding them up.
00:05:43.999 --> 00:05:52.939
Then we can move to the chair and Swan on the chair is supporting your hips, but your back and your legs are your responsibility to hold up against gravity.
00:05:53.538 --> 00:05:59.413
Lastly, we can move swan to the ladder barrel, which gives you an even smaller point of support than the chair.
00:06:00.168 --> 00:06:01.548
It's the same exercise.
00:06:01.548 --> 00:06:08.598
We're finding that extension in our spine, but we're changing the equipment and changing the demand on our body.
00:06:09.048 --> 00:06:16.098
As you get stronger and more coordinated, that same exercise can evolve and continue to challenge you.
00:06:17.269 --> 00:06:27.228
In comparison, the strength you're aiming to build for that pushup is there when you do bird dog and the hundred and the tricep press in coordination in hands and straps.
00:06:27.678 --> 00:06:37.819
The flexibility you're aiming to build so that you can bend over and tie your shoe is there in the rollup, in spine stretch, in scissors, in Eve's lunge.
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:48.759
Meeting our goals happens when we work towards them over time, and Pilates, especially Pilates studios provide us with accountability and consistency.
00:06:49.389 --> 00:06:55.869
Maybe you have a certain number of classes that you're doing each month, or you have a pack of classes that expires on a given date.
00:06:56.199 --> 00:07:00.369
That financial incentive can be really motivating as well.
00:07:01.309 --> 00:07:08.064
There's a saying that I live by, that we overestimate what we can do in a day, but underestimate what we can do in a year.
00:07:08.454 --> 00:07:15.053
Working towards a goal a little bit every week and every month can add up to real progress over time.
00:07:17.543 --> 00:07:24.413
As you work towards your goals, your Pilates teacher can also support you and celebrate your success along the way.
00:07:25.463 --> 00:07:46.538
We can often overlook the little improvements that we're making on our pursuit of that one big thing, and your teacher can cheer for you as the movement gets smoother as the spring tension increases or decreases, as you complete your first clunky rep of a new progression on the way towards that goal exercise or goal movement.
00:07:47.738 --> 00:07:51.968
Your teacher can also help you with the process of setting your goals.
00:07:52.269 --> 00:08:07.389
Sometimes we don't have a goal and we just go to class because we like it or it feels good, but your teacher can help you find an achievable goal that you can meet with some effort, but that you will meet, that will bolster your enthusiasm.
00:08:08.918 --> 00:08:15.038
Once you meet that goal, you can move the goalpost a little further away and continue to challenge yourself.
00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:23.619
It's such a dopamine hit when you do the thing that you wanted to do, whether it's running a certain distance or whether it's nailing that specific exercise.
00:08:24.684 --> 00:08:35.783
Speaking for myself, I am my hardest critic, and I always wanna do the thing perfectly, but my teacher lets me know that, hey, that's better than the last time you did it.
00:08:35.964 --> 00:08:38.803
You had more control, you were more coordinated.
00:08:39.043 --> 00:08:50.653
And even if it isn't meeting my standard yet, I know I'm moving in the right direction and it feels good to be acknowledged and to be seen, and that the effort doesn't go unnoticed.
00:08:52.558 --> 00:08:57.869
When you're consistent, the thing that was once impossible becomes second nature.
00:08:58.349 --> 00:09:04.399
It might take a long time and even a longer time than you want it to take, but you can get there.
00:09:05.578 --> 00:09:10.438
the real benefit of setting a goal is making the effort and working towards it.
00:09:10.889 --> 00:09:16.438
Even if you never achieve the exact thing that you wanted, you're getting stronger all the same.
00:09:16.589 --> 00:09:18.509
You're developing your coordination.
00:09:18.658 --> 00:09:26.889
You're gaining flexibility, and you're setting time aside for yourself to do something good for your body and your mind.
00:09:27.249 --> 00:09:29.198
Doing Pilates is already good.
00:09:29.198 --> 00:09:39.188
If you had no goal other than to do it, you're already doing something amazing for yourself and achieving those goals that you set is just sprinkles on your Sunday.
00:09:40.678 --> 00:09:44.969
I am curious about what goals you are working towards in your Pilates practice.
00:09:45.269 --> 00:09:49.769
Is there a particular exercise or something else that you're trying to accomplish?
00:09:50.129 --> 00:09:54.808
My current goal is to run the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago in March.
00:09:55.078 --> 00:10:04.649
That is an eight K race, and Pilates is supporting me by giving me that cross training, not running piece, keeping me strong, mobile and flexible.
00:10:07.649 --> 00:10:10.438
Huge thank you to all my supporters on Buy Me a Coffee.
00:10:10.859 --> 00:10:13.109
Thank you so much for your support.
00:10:13.288 --> 00:10:15.778
I'm looking forward to our coffee chats this month.
00:10:16.198 --> 00:10:19.229
Have a great couple weeks and we'll talk again soon.
00:00:09.374 --> 00:00:09.853
Hello.
00:00:09.853 --> 00:00:10.964
Hello everybody.
00:00:10.964 --> 00:00:18.013
Welcome and welcome back to Pilates Students' Manual, helping you get the most out of your Pilates classes.
00:00:18.263 --> 00:00:19.344
I'm Olivia.
00:00:19.794 --> 00:00:27.004
Remember, you'll get the latest updates about everything I'm working on by joining the community at BuyMeACoffee.com/OliviaPodcasts.
00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:40.359
The Book is now available for purchase as both an EPUB and PDF from me at shop.OliviaBioni.com, and on Kindle on Amazon.
00:00:42.609 --> 00:00:50.929
You can convert that EPUB or PDF into a Kindle friendly file by visiting amazon.com/sendtoKindle.
00:00:51.939 --> 00:01:00.338
Today's episode is all about the power of setting goals and also valuing the progress over the perfection in that goal.
00:01:01.014 --> 00:01:08.034
As you continue in your Pilates practice, the new year, new me energy is starting to wear off as the year continues.
00:01:08.213 --> 00:01:16.884
So the goal of this episode is to inspire you to continue your Pilates journey and appreciate the journey as you work towards those goals.
00:01:17.153 --> 00:01:26.304
And I know that appreciating the journey is like such a cliche thing to say, but it is so important in all things, but especially in our Pilates practice.
00:01:27.953 --> 00:01:39.384
Goals themselves can be a really useful tool to help motivate us to keep going, and there's so many cool and difficult Pilates exercises that would make great goals.
00:01:41.694 --> 00:01:46.674
There's the teaser, the rollup, elephant, upstretch, pikes, snake.
00:01:46.703 --> 00:02:04.998
It is completely natural to see those super cool exercises and want to do that thing, and but on your way to nailing that thing, there are so many little milestones and so much growth that you can really appreciate as you work toward that peak exercise.
00:02:05.899 --> 00:02:17.538
You may also come to your Pilates practice with a totally different set of goals, like moving with more ease, or being able to bend over to tie your shoes, or to get out of a chair without using your hands.
00:02:17.778 --> 00:02:25.218
Those are also amazing goals, and Pilates can support you on your way to reaching those goals too.
00:02:27.258 --> 00:02:33.639
Anytime you wanna do something and you can't do it, there's a gap in capacity.
00:02:34.269 --> 00:02:46.149
What I mean by that is that if there's an exercise that you wanna do and you're not able to execute that exercise, you need to increase your capacity in some way in order to do it.
00:02:47.378 --> 00:02:52.239
You have to fill in the gap from where you are to where you want to be.
00:02:54.223 --> 00:02:56.413
You may need to get stronger.
00:02:56.653 --> 00:03:04.394
For example, if your goal is to do a pushup, you need to be able to hold up your body weight in a plank before you can do a pushup.
00:03:04.873 --> 00:03:14.084
And to do that pushup, you'll need additional strength in your arms and chest to lower and lift your body weight even more than just holding that plank shape.
00:03:14.533 --> 00:03:17.413
So the gap in capacity could be your strength.
00:03:18.163 --> 00:03:19.633
It could be flexibility.
00:03:19.693 --> 00:03:30.318
If you're attempting to do the front splits on the reformer and you really wanna get that split with straight legs, you may need to increase the flexibility in your hip flexors and hamstrings to achieve that position.
00:03:31.783 --> 00:03:35.084
The gap in your capacity could also be your coordination.
00:03:35.443 --> 00:03:49.123
If you're doing something like teaser on the reformer, it's as much about timing the lift of your arms and legs as the strength of lifting your arms and legs through that spring resistance and lifting your legs up against gravity.
00:03:50.938 --> 00:03:54.403
Reaching your goal is about learning to fill those gaps.
00:03:54.943 --> 00:03:58.334
In that teaser example, it could be two gaps, right?
00:03:58.334 --> 00:04:00.644
It could be your coordination, it could also be your strength.
00:04:00.644 --> 00:04:02.924
It could be both of those things at the same time.
00:04:05.804 --> 00:04:08.174
Our goals give us a sense of direction.
00:04:08.204 --> 00:04:13.003
They help us identify where the gaps are and help us know where to grow.
00:04:14.024 --> 00:04:25.798
I wanna recommend that, while I love a goal and I love working towards something, I also don't want that to be the end all, be all because the goal is just a tool to direct your energy.
00:04:26.129 --> 00:04:30.059
There's more to Pilates than just a goal.
00:04:32.069 --> 00:04:41.759
But in the pursuit of that goal, there's something called the said principle and exercise said, stands for specific adaptation to imposed demands.
00:04:42.059 --> 00:04:46.709
And it means that our bodies consistently adapt to what we ask them to do.
00:04:47.278 --> 00:04:53.639
So whatever your goal may be, practicing that thing is how we get better at doing that thing.
00:04:54.884 --> 00:05:04.033
Something I absolutely love about Pilates are the echoes of shapes and so many exercises and on so many different pieces of equipment.
00:05:04.603 --> 00:05:13.093
There are many opportunities to practice the shape when you do Pilates, that challenge your coordination, your flexibility, and your strength.
00:05:13.874 --> 00:05:26.834
One of my favorite examples that demonstrates that is the exercise swan, because you can do a version of swan on the mat where your arms are supporting you and your legs and torso are resting entirely on the mat.
00:05:26.863 --> 00:05:29.353
You are mostly supported by the ground.
00:05:31.303 --> 00:05:34.903
Then you can take swan and move it to the long box on the reformer.
00:05:35.908 --> 00:05:40.603
Now your trunk is supported, but your lower legs and your head are not supported.
00:05:40.603 --> 00:05:42.644
You're now responsible for holding them up.
00:05:43.999 --> 00:05:52.939
Then we can move to the chair and Swan on the chair is supporting your hips, but your back and your legs are your responsibility to hold up against gravity.
00:05:53.538 --> 00:05:59.413
Lastly, we can move swan to the ladder barrel, which gives you an even smaller point of support than the chair.
00:06:00.168 --> 00:06:01.548
It's the same exercise.
00:06:01.548 --> 00:06:08.598
We're finding that extension in our spine, but we're changing the equipment and changing the demand on our body.
00:06:09.048 --> 00:06:16.098
As you get stronger and more coordinated, that same exercise can evolve and continue to challenge you.
00:06:17.269 --> 00:06:27.228
In comparison, the strength you're aiming to build for that pushup is there when you do bird dog and the hundred and the tricep press in coordination in hands and straps.
00:06:27.678 --> 00:06:37.819
The flexibility you're aiming to build so that you can bend over and tie your shoe is there in the rollup, in spine stretch, in scissors, in Eve's lunge.
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:48.759
Meeting our goals happens when we work towards them over time, and Pilates, especially Pilates studios provide us with accountability and consistency.
00:06:49.389 --> 00:06:55.869
Maybe you have a certain number of classes that you're doing each month, or you have a pack of classes that expires on a given date.
00:06:56.199 --> 00:07:00.369
That financial incentive can be really motivating as well.
00:07:01.309 --> 00:07:08.064
There's a saying that I live by, that we overestimate what we can do in a day, but underestimate what we can do in a year.
00:07:08.454 --> 00:07:15.053
Working towards a goal a little bit every week and every month can add up to real progress over time.
00:07:17.543 --> 00:07:24.413
As you work towards your goals, your Pilates teacher can also support you and celebrate your success along the way.
00:07:25.463 --> 00:07:46.538
We can often overlook the little improvements that we're making on our pursuit of that one big thing, and your teacher can cheer for you as the movement gets smoother as the spring tension increases or decreases, as you complete your first clunky rep of a new progression on the way towards that goal exercise or goal movement.
00:07:47.738 --> 00:07:51.968
Your teacher can also help you with the process of setting your goals.
00:07:52.269 --> 00:08:07.389
Sometimes we don't have a goal and we just go to class because we like it or it feels good, but your teacher can help you find an achievable goal that you can meet with some effort, but that you will meet, that will bolster your enthusiasm.
00:08:08.918 --> 00:08:15.038
Once you meet that goal, you can move the goalpost a little further away and continue to challenge yourself.
00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:23.619
It's such a dopamine hit when you do the thing that you wanted to do, whether it's running a certain distance or whether it's nailing that specific exercise.
00:08:24.684 --> 00:08:35.783
Speaking for myself, I am my hardest critic, and I always wanna do the thing perfectly, but my teacher lets me know that, hey, that's better than the last time you did it.
00:08:35.964 --> 00:08:38.803
You had more control, you were more coordinated.
00:08:39.043 --> 00:08:50.653
And even if it isn't meeting my standard yet, I know I'm moving in the right direction and it feels good to be acknowledged and to be seen, and that the effort doesn't go unnoticed.
00:08:52.558 --> 00:08:57.869
When you're consistent, the thing that was once impossible becomes second nature.
00:08:58.349 --> 00:09:04.399
It might take a long time and even a longer time than you want it to take, but you can get there.
00:09:05.578 --> 00:09:10.438
the real benefit of setting a goal is making the effort and working towards it.
00:09:10.889 --> 00:09:16.438
Even if you never achieve the exact thing that you wanted, you're getting stronger all the same.
00:09:16.589 --> 00:09:18.509
You're developing your coordination.
00:09:18.658 --> 00:09:26.889
You're gaining flexibility, and you're setting time aside for yourself to do something good for your body and your mind.
00:09:27.249 --> 00:09:29.198
Doing Pilates is already good.
00:09:29.198 --> 00:09:39.188
If you had no goal other than to do it, you're already doing something amazing for yourself and achieving those goals that you set is just sprinkles on your Sunday.
00:09:40.678 --> 00:09:44.969
I am curious about what goals you are working towards in your Pilates practice.
00:09:45.269 --> 00:09:49.769
Is there a particular exercise or something else that you're trying to accomplish?
00:09:50.129 --> 00:09:54.808
My current goal is to run the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago in March.
00:09:55.078 --> 00:10:04.649
That is an eight K race, and Pilates is supporting me by giving me that cross training, not running piece, keeping me strong, mobile and flexible.
00:10:07.649 --> 00:10:10.438
Huge thank you to all my supporters on Buy Me a Coffee.
00:10:10.859 --> 00:10:13.109
Thank you so much for your support.
00:10:13.288 --> 00:10:15.778
I'm looking forward to our coffee chats this month.
00:10:16.198 --> 00:10:19.229
Have a great couple weeks and we'll talk again soon.
