Client Inspiration – Beth

One of the reasons I love my job so much is that I get to be inspired by my clients!  I want to share these stories with all of you.  

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Beth Pite.   She started Pilates in 2007, and it’s her 10 year anniversary!  A friend gave her a gift certificate thinking she might enjoy it. Beth thought it would be a great way  to flatten her stomach. Boy was she in for more than she bargained for!

Beth takes privates, 2 times a week.  Over the last 10 years other than taking a few weeks off here and there for vacations, Beth has been extremely dedicated to her Pilates practice. She rarely misses a session and always tries to reschedule when conflicts arise. Her consistency has paid off in more ways than she could imagine and has been a major factor in her success.

Beth values her private sessions and Pilates Defined because of the personal attention she receives. Every session is tailored to what she needs that day. She appreciates the one on one watchful eyes of her instructors and knows that they insist on her getting the details perfectly and there is absolutely no chance of cheating!  For Beth, Pilates has become part of her routine and is just as important as brushing her teeth. She couldn’t imagine living without it!

What benefits or improvements has Beth noticed from doing Pilates?   Short answer….she grew a whole inch!  At least her spine lengthened and postured improved so she stands up taller an inch!  She has gained strength and flexibility and has improved her sense of balance, but Beth’s biggest accomplishment is her kinesthetic confidence. Beth never considered herself an athlete but now she knows she is fit!  For Beth, learning Pilates has been like learning a new language.  Even though she still calls herself a klutz, she has gained confidence with edges and stairs and things athletic.   She even challenges her physical abilities now.

She actually told me a story about how one day she was entertaining and carrying a fairly large heavy tray will all sorts of bowls of food outside. She tripped on an edge of a step and immediately went down. BUT, she barely hit her knee and the bowls on the tray stayed perfectly balanced. Not only did she not hurt herself, but she didn’t even drop anything! When she told me this story she said “I have no idea how nothing really happened!” But I said, “I know! Your Pilates saved you!” Her improved sense of balance and strength gave her body the support she needs to hold the tray in place without gravity letting anything actually hit the ground. As her Pilates instructor, this made my day because it proved that all the work we do in the studio is paying off in her real life.

Does Beth have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?    Short spine on the reformer of course! But she also loves all of the hands on assisted stretches on the cadillac – things you can’t do by yourself which is another bonus of private sessions.  She has also loved to value simple things like the foot wakers. Beth is impressed by all the things Pilates has taught her that she would never have known about or understood their impact.

I asked Beth what she would say to someone who is thinking about starting Pilates?   DO IT! Go somewhere where the instructors are experienced and give lots of personal attention. Privates are invaluable.

I asked Beth to describe Pilates Defined in three words.   Caring, Expert, Effective

Why does Beth inspire me?   When I first started teaching pilates I had visions of classes filled with fit, athletic bodies doing advanced. fancy exercises. After all, these were the bodies I was used to being around, dancers and athletes. Bodies that had very strong kinesthetic awareness. The first time I heard a client tell me they didn’t feel anything in their body while doing an exercise, I had no idea what they meant. How could they not feel their own body? I soon learned that there are lots of bodies without this awareness and it was a real paradigm shift for me.

My vision of those advanced classes has shifted dramatically as now I am constantly inspired by the every day bodies building better awareness, improving posture, creating balance and living without pain.  To hear Beth say that she went from feeling non-athletic to fit and strong inspires me to go to work every day.  She may have started her Pilates journey by thinking that all she was going to work on was flattening her stomach but instead she has gained confidence,  strength and awareness in ways she never even knew could exist for her. And I couldn’t be more proud!