Pilates for Mental Health

Rediscovering Movement as a Path to Wellness

Pilates is more than just physical exercise—it’s a mindful practice that unites body, breath, and mental clarity. In this episode of the ANEW Insight Podcast, Dr. Supatra Tovar welcomes the founder of Ozean Pilates and Wellness, Sarah Meinert, to explore how Pilates transforms not only strength and flexibility but also mental resilience and long-term vitality.

From Corporate Desk to Pilates Discovery

Sarah’s journey into Pilates began during her years in the corporate world. Restless behind a desk, she stumbled upon a community mat class led by a powerhouse instructor in her seventies. Inspired by the physical and mental strength she witnessed, Sarah pursued certification and ultimately opened Ozean Pilates and Wellness.

Explore more about building healthy habits in Deprogram Diet Culture.

Pilates as a Mindfulness-Based Exercise

Unlike many workout styles, Pilates requires constant focus: from head-to-toe body alignment to intentional breathwork. Each inhale and exhale is synchronized with movement, creating rhythm and flow. This structure not only builds core stability but also helps quiet the mind, reduce stress, and promote resilience.

Learn how mindfulness supports emotional eating recovery in the ANEW Insight course.

Healing Through Movement: Pilates in Rehabilitation

Sarah shares powerful stories of clients recovering from surgeries, injuries, and even breast cancer treatment. Pilates provided them with strength, balance, and confidence during recovery, often complementing physical therapy. By tailoring exercises to each person’s needs, Sarah demonstrates how Pilates becomes an essential tool for both physical and emotional healing.

Dispelling Myths: Pilates vs. Yoga and Who It’s For

Common misconceptions persist: that Pilates is “just like yoga,” that one must lose weight before starting, or that it’s only for women. In reality, Pilates is distinct in its use of resistance equipment, different breathing patterns, and focus on controlled strength. It was developed by Joseph Pilates, a man, and benefits anyone—from athletes to older adults.

Pilates and Longevity: A Client’s Story Beyond 100

One of Sarah’s clients practiced Pilates into her 90s and beyond, ultimately living past 100. The practice kept her strong, mentally sharp, and resilient to falls. Pilates challenges balance, builds muscle around joints, and stimulates the mind—all crucial factors for healthy aging. As Sarah notes, longevity thrives when movement is consistent and joyful.

For deeper strategies on supporting lifelong wellness, visit the ANEW Insight Podcast page and explore expert interviews.

Practical Takeaways: Why Pilates Belongs in Your Life

  • Mind-Body Connection: Breath and movement align to support focus and clarity.
  • Injury Recovery: Gentle yet powerful exercises rebuild strength post-surgery or illness.
  • Misconceptions Debunked: Pilates is for everyone, regardless of weight, gender, or fitness level.
  • Longevity Support: Balance and cognitive engagement promote independence as we age. 

Want to transform your relationship with movement and food together? Start with the Deprogram Diet Culture course or dive into the book for a step-by-step framework.

Pilates is more than a workout—it’s a pathway to mental health, resilience, and long-term vitality. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, seeking mental clarity, or striving to age with strength, Pilates offers tools to support every stage of life.

👉 Listen to the full conversation on the ANEW Insight Podcast.
👉 Begin your wellness transformation with the Deprogram Diet Culture course.
👉 Prefer a book in hand? Get Deprogram Diet Culture.

Here is the Full transcript: 

00:00:02:02 – 00:00:04:15

Welcome to the ANEW Insight podcast

 

00:00:04:15 – 00:00:08:08

empowering and inspiring your journey

to optimal health.

 

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Hosted by Doctor

Supatra Tovar, clinical psychologist,

 

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registered dietitian, fitness expert

and author of Deprogram Diet Culture:

 

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Rethink Your Relationship with Food,

Heal Your Mind, and Live a Diet Free Life.

 

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I follow my guests’ journey

to optimal health,

 

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providing you with the keys

to unlock your own wellness path.

 

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Tune in and evolve with us.

 

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Hello

and welcome to the ANEW Insight podcast.

 

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I am doctor Supatra Tovar,

and I am thrilled to have founder

 

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of Ozean Pilates and Wellness,

Sarah Meinert, with us today.

 

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Sarah, welcome.

 

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Hi. Thank you for having me today.

I’m so excited to be here.

 

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So excited for Sarah to be here.

 

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As you have probably seen

in the previous, ANEW Body Insight

 

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podcast episodes, we have a really amazing

network of Pilates instructors.

 

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We’ve all remained friends even though

some of us are not working at ATP anymore.

 

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Sarah and I used to work together

as Pilates instructors,

 

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and we are so excited to have her on

because we’re going to be

 

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linking Pilates with mental wellbeing,

 

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mindfulness, all sorts of things

that we haven’t talked about before

 

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and why Pilates is so important,

 

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as an exercise form for mental health.

 

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Before we get into that,

I am going to read a little bit

 

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about Sarah, and then I’m going to just

drill her with a bunch of questions and

 

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put her in the hot seat. So

 

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Sarah Meinert is the founder of Ozean

 Pilates and Wellness, a wellness

 

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studio dedicated to enhancing

both physical strength and mental clarity

 

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with a passion for movement

as a core pillar of overall well-being,

 

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Sara believes in the transformative

power of Pilates not only to improve

 

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physical health, but also to foster

 

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resilience, mental focus, and longevity.

 

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At Ozean, Sarah’s philosophy

 

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is rooted in integrating mind body

wellness into daily life,

 

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promoting holistic well-being

for individuals of all backgrounds.

 

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Sarah, I’m

so excited that you’re here today.

 

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This is so great.

 

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We haven’t seen each other probably

in like over ten years, which is insane.

 

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But we’re we’re on social media.

 

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It’s just kind of like we see each other

all the time.

 

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But Sarah, I’ve actually never known

 

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what inspired you to go into,

 

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you know, Pilates, movement in general.

 

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What is your background?

What inspired you?

 

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I’ve always loved movement, I’m a big fan of that.

 

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A fan of exercising.

 

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I, believe, I got into Pilates

 

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as I was working in the corporate world,

 

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sitting behind the desk, I get very antsy

 and I need to move.

 

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So I was always up and down, walking around.

 

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And I saw there was a Pilates class at a park and rec.

 

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So I was like, you know what?

 

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I’m gonna see what this is all about.

 

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I went to the class, it was just a mat class.

 

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The instructor she was probably like in her 70s 

and she just kicked butt.

 

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And I was like in my, probably start

in my early 20s.

 

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And I was like, how can this lady be

 so much better at all

 

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these exercises than me, as you know,

as a 20 year old person you think you can do everything.

 

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And so I asked her what she did,

you know, what

 

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she went through to become kind of a

certified Pilates instructor.

 

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And she kind of just led me on this path.

 

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And I just did the researching and I just

 

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got certified through vasi, which I love,

 

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and I just kind of grew from there.

 

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And, you know, my love of dance,

I think it just incorporated it all.

 

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I love that.

 

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What were you doing in

the corporate world before?

 

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I was working

 

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at the mortgage company.

 

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Oh.

On the collections side.

 

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[laughter]

 

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I was admin, but. Yeah. So.

 

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And then the market crash kind of happened

and I was already on the path towards Pilates

 

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and getting certified.

 

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And I saw the market

and what was happening,

 

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and I was like, okay, this is my time to

 

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transition to a new career.

 

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Exactly. 

 

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And so that’s what I did.

 

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Well, tell me, for you personally,

 

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you know, if

if it’s so important for you to impart

 

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that Pilates provides

you such mental clarity and mental health,

 

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tell our listeners what happened for you

 

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when you started your Pilates practice.

 

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Like personally, for your mental health,

for your physical wellbeing, all of that.

 

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Good question.

 

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I think it just gave me a time

where I could focus,

 

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on myself

and kind of see what was going on

 

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maybe internally,

what things maybe I’m struggling with.

 

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And I found that I could just kind

 of get away and have a little bit of

 

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peace from the outside world and 

become a stronger individual.

 

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Yeah,

 

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that’s I think what what happened for me

is, you know,

 

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I grew up with athleticism

as a part of my background,

 

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but never really stuck

to a particular sport or an exercise.

 

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When I found Pilates, I was like,

oh my goodness.

 

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There’s one thing

 

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that’s been consistent in my life since

I went to that class that one time at the park and rec,

 

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I’ve just never stopped.

 

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A completely addicting form of exercise, and I think,

 

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and we’re going to get into this,

but because of what it provides for you

 

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as far as clearing your mind,

because it is a mindfulness

 

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based type of exercise,

and we’re going to talk about that,

 

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it also strengthens

you like nobody’s business,

 

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especially if you are trained under

somebody who’s a powerhouse.

 

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And people and ATP.

 

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You know, the reason why we’re all friends

is we’re all very similar.

 

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And we really love to,

you know, strengthen people.

 

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On top of that, it helps with stretching.

 

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It keeps you flexible.

 

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It is the perfect exercise form

for longevity as well.

 

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And we’re going to get into that.

 

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So Sarah,

you built Ozean Pilates around the belief

 

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that movement is key

to overall well-being.

 

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So explain a little bit more.

 

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We’ve just talked a tiny bit about it,

but how Pilates plays

 

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a role in both physical and mental health.

 

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Well, like you were saying,

I think there is that

 

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mind body, body, spirit

 connection that is so important in Pilates.

 

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And when you go through your certifications, 

you learn like of that foundation,

 

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that’s where I think 

 

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you can get, you know, your clarity,

 

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You can get a physical part of it.

 

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It’s just it’s all around encompassing good.

 

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Yes, absolutely.

 

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I absolutely believe that,

 

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you know, Pilates in and of itself,

 

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just the way that it’s structured,

 

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provides that like mental

 health and wellness,

 

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but give a picture of exactly

how it might do that.

 

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Like if you’re in an exercise,

 

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what does the breath’s role play

 

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in helping with your mental clarity?

 

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I think even going through an exercise,

 

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I’m always going from

 

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like the head down to my toes kind of

what’s supposed to be engaged?

 

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What muscle groups are working?

 

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How is it alignment now?

 

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You know, once

I get all that checked through

 

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and then it’s like,

okay, now the exercise can begin.

 

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Inhale and then I exhale like execute the exercise.

 

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And just keeping that pattern and that rhythm.

 

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Which also is important in Pilates, It talks

about the rhythm and flow

 

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of the exercises and I think

just keeping that throughout helps.

 

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Exactly.

 

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So the breathing is in alignment

with the movement.

 

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So how does the movement itself contribute

to mental clarity and resilience?

 

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What do you think?

 

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Why do you think it’s

it’s often overlooked in,

 

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you know, wellness routines?

 

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It is also I, overlooked 

in a lot of wellness routines.

 

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And I think the fact that

 

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it’s just not talked about 

 

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 how important,

 

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the mental health, or even brain health

 

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Is in an individual,

 

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and how movement can help those things.

It’s gonna create the blood flow, it’s gonna

 

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make you happy, it’s gonna do 

all these things that incorporate

 

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better. Yes. Movement.

 

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And I think that type of movement.

 

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So give a give a picture.

 

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We have, you know, for anyone who’s not

 

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at all

 

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versed in

Pilates, give a picture of the equipment

 

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and the types of movement

that you can do on the equipment.

 

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Gosh, you can do lots, movement

 on the equipment.

 

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Joseph, he created

 

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so many exercises classically

for each repertoire

 

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or each apparatus,

 

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on the mat  as well.

 

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You can

 

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you know, you have like

 

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the equipment that looks you know, as

 

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people say very you know, like,

 

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bedrooms, or like dungeoness

 

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you know devices.

 

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But, you know, you can take all 

the exercises that you do on each of the equipment,

 

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you know, like,

if you do footwork on the Cadillac

 

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you can do footwork on the reformer, 

you can do footwork on the

 

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Wunda Chair

you can take all the exercises that you do

 

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on each piece of equipment

and transfer them to each piece.

 

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And then you can even incorporate

that into mat, and vice versa.

 

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And when you look at the exercises

as they progress, you can see

 

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how they build on each other.

 

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And it’s like, oh, here’s,

you know, rolling like a ball,

 

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well we have rolling like a ball, it’s actually

 

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a combination of this 

exercise and this exercise.

 

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And then we get into Boomerang.

 

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And it’s a combination

of all these other exercises.

 

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So you see that

there’s the building of this

 

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foundation that he created

which is kind of interesting

 

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to learn, and kinda dissect

when you teach more.

 

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Yes. And just so you know,

 

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he created, this equipment, I believe,

when he was in rehab, in a hospital,

 

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I believe, during World War two,

I believe

 

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correct me if I’m wrong, people,

you can always, like, put.

 

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There’s a lot of different stories or.

 

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Yeah. So

 

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what what is your knowledge

 

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as far as how he created the equipment,

why they use springs.

 

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It’s really interesting.

 

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I learned or heard through the grapevine

in Pilates world,

 

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That he, he was

 

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Training the troops in Germany.

 

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That the German army of also a to continue training

 

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the troops and he refused that.

 

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He built a lot of these things

in the concentration camps that he was at.

 

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And so you, you know, that’s why some

 

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of these things look like mattresses and

beds, especially if you look at old videos.

 

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and I think

 

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you know, it

just the pulley system also he used

 

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and springs

because people were amputees.

 

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So people didn’t have 

you know like an arm arm, they only had one arm

 

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So you could still do exercise with

 

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one arm with the spring.

 

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Right. So that’s where I kind of

 

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heard or found that he incorporated those things.

 

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Right.

 

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So you, you look at the equipment,

it looks weird.

 

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But then you can see if it was built

out of beds,

 

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hospital equipment, things like that.

 

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Like oh I kind of get it now.

 

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There’s the reformer,

which is the classic piece of Pilates equipment

 

00:12:01:03 – 00:12:02:04

that most people know.

 

00:12:02:04 – 00:12:05:16

It looks like a flat bed that you lay on.

 

00:12:06:01 – 00:12:07:11

You know, if you’re doing footwork

 

00:12:07:11 – 00:12:10:18

that moves back and forth

using spring resistance,

 

00:12:11:05 – 00:12:12:21

then they have what’s called the Cadillac,

 

00:12:12:21 – 00:12:15:21

which looks more like

kind of a traditional bed.

 

00:12:15:21 – 00:12:18:10

And it’s got like four posts.

 

00:12:18:10 – 00:12:19:21

Yeah. And a canopy.

 

00:12:19:21 – 00:12:21:05

And you can like hang

 

00:12:21:05 – 00:12:24:15

from the top of the canopy and there’s

all sorts of different exercises

 

00:12:24:23 – 00:12:27:02

you can do on that piece of equipment.

 

00:12:27:02 – 00:12:31:02

And then there’s the Wunda Chair,

which is, you know, looks like a chair.

 

00:12:31:02 – 00:12:33:04

It has spring resistance.

 

00:12:33:04 – 00:12:34:13

If you’re sitting on it.

 

00:12:34:13 – 00:12:37:00

That’s what you would do your footwork on.

 

00:12:37:00 – 00:12:38:17

It’s it’s really interesting equipment.

 

00:12:38:17 – 00:12:41:07

Plus there’s all sorts of smaller

apparatus

 

00:12:41:07 – 00:12:44:12

that, that

you can incorporate into Pilates.

 

00:12:44:18 – 00:12:47:19

So I think one of the greatest things

about Pilates,

 

00:12:47:20 – 00:12:49:01

especially if you’re doing it in

 

00:12:49:01 – 00:12:53:07

studio, is the variety of exercise

that you can do.

 

00:12:53:16 – 00:12:57:12

But there’s also mat work,

and both of us started.

 

00:12:57:15 – 00:13:00:15

I started just doing a Pilates video,

 

00:13:01:06 – 00:13:05:05

Anna Koban, she was in my first Pilates

video, and I was like, oh, I’m hooked.

 

00:13:05:07 – 00:13:05:20

That’s it.

 

00:13:05:20 – 00:13:10:09

And then I just met, Tracy at ATP

and just was like, I’m hooked.

 

00:13:10:16 – 00:13:12:09

I need to do this forever.

 

00:13:12:09 – 00:13:13:07

It’s amazing.

 

00:13:13:07 – 00:13:15:21

So it is so versatile.

 

00:13:15:21 – 00:13:19:15

And that’s why you never really get bored

when you do this,

 

00:13:19:15 – 00:13:24:05

because there’s so many different things

that you can do and really does

 

00:13:24:05 – 00:13:28:14

transform not just your body,

but also just your mental health.

 

00:13:29:00 – 00:13:33:05

So can you give me, a success story

of someone you’ve trained,

 

00:13:33:09 – 00:13:38:14

someone who may have had, difficulties

in movement or an injury and,

 

00:13:38:14 – 00:13:42:11

and take us through

how you helped them heal or recover.

 

00:13:43:07 – 00:13:47:18

Well, there’s many stories that I’ve, 

success stories

 

00:13:47:18 – 00:13:53:15

with the clients doing with rehab,

or having some type of injury.

 

00:13:53:15 – 00:13:55:14

I would say that,

 

00:13:55:14 – 00:14:00:01

a good success story is I’ve had a lot of,

a few clients who’ve had

 

00:14:00:01 – 00:14:03:01

breast cancer, and having

 

00:14:03:01 – 00:14:07:00

they’ve always said, having Pilates as

part of their unit, their team,

 

00:14:07:00 – 00:14:09:01

when their either been diagnosed

 

00:14:09:01 – 00:14:10:09

and they go through 

 

00:14:10:09 – 00:14:13:09

and after especially the rehab of 

 

00:14:13:21 – 00:14:18:00

getting back into society

and getting, just feeling more comfortable

 

00:14:18:00 – 00:14:19:23

that Pilates has been the key thing

 

00:14:19:23 – 00:14:22:23

that’s really helped them mentally

and physically

 

00:14:23:23 – 00:14:28:04

get through the transition of 

that hardship they’ve had to deal with.

 

00:14:28:04 – 00:14:29:16

Oh my goodness.

 

00:14:29:16 – 00:14:32:21

Did you have to adjust and alter

 

00:14:33:09 – 00:14:37:07

their routines

based on, you know, their recovery?

 

00:14:37:13 – 00:14:41:11

Yes, because they’re depending on

where the incision was.

 

00:14:41:11 – 00:14:45:13

And just, their healing process

and what they were comfortable doing.

 

00:14:46:08 – 00:14:49:02

You have to take time

to kind of build back

 

00:14:49:02 – 00:14:52:19

up to where they were. I had a client

that she was, well, advanced,

 

00:14:53:04 – 00:14:55:21

and then all of a sudden, 

getting the news of

 

00:14:55:21 – 00:14:57:02

the breast cancer,

 

00:14:57:02 – 00:14:59:10

then ahving to go through the rehab,

 

00:14:59:10 – 00:15:02:00

and then it was like,

okay, now we have to build back

 

00:15:02:00 – 00:15:05:11

now we have to get that side of stronger,

what do we need to do?

 

00:15:05:11 – 00:15:08:11

We need to change the routine

a little differently we to focus more maybe

 

00:15:09:00 – 00:15:13:10

on arms and stretching and getting these things,

and also having her

 

00:15:13:22 – 00:15:17:01

have the ability to talk to me

and me giving suggestions

 

00:15:17:11 – 00:15:21:11

with other, you know, modalities

or other practitioners that she could

 

00:15:21:11 – 00:15:25:22

get involved with for some of her pain 

or discomfort, like massage

 

00:15:26:21 – 00:15:29:21

or even just topicals that she can use

 

00:15:30:13 – 00:15:33:09

really helped her I think

go through the process.

 

00:15:33:09 – 00:15:36:22

Wow. And I think people may not know this,

 

00:15:36:22 – 00:15:40:19

but Pilates is used often in conjunction

with physical therapists.

 

00:15:41:05 – 00:15:44:16

And a lot of physical therapists

are actually trained in Pilates.

 

00:15:45:00 – 00:15:49:16

So give a kind of a picture of what

injuries can be healed using Pilates.

 

00:15:49:16 – 00:15:51:05

I know there’s so many.

 

00:15:51:05 – 00:15:52:23

Just give a picture.

You don’t have to tell them all.

 

00:15:55:04 – 00:15:56:03

So many,

 

00:15:56:03 – 00:15:59:03

I’ve done, I’ve rehabed through a hip surgeries,

 

00:15:59:05 – 00:16:01:16

Knee surgeries,

 

00:16:01:16 – 00:16:05:11

ankle, plantar fasciitis as you know

is very common.

 

00:16:05:11 – 00:16:09:02

Just like shoulder issues.

 

00:16:09:02 – 00:16:10:09

Just little tweaks or anything.

 

00:16:10:09 – 00:16:13:22

I had a client that you know, all

of the sudden he said his knee was kind of tweaking,

 

00:16:13:22 – 00:16:17:17

and he’s like, loves to play softball,

he’s in a softball team.

 

00:16:18:10 – 00:16:20:08

And we’ve been rehabbing

 

00:16:20:08 – 00:16:22:20

You know, certain things

and working on his form

 

00:16:22:20 – 00:16:25:03

and maybe looking at things

structurally that

 

00:16:25:03 – 00:16:29:16

maybe he’s just like all of a sudden

this element has come arise

 

00:16:29:16 – 00:16:30:21

because of certain things.

 

00:16:30:21 – 00:16:35:03

Now it’s like, well,

this is so much better now because of Pilates

 

00:16:35:03 – 00:16:37:13

and I like to have the client

 

00:16:37:13 – 00:16:39:23

take away something,

you know, like work on something

 

00:16:39:23 – 00:16:44:01

it’s like I’m here with you or,

you know, an hour to two hours a week,

 

00:16:44:19 – 00:16:47:01

but the rest of the time

you have to be accountable

 

00:16:47:01 – 00:16:49:10

and you have to do

some of these exercises,

 

00:16:49:10 – 00:16:52:04

you know, that I’m giving you

because I want you to do better.

 

00:16:52:04 – 00:16:55:17

I want you to be able 

to succeed in life and to do these

 

00:16:56:18 – 00:16:58:04

activities you love to do.

 

00:16:58:04 – 00:17:01:04

And if you aren’t thinking or not like

 

00:17:01:06 – 00:17:04:06

aware of these things, then I’s not going

to be of any use to you.

 

00:17:04:06 – 00:17:05:15

Exactly.

 

00:17:05:15 – 00:17:08:15

So what do you think some of the greatest

 

00:17:08:15 – 00:17:11:03

misconceptions about Pilates are?

 

00:17:11:05 – 00:17:15:00

Oh, there’s so many, so 

many misconceptions about Pilates.

 

00:17:15:00 – 00:17:17:10

One is, as you’ve

probably always heard, it’s

 

00:17:17:11 – 00:17:20:11

 it’s like yoga.  Isn’t it yoga? Yes.

 

00:17:20:11 – 00:17:24:15

Another one is I have to lose weight

in order to start Pilates.

 

00:17:25:09 – 00:17:28:16

It’s like, did you lose

weight when you wanted to go to the gym?

 

00:17:28:19 – 00:17:31:04

No you didn’t. You just started

with the trainers. The same thing.

 

00:17:31:04 – 00:17:32:22

We’re trainers.

 

00:17:32:22 – 00:17:36:22

You know, we might not call ourselves trainers,

 but we’re instructors, we’re practitioners.

 

00:17:38:15 – 00:17:42:14

Another one is, you know, Pilates 

isn’t for men. Yes.

 

00:17:42:14 – 00:17:45:21

Well, Joseph was a man, and he

invented it. Yes.

 

00:17:46:07 – 00:17:49:07

I don’t think he would like that. [laughter]

 

00:17:49:10 – 00:17:51:19

So yeah, just, you know,

those are just a few.

 

00:17:51:19 – 00:17:52:12

Totally.

 

00:17:52:12 – 00:17:55:00

I always hear Pilates and yoga.

 

00:17:55:00 – 00:17:56:00

They’re the same.

 

00:17:56:00 – 00:17:59:15

Can you please tell people how they are

not the same at all.

 

00:17:59:15 – 00:18:02:00

There’s so many differences.

 

00:18:02:00 – 00:18:05:17

There are so many differences, 

probably too many to name.

 

00:18:07:05 – 00:18:11:14

I feel in yoga, there is, it’s more,

there’s a set flow,

 

00:18:12:06 – 00:18:13:20

Ra routine that you’re going through,

 

00:18:13:20 – 00:18:17:12

and it doesn’t really vary much

 

00:18:17:20 – 00:18:18:23

through that sequence.

 

00:18:18:23 – 00:18:21:22

And I build, 

 

00:18:21:22 – 00:18:23:11

clients that I’ve had do yoga,

 

00:18:23:11 – 00:18:25:00

who are hyper mobile,

 

00:18:25:00 – 00:18:26:17

who don’t know they have hyper-mobility,

 

00:18:27:03 – 00:18:28:06

they think yoga’s like great,

 

00:18:28:06 – 00:18:31:20

but they’re just sitting in their joints

and not really even stretching,

 

00:18:31:20 – 00:18:33:14

like the muscle, they’re just stretching

 

00:18:33:14 – 00:18:36:17

the tendons and just hanging out.

And when they learn

 

00:18:38:05 – 00:18:41:05

how to use their muscle

or that they are hyper-mobile

 

00:18:41:09 – 00:18:44:17

and what they need to do and where

they need to be in space, it changes it.

 

00:18:44:17 – 00:18:48:03

And so when they come to Pilates and

they learn these things and they’re using

 

00:18:48:03 – 00:18:53:14

the resistance, which, you know, you don’t necessarily in yoga because your not having the equipment.

 

00:18:54:16 – 00:18:57:11

It changes how they, their body feels.

 

00:18:57:11 – 00:19:02:09

And they’re like, oh, this is totally different 

than just going through those stretches.

 

00:19:02:11 – 00:19:03:17

Right, right.

 

00:19:03:17 – 00:19:09:01

And I think even the breathing

can be opposite of what we see in Pilates.

 

00:19:09:01 – 00:19:14:09

You may inhale on a move in yoga where you

be exhaling on a move in Pilates.

 

00:19:14:18 – 00:19:18:11

And I think there is kind of that,

 

00:19:18:16 – 00:19:21:13

celebrity

 

00:19:21:13 – 00:19:24:23

tinge to Pilates

is why a lot of people think, oh,

 

00:19:24:23 – 00:19:28:18

I have to look a certain way before I do

Pilates.

 

00:19:28:18 – 00:19:31:21

And no, no, no, you don’t know you.

 

00:19:31:21 – 00:19:35:05

Anyone, anyone from maybe ages

 

00:19:36:16 – 00:19:40:03

11 and up, depending on their height,

 

00:19:40:05 – 00:19:43:18

because you have to be a certain height,

to do some of it.

 

00:19:43:18 – 00:19:46:03

But you can do mat work at any age.

 

00:19:46:03 – 00:19:50:06

Anyone can do Pilates, and anyone can get

 

00:19:50:21 – 00:19:53:07

so many of the benefits of Pilates.

 

00:19:53:07 – 00:19:57:02

And I think that’s what I want to promote,

is it’s not just a female,

 

00:19:57:17 – 00:19:59:11

exercise form.

 

00:19:59:11 – 00:20:01:15

And it is very difficult.

 

00:20:01:15 – 00:20:04:07

It is very challenging,

especially if you’re a man.

 

00:20:05:20 – 00:20:06:12

You know, you can

 

00:20:06:12 – 00:20:10:08

really build strong muscles around joints,

 

00:20:10:15 – 00:20:15:03

and that can only help you better

in other exercise forms as well.

 

00:20:15:23 – 00:20:18:21

So let’s go and pivot to longevity.

 

00:20:18:21 – 00:20:20:14

You emphasize longevity.

 

00:20:20:14 – 00:20:25:12

So how can movement, in particular

Pilates, support healthy aging

 

00:20:25:19 – 00:20:28:19

and prevent decline in mobility?

 

00:20:29:12 – 00:20:32:12

Yes. I have a great example

 

00:20:32:12 – 00:20:34:22

of longevity.

 

00:20:34:22 – 00:20:37:22

I had a client who, 

 

00:20:38:17 – 00:20:42:19

We’ve gone to the studio with me, and she’d

been on the equipment, but she was 95.

 

00:20:43:07 – 00:20:46:05

Whoa. When she came to the studio.

 

00:20:46:05 – 00:20:49:04

And then she had her,

 

00:20:49:06 – 00:20:51:21

couldn’t drive anyone to the studio, so,

 

00:20:51:21 – 00:20:54:01

 then Covid kinda came about.

 

00:20:54:01 – 00:20:55:23

And so we started doing in-home.

 

00:20:55:23 – 00:21:01:23

Right, so three times a week during Covid,

I’d go to her home, and we would do Pilates

 

00:21:02:13 – 00:21:03:16

on the floor or,

 

00:21:03:16 – 00:21:06:17

you know, standing work.

 

00:21:07:17 – 00:21:10:00

and she did Pilates

 

00:21:10:00 – 00:21:13:00

up until probably a week before she passed.

 

00:21:13:13 – 00:21:17:10

Wow. She lived to a little bit over a hundred

 

00:21:17:10 – 00:21:19:15

doing Pilates three times a week.

 

00:21:19:18 – 00:21:22:02

She had limited,

 

00:21:23:03 – 00:21:23:13

falls.

 

00:21:23:13 – 00:21:27:18

I think she only kinda had a little fall

 getting out of bed and she hurt her wrist.

 

00:21:28:23 – 00:21:31:10

But she healed wonderfully,

 

00:21:31:10 – 00:21:34:06

And she still continue to do Pilates,

even though she had like

 

00:21:34:06 – 00:21:37:06

her little wrist cast

on from her injury.

 

00:21:37:08 – 00:21:41:12

I would make her get up and down

 on the ground to do Pilates

 

00:21:41:12 – 00:21:43:04

people would be like, oh my gosh

 

00:21:43:04 – 00:21:45:22

I can’t believe you’re making this 99 year

old woman

 

00:21:45:22 – 00:21:47:16

get down on the ground, I said

 

00:21:47:16 – 00:21:49:02

you have to do something.

 

00:21:49:02 – 00:21:50:21

What if she felt? What if she was by herself?

 

00:21:50:21 – 00:21:55:04

She need to know these things

and she would do 12 of everything.

 

00:21:55:12 – 00:21:58:04

Count everything out.

We did full body workout.

 

00:21:58:04 – 00:21:58:22

She did weights

 

00:21:58:22 – 00:22:00:02

She did therabands.

 

00:22:00:02 – 00:22:02:03

She did balance work.

 

00:22:02:03 – 00:22:03:16

And I truly believe,

 

00:22:03:16 – 00:22:06:07

and even her family was like, I, you know

 

00:22:06:07 – 00:22:10:10

we believe because she did Pilates

that she extended her life,

 

00:22:10:18 – 00:22:14:04

that she didn’t have these injuries

that most people do

 

00:22:14:04 – 00:22:18:18

when you get to this age. And cognitively

too, we would talk about things.

 

00:22:19:05 – 00:22:22:12

And she was still very witty and stuff

until, up until

 

00:22:22:14 – 00:22:23:22

the day she passed.

 

00:22:23:22 – 00:22:27:02

Yes. Those things

that the mental and physical

 

00:22:28:21 – 00:22:30:03

contribute to

 

00:22:30:03 – 00:22:32:05

Yes. That longevity of her life. Absolutely.

 

00:22:32:05 – 00:22:35:20

And learning

something new is one of the keys

 

00:22:35:20 – 00:22:39:08

to keeping,

you know, cognitive decline at bay.

 

00:22:39:16 – 00:22:43:00

So whatever your age is,

but especially as you’re getting older,

 

00:22:43:07 – 00:22:44:23

you need to be doing new things.

 

00:22:44:23 – 00:22:46:20

You need to be challenging your mind.

 

00:22:46:20 – 00:22:49:07

You also need to be challenging

your balance.

 

00:22:49:07 – 00:22:53:01

And balance is one of the greatest

contributors to decline.

 

00:22:53:18 – 00:22:55:16

If your balance is poor when you’re older.

 

00:22:55:16 – 00:22:59:00

And Pilates is amazing for that

because there’s

 

00:22:59:00 – 00:23:02:12

so many exercises you do while balancing.

 

00:23:02:18 – 00:23:08:22

So we could go on and on and we’re

going to in the next half of this episode.

 

00:23:08:22 – 00:23:13:10

But for now, Sarah, thank you so much

for joining us for this half.

 

00:23:13:17 – 00:23:18:00

We’re getting a real deep dive

into the intricacies of Pilates,

 

00:23:18:08 – 00:23:20:00

and I’ve really wanted to do that.

 

00:23:20:00 – 00:23:23:08

And Sarah’s the perfect expert for that.

 

00:23:23:08 – 00:23:27:07

So make sure you join us for

the second half of this incredible episode

 

00:23:27:12 – 00:23:32:07

with founder of Ozean

Pilates and Wellness, Sarah Meinert.

 

00:23:34:00 – 00:23:37:05

Thanks for tuning into 

the ANEW Insight Podcast.

 

00:23:37:05 – 00:23:39:21

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00:23:39:21 – 00:23:44:17

is for entertainment purposes only, 

and does not constitute medical advice.

 

00:23:44:17 – 00:23:47:13

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00:23:47:13 – 00:23:50:02

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00:23:50:02 – 00:23:54:23

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00:23:54:23 – 00:24:02:22

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