Pilates Life Studio

Meagan has done it again!

Our family photos for my graduation are so lovely. Thank you Meagan ❤️🤗

I started my journey to complete my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology university degree in January 2022. And graduated this Spring 2026.

I have been in the fitness industry as a certified Personal Trainer since 1999. I later added yoga teacher, group exercise instructor, and Pilates teacher certifications.

Through out my career I have always wanted to finish my degree in Kinesiology. I tried when my children were younger, but it was too much at that time.

So four years ago, I set out on my journey. It was challenging juggling family life, taking care of the pups, making time for dear friends, and opening the studio all while taking university classes. It has also been rewarding. I truly love learning, so I really enjoyed delving more into the science of movement.

Thank you to my family and friends for your support. As well as my fabulous clients who inspire me to teach. You make this career so worth it. I get to teach healing movement to such an amazing group of clients, you are a gift ❤️

Please note: two of the photos were taken at the commencement ceremony taken by me and my son Harrison. The rest were Meagan.

The last few photos I couldn’t help myself but post, Meagan took gorgeous photos of my pups: Cassie, Murphy, and Sophie 🥰❤️

Three years ago I came across a recent meta-analysis researching which modes of exercise reduce low back pain and wrote a short article about it.

This massive meta-analysis looked at 118 randomized control trials (RCT) of ways to reduce LBP and to determine which type of exercise is best for reducing pain and disability in adults with chronic LBP.

RCTs reduce bias and provide a rigorous tool to examine cause-effect relationships between an intervention and outcome, so analyzing 118 RCTs is an amazing way to see accurate outcomes (Hariton & Locascio, 2018).

This particular study looked at LBP and different modes of exercise:

* Stretching
* Generic strength workouts
* McKenzie method
* Aerobic workouts
* Pilates
* Core-based workouts
* Specific motor control exercises

Pilates had the highest likelihood for reducing pain (93%) and disability (98%) (Fernández-Rodríguez et al., 2022).

Full article linked in profile

Photos by

Phew 😮‍💨 we did it!

Vancouver Sun Run 10k

And even with all the amazing 58,000 runners Gwyneth (60:00) and I (59:12) were able to improve our 10k run time from last year - woot woot!!

Great start to the summer racing season 😍🤩

Thank you Vancouver Sun Run and other participants for making this event so enjoyable 🏃‍♂️ 🏃🏻‍♀️ 🏃

Awhile ago I wrote an article about a 2012 meta analysis that demonstrated that moderate intensity aerobic exercise and resistance training reduces the sensitivity to painful stimuli in healthy individuals and those living with chronic pain.

We get stronger, gain energy, fix muscle imbalances that can lead to pain and/or injury, and now we know exercise also builds our tolerance of pain.

My form of resistance training is Pilates on the apparatus. The springs, equipment, and our body weight are all forms of resistance within the Pilates system. My fave aerobic exercise is running 5k to 10k.

To read full article, link in profile.

Resources
Naugle, Kelly M., et al. “A Meta-Analytic Review of the Hypoalgesic Effects of Exercise.” The Journal of Pain, vol. 13, no. 12, Dec. 2012, pp. 1139–50. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2012.09.006.

Photo credit: and

This amazing piece of Pilates apparatus is also called a Step Barrel.

The Spine Corrector consists of a rounded surface called barrel or hump. There is a step attached to the hump, with a well and a lip. There are sturdy metal handles on each side.

The Spine Corrector was designed by Joseph Pilates to correct imbalances or weaknesses of the spine.

It’s amazing to building a strong core 🔥🔥🔥

We use it to lengthen and strengthen the torso, shoulders, back, and hips. It’s an ideal piece of equipment for aligning and mobilizing the spine while also helping to improve posture by stretching the chest.

We have six high quality Spine Correctors, one in our private studio and five in the main studio for each client in our small group Pilates apparatus classes.

Photo credit by the amazing

I LOVE doing Pilates. It feels great and does my body good. I feel muscularly connected and more flexible.

One of the main reasons I have a regular Pilates practice is the corrective aspect. Classical Pilates exercises promote optimal movement that heals and strengthens.

Due to imbalances from the way we move (or hold positions) during our daily lives, as well as, from our previous and present injuries our joints and movement patterns become misaligned.

Most people don’t think about these dysfunctional movement patterns until the misalignments began to appear as painful symptoms. It’s important to know no one moves perfectly all the time, it’s impossible! A goal for our clients is to help realign and rebalance the body to help reduce pain and discomfort and increase strength around each joint.

A 2008 study demonstrates well how important alignment is for the body for pain and strength. Link of full article in profile.

Studio photo credit:

Study:
Research Report Titled “Effect of the Scapula Reposition Test on Shoulder Impingement Symptoms and Elevation Strength in Overhead Athletes” from Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, January 2008, Volume 38, Number 1

Sam is a dear and loyal client.

She has been attending my classes since COVID time when I offered zoom Barre, MetCon (weights and HIIT cardio), and Pilates mat classes.

When I first opened the studio at our current location, Sam mainly stuck with my MetCon and Barre classes I used to offer, finding the Pilates Apparatus intimidating at first.

Knowing the amazing corrective exercise benefits of Pilates, I suggested she begin with the Foundations level to solidly learn the basics of which all the rest of the Pilates exercises are built upon.

She attended Foundations for about 6 months before moving into the next level. And now for the past year she is at a strong Intermediate level. And she has grown to love Pilates, of which makes me so happy!

Thank you Sam for your lovely testimonial!

All photos were taken by the fabulous

One of our favourite pieces of Pilates apparatus is the Arm Chair.

It’s also known as the Baby Chair because its springs are the lightest in the studio. But don’t let that fool you, this apparatus is challenging!

It strengthens the arms, upper body and core, promoting good posture (Grootenhuis & Barck, 2016). Due to the spring placement, the Arm Chair improves the functional stabilization of the shoulder joint, along with providing important feedback from the backrest. The Arm Chair teaches the two-way stretch beautifully, where we lift and lengthen to create space to breathe and lengthen the spine (Ross-Nash, 2024).

The springs of the Arm Chair are attached on the moveable backrest. The padded back of the chair moves as you move, making it an amazing piece to help you truly connect with the spring system. Additionally, it keeps the spring tension the same during the entire movement of the exercise.

We have five Arm Chairs, one for each client in our small group classes. Everyone really enjoys the Arm Chair, it brings a wonderful addition to our Reformer, Tower, Wunda Chair, and Barrel work we do.

Classical Pilates is a system. A beautifully connected method where each exercise builds upon the next. The creator, Joseph Pilates, developed Pilates with the purpose to create an uniformly developed body. Creating strength and balance in the body so that it works effectively and efficiently. Pilates is a method of corrective exercise: correcting joint strength and mobility, fixing muscles imbalances, and building a solid foundational core.

At Pilates Life Studio we respect the entire Pilates method so we provide our clients with the opportunity to workout on all pieces of equipment (called apparatus) so they can feel the beneficial effects of the entire system.

Our high quality equipment is from Tecnopilates and our photos were taken by the amazing Meagan and Erin

Resources
Grootenhuis, R., & Barck, Dr. I. (2016). The Pilates Arm Chair. Pilates Powers. www.pilates-powers.de

Ross-Nash, K. (2024). The Little White Baby Chair Book (1st ed.). https://www.kathirossnash.com