Have you ever left one of our reformer classes wishing the end stretch was just a little longer? Well, so have we and that’s why we’ve added on a dedicated stretch class to our Pilates of Charleston group class schedule. Join us Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 AM for 50 minutes of restorative, guided stretch where you’ll have a chance to give the muscles you may have worked during one of our traditional group or jump board classes a little extra love, as well as pay special attention to any problem areas that may have recently effected your workout regime. We designed our stretching class for our amazing clients to not only feel the benefits of stretching, but to also designate time out of their hectic schedules to take care of key places in their body. Stretch classes are conducted on the reformers and we do make use of a variety of props as we see fit, to help us deepen the stretch and make positions feel more enjoyable. Oh, and did we mention that there are some lavender eye pillows involved at the end of stretch classes? Um humm….

In our stretching class, we’ll also go through a series of motions that will help relieve any lower back (lumbar) pain or tension that might be occurring in your body. Stretching your lumbar spine also helps loosen up any tightness in your muscles, allowing your spine’s blood circulation to pump up more quickly. The lumbar spine refers to your lower back area, specifically where your spine starts to curve inward from your abdomen area. The lumbar spine connects to the thoracic spine and is known for its ability to be both powerful and flexible. Your lumbar spine is responsible for your pelvic tilting and accommodates rotation and lateral flexion. All that responsibility gives the lumbar spine a heavy weight to bare – both literally and figuratively! Our stretch class will not only give your lower back some love, but your entire mind and body too! If you need an additional push to start stretching with us, check out some of what stretching it out does for you:

Gets you Standing Upright! Pilates + stretching = perfect posture. Pilates exercises already work to lengthen and strengthen your muscles, adding on a designated stretching workout to your routine can only take your posture to the next level! Tight hamstrings? We promise that those hammies will be shown some love during each of our stretch classes. Length and flexibility in the back of the leg is so important in the overall spine health, so we make sure that hamstring stretching is always at the forefront of our stretch classes.

Gets you Protected. When your muscles are “cold” or uptight, injuries are more likely to occur during your workout. Keep yourself loose and warmed up throughout the week and never worry about trying out one of those accelerated reformer moves again.

Gets you Stress Free. When you’re stressed, so are your joints and your blood flow. Stretching works against the stress and increases blood circulation. As soon as your blood gets pumping, your brain will too! Similar to a calorie burning workout, this stretching workout will give you that same endorphin release, leaving you feeling strong and ready to conquer the day.

These are only some of the abundant health benefits stretching has. We’d be happy to tell and show you the rest in one of our stretch classes! Katie teaches the Monday 9am stretch class and Elizel teaches the Wednesday 9am stretch class. So please stop by and stretch it out with us. We promise you’ll be as hooked as we are!