Author: RTR Pilates

Tis the Season for Pilates: Gift Ideas They’ll Actually Love

Tis the season to frantically Google gift ideas…or is that just us?

The holiday season is a wonderful time to spend with friends and family, but for most people, gifts can be a major stressor. It’s a fine line. You want your gifts to be useful…but not boring-useful (no one wants a vacuum cleaner).
For the fitness-lover or aspiring Pilates enthusiast in your life, we’ve got some suggestions for holiday gifts your loved ones will actually want. Fun, beautiful, thoughtful gifts that they’ll use in the new year, with no cleaning products in sight.

Let’s dive in and discover amazing gifts that will make this holiday season extra special. And if you think a loved one would like more than one of these products, why not make them a Pilates-themed gift bag?

All of these gifts can be found in the retail sections of our five studio locations across the DMV!

1 . Fun, Functional Grip Socks

We know, we know – socks? For a holiday gift? It’s a bit on the nose. But the Tavi grip socks we carry in our studios aren’t just regular socks. Grip socks are a safety requirement in all of our studios, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring.

Tavi grip socks are a fun and functional Pilates accessory, ideal for practitioners at every level.

2. Bala Bangles

Bala Bangles are perfect for intermediate-advanced Pilates enthusiasts who want to push themselves to the next level with just a bit of added resistance.

Beyond Pilates, these weighted bands can be added to any workout routine, from Yoga to cardio. Bala Bangles add a constant but comfortable resistance to your workout.

3. MoveActive Light Resistance Band

We LOVE this resistance band from MoveActive. With a thicker band made from a cotton-blend fabric, this light resistance band is great for working out without constantly trying to avoid slipping or band rolling (if you know, you know). It’s perfect for Pilates, lower body training, and HIIT workouts, and it takes up practically zero space.

Don’t take our word for it – check out the online reviews!

4. Pilates Reformer Mat

Extra grippy and easy to clean, a Pilates Reformer Mat is a great gift for reformer Pilates lovers at any level. They provide an extra layer between you and the reformer with added grip and padding, while also acting as an easy-to-clean surface that is just for you (aka, no more sweating directly onto the reformer). Whether it’s a vegan leather or natural cork mat, these mats from MoveActive are a quality gift for anyone with a reformer Pilates studio membership.

5. Winter Athleisure Apparel

Let’s be honest. When it’s mid-January, dark at 4:30 pm, and freaking cold, it’s hard to convince yourself to leave the house. Warm, cozy athleisure apparel is fashionable, comfortable, and just motivating enough to get you out of the house for some much-needed exercise.

Whether it’s an elegant matching set or the softest quarter-zip pullover, RTR Pilates stocks winter apparel that will take you from your couch to the studio to anywhere life takes you. It’s a thoughtful gift for a little comfort this winter.

Stop by any of our studio locations to find gifts that give a little extra comfort this winter.

6. RTR Pilates Class Packages

RTR Pilates class packages are the PERFECT gift for the aspiring fitness enthusiast in your life. With RTR Pilates, you can gift someone an introductory month of unlimited classes for just $129, as well as monthly memberships, a class package, or a single drop-in.

Now, this gift is amazing, but a quick reminder: no one wants to be told they should work out more if they haven’t expressed any interest in fitness (we’re just trying to prevent some arguments here).
A class pass is the ideal holiday gift for:

• College students home for the holidays
• Your loved one who wants to spend more quality time with you (workout buddies are the best buddies)
• Yogis who want to build up their strength
• Sport-lovers recovering from injury
• Athletes who want to cross-train
• A family member who’s expressed interest in trying Pilates
• At-home mat Pilates practitioners
• Someone with a fitness goal as their New Year’s resolution

Bonus tip: for the ultimate gift, combine an introductory membership with the accessories they need (grip socks, apparel, etc.) to create the perfect present with zero added work for the receiver.

Visit our website or stop by any of our studios in person to give the gift of Pilates this holiday season!

RTR PILATES MEMBERSHIPS & PACKAGES

From stylish apparel to essential Pilates accessories and introductory packages, we have everything you need to make this holiday season unforgettable. Visit us today to celebrate the season of giving with gifts that celebrate the amazing people in our lives.

Why Pilates is the Ultimate Confidence Booster

We talk a lot about the physical benefits of regular Pilates (there are a lot!) but there are also incredible mental benefits that come from a regular Pilates practice. One thing that we see in our clients is the confidence that comes from regular Pilates.

Pilates is a fantastic boost for your self-esteem, for a whole host of reasons. It’s a combination of dedicated self-care, healthy habits, decreased anxiety, and the satisfaction of feeling your body become stronger over time.
Let’s talk about some of our favorite confidence-boosting effects of Pilates, and how to maximize these effects for even more pep in your step!

7 ways that Pilates can boost your self-esteem

1. Regular endorphin hits

Exercise releases some amazing feel-good hormones, and it compounds when we make exercise a habit. Regular exercise not only gives us a mood boost through the so-called “exercise-high,” but also from the hit we get from completing a habit loop. Habit loops, coined by Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habit, are cues in our brain that reward routine and cues. And when we feel good, we feel more confident.

2. Increased body awareness

Pilates helps us to become more aware of our bodies, and to appreciate what our bodies can do. In class, you spend an hour focused on paying attention to your body and exploring your own strength. This makes us more grateful for our bodies, which is a huge confidence boost.

3. Decreased anxiety

Regular exercise in general can lead to reduced anxiety and depression, which decreases stress and increases self-esteem. But did you know that Pilates specifically has demonstrated a correlation with reduced anxiety and depression?

A 2017 study showed that just eight weeks of regular Pilates is correlated with reduced levels of anxiety and depression and improved quality of life.

4. Increased energy levels

When you feel fatigued all the time, it’s a lot harder to feel happy with ourselves. And while exercise can be tiring in the moment, it actually increases your energy levels over time.

Numerous studies have researched the relationship between exercise and fatigue or energy levels, and they all suggest that there is a correlation between physical activity and a reduced risk of experiencing feelings of low energy and fatigue.

5. Mindful breathing & focus

Our day-to-day lives are full of distractions, from work and school to binge watching on Netflix. In Pilates, attending a class means that you have an hour of uninterrupted focus on the present moment.

In class, we focus on synchronizing our breath and our exercises. Mindful breathing is an amazing way to reduce stress, which of course makes us feel better. And when we spend an hour focused on our bodies, we feel more at home in our bodies, too.

6. Better posture

Pilates is all about posture. When you find yourself standing up straighter, it helps you feel more confident. The way we hold ourselves has a big impact on the way we feel.

Plus, with better posture and spinal alignment, we can reduce or even eliminate many of the aches and pains we experience on a daily basis. And when you feel good, you feel more confident, too.

7. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone

We’re often not aware of everything our bodies can do. Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone (in a supported environment) is a huge confidence boost. It gives us more faith in ourselves and our abilities. It shows us that we are more capable than we know. All of these things are an amazing self-esteem boost.

Boost your confidence even more with clothing that makes you feel good

The clothes we wear have a huge impact on how we feel. When we wear clothes that make us feel confident, it can change our whole outlook on life.

Both in our studio locations and online, RTR Pilates carries athleisure brands with a range of accessories and styles to make you feel your best both in and out of the studio.

Stop by our studios or shop on RTR’s online retail store to discover your new favorite workout clothes!

SHOP RTR RETAIL HERE

What do Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, and Rich Beam have in common?

As professional golfers, these athletes all know the same thing: that pilates is a fantastic cross training tool for any golfer looking to improve their game and prevent injuries.

So how exactly does pilates help golfers improve their game, and how can you integrate it into your exercise routine? Let’s talk about it.

“Golfers of all levels find that consistent Pilates practice improves their games and reduces pain and injuries.” – the PGA

Rotation, strength, and stability

An effective full-body workout, pilates builds strength, flexibility, and control of the body through concentration, alignment, and breath work. This is incredibly important in any sport, but especially for golf.

Your golf swing is the result of a complex system of muscles working together to produce a force. It requires a tremendous amount of self-awareness and control in order to build muscle memory and precision in your game.

While golf is a relatively low-impact sport, it also stresses the body in unique ways – due to its repetitive and asymmetric force on the body, many golfers experience increased injuries on their weaker side. Common injuries in golf include issues related to the back, shoulders, elbows, hands, and wrists. In order to prevent injuries that would keep them off the green, many golfers turn to pilates.

Pilates is a full-body conditioning exercise centered around the concept of balance and alignment. Many of the movements in our classes focus on core strength, which is a key component not only to eliminate back pain, but also to provide a crucial foundation of control that can separate the amateurs from the pros.

When your core is strong, your back doesn’t take the brunt of your movement. You have better control and a stronger center of gravity. When you move from your core, you initiate every swing from the same place, which leads to a better, more consistent game.

When you have a strong core, you can increase the force of your shots without sacrificing accuracy.

And it’s not just about the force of your swing – pilates’ focus on posture can reduce lower back strain, and improved shoulder stability can alleviate common shoulder, wrist, and elbow pains.

“Pilates lengthens and strengthens muscles while building a uniformly developed balanced body, focusing on core strength – abs, gluteals, lower back, pelvic muscles, inner thighs, and intrinsic, deep stabilizers throughout all joints of the body. Pilates is whole body exercise just as the golf swing is.” – Mike Wright and Lynda Lippin, ‘Pilates and Golf: A Perfect Match’

Exercises that work

As in golf, pilates is not about having the biggest muscles. It’s about control – control over your movement and control over your mind.

In our classes, we help clients increase self-awareness and focus on creating a stable body. A stable body consists of everything from balance and coordination to posture, endurance, and muscle tone. We work to develop both sides of the body equally, and many of the exercises in our studios seamlessly integrate into any golfer’s workout routine!

Our bridging exercises strengthen the core, while standing leg splits improve balance. Rotational exercises can help with following through on your swing, and our rotator cuff exercises build strength in the rotator cuff.

No time, no problem.

One of the best parts about pilates is its efficiency – in just one hour, you go through an effective full-body workout that targets every muscle group. So whether your schedule is crazy or you prefer to spend all your time on the green, pilates is the perfect way to cross-train without taking away from the other priorities in your life.

Here at RTR Pilates, we offer more than 300 classes/week, varying from 6:15am – 7:15pm. So no matter where you are or when you have the time, there’s a class that can work with your schedule.

Join us today and go from bogey to birdie in no time! Get your first month of unlimited classes for just $129.

Across the DC Metro area, only 10% of businesses with 5 or more employees are owned by women.

That’s just wild.

There are a plethora of systemic and historical factors that go into this statistic. According to the DC Policy Center, women entrepreneurs are more likely to be denied bank loans ****or receive lower levels of credit when they first try to establish their business (and these barriers to entry are even further exacerbated for women of color). Until 1988, many states would not let a women apply for a business loan without a male relative as the co-signer.

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition also found that COVID-19 disproportionately affected women business owners, who were more likely to take on the majority of child-rearing responsibilities during the pandemic than their male counterparts.

At RTR Pilates, we are so proud to support our clients across all walks of life, whether they’re a small business owner, student, CEO, or full-time parent. We believe in creating supportive communities where individuals can thrive.

As a business deeply dedicated to our communities, we are thrilled to be included in Bethesda Magazine’s “Women in Business” **September issue, alongside other incredible women-owned businesses in the DMV area.

Get the full issue here!

Our founder and CEO Reina Offutt started RTR Pilates in 2006. While she normally loves to work behind the scenes and let her classes speak for themselves, we’re so proud to see her recognized in the community, amongst so many other amazing entrepreneurs. And with 15 years of experience and a business with 5 studio locations across the DMV, we agree that Reina’s worth celebrating!

Alongside her profile in Bethesda Magazine, we sat down with her to talk about how RTR Pilates began, how it evolved, and the most important things Reina learned along the way. ✨ “I was raised by a single mom whose perspective was ‘let’s figure it out.’ I learned early on to see opportunities instead of obstacles.” – Reina Offutt

How RTR Pilates Began

Reina founded RTR Pilates more than 15 years ago as Potomac Pilates. As a young instructor, she observed the lack of studios in the Potomac area, and saw it as an opportunity to fill a hole in her community. So with her undergrad in electrical engineering and a passion for Pilates, Reina merged her systems education with the science of anatomy and Pilates in order to achieve the most efficient full-body workout possible, and leased a studio space in Potomac that would become RTR’s first location.

Every small business has its challenges (or, in Reina’s words, “opportunities”), and that includes RTR. Reina experienced first hand the struggles and nuances of success as a woman business owner. When she signed the lease for her first RTR studio, she couldn’t sign the lease on her own – her husband had to co-sign.

Early in her business, she struggled to balance the community-minded goals of her business with the concept of a profit-driven business. But as RTR grew and more studio locations opened, Reina found that smart business practices supported not only her family, but her entire community. A financially-sound business could do more to support its employees, give back to the community, and plan for the unexpected.

This became especially apparent in the past few years.

Between 2020 and 2022, 30% of fitness studios in the United States closed due to COVID-19, and more than 1.5 million industry professionals lost their jobs.

Creating a brighter future

Despite fitness studio closures across the DMV, all of our locations survived throughout the pandemic, and today RTR Pilates is now thriving and growing into a stronger, more mission-aligned brand. ✨ “You can teach a lot of things, but you can’t teach kindness. So when you find someone who is kind – whether it’s a peer, employee, or friend, hold on to them. The right people with find you if you lead with kindness” – Reina Offutt

This is also demonstrated in Reina’s efforts towards building a culture of growth and aspiration in her team. RTR Pilates has a comprehensive training program to prepare and empower instructors to succeed from day 1. Even after instructors graduate and begin teaching, Reina is dedicated to helping them succeed and build a sustainable career.

Moving forward, Reina anticipates an increased focus at RTR to foster upward mobility for her staff, including more benefits, higher pay, and a path towards growing a well respected fitness career.

Success is more than just one thing

✨ “As a woman and a mother of two teens, my success isn’t all financial. I  will always measure my quality of life by  the time I get to spend with those that I love. And I measure the success of my business by the happiness of my clients.”

We love that for Reina, success isn’t just one thing. It’s not just profit, or studio locations. It’s about the happiness of her clients, her ability to help her community, and the quality time she gets to spend with her family.

Like so many others in the DMV, Reina is really, really busy. To stay on top of her hectic life, Reina’s a big proponent of healthy habits, strong boundaries, so she’s not always accessible after work and on the weekends, and always has the tools on hand to adapt to a consistently inconsistent life.

Check out Reina and other women in business in Bethesda Magazine’s September issue!

Rock the Reformer With Us

Join our community today, and discover how RTR Pilates can help you thrive!

Join Us as We Build a Stronger Community

We love our community – we are lucky to have such amazing instructors, clients, and partners in our community who are passionate about giving back to local causes.

Over the past few years, we have been lucky enough to be able to give back – and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

As a local small business itself, RTR Pilates focuses our philanthropic efforts on local, grassroots organizations, so we can build a stronger community across the DMV – together.

It’s all thanks to you.

All of our charitable efforts and contributions are a direct result of you, our community. Many of our clients come to RTR out of a desire to improve their own bodies, minds, and lives. Through the network of amazing people in our classrooms, we have also learned about the causes near and dear to your hearts.

Because of you, we have been able to participate in a number of events benefitting local organizations in and around our studios.

In the past year, we supported Families4Families, a DC-based non-profit that was founded as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic to help families combat food insecurities. We also recently hosted an event with Second Genesis, a local foundation dedicated to the prevention and treatment of addiction in the greater DC area.

Thank you for your continued support of RTR Pilates – thanks to your continued loyalty, we have the opportunity to give back to incredible organizations like Families4Families and Second Genesis.

Upcoming Events

If you would like to join us for in-person events and help us build a stronger community, we are welcoming volunteers and participants for our Fall events:

Back to School

Legends Charter School is a K-8th grade educational institution that focuses on empowering students through financial literacy, providing a high-quality education for students in Prince George’s County.

Join us for a Stuff the Backpack campaign, where we’ll provide critical back to school resources for students that will help them start the school year off with everything they need to succeed.

Puppies & Pilates

We are partnering with the Humane Rescue Alliance to host a Puppies & Pilates class this fall. All proceeds from the event will go to HRA, an organization dedicated to rescuing and caring for animals in need, as well as pet adoption, increasing access to low-cost veterinary services, and community education.

Donate Now

We know our clients have crazy schedules – from work to kids to their own philanthropic efforts. If you would like to join us in supporting these organizations, monetary contributions are just as important as your valuable time.

Click here to donate to Legends Charter School.

Visit the Humane Rescue Alliance website and learn how you can donate your time or financial support.

Most workout classes out there focus on the bigger muscle groups: legs, arms, glutes, abs, back. Pilates does that too – oh, you’ll feel it in class.

But here at RTR, we know that the body is more than just the major muscle groups. Our body is an interconnected unit of bones, ligaments, muscle, and tissue. That’s why we often start our classes by activating our foundation of movement with footwork.

In our daily lives, we often overlook the feet as a muscle group to activate or strengthen. We spend our days with our feet strapped down and tied into shoes, which are great for protection and style. But all that time in shoes turns your complex system of bones and muscle into one movement sector and can under-develop parts of your feet, which can lead to issues that affect the rest of the body.

In every RTR class, we work without shoes. This one action immediately wakes the foot and its different focus points, from your heel and arch to the ball of your feet and toes. We also often begin class with footwork to further support this foundation. Our exercises help build strength, mobilize the ankle, and support the knee and hips.

Why do issues in the feet affect the rest of the body?

When we develop imbalances in our feet, that energy travels up the leg and into the spine off-balance; we’re placing a disproportionate amount of stress on one area, which then overworks that section and under-develops others.

This imbalance can lead to overpronation or underpronation (supination), which are both caused by underdeveloped muscle groups.

Pronation is just the natural movement of our feet when we walk, run, and go about our daily lives. When your foot is overpronated, your ankle moves too far downward and inward when you step. This can lead to excess rotation of the tibia, which increases your risk of shin splints and knee pain.

On the other hand, when you experience underpronation, often called supination, your foot rolls outward as you walk, which places extra stress on the outside of your foot and your smaller toes. This motion can increase the risk of a number of issues, including:

• Ankle injuries,
• Plantar fasciitis in your feet,
• Achilles tendonitis in your ankles,
• And pain in your thighs and hips from Iliotibial band syndrome.

We use our entire skeletal and muscular structure of our bodies to create balance, and it starts with our feet. When you don’t take care of your feet, your body will let you know.

Preventing injuries

Many classes at RTR begin with footwork to support and activate the various muscle groups in our feet. These exercises alleviate stress, build strength, and help mobilize the ankle, knee, and hips, which in turn improves flexibility, balance, and the ability of the ankle joints to absorb stress.

Through our classes, we wake up the foot so it becomes a balance center, rather than a source of imbalance.

Immediate results

Beyond long-term injury prevention, pilates also provides immediate benefits you can feel. During footwork, many of our clients experience an immediate release in the feet, which then activates the calf and shin muscles, quads, and leg extensors. This focus provides increased mobility, as well as a relaxing sensation in areas that are often overstressed.

Footwork also represents a valuable mental benefit for our classes. By focusing on control at the beginning of class, footwork also functions as a centering exercises that brings our clients into a deeper awareness of their control over their body.

This awareness helps Pilates practitioners build a greater understanding of their body throughout their daily lives, supporting their overall health and wellbeing.

See the results for yourself

Join our community at RTR Pilates and see the results of footwork (and a fantastic whole-body workout) for yourself. Get your first month of unlimited classes for just $129!

Sources: https://www.verywellfit.com/pronation-definition-3436329#citation-3

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-foot-supination

Are You Ready to Turn Your Passion into a Career?

Become a Certified RTR Pilates Instructor today!

What if you could find a career that fills you with joy? A career where you feel connected to your community, and know that you are making a direct impact in the lives of others?

If you love Pilates and making people’s lives better, then becoming an RTR Pilates Instructor could be the career you’ve been looking for. Here at RTR, we build environments where people can thrive, from our clients to our instructors.

No matter your career, lifestyle, age, gender, or background – if you want to connect with others and serve your community, then we can’t wait to meet you.

The benefits of becoming a Pilates instructor

Especially in the DC area, careers are often built around corporations. These can be incredibly rewarding careers in their own way, full of challenges and growth.

Here at RTR, we embrace challenge and growth as well, but the differences we make are tangible, and our instructors get to see the impact they have in our community every single day.

With five locations around the DMV, we support a vibrant community. Through Pilates, we help wellness-minded adults combat pain, manage stress, strengthen and restore their bodies, and empower themselves in all aspects of life.

Alongside a career based in connection, training to become a Pilates instructor with RTR will provide you with a thorough understanding of anatomy, Pilates, and effective teaching methods. Our certification program will prepare you to become a confident, effective instructor, and our focus on sustainable careers provides long-term career opportunities.

What sets our training program apart

Crafted and taught by our founder, Reina Offutt, the RTR training program teaches the essence of what it takes to help people transform their bodies and their lives.

While most instructor training programs only focus on teaching exercises by muscle groups, we take that focus and add in the a bit of engineering. Through our unique training program, we empower instructors to create programs that integrate their own style and personality with efficient flows and effective exercises.

Our 8-week training program is designed to maximize impactful instruction through a combination of online and in-person modules. With 80% of our training program available online, our instructors can study when it works for them, whether it’s after class, before work, or anytime in between.

Because of our hybrid instruction model, we are able to dive deeper in the classroom, with more 1-on-1 attention for our students and expert instructors. During our in-person instruction, you’ll learn how to teach, level up or down a class, and implement modifications, alongside a detailed understanding of human anatomy.

Once you’re ready, we’ll gradually introduce classroom instruction and lead up to a capstone community class, so you feel confident and supported every step of the way.

If our program sounds like work – it is!

We want you to feel totally confident and capable of handling whatever a class throws your way. Our programs are intense, because they’re designed to prepare you as an instructor from your very first class, not after six months of teaching.

It’s work, but it’s also a whole lot of fun, and the end result is a prepared, empowered you.

Build a sustainable career with RTR

If you’re ready to turn your passion into your profession, RTR will give you the skills, structure, and opportunity to craft a Pilates career that honors both your needs and your gifts. Beyond a rigorous program that prepares you to be a fantastic instructor, we also provide our team with sustainable career options, so you can build the life you want.

Many studios focus on Pilates as a side hustle – something to augment your day-job. And at RTR, it certainly can be! But we also intentionally provide an employment structure and schedule that makes Pilates attainable as a full-time career.

For full time instructors, we provide health insurance, a 401(k) plan, and opportunities for administrative hours, so you can have a professional salary with a lifestyle job. We also develop our schedules for full-time instructors to teach 5 days a week, in 4-6 hour days.

We work with our team to build schedules that don’t cause burn out – because Pilates is meant to build people up, and that includes our instructors.

Are you ready?

RTR Pilates’ instructor training program occurs twice a year, with our next training program scheduled to kick off in early September.

Apply Now

Our day-to-day lives can get crazy busy – trust us, we know. When work piles up, mid-terms are looming in class, your kid’s pick up is in a hour, and you haven’t figured out dinner or slept all week, it can seem impossible to do all the things you need to do. The power of habits can make all the difference when it comes to giving into burnout vs. staying on track towards our goals.

When our lives are hectic, it becomes even more important to take care of ourselves with healthy habits like good sleep, exercise, and eating food that fuels your body. These practices are powerful methods to support your mind, body, and spirit, especially when everything else in life seems up in the air.

That’s where habit loops come in.

How To Make Your Habits Work For You

When it comes to healthy choices, like getting enough sleep, eating vegetables, and exercising every day, the best habits form when you make it as easy as possible to say yes. Yes to getting 8 hours of sleep, yes to drinking enough water, yes to fitting in a couple Pilates classes this week.

But what do we mean when we say, “make it easy to say yes?”

We have a limited amount of willpower throughout the day, and a limited amount of time. If we have to go out of our way to make healthy choices, then it’s that much harder to do everything we want to do.

Instead, make it easy to say yes to healthy habits by building them into your day. When we make habits automatic, we create “habit loops.”

Habit loops, coined by Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habit, are neurological cues in our brain that reward routine and cues, so that when we encounter a specific circumstance, our brain cues up the habit response, such as “drink water,” “take a walk,” or “time for bed”.

We can trigger these habit loops by building flexibility into our daily lives and creating environments where we can say “yes” to healthy routines, such as:

• Meal prepping one day of the week, so it’s easy to have healthy meals on hand
• Keeping a pair of sneakers at home and in your car, so you can take a walk whenever you have 20 minutes to spare
• Having multiple water bottles and bring one with you wherever you go, so you can stay hydrated
• Finding a flexible workout you love, so you can fit it into your schedule whenever you can.

If you make it as easy as possible to follow healthy practices, then it is that much easier to integrate them into your life, and create balance in an unpredictable day.

Pilates Fits Into Every Lifestyle

When it comes to creating consistent habits that support a healthy lifestyle, Pilates is a fantastic exercise. It’s an efficient, whole body workout that you can complete in an hour, and it not only increases strength and mobility, but also helps to manage stress and prevent injury.

Here at RTR, we’ve worked to remove as many barriers as possible to joining a class, so it’s easy to say yes to your health and wellness.

With five locations across the DMV, we’ve purposefully chosen locations that are 20 minutes apart. We offer more than 300 classes/week, varying from 6:15am – 7:15pm. All of our class packages apply to any class in any RTR studio location, and we’ve focused our membership pricing towards making regular classes affordable, with both monthly class packages and student pricing.

So no matter where you are or when you have the time, there’s a Pilates class that can work with your schedule.

Join us today and learn how RTR Pilates fits into your consistently inconsistent life.

Get your first month of unlimited classes for just $129, and start building healthy habits with us today. Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you!

Creating a place to thrive

Since our first studio opened in 2006, RTR has always focused on creating an environment where communities can thrive. From our training programs to class structures, we’ve put decades of research into making every class that much more effective, efficient, and engaging for our clients.

The end result is an intuitive, challenging Pilates experience that will keep you coming back for more, whether it’s your 1st or 100th class.

What makes RTR so different

We believe that the best classes come from studios that support confident, empowered instructors.

So that’s what we do.

Through our unique training program, we empower instructors to create programs that integrate their own style and personality with efficient flows and effective exercises. While most instructor training programs only focus on teaching exercises by muscle groups, we take that focus and add in the a bit of engineering.

We focus on how to create a more efficient class, and as a result, a more efficient workout.

Rather than grouping exercises by muscle group, which can have you twisting, turning around, and changing spring loads every two minutes, our engineer Pilates programs focus instead on building exercise flows based on direction and spring load. By building the class around direction, we save valuable time and allow for more exercises within a single class. This focus results in a more challenging workout with more exercises in the same time period as a traditional studio class.

Intentional inconsistency that keeps you engaged

Because of our unique, science-driven program, you’ll find challenging workouts at each of our five studios, whether you always take the 9:00am, or fit in whatever class whenever you can.

We all know that boredom is the kiss of death in any exercise routine – we need excitement, challenge, and creativity to keep us engaged in healthy habits. Just like you wouldn’t want to eat the same meals every day for the rest of your life, it’s important to create a similar variety in your exercise routines.

In most traditional Pilates studios, you’ll find the same 3 or 4 classes on repeat every week. But our bodies are smart, and they adapt quickly to stress. If we repeat the same 3 or 4 classes every week, our muscles will grow used to them, and so will our minds. Variety is key to keeping our bodies and brains engaged, so that we can build long-term, sustainable habits that foster a healthy lifestyle.

That’s why here at RTR, we take pride in knowing that no two classes are the same. Our instructors bring their own spin to RTR’s science-backed techniques and flows to build whole-body workouts that continuously challenges our clients.

So no matter what class you attend, you’ll always find an efficient, effective class, with an expert pilates instructor ready to help you become the healthiest version of yourself.

About RTR

RTR Pilates is the premiere DMV community for wellness-minded adults who want to combat pain, manage stress, strengthen and restore their bodies, and empower themselves in all aspects of life.

I focused on developing a Pilates class based in science and designed to achieve the most efficient full-body workout possible.

17 years and five RTR studios later, the result is Pilates, engineered.“ -Reina Offutt, founder and owner of RTR studios

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When Joseph Pilates created Contrology – what would eventually become Pilates – during World War I, he was not thinking of women specifically, or ballet dancers at all.

He first began developing his program training male wrestlers and boxers. He rigged springs to hospital beds, enabling bedridden patients to exercise against resistance. It was this innovation that led to his later equipment designs, and eventually to Pilates as we know it today.

Later, when his first studio shared an address with the New York City Ballet, the practice evolved to support injury recovery and prevention for many of the dancers. From this early development, Pilates grew as a stereotypically feminine exercise.

But come to an RTR studio today and we’ll show you – there’s nothing easy or “feminine” about our Pilates classes. Pilates is a whole-body workout that improves strength, mobility, and core control: all things that lead to a healthier you, regardless of age or gender.

The Benefits of Pilates for Men

Most men find Pilates because of an injury that prevents them from doing the exercises or sports that the love. And many of Pilates’ original ballet dancers loved the exercise for the same reason so many men find it beneficial to their health today: Pilates focuses on holistic stretching and strengthening, which can eliminate aches and pains associated with aging or injury.

But don’t mistake Pilates for an easy class: it’s freaking hard.

Athletes love Pilates because it integrates a challenging, whole-body workout with exercises that support long-term health.

Pilates classes spend significant time on exercises that alleviate issues related the hamstrings and lower back. Our instructors integrate hamstring flexibility exercises and hip mobility movements throughout class.

But many people don’t realize that the glute muscles are also critical to supporting the knees and hamstrings. The body is an interconnected unit, and the exercises we do in class to strengthen the glute are more than just for show. A strong glute takes pressure from the knees and hamstrings, creating a balanced lower body that redistributes stress away from common pain points.

Similarly, Pilates’ emphasis on plank exercises builds abs alongside a stronger back, creating balance in the body that can prevent lower back pain. And all that torque and rotation on the reformer? It builds elbow and shoulder strength, too.

By addressing specific muscle groups, our exercises result in an overall stronger you.

An inclusive, challenging environment

RTR Pilates is the premiere DMV community for wellness-minded adults who want to combat pain, manage stress, strengthen and restore their bodies, and empower themselves in all aspects of life.

We focus on creating an inclusive studio environment and fantastic workout for clients of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. But we also focus on the science of exercise. Here at RTR, our proprietary, science-based method combined with the Allegro II Reformer delivers an effective whole-body workout, every time.

So, whether you want to add some variety in your workouts, alleviate aches and pains, or become a healthier version of yourself, we’re here to help.

You don’t have to age in pain, or live with body aches, or only do painful exercise programs. Through our engineered Pilates classes, we’ll lead you through movements that create strength and balance. And at RTR, we help our clients build an awareness of their bodies throughout life, not just in class.

The end result is a stronger, happier, healthier you.

Give the Gift of RTR this Father’s Day!

Ready to share Pilates with the amazing fathers in your life? Look out for our fathers day flash sale!