Have you ever experienced aches and pains that do not seem to come from any identifiable cause? Sometimes, the issue is a weak core. The core, which includes the abdominal and pelvic muscles, can lose strength over time if you spend much of your day sedentary. Connecting with your core to increase strength, flexibility, and range of movement is a great place to start for relieving chronic pain, improving your ability to do your favorite tasks, and keeping your body strong for life.
RTR Pilates is proud to offer multiple workshops to help our participants achieve better relationships with their bodies. From calming breathwork that reduces stress and tension to mobility and strengthening workshops, we provide the tools you need to stabilize your pelvic floor and bring your body into unity with itself. You can enjoy less pain and discomfort when your muscles work in harmony.
Monthly Wellness Spotlight: Breathwork Workshops
RTR Pilates hosts monthly guided breathwork sessions to help you reset and restore. Breathwork is shown to decrease cortisol (the stress hormone), reducing tension in the muscles. It is also effective as a mood booster.
What if your primary focus is pelvic floor issues? Breathwork can help here, too! Deep breathing into the belly can stretch the pelvic floor, releasing muscle tension to decrease pain.
Our August breathwork workshop is on August 23rd at 3:30 PM in Potomac. Itfeatures End-of-Summer Reset: Breathwork for Calm & Clarity with Christy Lee (Reiki Master and founder of Energy Works Body). Here, you can learn core-linked breath drills to support your Pilates practice.
Bring your yoga mat, sleep mask, pillow, and blanket for maximum comfort.
Why Breathwork?
Breathing deeply has profound physical effects on the body. It can reduce heart rate and blood pressure by easing demands on the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the fight-or-flight response. Similarly, this activity wakes the parasympathetic system, promoting calm and relaxation. Breathwork’s effect on the body can translate to one’s mental wellness by reducing the cascading physical effects that can contribute to anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and prolonged stress.
If you have never tried breathwork before, that is all right! Whether you would like to try it for its benefits for your core or as a means of finding mental peace, our workshops are beginner-friendly.
Featured Workshops
In addition to our normal breathwork group, RTR Pilates is also offering more workshops in the future.
Unlock Your Swing: Mobility for Tennis and Golf
When: Sunday, September 14th | 12:30 PM
Where: Vienna Studio
Who: Natalie Rackstraw, PT (Primary Motion Physical Therapy)
What You’ll Do:
- Joint-mobility drills personalized to your serve and backswing: Tennis and golf swings rely on smoothly functioning joints to transfer maximum force to the ball. Working your joints can strengthen them, supporting powerful, accurate hits.
- Flexibility exercises to enhance swing mechanics: Even a smooth swing will do little if your range of motion is small! Flexibility allows you to stretch further, creating a larger arc that transfers more power to the ball.
- Injury-prevention strategies: Golf and tennis involve twisting and repeated joint use, which can lead to injury when the surrounding musculature is weak. Strengthening the body can decrease the risk of injury, so you can confidently enjoy your sport.
- Pilates-inspired movement to boost athletic performance: Your entire body participates in sports, and you should take time to support all of it. Pilates can help with everything from twisting and bending to building greater oxygen endurance.
Who It’s For: All levels; ideal for tennis and golf enthusiasts
More Info: primarymotionpt.com
Why You’ll Love It
Even if you are unsure whether these workshops could benefit you, come give them a try! Pilates is great at working muscles you did not know you had. Often, these are small support muscles that are neglected during other types of exercise. Stabilizer muscles play an essential role in health, supporting your joints and bones by holding them firmly in place.
Issues with the core often originate from weak muscles, which allow the pelvis to tilt because strong muscles are not supporting it. Pair Pilates’ muscular support with the tension relief and muscle activation of breathwork, and you can quickly see the difference!
Join Our Reformer Pilates Workshops
Connecting to your core and moving confidently is pivotal for lifelong health, comfort, and athletic performance. Pairing monthly breathwork with our specialty workshops gives you a holistic path to core strength, stress resilience, and sport-specific mobility. You’ll leave feeling empowered, aligned, and ready to move with confidence on the reformer, on the court, or out on the green.
Spaces are limited; reserve your spot soon! Contact RTR Pilates today to get started.