Briana learned a new exercise this week!
I have been waiting for the right time to introduce the Pilates reformer to Briana. Unlike the tower, which is stable, the reformer is unstable. On the reformer, there is a small mat (a bit less than three feet in length) that is connected to springs and glides back and forth. I knew that the movement of the mat would be challenging because Briana would need strength to be able to shift her weight and move into position correctly. The small surface means that coordination and control are necessary to simply get on the mat before starting any of the exercises. If Briana got scared or frustrated and lost control, she would be at risk of falling off the side of the mat and injuring herself and me.
Getting off the reformer is even more challenging. To get up, Briana needs abdominal strength and the ability to sit up without assistance. As the she sits up, she must have the strength to pull her body weight onto the mat or she will fall into the springs. Although I am there to assist her, she needs to be able to support the majority of her body weight in order to be successful and prevent injury. From start to finish, Briana would need to have concentration, control, will, and desire in order to succeed and keep us both safe.
After observing the amazing progress Briana has had during our first three months of training, I knew she was ready for the challenge. She has demonstrated that she can support her body weight and she has more strength and control than she did when I first started working with her. She is able to sit herself up without my help now and she is focused. When she understands what is coming, she is committed to success. Knowing this, the first thing I wanted to do was get Briana excited about learning the new exercise. I showed her the exercise in January and told her I was excited to teach it to her in February. Each time I saw her, we talked about the new exercise. By the end of January, she was looking forward to it. She even reminded me the week before that she would be learning the new exercise the next week. By the time the day came to learn the exercise, Briana was excited and eager.
We talked about the exercise while she did her warm up on the treadmill. I told her that I would teach her the new exercise first before we did the rest of our workout. I wanted to make sure that her attention was fresh and that her body was not fatigued when she learned it. When she finished her warm up, I demonstrated the exercise once more and told her everything I was doing as I did it. I showed her how the mat moves and told her not to worry if it moved when she sat down. I showed her how she would need to sit up carefully when she was finished and to make sure she stayed on the mat.
"So that's it?" she asked.
"Yes, that's it, Briana," I replied. "I am here to help you. I know you can do this."
There was some trial error helping Briana onto the reformer. It took time for her to feel secure in laying down and placing her body just right on the mat. The third attempt was a success and there was only one moment of frustration. Once she was in position, I gave her time to recover and feel comfortable. She then placed her feet on the foot bar and pushed the mat out with her legs.
"Look! I'm doing it!" she exclaimed.
"You are doing it! What do you think?" I asked.
"I love it! Oh, this is nice! My mom is going to be so proud!"
She completed ten repetitions. I gave her time to recover once more, then I reminded her how she needed to be careful getting up. Again, it took us a few tries, but in the end she was successful! She used her strength. She stayed focused and in control, and when she got frustrated she didn't give up.
So this week's accomplishment marks the beginning of a new chapter for Briana. As her strength and focus continue to increase, I will continue to introduce new and more challenging exercises. I am confident that will she achieve her weightloss goal of 50 pounds. Even more than that, I know that she will be stronger, more agile and coordinated when the year ends.
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