Pilates Talk

Hello Pilates Lovers and Newbies alike! Today I am thrilled to have Cassey Ho with us today to talk all about her passion - Pilates. Take it away Cassey...

The fruit & veg in Cassey's kitchen. Yum!

Hi there Tosca fans! Wow, a whole community of Eat-Clean Dieters - I am at home.

You know what I love about eating clean? The fact that it empowers me to make my own smart food choices and treat my food as fuel...and not as the enemy. As a healthy living blogger, Pilates Instructor, and fitness guru on YouTube, I am constantly running from project to project and it's really difficult to focus on my diet, workouts, and own well-being sometimes. I'm just so busy. Finding Tosca and the Eat-Clean Diet helped me understand how to effectively eat and exercise.

I know a bunch of us on here are weight lifters (me too!) but I want to introduce you to Pilates, why I love it, and why the format is so harmonious with eating clean. Perhaps this post will encourage you to try something new next time you're looking for a way to freshen up your routine.

Pilates is a mind-body exercise. In it's simplest form, no equipment is necessary because you can use your body and gravity to your advantage. It's a form of strength training that targets all of your muscles while asking you to be conscious of your core! Too many people's surprise, it's not as easy as it looks, it's not just for girls, and it is not the same thing as yoga! Trust me, take a class with me and all those misconceptions about Pilates will be banished from your thoughts forever!

Now back to that mind-body concept. I find that both Pilates and Eating Clean forces me to very aware of my actions which ultimately lead to better results. In Pilates, I am constantly conscious of what my muscles are doing. I'm always engaging my core, while performing each move with precision and purpose. The Eating Clean philosophy resonates with me because it asks me to understand the food that's going into my body and what it does for me specifically. I'm aware of when I should be eating, what I should be eating, and why I'm eating it!

Both Pilates and Eating Clean ask me to create that important connection between thought and action. This link is essential if you're looking for a sustainable way to meet your goals. Knowing and understanding the reason behind your actions forces you to act with purpose, and then ultimately over time, with passion. When you are able to act passionately, you've learned to transform your conscious efforts into some that comes naturally.

Tosca taught me so many things I did not know, Like how how my physique is comprised of 80% diet, 10% genetics, and 10% exercise. Or how eating MORE can actually lead to fat loss. She taught me how to smartly choose my foods. What used to be a chore is now a recreational activity! I love grocery shopping because #1, it's a form of shopping, and #2 it's like buying the energy I need to do the things I love.

And you know what's funny? During my classes, instead of counting down the reps we have to do, I end up talking about my latest Clean recipe or why I love kale so much. Haha, no kidding! Sometimes we end up doing more reps because I have to finish up my sentence. I'm sure the students don't mind...

Eating Clean has truly intertwined itself into my everyday life and I am so thankful for the positive relationships I have built with my body through food and exercise.

Tosca and Tosca fans, thank you so much for having me here! I hope you get a chance to try out Pilates, even if it's just once. If you don't have it at your gym, you can always give it a shot on my YouTube channels: YouTube.com/Blogilates and YouTube.com/BlogilatesTV. I've got full length beginner videos as well as tough targeted workouts like the POP Pilates Muffintop Meltdown.

Have a spectacular day! Work hard and eat well!

Love,
Cassey