Get Into Reformer Pilates with Dawn Conine

Exploring Pilates with Dawn Conine

This week, Christine hosts Dawn Conine, the lead instructor at Club Pilates in Frederick and Germantown, Maryland. Christine and Dawn discuss their experiences with Reformer Pilates, touching upon its history, the equipment used, and its benefits for strength, flexibility, and balance. Dawn also shares her personal fitness journey from competitive aerobics to becoming a Pilates instructor. Take a listen!

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:42 What is Reformer Pilates?

03:31 Benefits of Pilates for All Ages

05:08 Levels and Equipment in Pilates

09:01 Dawn's Journey to Pilates

10:00 Competitive Aerobics Background

13:50 Transition to Teaching Pilates

17:57 The Strength and Personalization of Pilates

19:30 Understanding Pilates Springs

20:35 Pilates Weekend Getaway

21:44 Feet and Straps Explained

24:36 Benefits of Pilates

26:15 Finding the Right Instructor

28:52 Encouragement for All Bodies

31:22 Men in Pilates

35:16 Conclusion and Class Information

Transcript

0:22

Well, happy day everyone. I am so excited today. I'm always so excited. I have Dawn Conine, who is the lead instructor with Club Pilates here in my town and in a town to the south of us, and I have taken Dawn's classes. So much fun. Welcome Dawn! Thank you, Christine. It's awesome to be here with you. I am so excited. I think you were a little nervous about coming on, right? No. No, she's like, yeah, I'm good. I'm good. I always just want to present myself in a way that I don't reflect back and say, oh, I should have said this, or maybe I should have phrased it this way, but you know what? We're just two girls just having a little conversation. So that's how I'm going to approach it today. And I promised Dawn that if she called anyone a stupid cow, I'd take it out. But I can tell you right away, that is not who Dawn is at all. That's who I am. Thank you. But so I met Dawn because I joined the local club Pilates here. I had tried it with a friend of mine out at the beach and we giggled the whole way through because this is Reformer Pilates. Correct. And what is Reformer Pilates? So Reformer Pilates is just that. There's a main piece of equipment or apparatus that we use during class. It's kind of the meat and potatoes of the class. And it is a reformer. And basically the Matt Pilates that Joseph Pilates created in his initial contrology method of exercise. Yeah. It was, you know, the control of the mind and the body and then incorporating the breath. After world war one the wounded soldiers were immobile. So he decided he would Attach springs to the beds and attach the risers with the pulley system. So basically that's how the reformer was born. So he helped to rehab and strengthen the wounded soldiers while they could not get out of bed with the spring tension. So it was resistance training. It was, you know, weight bearing exercises with support. And that's how kind of the reformer method was born. So that's what we have. Mm hmm. It looks like a torture device. It does a little bit. Yeah. Have you ever seen the private studio in the back? No. Okay. In the private studio, there is a reformer, but it's basically a part of a larger apparatus called the Cadillac. Yes. Yeah. Oh my gosh. That's like the pristine, you know ultimate so to speak. So back there and we can use the Cadillac similar to how we use the springboard in the studio. There's a lot of different pieces of equipment that we can use to challenge you and help you just build that strength and flexibility. and control of your body. So, you know, as we get a little older, we lose our balance a little bit. And balance can be an issue for people that have had injuries and they're rehabbing and whether that's something as simple as, you know, they stubbed their toe and they're, you know, they're Using the other foot a little bit more, you know, kind of compromising. Not compromising. I'm trying to think of the right word, but or yeah, compensating. Thank you. Thank you. Or, you know, how a total hip replacement. So there's, there's just a wide variety and we have so much versatility to help people just feel stronger and successful. And that's, that's what you want. You want to have. The confidence that you can move, you know, without pain and also the confidence that you're not going to risk injuring yourself. Yeah. So it's just a really great way. And the reformer same, like we just we use it to help build that foundation to teach and, and create more awareness and everybody's own personal space and their body. And then. We just kind of progress from there. And that's, that's really what Pilates is. It's just layers and progressions and just meeting you where you are as far as where your body is. So anybody can do it. I was really nervous when I did my first one because you know, I'm, I'm a little older and my core is not as strong. I mean, it's stronger now. Thank you very much. My core was not super strong and I, I loved the non impact of it. I mean, it's not like, it's not a workout. I'm a level one, sometimes a level 1. 5. And are there just the three levels, 1, 1. 5, 2? There's actually four levels, so there's Oh my gosh! Yeah, the level one is I like to it's, it's, Beginner, but I feel like it's more fundamentals. Like, you're really covering the basics and you're getting that, you know, in your body and you're feeling what muscles you're using to move certain ways or stabilize you. And that's, That's pretty much Pilates is very different from just a gym workout where you're going and maybe just focusing on one body part at a time. With Pilates, you're actually using muscles to keep you stable and then using muscles to move you and build strength and that flexibility. So each exercise is really a full body exercise. So you're not. Yeah, you're not going to go in there and just sweat like, you know, you're running on the treadmill or doing the elliptical or something like that. But it's just, as I mentioned, it's, it's strength and it's stretching and it's the control. And then just gaining that range of motion in your joints and it's full body. So the smaller muscles that support your joints, your shoulders, your knees, your, your hips those muscles need to be focused on and stronger and more flexible, just like the larger muscle groups, so. Yeah. I like the I actually love the little Pilates chair. Huh. I love the chair. We don't, I don't get to use the chair very often, but I love the chair. Yeah. The chair is fine. And the chair definitely is, once you have a little bit more, not you specifically, but a person has more body awareness and they understand the different Well, no, well, all of us really on a given day. But there's different, you know, positions for our spine and, and we want to move that spine in all different positions. And when you're using the chair, you have to have that really strong concept of, okay, I know what my neutral spine is when you're seated on the chair and how I'm going to, what muscles am I going to use to keep my, Hips or my pelvis stable while I'm moving, you know, there's a little pedal on the side while I move that pedal up and down, how am I going to keep the rest of my body engaged? So that I'm really focusing on that flexion and extension of my hips and my knees. Very cool. This, I mean, I was a little nervous because of all the cute Pilates girlies. Right? With the little perfect tinies and they're, they just, they look so great and they wear the cutest outfits too. Oh, the outfits are, yeah, it's such a business. It's such a huge business. Do you remember back, I mean, I'm going to date myself here, but do you remember back in the nineties when we would wear? When we would wear the little thong over our shorts, right? And there was a young woman wearing, she was at the thing beside me. So sometimes you're turning, so you're looking at the back. I was not being weird and creepy, but she had leggings on that like get that for her butt. And I was like, but cause it just made me immediately go back to the perma wedgie from the little, you know, that you pulled over your bike shorts. Huh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what made you, I mean, I think Pilates, I really like it and I think it is so perfect for my age group. I really think it is. And there are a lot of women in there that are my age group, which is awesome. It's so good because of the non impact stuff. I think because, you know, joints, like you were saying, hips and knees and all of that. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. But what made you go Pilates? What made you say Dawn Pilates is the thing for me? Well, I was a big cardio girl. So, you know, you talked about the nineties and dating back I was on a competitive aerobics dance team. Okay. I Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Because when Dawn, she mentioned something in class one day, and you guys have to know this. Pilates is not like a rockin and rollin class. It's like silent, right? It is, it's a little too quiet for me, I'll be honest, but it is silent and the instructor is so vital. And Dawn drops this bon mot of, you know, when I was doing competitive aerobics and I immediately went up to her after class and said, Hey, I do this podcast. My four listeners would love to hear about competitive aerobics. When were you doing competitive aerobics? It was in the early nineties. Yeah. It was in the early nineties before I was married, before I had my kids and I joined a gym down in Aspen Hill and I met now some of my dearest friends and they were forming and they, it had already been kind of a team but they were I guess recruiting new women to be on the team. And there were some teams we competed with that had men, but they were very select, you know, there were a few. But we would practice every single day. We did plyometric high impact work. We did aerobic classes. We we would run, we would do lunges all around the track. I mean, it was, it was, It was intense. And we would, you know, use the weights and we did strength training. And the competition the year that I was in was in El Paso, Texas. And we actually made the regionals and went to compete. And it was a team of, I think, were there 14 of us. And we had, like, you mentioned the little thong and the, we didn't wear thongs, but it was like one piece that had, they looked like bike shorts and they were black. And then there was a coral like Thong and then the coral. It was hilarious. I still wish I had mine'cause for Halloween I would probably wear it. Okay. I dunno if it would fit, but I would wear it. I demand that if a picture, I think it's, it's gone. I dunno. Oh, I definitely have a picture. I'll show you a picture. I mean listen, if you get easily embarrassed'cause I would staple that. I really don't. My chest and I would wear that. Everywhere. I, and I know that the, the four listeners want to know, all seeing that, that the memes of the people, and I think they're wearing blue, and there are men that come out, and they are very, like, they are very aerobic. It feels more 80s than 90s to me. Have you ever seen it? Oh yeah, and they're like, it's, it's like synchronized. Yes, yes, yes. Dance slash strength work. Like we would do one arm push ups. Like we'd do a little grapevine this way and then do a little, you know, jack and then get down on and then we do our one arm push up. So it was like strength and a little dance and it was so fun and we had it. We would, we would move in different formations. And so I guess the closest thing I can compare it to, if you think about the in high school, the, the dance team and when they go out at halftime and they dance and they're, you know, they move into like the single line or the course line, or they, you know, a big X, like that's kind of what we did. And it was a blast. It was so fun. I'm in awe. I have always, like, I'm a teacher, right? I'm a teacher by trade. I'm a teacher by trade. But I teach cooking and I always wanted to teach aerobics. Like back in the 90s, I always, no, no stamina, no sport, no nothing. I was, that is not who I am or ever was. So I am so in awe of this. I love this. So you did that. And so I did that. So that was kind of my fitness background. It was all about the cardio and the strength training. So I, as I got older, tried to do the same things that I had done in the past to take care of myself, to move, to exercise. And as I got into my fifties, what I was doing in my thirties and even early forties started to hurt. Like I, at the time, it just was not like, there's a shift that happens, I think, with our bodies naturally. And there's a, you know, we can go into that with menopause and perimenopause and chemically, but. I was standing all day at my job. I was a full time dental assistant before I started teaching Pilates. So at the end of the day, you know, my back bothered me. I had, you know, my hip bothered me. And then to run or even walk at that time, it started really killing me. Feeling more like punishment. It wasn't something I look forward to to take care of myself. I started getting discouraged. I was like, I know I'm supposed to exercise. I enjoyed exercise before, but the forms of exercise that I used to do were just not fitting with my body right now. So I had a girlfriend when we were younger who was a Pilates instructor and we would meet and like One of my other girlfriend's basements, and she would lead us through a mat class while she was getting or earning hours for her certification. And I'd never tried Matt Pilates before, so I tried it then and I loved it. And because I was used to the cardio stuff, I was like, I don't know if this is going to be for me. I don't know. But. The difference with Pilates versus yoga, because I thought it was very similar to yoga and just holding the stretches because I wasn't flexible enough to do yoga and I didn't feel like I was successful at it. And I would, again, get discouraged. But with Pilates, it's the movement, it's the breath, and that breath helping you with the movement and I loved it. So, in a nutshell, when I started, you know, fast forward now to when I didn't feel like I could run or even, you know, walk after standing all day And I didn't really want to go to the gym. I mean, I was exhausted. So I thought Pilates, let me get online and see if I can find something online. And this amazing woman named Robin Long popped up and she was on a mat on the beach with the ocean behind her doing that. So I was like, you know what? I think I could get into that. So I subscribed. She had a monthly and she's still online. She's fantastic. And I still, to this day, this was about seven years ago, and I still go on her. website and her, and I do her mat work every day. And there, and there's amazing 10 minute, you know, workouts. There's 30 minute workouts. I mean, she's phenomenal. So I can give you more information about her, but that's, I found her and I started doing it and I fell in love with Pilates all over again and I didn't hurt. I didn't hurt. And my aches and pains started going away. I even had issues with plantar fasciitis. And it's really hard when you stand all day to rest and treat that. So right. So doing Pilates that actually helped that. And then a club Pilates opened up near where I lived and I wanted a supplemental income. So I was a single mom at the time, so I thought, Oh, let me see if they need any, you know, front desk work. So, you know, fast forward, I worked at the front desk and then the owners asked me if I'd like to go through the teacher training program. Cause they thought I would be great as an instructor. So I did and I did. Well, I appreciate that. I love it. And I think you have to love what you do to be excited about it, to maintain that level of passion. And I love. Encouraging people. I feel like that was. My calling or my purpose and just really supporting people. And I think ultimately beyond that, having people feel seen and, and heard and feel like they can do something and, and not so much, I can't do this because of my age, or I can't do this because of my back, or I can't do this because I don't know what I'm doing. Like, just come and, and, you know, We will guide you and you're going to feel better. You're going to be more confident and the more you come, you really start. Seriously. It's like magic. You start feeling the difference. in your body. It is. It is. You, you really do. And you said something that I immediately was like, aha, because I do the thing about the, the connecting and the feeling empowered and, and through food. So this is a very nice compliment to that, but it, it really is. You can't also forget about the strength that it is. I think that when I first decided to give it a go, I had done a couple of Matt Pilati's classes a while ago, 17, 000 years ago, and I was really intrigued by the reformer, but I don't know if y'all have seen Pilati's arms, but. There is a lot of strength work in Pilates. There really is. And when, when Dawn's talking about the springboard, it's not like a gymnastic springboard that you jump on and then vault. It's not like a trampoline. I mean, that's super fun, but it's fun. It's a, it's a board that's against the wall and then it has springs and all the springs and everything. Springs are very central to Pilates, to Reformer Pilates, right? Yeah. And they're all color coded. So there'll be five on the Reformer and then there are two different colors on the springboard. Purple, which we never use, and yellow, which is up top. And then you have red, blue, and green on the reformer. And they'll say, okay, two, two reds and a blue. Or if you're just doing arms, what do you do for one red or one blue? It just depends. It depends on the exercise. It depends on the individual's range of motion, if they have any shoulder issues. It's a very personal thing. You can start with just, you know, Now the springs are the resistance. So the blue springs tends to be the lighter spring. The red spring is considered a medium or heavy and they're heavy and then the green one is a little extra. That's very heavy. That's like dainty. Danger Will Robinson. No, but, and the cool thing about Pilates too depending on the exercise, sometimes the lighter spring doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be heavier. It may mean that you have a little less support. So you then have to rely on your own core strength specifically. On there. And sometimes we do use, you mentioned the two sets of springs on the springboard. The purple ones at the bottom are for your legs and the ones, the yellow ones on the top are for your arms. Sometimes I will use those purple ones in the level one for feet and straps instead of doing the exercise on the reformer, which is different. And that's what's cool too. Don't you take away my feet and straps. I know that's everybody's favorite. Everybody. So I. I did a girls weekend with the, all the ladies on my husband's side of the family, because I was like, we are bonding, darn it. Nice. Doing it. And we went down to Rehoboth, we rented a house, and this was in March. And I found this wonderful woman who was doing Pilates, because I had taken a class in Ocean City. And I was like, I'm going to take everybody to do a Pilates class. So I took all seven of us. Oh, that's fun. It was the funniest thing. She was so great. And she hopped on that Cadillac after. And I was just like, holy bananas. Get me out of here. I need a cheeseburger. Because she was incredible. I can't remember her name right now. I still have her card. But But I took everybody. I took three of my sisters in law, two of my nieces, my daughter, and I was like, listen, we're just gonna have fun. I just want you to try it. And son of a biscuit, my sister in law, she is, oh my gosh, is she 64 now? She'll be mortified. I think she's 63. You're laying down and the straps are on your feet, but you basically pull up. So you're, you know, raising your legs up and you're kind of on your shoulders. I mean, I'm like tootin and yelling, like I can't do anything. And she's like, and she goes right up into it. And you can tell this later, like, cause the lady was letting us play around a little, right? She was telling us what everything was. But I remember that whole weekend, my sister in law, her name's Patsy. She was like, yeah. And I just, I just totally went right up into that. Oh, you mean the thing I went right up into? And she was so proud. You should be proud. That was But that lady called feet and straps dessert. Yep. And I didn't know what she meant and now I get it. And yeah, tell, tell everyone what it, what feet and straps is because it sounds really naughty. It does. It does sound naughty. I think I, I saw a t shirt one time that said, my love language was feet and straps and people are like, what? What? Mine is. Mind it. But it is. But it is. So the most, I think, what everybody can picture in their mind is imagine you were in your home and you were laying on the floor facing a wall. So you're laying down on your, on your back and your legs are up on the wall. All right. So when you're in that position, it helps your circulation. It helps any inflammation. It just is nice. It kind of helps to release your lower back. So if you imagine if you're laying down on the reformer instead of the floor and instead of your feet up against the wall, There are these straps on the pulley system that are behind your head, and then you put your feet in those long straps. So now your feet are in the straps, supported, and your legs are straight, kind of, you can have them up to the ceiling, just like if your legs were up against the wall with that stretch. And then when we start to move those legs down, it creates a little bit more movement through your hips with the support of the springs. So it's really a core stabilization exercise because you don't want to, when you lift those legs up, you don't want to, for this specific exercise, the serious feet and straps, you don't want your bottom coming up off the carriage, right? You want to keep it down and anchored, right? And you also want to keep your. Rib cage, so your mid back down. So as if you were laying on the floor, you feel those natural places where your spine touches the floor. So that's basically when you're laying down on the reformer, what you want to support with your spine, with your core, when your legs start moving kind of up and down or making circles with them or kind of opening and closing. It's just such a nice release for your spine because especially just depending on what Anybody's in everyday activity. You could be seated for a long period of time, whether you're working at a desk, you commute for a long time sitting in your car, or if you stand all day your spine kind of compresses. If you imagine a slinky and you know when a slinky is in a box, right? And then if you open the box and then start to pull just the top of the slinky and you create a little bit more space and you lengthen the slinky, that's kind of typically what we try to do and help you do with this. Your spine is that kind of decompression and finding the space and opening it and the length of it. So with feet and straps, when your feet are supported in those straps with the springs on the reformer, your spine is getting an opportunity to kind of decompress a little bit and just create a little more space. It's like a big yawn for your spine. It's so young. That's why people love it. I like I think it's called Cobbler, and it's when you, you have your feet together like a frog, your legs are like a frog, and you kind of drop them into where the springs are. Yeah, it's like a butterfly stretch. Yeah, it stretches the front of your hips. Yep. That is my favorite. That is so delicious. I know. It's so good. And when you're supported with springs, it's, it's just a nice way to get maybe even a little bit more range of motion in your hips or just get that really nice stretch. And then you hold the stretch and just take some deep breaths and that helps to release those muscles and fascia and all that other yummy stuff. That it is so good. Now, I know that Club Pilates, at least my local Club Pilates, does a free 30 minute intro class. Yes. Is that like across the board, any Club Pilates? Yeah, the Club Pilates franchises, and I'm sure other studios do the same thing. They want you to come in there and they want you to experience it. Yeah, and the intro, I mean, you can get a lot done in the 30 minutes. Somebody's not going to have all the information about what Pilates is in just that 30 minutes, but just like kind of feeling it. Yeah. Yeah. Just feeling it in your body that 30 minutes and it's free. And we have intros several times during the week. Yeah. I really, I really recommend, I mean, Pilates is not inexpensive. Pilates is a little pricey. And I really recommend that you try one of the free classes. But before you sign up for like a big thing, you can buy a single class at different studios. Absolutely. And try it, because I really, I really think finding the right instructor for you, It's good, and it's just a perfect case thing, and then, and you are very good for me. I love taking your class. It's so much fun. Well, I love having you in class. You're, well, you're my vibe so that's why there's so many instructors. Yeah, all the, every instructor's different. It's just like everybody has their own personalities, their own creativity, their own approach to how they format and, and, Plan their classes. And some people you'll vibe with and some people you don't. That's why it's so great. There's other instructors there that you can try. And, and then I think the more familiar you are, you are with your own body and yourself, then, you know, maybe you can try an instructor that maybe you weren't vibing with quite in the beginning, but now you kind of get what it's all about. And now you understand maybe what their approach is. Or, you know, or not. Hey, Christine here breaking in just to let you know. That I have a fantastic cooking with whole greens class happening on Sunday, September 29th. At 4:00 PM. It is going to be so tasty and delicious. And I want to show you how you can easily incorporate more whole grains into your life and make them taste pretty yummy too. You can find all of the details at Empty Nest Kitchen. Dot com. Thanks so much. And back to my interview with Dawn. Everybody has something special to give. And that's one thing I try to Really not teach, but encourage the instructors and also the members, is not to compare yourself with anybody else. I think we all have a tendency, not only to compare ourselves with other people, but compare ourselves to our old self. Right. And I hear a lot of people that when they come in the studio to take class, they're discouraged or they're disappointed in themselves because after COVID, maybe they gained weight. And they don't know if they can do this, if they don't know if it's the right fit for them, or they're seeing all the gorgeous skinny girls in those cute Lululemon Athleta, you know, you name it brand. And that's all well and good. And there's a place for all of that. And you'll see a lot of that on social media too. But I think what's important to remember is we all need to move and we need to move and, and have that strength, especially as we get older so we can function. I think that's the key to all of it. We want to be able to function. We want to improve the quality of our life. We want to be able to climb stairs. I mean, it's simple things as we get older, we want to have balance. So, and I see a lot of women that don't look like, you know, the Instagram models on. Oh my gosh, yeah. Right? And I think that's, but they keep coming and, and they feel stronger. And I think as we get older and our bodies are changing and sometimes there's not a whole lot we can do about the changes, but if we focus and shift our mindset more on, I feel really strong. I have more energy. I'm sleeping better. I'm, happier. I'm more content with who I am right now and I'm more appreciative of the fact that I can move and I do have, you know, use of my body and my body's carried me, you know, all my life to this point. It, it just helps us to feel a little bit more grateful. And so that's what I really try to encourage people. So no matter what experience you have, no matter what your body looks like, no matter what your, your level of Athleticism is Pilates or just moving. Whatever you find that you're going to be consistent with, then that's going to make you feel successful and that's going to be awesome for you. It's important for the new Ladies and gentlemen. Mm-Hmm. I, they're, I'll say, yeah, there's a handful. Yep. I wish more men came in because I think, well, I think everybody needs it, but I, I think men kind of shy away a little bit because it's kind of a, you know, a smaller boutique setting, if you will. Yes. In their mind, they think it's just for women, but we have some men that are pretty regulars. They, they're in there all the time. And I'll say, even though that young woman with the great leggings, I mean, bless her heart, she should wear those all the time, everywhere. People are dressed, people are dressed all sorts of ways. I wouldn't recommend a big old baggy t shirt because of the way you're moving. It'll kind of get in your way, but, excuse me, but people wear Any number of things to do it. It's not, I don't want any of the 50 something, 60 something ladies to feel like, Oh my gosh, I'm going to go and I'm going to be the schlump a dink a. And I don't want to tell you this cause I'm feeling a little naughty right now. I will never wear. Lulu, add the fruit in because I think maybe now they would make my size because there was pressure, but I'm not even a plus size. I'm at the end of the straight sizes. And when you can't walk in and get something, I'm like, I don't care if you make the most gorgeous stuff that'll fit me perfectly. You are dead to me. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I think they agree. I think they need to be a little more realistic because the majority of the bodies out there are not the, you know Instagram worthy models. And I think women and men, they need to see that. They need to understand that. You know what? Your body, it is what it is, and let's get stronger. Let's, you know, get more energy. Yes, let's increase that bone density, especially for women. And Pilates is awesome for that as well because of the resistance with the springs and the weight bearing exercises. And all those things are important to, again, feel good in your body and feel strong and feel capable. Yeah. Yeah, so I, I mean, I love it and I have to say when I come out. I am walking like I'm a prima ballerina, baby. Walking tall, yes, yes. I'm telling you, I swear I'm an inch taller when I come out. And it's not because I've been stretched six ways. But I think you, you pay so much attention to your, your spine. During posture. I love that feeling. I, I love it. My arms are fabulous. Yeah, yeah. It's so good. I I really like when you take the box, there's this big box that you can do planks with, and you do all sorts of things. But I love when you put it on the Reformer and then you are doing biceps and triceps and things like that. When you're sitting on it. Sitting on the box. Yeah. I love that. And it's so funny because you're putting your feet where your head was. Yeah. You have to, like, really smash your feet kind of in together and just want to sit there like you're so perfect, you know, with your nice. I love that. Yeah. Yeah. Eating straps. I mean, those little disc things though, you can take those and gliders. I hate that. Really? I've never heard that before. Oh, I hate those. Nobody likes the gliders. Yeah. No, because they're terrible and they're, they, I don't like them. So, not that I'm one of strong opinions. Well, I just think it's so much fun. And Dawn, I am so excited that you took the time to come. And I have to tell y'all, we had so many technical difficulties getting to this. So, bless Dawn's heart for being so patient. You must have learned it from Pilates. I sure did. It was that nice technique. Breathing, it's, you know, that the parasympathetic nervous system just, you know, calms you down and you know, that's what the breathing does. It helps to relax you. But no, I learned a long time ago, you can't get stressed out over what you can't control. Right. Well I appreciate, so you have to respond to it. Yeah, absolutely. No, it was a pleasure. I love talking to you. Oh my gosh, and listen, if you guys are interested, you ladies, are interested in taking one of Dawn's classes, you can find her at the Club Pilates in Frederick, Maryland, it's South Frederick, or in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Germantown, yeah, the Germantown. Sorry, Germantown, Maryland. No worries, yeah. They're right there, I know. Neither has the Trader Joe's, that's all I know now, but it is, It's a great class. You start, definitely start on level one, even if you think you're beast mode, just do a couple of level ones before you hook up. And it's, it's really, of the moment, I will say, I'm, I know that you've seen that SNL skit with everybody did. It is not inaccurate. I mean, no, it's not. There are nuggets of truth in that, but I think you guys don't take yourselves too seriously. And I love that. I love that. Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, you know what, when it comes down to it, it's an exercise class. Is a method that we are trying to teach and it's more so our number one priority is your safety. So we want to make sure that if something doesn't feel right, you know, while we're moving, there's ways to modify exercises and there's also ways to challenge you a little bit in, in the same exercise. So that's, what's nice about the level one. It's really just kind of the basics and then, you know, Once you come to a few level ones and we notice how strong you are, we'll say, Oh, you know, if you want a little bit more, maybe try this with that exercise. And then you feel like there's no end game with the Pilates. There's always a way to dial it up just a little bit to challenge us. So anyways, awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you. Oh my gosh. And everyone, I will put a little link to my local club Pilates, so you can check that out if you like. And try to sign up for that free class because I really think you will love it. So I wanted to say thanks to Dawn, thanks to everybody, my four listeners. I so appreciate you. And of course, as always, I will see you in the kitchen.