Young Athlete

October 6, 2023

Hello Fellow Athlete Parents,

I’m sure like me, your child is in the swing and thick of practice. It’s about this time that their lives have gotten a bit more hectic. Between school life, homework, practice and chores their life is feeling it. I find my child needs more hugs around this time..as well as ice packs, “help” with homework and just needs to know I am there. Even in their most joyous times in their sport they will start to feel pressure from all points. The best thing we can do as a parent is to recognize that and give them support when and how they need it. I find I do better by simply saying, “when you’re ready, I’m here.” They may need time to dissect what is hard. Remember coaches and teachers are there to push your child pass comfort, because, we as adults know, it’s only by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone is when growth happens, the same is true for our children. So, by being their cheerleader and support system they know they are loved regardless of the outcome.

a set of icons of different types of food in circles .

I was asked some time ago about food. What does your young athlete eat? FOR DISCLOSURE IT’S NOT PREFECT! I’m in the thick of a very narrow pallet for mine. So by far it can be challenging but I remember this…anything made at home is better than boxed or fast. Here are some ideas I use to sneak in a little extra health:

Add protein powder to pancake mix
Always have hard boiled eggs available
Yogurt, watch the amount of sugar, 12g of sugar is 1 Tablespoon.
String cheese/ sliced deli cheese
Chicken breast: use in a quesadilla, noddle soup or with rice
Zbars although packaged I do think they are on the healthier side
Fruit/ Dry Fruit
Whatever vegetable they like
Ground Turkey or Grass Fed Beef
Deli meat

Some of my Y.A.’s request are: French toast (less milk more eggs) I add a little cinnamon and vanilla, Fried Egg sandwich, Turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato, over the stove or air Popcorn, Fruit, bagel with cream cheese.

I always try to make sure if there’s something she doesn’t like, i.e. dinner, she can pick out the main thing: Protein, then have fresh fruit that she can eat. I try for a veggie, but this is real life lol so, if I’m getting those main things in her then I know she has the main health items that are going to support her body.

Things I keep to a very minimum are: chips, soda, bagel bites, pizza rolls, roman noddle (noddles are fine it’s the package seasoning that’s the problem), packaged popcorn, package granola bars, really, packaged anything. These things are treats and they don’t support their young growing bodies in any way.

Things I never let my Y.A. have: FRUIT SNACKS, … between the corn syrup and dyes I say no more.

I always keep in mind that my Y.A. is using her body hard and it’s really important to support it with healthy nutritious options. Giving her a bowl of cereal or pop tarts or any other packaged breakfasts before a long hard practice is only going to make her crash and burn hard. That is asking for brain fog, muscle fatigue and zero bone support. After practice is equally important, running through a fast food place might be easiest ( and there are healthy choices so make them if you do go there) but a quick fried egg sandwich with good deli cheese and some solid bread with a banana is going to support the whole body, that they just demanded a lot from. It does take time and effort but it’s well worth it. Here’s a true story: My son came home from school and told me about a friend who lost a ton of weight… I’m going to say 100lbs!. Then my son said, “you never let us have any fun foods” in which I replied with, “that’s why you don’t need to lose 100lbs at 18 years old.” Fellow parents, give your child the gift of health while they are demanding a lot from their body, minds and spirit.

a woman is doing yoga on a purple mat in a room .

Thank you to all who have bought the Young Athlete Stretch Video Series. Please reach out if you have any questions about it. I just recently had a private session with a Young Athlete who bought the video series. She wasn’t feeling the stretches where I was explaining them in the video so we got together and went over that video and it cleared it all up. Now she is doing them correctly, can understand the cueing from the video and is on the road of less back pain. I’m here to help you support your Young Athlete.

a white heart shaped plaque is sitting on the ground surrounded by plants .

Words of Encouragement: I know it can be difficult to ride the wave of a young athlete’s heart, dreams and desires but if you can be their number 1 cheerleader in ways of not making faces when they don’t do as well as expected (I’ve witness this a lot and the child’s self-esteem goes down fast) by not making any comments when they are down on themselves from practice or performance, give them space to process. Simply, make sure they know they are loved by you for just being them. Then add in that they can wash the hard day off and start anew the next day.

Here's to a wonderful Sport Season!

Heidi Garcia

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Heidi in a standing side bend, one hand reaching to the floor and the other arm extended overhead

When Life Throws a Wrench in Your Rhythm

By Heidi • August 27, 2026

Back in rhythm with new posts on shoulder, neck and hip pain, plus September Thera-Band mat classes, the 3-week Saturday Series and the online Pilates video library.

Woman exercising on a Pilates reformer, balancing one leg on a curved barrel in a studio.

Hip Pain Starts from the Ground Up: Strength, Flexibility, and Alignment

By Heidi • August 24, 2026

Hip pain is simply the worst; this pain most likely comes from two things, lack of strength and flexibility. Of course it can also come from injury as well, that could look like something torn, or the cartilage breaking down which is identified as arthritis. It can also come from a lack of movement since we spend most of our time sitting these days. Hip pain can travel down to the knee or up to the lower back. So, first thing first, how are your feet? When we are standing, having our weight be in the center of our feet is top of the list. Where are you putting your weight? Toes, heels, inside or outside? It’s important to get an even weight on our big toe, little toe and heel. Think of a tripod. That set up changes everything above them. How is your gait? If your feet go any direction other than straight, you are putting a lot of pressure on your ankles, knees and lastly hip. Keeping your toes straight ahead when walking is important to check. How is your leg alignment? If your knees face any direction other than straight, just like your feet, the pressure is not good for your knee joint, the rhythm of how your hip moves in the socket will be affected. And lastly, how is your strength and flexibility with and around your hip? This joint is a ball in socket so it should move freely in a nice circular motion. From our feet up to in the hip joint there is a rhythm from how our feet are to move in our gait, how the leg bones move with that rhythm all the way up to the hip joint. Ok- so let’s deal with it. Firstly, Rolling out. I know for some this is the dreaded part, but it really does have a strong impact on tightness. Roll out your feet, your glutes, IT band and quads to loosen any tightness imbalance caused. Then it’s interconnected between stretching and strengthen within your work. Whether you start with strengthening or stretching really is dependent of what’s going on. What is the dominant problem? Is the hip really weak or really tight? You need to work the muscles all around the hip. The back of the hip: glutes, hamstrings, the sides and inner thighs (abduction and adduction) the front of the hip, quads and hip flexors and most importantly rotation. Stretching out means getting into the front of my hip, the quads and hips flexors, in the socket by doing a figure 4 stretch and lastly a hamstring and IT band stretch. Start there and your hips will thank you.

Woman doing Pilates on a reformer machine in a studio, lying on a table and holding straps

Why Your Neck Pain Keeps Coming Back and How to Fix It

By Heidi • August 22, 2026

Neck pain..well yes, my family can be a pain in the neck but usually it’s not the reason I have neck pain. Neck pain is sooo dynamic and similar to shoulder since they are close to one another. Neck pain can be coming from the shoulders being too rounded forward, pec being too tight, not enough movement, not strong enough, sleeping on it wrong and of course injury. Most of the time neck pain is coming from a lack of strength. Most people think it’s from tightness but if the pain comes back after stretching it, stretching is not going to fix the problem; strengthening it is. Of course, if it’s a sharp pain and it keeps you up at night, go to your doctor. But if it’s just a problem that after physical therapy you need extra support, I would evaluate it; looking at how the neck is being held and then put together a plan and action. Most likely, strengthen it, along with mobilizing it in all directions is what is needed. The neck is being supported by the upper back and chest, so it's needs to be in consideration when addressing an issue. In the front and below is the chest, is their tightness pulling on it? It could be it needs to be stretched around those areas. Opening the chest as well as opening the throat area of the neck. The space in the back between the neck and shoulders. Are they weak, causing the head to protrude forward? The deep neck flexors, the muscles running along the front of your throat, are often overlooked but play a huge role in keeping your head properly aligned and reducing strain on the entire neck. All need to be strengthening. These both play a part of neck issues. How is the movement of the neck? Is the one side weaker than the other? With some good time and attention, it can be worked out. Strength can be gained and movement can come back as well. Neck pain doesn't have to be your normal. With the right assessment and a plan that actually addresses the root cause, you can get back to moving freely and feeling strong again.

Woman doing a Pilates reformer exercise on a machine, wearing blue leggings and a pink top.

Why Your Shoulder Pain Might Be Affecting More Than Just Your Shoulder

By Heidi • August 7, 2026

Shoulder issues, be it injury or pain, it’s important to know that this is such a complex joint. This joint essentially is just “hanging” there. The ball sits inside the joint but the socket is not as deep as the hip joint and it’s just muscles and ligaments that keeps this joint in place. When it comes to problems with the joint, it can literally affect a lot of places and a lot of things. It can affect the neck, upper back, the chest, the arm, the elbow, the wrist. It can also disrupt your sleep and everyday living, think reaching for something up high, putting on clothes, driving or carrying things. Pain in the shoulder joint can be from the actual joint like cartilage loss, ligaments that are torn, or muscles like rotator, deltoid, latissimus dorsi, teres major (and more). Pain can also come from come from a lack of shoulder blade stability. Instability can look like the inability to hold a plank, slouching, heading pulled forward and poor posture. When we are looking at the front of the body, there’s the front of the joint. Here we will see tightness in the pec that can cause issues as well. Bottom line is to be mindful of this fragile joint. Pay attention to heavy loading when not ready, keep it stretched for maximum rotation and fix issues right away so it doesn’t freeze up. Once the joint stops doing full rotation on its own, you’re in trouble. That’s usually when the neck problems happen, elbow issues come up and the wrist can become affected. In the end, be nice to your small shoulder joints.

We Take Pilates Seriously, But It's Also Seriously Fun

By Heidi • July 30, 2026

Hey Friend- YOU made this celebration everything it was. The response was so overwhelming. Thank you, past and present clients, for your accolades. I know each one of your stories, they are knitted in me and how each of you have inspired me to continue teach the method we all love, Pilates. I loved how each person was sharing each other’s stories and in turn was inspiring each other. We all know that not all Pilates sessions need to end in a Teaser. Becoming a Pilates teacher wasn’t a dream of mine.. no, no, somebody else is living that- but it has become my purpose and that goes far beyond a dream. There are times I will think back to a time I had with a client and just start laughing- We may take Pilates seriously, but it’s also seriously fun, do you have a time in mind? Email me back and tell me, we can laugh together. Overall, I think the best compliment I received was: “so heartwarming hearing all of the positive comments from your clients. They truly love you for the help you provide. Keep up the good work putting a smile on their faces.” From after injury or surgery, improving performance in a sport and completely reshaping a body, I can’t wait to keep going! I’ll see you in the studio. Thank you again, for your trust, your commitment, and your belief in me Heidi

Patriotic striped and star-spangled cups with sparklers on a festive table

Happy 4th of July!

By Heidi • July 3, 2026

Happy 4th of July! May you be around friends and loved ones to celebrate this amazing day that makes our Country incredibly special! Something happened in the month of June.. I have to admit; I was in the middle of life when all of sudden it hit me. When I realized I gasped! Then I had to stop, reflect, then realize that I kind of dropped the ball on this one… but don’t worry I’ll be making it up. Do you know what it was? Well, no need to wet the pallet and ponder I’ll tell you- You guys, we’ve been in the new studio for 6 MONTHS!!! Say what!? When I came into an awareness about it, these were the things that came to mind. Firstly, YOU! My heart is full of gratitude towards you. I am so honored that you trust me with your body to build it into a body that makes you feel strong, confident and keeps you doing what you love to do. Doesn’t it feel great to be able to move with such ease in life and our activities? Secondly, our new space is a dream. Some years ago, I was out on a walk along the river one very cold day, and I was thinking about what my business coach and I were talking about. She told me to go dream.. What would I want my studio to look like? I did just that, believing it in my heart that it could come true? I can’t say, but I can say I just threw it out there. I wanted my studio to be in a brick building near the river so I could see the water. Every day, when I walk up into the studio, it’s a dream.. A dream that came true. I am seriously filled with joy. I want to thank you for your understanding of all that I have had to personally go through. The floor may not be perfectly cleaned every week, I may have missed the date on making a new plan for you . Thanks for figuring out where the extra rolls of toilet paper are and referring people to me. I may have been a little elsewhere at times, but I promise I am giving you my best step forward. I feel loved and supported by you. Thank you. I love seeing all of you have a sense of pride walking into the studio. Thank you for showing up, being excited to come to your Pilates session, and creating a camaraderie among each other. Heidi Come join the fun to celebrate our 6-month Studio Anniversary! Tuesday July 14, 6pm, If you are planning on coming please sign up so I can plan accordingly. Thanks.