Fitness Files: Katherine & Kimberly Corp
Katherine and Kimberly Corp are both certified with, and Continuing Education providers for, the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), American Council on Exercise (ACE), and National Academy for Sports Medicine (NASM). These former Rockettes have been sharing the benefits of Pilates workouts with fitness-oriented New Yorkers since 2000. They train and certify other fitness experts through their Pilates on Fifth Academy International (PAI). Pilates on Fifth is the NYC training center for ActivMotion Bar. Continuing reading their Fitness Files interview below to discover how this dynamic duo stays motivated while motivating others!
NMF: Has fitness always been a major part of your life or was there a catalyst/point in your life when you made it more of a focus and priority? Katherine & Kimberly
Katherine & Kimberly: We have danced since we can remember! From the time we were VERY small, we were in dance class, first with ballet, and then adding tap and traditional jazz. We also were on the swim teams and diving teams in elementary school, then cheerleaders in middle school and high school, but dance was always the constant. Dance is even what lead us to Pilates initially, as we used it as our "tune-up" workout while performing with the Radio City Rockettes. Now, we love finding exercise that is functional for both daily life and sports and dance training.
NMF: What are a few of your go-to healthy snacks/drinks that help keep you on the straight and narrow?
Katherine & Kimberly: In the midst of a very demanding teaching day or rehearsal (Yes! We still perform!), We love coconut water, and drink it before, during and after a big workout or rehearsal. We are not fans of "protein bars" or other processed foods, but opt for real food such as nuts and raisins or even guacamole (we make our own) with fresh veggies for dipping....
NMF: At Nadia Murdock Fit our motto is “Train Your Mind, Change Your Body” so we must ask: How do you train your mind and stay motivated?
Katherine & Kimberly: We believe first and foremost that movement IS joyous and we should continue to embrace that.... watch children moving and running around.... they aren't doing it for exercise, they're doing it because it is FUN! As adults, we tend to lose sight of that, and it seems that many people view exercise as some sort of punishment. The easiest way to train the mind is to embrace the joy in movement. FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY DOING! A good walk every day is far better than a punishing run once a week. Focusing on the enjoyment might even mean exploring the way you FEEL after you've done your workout. OF COURSE we have days where we are tired or just feeling lazy, but then we talk about how much better we will feel after we've worked out, and then we just get started. (Sometimes getting started is the hardest part!) The other component we like to focus on is that ANY time spent exercising is valuable. The mindset that a workout MUST be of a certain duration to be effective is not always true. If you only have twenty minutes, doing twenty minutes of SOMETHING.... it's better than nothing for sure!
NMF: How do you change your body? What are your fitness favorites?
Katherine & Kimberly: We LOVE to mix up our workouts so that our bodies never plateau. With Pilates, it's easy to give yourself a different workout every day because each piece of equipment presents a new challenge, whether it be a different plane of motion, increased resistance or amount of core strength required. That being said, we LOVE finding new forms of fitness that complement traditional Pilates, and have structured our studio offerings to reflect that. In addition to Pilates, we have SilkSuspension(tm), CoreAlign(r), and the ActivMotion Bar, all of which enhance the teachings of Pilates. For us, the appeal of the ActivMotion Bar was threefold: 1) It introduces momentum, which is extremely functional, as we have to grapple with that daily. (Picture yourself running across the street and then stopping suddenly.... your momentum carries you forward and you need to negotiate that!) 2) The ActivMotion Bar introduces variable weight. (Anyone who has picked up a squirming child or even pet knows that the weight does not remain constant and even!) 3) The ActivMotion Bar introduces movement in three dimensions. (Many Pilates exercises are linear in design, and yet our bodies move in three dimensions. The ActivMotion Bar allows you to train your body in all ranges and planes of motion, which aids in core strength, peripheral strength, and BALANCE. We also find that if we "pair" and ActivMotion Bar workout with stretching throughout the workout, that our flexibility skyrockets.... perfect for high-kicking! :)
For more information visit: http://pilatesonfifth.com/owners