Yoga & Pilates, Perfectly Combined

Pilates and Yoga Instructor Emily Berreth combines yoga and Pilates into a single exercise program focused on fun, relaxation and personal growth. This class brings together the stretching of yoga and the core strengthening practices of Pilates into a challenging and fun routine appropriate for those interested in improving their fitness levels.

Berreth has been teaching at KSU’s College of Continuing and Professional Education since January 2010. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and a Certified Pilates and Yoga Instructor. This year, two new daytime classes are being added.

“I’m pretty excited about all of it; these are the first new classes I’ve had since 2012,” Berreth said.

In her classes, Berreth doesn’t do things that are very technical and complicated that the students can’t grasp relatively quickly. A lot of stretching is incorporated in between tough core exercises to ensure that students don’t feel worn out by the end of it. Berreth’s goal is to make students feel refreshed, relaxed, looser and taller. Since lengthening the spine is a big part of Pilates, Berreth wants her students to feel like they’ve just had a massage and stretched every part of their bodies.

“The difference between Pilates and yoga is that Pilates is more about developing a stronger core which helps with your lower back pain so it’s a little faster and focused,” Berreth said. “Yoga has more time for stretching and holding poses a little longer.”

To combine both, Berreth incorporates a similar warmup in the classes and uses stretching in Pilates as well.

“I always leave the class feeling that I have stretched each of the major muscle groups in my body and I also have a sense of calm from the relaxation aspect of the class,” student Tina Turczyn said.

An essential part of Berreth’s teaching is her encouragement for students to focus on their breath.

“A lot of times when we do something new or tough, we hold our breath and I encourage my students to never do that,” Berreth said. “Instead, I encourage them to listen to their bodies and pay attention to their breath.”

Re-learning to breathe correctly takes time and patience and, in her opinion, it’s better to breathe properly and have correct form than to do multiple repetitions of an exercise. She encourages her students to excel and improve every week but to never overdo it.

Her classes are focused not only exercise, but fun. Laughter is encouraged.

“Laughter is good for the soul and keeps you breathing well too!” Berreth said. This keeps students enjoying themselves while exercising and along the way students become friends with each other. “The social aspect of exercise shouldn’t be forgotten,” she said.

For more information on Yoga and Pilates – Perfectly Combined, visit ccpe.kennesaw.edu or call 470-578-6765.