Carrie Minter Ebers was aware of the importance of looking good as a young model gracing the covers of glossy magazines like Playboy, Maxim, and Esquire, but her successful foray into the fitness world taught her the value of feeling great on the inside too.
M&F caught up with this changemaker to discuss “Carrie’s Pilates Plus,” and why it’s her weapon of choice when it comes to attacking a workout. As a model for Valentino and Versace, Carrie was always a health and fitness advocate, but a chance situation that allowed her to take over a struggling Pilates studio in Los Angeles encouraged her to become a certified instructor. She has since been on a mission to disrupt the space, and not only has Carrie developed her own method of Pilates training, but the beauty has also designed her own equipment with the launch of her innovative ‘Transformer’ machine.
“I mean, you’re strengthening, your lengthening, your toning, you’re doing moves that are equivalent to weight lifting,” explains Carrie, who has her name on five studio locations and growing.
This pro Pilates PT makes sure that all types of people are catered for, from the newbie to the elite athlete, so here are 5 reasons to try it out for yourself:
Pilates is an awesome core builder
“Every move we do, works our core,” says Carrie. No doubt; for a fit and stable body, it’s critical to build that mid-section. Studies have demonstrated that men and women, including those above 60, who practice Pilates for 12 weeks, for two 60-minute sessions per week, can “stimulate statistically significant increases in abdominal endurance, hamstring flexibility, and upper-body muscular endurance.” Pilates is so efficient because it works every muscle in the body via a push, pull, or a stretch, but is also a low impact activity.
Pilates can work around your fitness level
“I’d say to start out maybe two or three times per week, and give your body a rest day, then just do what feels good for you,” advises Carrie. “I have some clients that come every day, but they’ve built that up and then it just kind of becomes like an addiction! I would say our average client usually gets addicted and comes four or five times a week.”
Carrie has also helped elite athletes to hit their stride. “There was a basketball player that I trained a few years ago, going into the Olympics” shares the coach. “And we just worked on really strengthening his core, building that up, and also movements are very slow and controlled to work those slow twitch muscle fibers.”
Pilates can work around injuries
Carrie Minter Ebers says that Pilates “is not a competition,” and can be tailored to your individual needs. You can take out some movements, or focus more intently on other movements to bring up lagging areas of the body. Carrie also offers one-to-one sessions in her studios for those who require extra supervision. Studies show that Pilates is effective for younger and older clients, and is a great way to beat a sedentary lifestyle, plus a systematic review found that “Additional significant disability, physical functioning and quality of life effects were found for back pain, osteoporosis, and knee osteoarthritis,” for those that practiced Pilates.
Pilates is female friendly
Carrie is finding that while everyone is welcome in her studios, Pilates is still mostly practiced by women. So, if you are looking for a female-friendly space to workout in, you may have just found a new home. Some studies on women have even shown Pilates to have a more beneficial impact on posture, balance, and repetitive exercises than traditional exercises methods. “I love empowering women and I want them to feel good and strong,” says the coach.
There’s Pilates, then there’s “Carries Pilates Plus”
“I was never a really athletic kid, growing up,” shares Carrie. “But you know, I just kind of love this workout.” Carries ‘Method’ includes her signature 45-minute workout that combines elements of strength training, cardio, and Pilates. In order to get the most from moving her body, she has even re-developed the traditional Reformer machines.
“I wanted to make something that was unique to me,” she says of the ‘Transformer.’ “Because the typical Pilates reformers are kind of like these wooden boxes, and they’re very small. And then you have like these really big wooden frames, which are huge and very masculine looking. I wanted something that was more-sleek, but also for everybody, and all shapes and sizes.”
Carrie Minter Ebers is hoping to keep spreading the message of Pilates and its benefits, and while she has already opened additional locations in California; Texas; and Ontario, Canada; the plan is to pile on even more Pilates locations. “It’s so fun doing it with a group, and you know it’s a team effort. I mean, we are all about building our community and we’re not just selling a workout, we’re selling an experience.”
Carries work in the community extends to being an advocate for Camp Summit a residential “sleep away” camp for children and adults with special needs located in Paradise, Texas. “It’s been super important to me,” she shares. “I have a younger brother who is autistic and nonverbal, and he actually has been going to this camp pretty much all his life since he’s six years old.”
If you are searching for your own community to empower your fitness journey, why not pick up Pilates? follow Carrie Minter on Instagram