Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Trainer Tuesday! A Day in the Life of Maria Pallas

Happy Trainer Tuesday! Today we highlight wonderful Maria. Maria's back with a new addition: her sweet baby Antonia! If you're lucky, you just might catch Antonia accompanying Maria on the west side. Check out her interview below to learn how she stays active, eats clean and green, and teaches lots of Pilates classes as a new mom. Warning… taking Maria's class earns you great abs, be prepared to work those obliques to the max!
A Day in the Life of Maria Pallas
Pilates Instructor (Santa Monica Studio)
What are your favorite Pilates moves? 
I love working my obliques! I swear before finding this workout, I never had a waist. I could get a flat belly but without shape. So give me a teaser, French twist, mermaid, and my favorite a reverse side crunch any day.

What is one of your favorite non-Pilates workouts? 
I love to pretend that I am dancer so my favorites often have a component of dance. I love Cardio Barre. Jessica at the Santa Monica location is fantastic. Also big fan of Groov3 with Ben Allen!
As a new mom, one of my favorite workouts is Stroller Strides. You get a great workout and don’t need to get a sitter! May seem like a light workout but these mamas are strong.

What’s your exercise routine like for a typical week?
Monday: Pilates with Piper when I can get into her class!
Tuesday: I teach 4 classes and try to stay in fat burn zone with everyone. Then run around at park with baby  
Wednesday: Stroller Strides and yoga at Yoga Works (again I can bring Antonia and let her crawl around while I get my in my yoga time)
Thursday: I teach 4 classes, try to stay in fat burn zone. Swim and run around at park with baby.
Friday: Stroller Strides and Pilates
Saturday: Hike, Stroller Strides or Pilates
Sunday: Cardio Barre or Pilates

What are some of your favorite healthy foods? 
Broccoli, sweet potatoes, almonds are a few of my staples. I make most of Antonia’s baby food, so I try to keep lots of fresh organic veggies on hand. We made a DELICIOUS soup the other day: kale, green chard, onion, garlic, sweet potato and vegetable broth all pureed. Yum! Oh, and I also made a kale pesto: kale, sunflower seeds, evoo, parmesan, lemon, salt and garlic. Also yum.

What does your workout and eating schedule for a typical day like?
 I sometimes get an early morning wake up call between 4-5 from a little baby down the hall. With luck we all get another little bit of sleep and officially greet the day between 6:15-7. Then it’s some milk, a diaper change and playtime before a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit or maybe some eggs.

Then it’s playtime again and a nap for baby while we walk to Stroller Strides. I get in my workout. Then we stretch and play on the bluff. Tough life, I know. Then we head home for lunch and a second nap for baby while I get odds and ends done (sometimes even shower!!)

Our afternoon often includes, a walk to Wholefoods and to the park. Then it’s home to make some dinner. We try very hard to eat as a family. We have pasta more then I would like to admit, but come on, I married a Sicilian. Hence the kale pesto, satisfies all of us.

Then it’s playtime, bath time, clean up and baby’s bedtime. I will either sneak out to a pilates class, do my lesson planning and music for week,  go to improv, order more stuff on Amazon Prime or pass out on couch. I will let you guess what happens most often. I then sneak into my daughters room for a dream feed (feeding baby without waking her up) and then officially retire to bed at 11:30 (remember I have most likely been sleeping on couch before).
My favorite part of day is laughing with Antonia and my husband. a not far second is making my classes smile from feeling of awesome accomplishment as I run around them like a maniac! I love being a mom! And I love teaching pilates!!

If it’s not obvious, I am a new mom so much of life is all about Antonia. I assume that will change in… 1 year… 5 years… 18 years… ok probably never.


What’s your biggest source of inspiration…what keeps you going everyday?
 The love of my life, Antonia and I also have a pretty great husband who keeps me going. I know that if I can manage to get some rest, eat some greens and real food, find 30 min to physically challenge myself, I feel better and am so much happier. Taking the time to take care of myself makes me a better mom and wife. I try my hardest to practice what I preach, so I can be a true real life example for my classes. I am so far from perfect. I eat cookies, drink wine and have absolutely chosen sleep over working out, but I try. And I often succeed.
And I should also give special shout out to Jessica F, who is amazing to have in class because she works so hard but also because she brings me chocolate! Chocolate can absolutely be what keeps me going.

What are your trainer tips or words of advice for people interested in Pilates and a healthy lifestyle?
Two clichés that I live by, find joy in what you are doing and make the most of what you have.. I am a cheerleader and I think optimist by nature, but life gets hard sometimes. I have absolutely never been happier since the day my daughter was born. But again, it gets hard! You can focus on the lack of sleep, and your completely changed body and very little “me time” or you can focus on the magic, joy and laughter that this little creature has brought into your life.

I no longer have the luxury of taking five classes a week but when I am in class, I relish every minute and work my tail off!

Thanks for sharing, Maria! 

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