How Pilates Changed My Life – An Interview with Laura Tremaine

Laura Tremaine, also known as “Hollywood Housewife” is a former blogger (now podcaster) that I’ve followed online for quite some time. I’ve always found her perspective to be refreshing, real, and relatable and can’t wait to share that with you today.

Can anyone relate?

I was so moved by Laura’s transformation (spoiler alert: it wasn’t her weight or dress size) that I asked if she would be willing to share a bit of her Pilates journey here with us here on The Balanced Life. I hope you enjoy it!

Hi Laura! Will you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m Laura Tremaine and I’m a writer, podcaster, wife, and mom living in Los Angeles. I had a blog for a long time called Hollywood Housewife, but lately I’m focused on being the co-host of the Sorta Awesome Show and the creator/host of the Smartest Person in the Room. I love to read and travel. My husband and I have two young children.

What inspired you to start Pilates?

I started Pilates because age and two pregnancies had left my core so weak that I was noticing it in my daily life. The births of my children had left me with substantial pelvic floor problems and a feeling of being really disconnected from my body. I just didn’t feel like I was living inside myself. I also had an old ankle injury that flared up every few months and kept me from wearing a closetful of cute shoes. I finally decided to stop ignoring or avoiding these issues and actually deal with them. A friend with similar conditions suggested I try Pilates.

How do you find time to fit Pilates in to your day/week?

Luckily the Pilates studio my friend recommended was just down the street from my house. I know that the close proximity has been a huge reason that I’ve been able to stick with it for over a year. Traffic in Los Angeles can really dictate your schedule, so not having that as a hurdle takes away any excuse to skip. Another thing that really worked for me was to have standing appointments. When I just tried to fit in my sessions wherever, it seemed like more of a chore. Knowing that I’ll be there on the same days at the same time every week just makes it part of a routine.

What is it about Pilates that has been different for you (compared to other exercise programs)?

I hate working out and I’ve never stuck with any exercise program in my entire life. Pilates is so different for me. I don’t get drenched in sweat or have that shaky feeling afterwards. The movements are tough, but in a more deliberate way than anything I’ve ever experienced. I don’t zone out while I’m in Pilates, I am fully present in my body.

In my life, Pilates not only provides physical benefits, but also mental ones. Have you experienced this as well?

The mental benefits of Pilates have been surprising and have become the most important reason I work my schedule around my sessions. When I first started, I could see the muscles working and shaking yet I couldn’t feel anything. I just can’t overstate how disconnected my brain was from my physicality. Even though it ultimately took months, linking those two back up has been key. Neither my weight nor my dress size has changed in the last year, but how strong and comfortable I feel in my body is completely different.

The Balanced Life is all about empowering women to approach health & fitness with a balanced mindset. How do you handle the pressure as a woman to look or act a certain way?

Living in L.A. for the last fifteen years has affected my perspective on what a “normal” body looks like. So many women around me must maintain a certain appearance for their job or their aspirations. You can’t pretend that that mindset doesn’t set into your psyche. But it really starts with how I feel about my body. If I like the way I feel in my skin, I care so much less about what other people think. When I was feeling weak and foreign, I was more self-conscious about how others viewed me. Change really has to start inside.

What does balance mean to you during your current season of life?

I work from home and have a spouse with a really erratic schedule. Balance to me right now means keeping a schedule that allows me to do my own work – as opposed to being distracted by the one hundred other tasks I could be doing since I’m in my house – but staying flexible enough that I can meet the needs of other family members on a whim. Family always comes first, but without a boss or an office, I’m the only one responsible for carving out my own time. Every day is a push/pull of self-discipline.

Who or what inspires you to keep living well?

Maybe it’s cliche, but my kids and husband are my biggest motivators for prioritizing my health. There was a long season in there where I just didn’t feel well. Not in my body and not in my mind. I realized that I was missing out on valuable time and life adventures by feeling abnormally tired and uncomfortable. A few years ago when I realized I was in a bad way, I started traditional talk therapy for the first time. It was so effective and so needed. Once my emotional health improved, working on my physical challenges was the obvious next step. Pilates is the perfect fit for my personality.

What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the midst of a busy life?

Just show up. You don’t have to be moving at full capacity or be in a good mood or have a kale smoothie afterward. Showing up is more than half the battle. If you do it consistently, attitude and results and everything else will follow.

Thank you, Laura! We’d also love to know what projects are you currently working on and where we can find you on the internet?

I’m really excited about my podcast Smartest Person in the Room. I get to have the most interesting conversations with intriguing people. So far we’ve done a series on Hollywood and a series on religion, and have much more planned for 2017. I also write a monthly email called the Secret Posts with recommendations on what to read, watch, wear, and listen to right now. I believe that art will save our souls, so it’s fun featuring the great stuff being created out there.