IM=X Pilates Blue Bell Announces Record Donations at Pilates for Pink Events- $1,000 Raised for Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Blue Bell, PA- November 5, 2008- During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, IM=X Pilates Blue Bell teamed with Pilates for Pink and Shape Magazine to raise $1,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. IM=X Pilates Blue Bell and its generous community raised this record amount through a combination of Pilates for Pink classes, an in-house competition, t-shirt sales, and a speaker from the ELLE Center for Breast Health at Mercy Suburban Hospital. An 11th hour donation by a very special, anonymous donor brought the total contributions to a round $1,000, the most ever raised at the pilates studio.

IM=X Blue Bell held free Pilates for Pink donation classes on select weekends in October. In addition, a studio-wide contest was devised. Clients competed against each other doing popular exercises, donating for each exercise accomplished. For example, each push-up was worth a $0.01 donation, while the more difficult Teasers were worth $0.25 each. Clients were encouraged to ask friends, family, coworkers and employers to sponsor their efforts. During the 2-week competition, almost 8,000 total repetitions were done- over 2,000 alone were the popular Butt Buster move.

Special t-shirts were sold through the studio blog, promoting Pilates for Pink and IM=X Pilates Blue Bell. Almost $100 in profits from shirt sales was part of the donation total.

Fully half of the $1,000 was raised during the competition. Additional monies were also donated by most participants. One client even raced to her wallet as the donation checks were being sealed in their envelope, to round out the total raised by her fellow pilates partners.

IM=X Blue Bell also hosted Dr. Lori Chapleski, DO, breast surgeon at the ELLE Center for Breast Health. She spoke for over an hour on breast health, facts and myths about breast cancer, and the technology available to image, diagnose and treat diseases.

For additional information on the Pilates for Pink events held at IM=X Blue Bell, contact Paula Billig.

About IM=X Pilates Blue Bell- IM=X Pilates Blue Bell, on Route 202 in Blue Bell, PA, is the only IM=X franchise studio in the Philadelphia area, and has been providing IM=X Pilates instruction for over 5 years.
IM=X Pilates is a powerful advancement of classical pilates that incorporates strength and flexibility training, and aspects of Alexander Technique. Benefiting from extensive medical research, the IM=X program maximizes your efforts in each moment and move on the patented Xercizer machine. The semi-private training format combines the attention of personal training with the social and financial benefits of small group classes.
Free Introductory Sessions are available for anyone new to pilates or the IM=X program. The Free Intro sessions are located on the online schedule at www.imxbluebell.com or by calling the studio at (484) 231-8565.
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This is a very common voicemail message left at IM=X Pilates Blue Bell, and this blog series is here to give an idea about what it’s like getting started with pilates. Whether it’s by phone or walk-in, or even by email, everyone gets the same piece of advice: make an appointment for a FREE Introductory session! We can give you all the information you’re looking for first, but putting the information in the context of trying pilates first will make it come together. There is always an Intro on the Saturday pilates schedule, and others during the week will pop up just by asking for them.

Intro sessions are scheduled for 90 minutes, while all regular pilates classes are 60 minutes. This allows the Intro to be divided into 3 sections: paperwork and background info, learning the Fundamentals and using the Xercizer machine, and asking all the questions you’ve thought of during the Intro.

When you arrive, you’ll fill out a history form and our instructors will ask all about your needs and goals and everything else that can help optimize your experience . You’ll get a brief overview of pilates and IM=X Pilates, and a quick tour of the studio (see pictures of the studio in an earlier blog post, Our Anniversary: January 15 2008). Then you start to work- you’ll learn the 5 Fundamentals of IM=X Pilates to stabilize and support you, then you’ll get on the Xercizer machine and do a short workout! This first workout is designed to demonstrate the flexibility of the Xercizer, and to give our instructors a chance to assess your abilities and make educated scheduling suggestions. You’ll be exercising for 30-45 minutes, so you shouldn’t expect to be as sore as you will be after your first full class.

The last 30 minutes of your pilates Intro is reserved for answering your questions, planning your schedule, setting up your membership, and any other leftover details. As a new client, you’ll receive a Welcome Kit, instructions on scheduling your classes, and information on IM=X Pilates Blue Bell’s referral program.

Call 484-231-8565, stop in at 1320 DeKalb Pike, or sign up online to schedule your FREE Intro session and discover why people rave about IM=X Pilates Blue Bell, the only IM=X Pilates franchise studio in the Philadelphia area.

You’ll find the Pink classes on our online schedule for October 24 and 25. Stay tuned for possible SUNDAY Pink classes also! Kate is moving along in her training and you should see her new, regular hour-long Sunday classes on the schedule soon!

Each shirt says “Pilates for Pink at IM=X Pilates Blue Bell” on the back.

You can choose from 2 chest logos:

            Or for the bold:         

The shirts are available online at www.imxbluebell.spreadshirt.com  for under $30 each. Enjoy!

Edited to add: Check the sizing information when you order- Paula received her shirt order and they tend to run small. Come see samples at the studio!

In addition to in-house competitions, the studio will also host Pilates for Pink donation classes open to current pilates clients AND the public. On Friday October 3 and Saturday October 4, a series of 30 minute classes are on the studio schedule and available to anyone who would like to participate- no pilates experience is necessary.  Pilates clients with packages can take these classes without counting against their remaining sessions. Anyone new to IM=X Pilates should arrive about 10 minutes before their scheduled Pink class.

Please bring your check or online donation receipt for at least $10 to your Pilates for Pink class. We CANNOT accept cash! Checks can be made out to “The Breast Cancer Research Foundation”. You can also donate securely online directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, at www.bcrfcure.org. Make sure you bring your receipt! Our goal is to raise $250 during the weekend Pink classes.

Host your own class for charity- contact the pilates studio with the names of at least 2 of your friends and schedule a time for your group to workout. Any questions, call the studio at (484) 231-8565.

In an article titled, “How Much Does Physical Inactivity Cost You?,” Entrepreneur.com provides a link to East Carolina University’s Physical Inactivity Cost Calculator. ECU combined research on medical costs, workers’ productivity and workers’ compensation to create this tool useful for quantifying the benefits of a healthy team or community. The calculator computes dollar amounts representing the total costs to a business or community, the per-person cost, medical care, workers comp and lost productivity costs, and the potential savings if only 5% of the group became more active!

Using Census.gov Factfinder data for the Blue Bell area, this is what the numbers look like:

click for a larger image

What could your community do with $2.6 million? The state of Pennsylvania could save $942 million per year- imagine the programs that could benefit from that kind of money! Corporations can run this calculator too- partnering with your local IM=X Pilates Studio franchise for special group rates can be an inexpensive way to cut down on healthcare costs among employees. Don’t underestimate the importance of team building in small-group exercise classes, either- but that’s a topic for another time.

IM=X Pilates Blue Bell Studio

1320 DeKalb Pike, 2nd Floor, Blue Bell PA 19422

taking place on: September 5 2008 at: 7:00pm

RSVP by: September 1 2008

IM=X Pilates Blue Bell is throwing another party! Enjoy the Back-to-School theme with Appletinis, ice cream floats and lunch box favorites. Invite your friends to come experience IM=X Pilates in a casual way. You’re welcome to contribute to the snacks and drinks table,but it’s not required. Be ready with your favorite stories, pictures or even souvenirs from your Summer 2008 trips and activities- Jim is looking forward to “What I Did This Summer” presentations!  Please RSVP by email or at the studio.

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IM=X Pilates Blue Bell is also starting an email newsletter, which will be sent out much less frequently than new blog entries will be posted. The newsletter will keep all of IM=X Pilates Blue Bell’s clients informed about important news and events relating to the studio. You can sign up for the newsletter:

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