Renata Kundrikova Clance is on a mission to bring you better health.
A lifelong athlete, then a physical education teacher in her native Slovakia, Clance started studying Pilates in 2006 in Prague in the Czech Republic.
After emigrating to the U.S. in 2006, she taught classes at different locations in Bayfield, then opened her own studio this fall, Kamoska Pilates.
She will host a benefit event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow at her studio, located in the Aspenwood Office Suites at 357 Mountain View Drive.
Mini classes will be held every 20 minutes to introduce students to Pilates. Classes will cover footwork, correct walking, Pilates equipment, stretching and balance.
The classes are free, but she is she is accepting donations for a variety of organizations, including local cancer patient Aria Crane, and the Jason Henry fund, a man in Durango with severe spinal injuries. She also will accept donations on behalf of several national organizations, including the USO and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
In between classes, she will offer free sessions to diagnose individual posture.
Dec. 6 is St. Nicholas Day, which is a fun holiday in Slovakia and Europe. St. Nicholas visits homes and brings candy and littlegifts to children who have been good all year. If they've been bad, kids receive a broom. Some children get both gifts and a broom, she said with a laugh. It's also a time at work for parties and small presents.
After almost nine years of study and practice, Clance believes Pilates can help people with a variety of ailments: back and neck pain, foot problems, posture and more. The technique is also good for those in good health who want to work on their "core," the abdomen, lower back and pelvis, to keep it strong and prevent injuries.
"It's the most awesome thing I've ever done," said Dr. Carrie Bergfalk, owner of Pine River Chiropractic. She said the exercises helped her recuperate from back surgery she had in 2002, and she often refers her patients to Clance.
Core work strengthens the deep muscles that attach to the spine, she explained. That muscle strength, combined with the flexibility, can relieve a lot of pain. Bergfalk said she used to go some with back pain almost every night. Since starting Pilates more than two years ago, she rarely has it anymore.
For the benefit event, Clance will offer a warm up and pelvic workout from 9:20 to 9:40 a.m.; balance and leg stretch from 10 a.m. to 10:20; feet exercises from 10:40 to 11; all-body stretching from 11:20 to 11:40; basic Pilates positions from noon to 12:20; and Pilates equipment from 12:40 to 1 p.m. Participants are welcome to try one or as many classes as they would like.
Clance teaches her regular classes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings in her studio.
More information is at www.kamoskapilates.com. Questions can be emailed to Clance via a link on the site, or at info@kamoskapilates.com.
