Core Strength

Christy Riley keeps North Shore residents toned teaching Pilates at Lake Forest’s Core Pilates. Between inhales and exhales, here is how Riley stays fit and on trend.

ON HER NIGHTSTAND

“As a mother, wife, and Pilates instructor, I don’t sit down a lot. But on my nightstand, I keep a collection of my favorite inspirational books: I’ve Been Thinking ..: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life by Maria Shriver, The Little Book of Hygge, Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking, and Power Prayers for Mothers by Rachel Quillin. Every night before bed, I grab one and read a chapter or excerpt. It puts my brain in a good place before I fall asleep. It’s also frequently the first thing I think of in the morning when I wake up. Not a bad way to finish and start the day! I’ve also recently discovered Audiobooks. I just finished Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, which is a fabulous story. I am now onto James Clavell’s Shogun. These are the top two on my Dad’s short list of favorites. I’m working my way down his list!”

ON HER MOBILE

“At Core Pilates, we really strive to stay smart and creative in our teaching. My favorite website is pilatesanytime.com because it contains hundreds of classes and workshops from all schools of instruction. It’s great! I also follow laurabpilates.com and newyorkpilates.com on Instagram for bursts of inspiration. When it comes to blogs, that pretty much means chill time for me. I enjoy perusing somethingnavy.com, sincerelyjules.com, and
goop.com. On Instagram, I also follow my stylist friend at lrstyleme. All of these show classic, clean, and simple fashion inspirations, and I enjoy the health and lifestyle articles as well.”

IN HER EARBUDS

“Every day I play a variety of chill playlists on Spotify while teaching, like ‘Relax and Unwind.’ They are perfect for my classes. When I am with family and friends I listen to everything from the classics: The Cure, Tears for Fears, Prince, Depeche Mode, New Order, Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, and Journey to newer favorites like My Morning Jacket, Alabama Shakes, Post Malone, and Khalid. I just saw Tedeschi-Trucks Band at Chicago Theatre, and it was great. I’m kind of all over the board—I go with my mood to pick what to listen to each day.”