There's a commonly-held belief that senior citizens are the only men that have to worry about low testosterone. After all, a man in his 40s or 50s is still supposed to be strong, confident, and virile, right? Research from the Cleveland Clinic shows that, globally, nearly 8% of all men suffer from low levels of testosterone. That's a huge number - and many of those men haven't seen the "wrong side" of 50 yet.
The truth is, you don't have to be a brittle old man a decade into retirement to experience low testosterone. Because, in reality, male testosterone levels can begin to fall in your 30s. And when that happens, a man's life can change drastically. Finding the motivation to attack the day, work hard, and come home happy is more difficult. Going to the gym to get a full session of cardio in? Not with the kink in your neck that's been bothering you for days.
For some men with low testosterone, the ultimate embarrassment happens - they can't light that spark and perform in the bedroom like they used to. If you're one of the millions of men slogging through life and the symptoms of low T, you may think there's no going back to the old you. But nothing could be further from the truth. Male health centers like Rank One Medical are ready to treat you with an FDA-approved procedure that rebalances your hormones and helps re-capture your youth.
It's called testosterone replacement therapy, and it's giving men around the U.S. renewed hope and a new lease on life. Unlike other male hormone clinics, however, Rank One Medical provides patients with an all-inclusive approach to TRT in Ada, OK, so you can get relief ASAP.
Our Men's Testosterone Replacement Therapy is an all-inclusive monthly fee for treatment. Unlike most male health clinics, we do not charge "start-up fees," "consult fees," or "lab fees." When we say our monthly fee is "all-inclusive," we mean it! We're talking Testosterone cypionate, initial and follow-up labs, and all consultations with our licensed physician are included in our TRT services.
When you choose Rank One Medical, you don't have to carve time out of your day to travel to our location. That's because we specialize in concierge TRT, so you can get relief from low testosterone from the comfort of your home. Plus, injection supplies and doorstep shipping are also included.
As an evidence-based practice with customized protocols and personalized TRT in Ada, OK, we pride ourselves on exceeding expectations with real results. When you trust Rank One Medical, you can rest easy knowing you'll never get a one-size-fits-all treatment plan.
Our patients trust us with their TRT journey because we prioritize convenience and confidence while providing:
To understand the amazing benefits of taking TRT, it's important to grasp what testosterone is and its role in your body.
When you hear the word testosterone, what comes to mind? Many folks think of a large, muscle-bound man who is too aggressive and macho. Of course, that stereotype is untrue. Testosterone plays a role in a man's motivation and vigor, but it does much more than that. The truth is that testosterone is crucial for the male body because it affects development from puberty through old age.
As your primary androgen, testosterone helps develop the characteristics that make you the man you are. Controlled by your pituitary gland and your hypothalamus, testosterone helps maintain and develop:
Unfortunately, when your body suffers from low testosterone (also called hypogonadism), you'll start to notice concerning symptoms that affect every aspect of your life.
This is a question we get all the time at Rank One Medical. Though the true answer is nuanced, the bottom line is that aging is most often the reason for low T. Every man who ages will most likely have lower testosterone than younger men. Other causes of low testosterone include prescribed medications, drug abuse, injuries, and obesity.
When you lose large amounts of testosterone, it alters your testosterone and estrogen. Low T levels usually result in more abdominal fat, which in turn causes estrogen synthetase levels to jump. This creates even higher levels of estrogen in your body. With more estrogen and less testosterone, several concerning issues manifest.
Some of the most common symptoms associated with low testosterone include:
If you're a man struggling with just one of the symptoms above, it could be because you have low testosterone. However, the only way to be certain is to have your testosterone levels tested. If your testosterone levels are low for a man of your age, TRT in Ada, OK, may be the next logical step.
Have you noticed that you don't feel like "you" when you're working or relaxing at home? Do you always feel lethargic or unmotivated, even on your days off? Do you find it challenging to maintain an erection? Many men mistake these symptoms for being overworked or over-busy. Truthfully, though, there's a good chance these are symptoms of low testosterone. Since no two males have the same symptoms of low testosterone, it's prudent to understand and recognize some of the most common signs.
When you have low T, it's not unusual for sex to be unappealing. Crazy, right? If you're one of the thousands of men in the United States suffering from a low sex drive, it might not be you. It could be low testosterone. Don't settle for a mediocre libido - reclaim your sex life with Rank One Medical.
Also called ED, these are two words that every man hopes to avoid. When you're unable to perform in the bedroom, it's not just embarrassing - it can also affect your long-term relationships and even your mental health. ED is a challenging topic to talk about. But it doesn't have to be. TRT in Ada, OK can help re-light that special spark you've been missing for so long.
Your brain has many testosterone receptors. However, when you're suffering from low testosterone, it can affect your mood. With time, those feelings can lead to serious psychological issues like depression. However, studies show that TRT can help rebalance your hormones, which can lead to improved mood and a life without depression.
When you work hard all day, most men want to come home, eat some dinner, and try to go to sleep. Unfortunately, men with low testosterone tend to toss and turn, even when they're exhausted. Whether you have undiagnosed insomnia or a different sleep disorder, low T could be the culprit.
When testosterone levels lower as we get older, men have a harder time lifting heavy items. That's true even if you're hitting the gym and lifting weights to maintain your muscles. If you're making a concerted effort to keep your muscle mass and strength but aren't making gains, it could be due to low testosterone.
Do you find it extra challenging to finish normal tasks at work? Do you believe your memory is getting worse? Does your spouse or partner yell about not paying attention to them? Trust us; we've been there. The effects of low testosterone don't just affect your body - they can also affect your mind and memory. When TRT brings your testosterone levels back within normal range, brain fog and other concentration issues will often go away.
At Rank One Medical, we understand what men go through every day when living with low testosterone. They suffer from low libido, lack of motivation, and often feel abnormal and out of place. But as bad as those are, living with low testosterone can have more severe health risks that put your vital organs at risk.
Some of the health risks you should be concerned with include the following:
When you're diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes, you may be wondering why. Sometimes, the culprit is having low T. Statistically, men with low testosterone have a higher chance of getting diabetes as they age. In the same vein of thought, men with diabetes are also much more likely to have low T. This fact establishes a relationship between testosterone and diabetes. This relationship is furthered by the fact that men with low testosterone have more challenges resisting insulin. Though TRT in Ada, OK won't cure your diabetes, research shows that men with healthy testosterone levels also have healthier blood sugar levels and are usually not as obese.
Have you been told by your primary care doctor that you have high blood pressure? Do you have an idea what may be causing your high blood pressure? Is it aging? Is it hereditary? Is it something else?
According to research, men with low testosterone have higher chances of suffering from cardiovascular illnesses. Because, when your testosterone levels are low, red blood cell reproduction slows. That, in turn, causes plaque buildup in your arteries. With time, plaque buildup can cause life-threatening issues like heart attacks or strokes.
If you look in the mirror in the morning and are disgusted with how fat you've gotten, you're not alone. Many aging men have problems with obesity. If you eat well and exercise like you should but still can't shed embarrassing body fat, low T could be the cause.
Research shows a link between obesity and low T, with testosterone playing an essential role in food metabolism. It's also involved with insulin, glucose, and fat regulation. Thankfully, when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, men who use TRT often lose weight and benefit from better blood glucose and low-density cholesterol levels.
When a man has anemia, his body lacks much-needed blood cells, meaning organs have less oxygen to properly function. Normal testosterone levels have been linked to healthy red blood cell counts, so it makes sense that men with low T are at risk of anemia. In fact, a study conducted in 2009 found that aging men with low testosterone were five times more likely to have anemia versus men with healthy testosterone. TRT isn't a cure for anemia, but with healthier levels of testosterone, your body will produce more red blood cells, which can prevent anemia.
Up to this point, we've explained some of the revolutionary benefits of TRT but haven't dug into how it works. TRT does exactly what its name implies: it's a therapy backed by science that replaces low T levels in men.
Also called androgen replacement therapy, TRT is a form of hormone replacement therapy for men that helps them deal with and triumph over the debilitating side effects associated with low testosterone. Originally created by scientists in the 1930s, TRT has grown from a little-known treatment to a life-changing solution for millions of men worldwide.
Without boring you with facts and scientific speak, TRT gives your body the testosterone it needs to function properly. Without healthy T levels, your body isn't able to maintain the natural processes it needs for your well-being. As a matter of fact, men with low T are more likely to develop serious health problems like heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Until their testosterone levels are restored, most men suffer from the symptoms of low testosterone without hormone replacement therapy like TRT.
With TRT from Rank One Medical, your hormones are rebalanced so your body can finally begin to heal, relieving and even eliminating many of the most common signs of low testosterone.
Unlike some TRT clinics, Rank One Medical takes a comprehensive, careful approach to testosterone replacement therapy. To ensure our patients get the best results in the most efficient time frames, we have developed a 10-step physician-prescribed plan for TRT in Ada, OK.
You Complete Our Initial On-Boarding Form
You Complete Paperwork Regarding Your Medical History & Physical
You Receive a Lab Requisite Form to Print
You Find the Nearest Quest Lab Center for Your Initial Lab Work
Quest Lab Sends Rank One Medical Your Lab Results for Review
A Physician from Rank One Medical Will Develop and Prescribe a TRT Regimen Tailored to Your Body
Our Physicians Order TRT from a 501 Compounding Pharmacy
The Pharmacy Preps and Ships Your TRT Order to Your Doorstep Within 10 Business Days
Quest Labs Re-Draws Your Labs After 9 Weeks to Review Your Progress
Quest Labs Re-Draws Your Labs Every 4-6 Months for Ongoing Treatment
In addition to our easy 10-step process for TRT, every Rank One Medical patient benefits from our affordable prices and personalized service. After all, every man has a different body, and as such, will need different TRT. Our valued patients also benefit from the following:
Did you know that 13 million men have low T and that 90% of them go untreated by doctors? Living with the harmful side effects of low testosterone is no way to live. If you believe your testosterone levels are unhealthy, it's time to contact Rank One Medical. Living with low testosterone is definitely risky. But with help from our male HRT clinic, you can reclaim your youth and health with TRT in Ada, OK.
Unlike other TRT clinics, our highly-trained team uses a functional approach to male health, which lets us solve the causes of your symptom instead of putting a proverbial band-aid on them. Ready to get started? We're ready to help you every step of the way. Contact Rank One Medical and make a difference in your life today.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Dr. Bryan Andrew Blanck, a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) who formerly owned and operated the Valley View Foot and Ankle Center, located in Ada, has agreed to pay $7,000,000.00 to the United States to resolve allegations he violated provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA).The settlement resolves allegations that Dr. Blanck submitted false claims to the VA Choice/Patient-Centered Community Care programs for excessive medical service...
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Dr. Bryan Andrew Blanck, a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) who formerly owned and operated the Valley View Foot and Ankle Center, located in Ada, has agreed to pay $7,000,000.00 to the United States to resolve allegations he violated provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA).
The settlement resolves allegations that Dr. Blanck submitted false claims to the VA Choice/Patient-Centered Community Care programs for excessive medical services and for higher levels of service than what were medically reasonable or necessary for veterans receiving bioengineered skin substitutes and skin substitute related treatment.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), provides integrated health care to U.S. Military Veterans in the United States through VA Medical Centers and VA Outpatient Clinics. VHA provides health care services similar to traditional hospitals. Veterans enrolled in VA health care have the option to receive care at the VA or at health care facilities within the local community. TriWest oversees the scheduling, claims processing and billing functions for veterans receiving care in the community. Dr. Blanck accepted and treated veterans at the Valley View Foot and Ankle Clinic.
An audit conducted by the VA revealed that from February 14, 2017 – June 14, 2018, Dr. Blanck was the #1 billing podiatrist out of 4,014 podiatrists nationwide in VA Choice and accounted for 23.7% of total podiatrist billings in the VA Choice program. During the same time period, Dr. Blanck was the #1 billing provider out of 280,073 individual providers in the entire VA Choice program across the nation. These high billing numbers sparked an investigation by the VA-Office of Inspector General. Based on the investigation, it was alleged Dr. Blanck misrepresented the seriousness of patients’ wounds to Tri-West in order to obtain authorization to administer bioengineered skin substitutes and copy and pasted medical notes as justification for his billing. For skin substitutes to be used, a detailed treatment history is required of standard wound care for a minimum of four weeks. At the end of the minimum four weeks, documentation must be shown as to why standard wound care has failed and it is necessary to use skin substitutes. It was alleged Dr. Blanck regularly administered skin substitutes without performing standard preliminary wound care and billed the VA Choice program for these medically unnecessary services.
“Protecting the citizens of our district against unscrupulous health care providers who do not play by the rules is a priority for my office,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Billing for and receiving payment for medically unnecessary and inappropriate levels of care is wrong and a waste of taxpayer dollars. The False Claims Act is a valuable weapon in the government’s arsenal to combat these types of abuses.”
“Subjecting veterans to unnecessary medical procedures at the expense of the taxpayer cannot be tolerated. Such activities put at risk VA’s ability to provide timely, quality health care within the local community,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General’s South Central Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s programs and services.”
This civil settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $26.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $16.8 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
This case was a coordinated effort among the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the Office of the Inspector General of Veteran Affairs. The lawsuit is captioned United States v. Bryan Blanck, Case No. 6:23-cv-00003-JAR (E.D. Okla.).
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael O'Malley and Clay Compton represented the United States.
The claims settled or pursued by the government are only allegations; there has been no determination of liability.
ADA, Okla. – Esabel Cantu is a 54-year-old mother of five and grandmother of eight from Hereford, Texas, who thanks God, and her Mercy dialysis team, every day she is alive. Cantu went from being bedridden to having another chance at life thanks to lifesaving dialysis treatment from a dedicated Mercy team.Due to health-related complications, Cantu gained a large amount of fluid that was literally killing her. Her care team in Texas was preparing to send her home on hospice, but one of Cantu’s daughters requested a t...
ADA, Okla. – Esabel Cantu is a 54-year-old mother of five and grandmother of eight from Hereford, Texas, who thanks God, and her Mercy dialysis team, every day she is alive. Cantu went from being bedridden to having another chance at life thanks to lifesaving dialysis treatment from a dedicated Mercy team.
Due to health-related complications, Cantu gained a large amount of fluid that was literally killing her. Her care team in Texas was preparing to send her home on hospice, but one of Cantu’s daughters requested a transfer in a last-ditch effort to help her mom. After no local hospitals had a bed or the services she needed, Cantu was transferred nearly six hours away from her care facility in Hereford, Texas, to Ada, Oklahoma.
When she first arrived at Mercy Hospital Ada, Cantu weighed 540 pounds. “I was desperate at that point because I had so much fluid and was so uncomfortable,” she said. “Then Dr. (Abdul) Khan and his team stepped in. They’re my angels in disguise.”
Cantu underwent treatment with Mercy Hospital Ada’s inpatient dialysis team every day for nearly 24 days. The result was a massive reduction of over 239 pounds of fluid.
“When Esabel arrived, I don’t even know how she was alive or breathing because of the amount of extra fluid she was carrying,” said Dr. Khan, Mercy’s nephrologist in charge of her care. The dialysis team immediately put in a temporary tunneled dialysis catheter and started dialyzing. Cantu received almost daily sessions, eliminating five to ten pounds of fluid with each session.
Esabel Cantu, left, before reduction of over 239 pounds of fluid. Esabel, after Mercy's life-saving dialysis treatment, surrounded by four of her grandchildren.
“After dialysis, I could physically feel the difference,” Cantu said. “If it wasn’t for this team, I don’t know where I’d be right now. I was in such bad shape, but now I have hope and a new chance at life.”
When Cantu left Mercy to go back to a rehabilitation facility closer to home, she was down to nearly 301 pounds. The 239-pound reduction in fluid allowed Cantu to finally be able to sit up in bed independently and even start physical therapy.
“In my last 25 years of practice, I’ve never taken 200 pounds off of one person, but we are so glad our team had the opportunity to care for and help Esabel,” said Dr. Khan. “She looked and felt completely different by the time she left our care, and you could really tell she was happier.”
Cantu also expressed gratitude for the other dialysis team members who made her stay memorable, including Walter Lopez, Tyler Griffin and Kristi Sawney.
“God truly blessed me with this dialysis team,” said Cantu. “They are my blessings, and I greatly appreciate everything they did for me during my stay in Ada.”
While Cantu’s case is not typical of inpatient dialysis, it highlights the essential need for these types of services in rural communities. One goal of this new service line was to support rural communities and patients like Cantu. Another primary aim was to reduce unnecessary travel for patients and their families.
The dialysis suite at Mercy Hospital Ada is the only inpatient acute dialysis facility in the region. It provides support for hospitalized patients with end stage renal disease. This means individuals who suffer from chronic kidney failure and are hospitalized for additional illness or injury will no longer need to be transferred out of the area for dialysis care.
“Dialysis is not a matter of just keeping people alive, it’s a matter of helping them improve their quality of life,” said Dr. Khan. “It’s a big advantage that our community now has these services closer to home.”
The new suite has around the clock nursing coverage to support emergency needs. It also provides patients the newest dialysis technology.
According to Sharon Boling, director of nursing and manager of the dialysis team, the suite has been open since July of 2022. To learn more about Mercy Hospital Ada’s inpatient dialysis services, click here.
Mercy, one of the 20 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized quality care and one of the nation’s largest Accountable Care Organizations. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state health care system including more than 40 acute care, managed and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has 900 physician practices and outpatient facilities, more than 4,000 physicians and advanced practitioners and more than 40,000 co-workers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
On a screen near you, you can now check out Ada’s hottest real estate, best local adventures, and everything that makes Ada, and surrounding areas.TV show host, Tyler Thompson, is an Ada area born local, who is hosting Ada’s brand new real estate TV show, “Negotiators Luxe”, streaming on the “Reveel” App for free on Roku, Firestick, AppleTV, and online.As a realtor in the Ada area with Merry Terry Associates, he “really wants to showcase where I’m from, because I’m proud of ...
On a screen near you, you can now check out Ada’s hottest real estate, best local adventures, and everything that makes Ada, and surrounding areas.
TV show host, Tyler Thompson, is an Ada area born local, who is hosting Ada’s brand new real estate TV show, “Negotiators Luxe”, streaming on the “Reveel” App for free on Roku, Firestick, AppleTV, and online.
As a realtor in the Ada area with Merry Terry Associates, he “really wants to showcase where I’m from, because I’m proud of that.” says Thompson on the morning of his very first episode launch pilot named “Butter Be Careful: Horses Waffles, and the Pacific Ocean” – which also happened to be on his birthday! What an extra exciting day.
This show features a collaboration of six states, where Tyler Thompson represents Oklahoma right here in Ada! Putting Ada on the map as one of Oklahoma’s best hidden gems.
His vision is to showcase and support the community. To show the possibilities of what our community can actually be.
“I’ve been here my whole life. [I’ve noticed that] a lot of people don’t realize how GREAT Ada, and surrounding, is,” Thompson shared. “Because, I grew up [on a farm] in Stonewall. I want to showcase how great the farm and ranch side of things are, too, that’s another thing that gets left out a lot.
“I think my main thing is that it will shine a good light on our community in our area, because we have a million different people doing a million different things. It allows me to [showcase that and] let other people thrive with me.”
“Ada has so many possibilities. It’s going to take some of the younger generation pouring into the community here, and I want to help do that.”
“The potential here is that if we want a better Ada with new business and beautiful houses, then we need to build them. We need to be the ones who do it. No one else is going to do it. So we should just do it.”, says Thompson.
With an all locally hired film and production crew, Tyler Thompson, wants to showcase all of the innovation that’s happening here. He also wants to show the behind the scenes of what being a realtor really is like. He states that being a realtor looks like “being in a committee, we’re picking up trash, or being on the Ada Board of Realtors, where he is the President.
Along with Norman based Co-host, Mariah Kalhor, “we are positive that this TV show is exactly what Oklahoma needs to help show the world exactly WHY we love, not only Oklahoma, but our small city of Ada, especially!”
Add Tyler Thompson on Facebook or connect with him on Instagram @TylercThompson.
Tune in for a new episode each month. There are talks of getting more weekly episodes soon!
As July steadily approaches so does the feud that everyone in Byng looks forward to every year.Once a year on the Fourth of July, or in this year's case, Monday July 3, a battle for the best fireworks show happens over the Byng Lake between two men named Kevin. Kevin Holland and Kevin Truett share more than just a name, they also live in the same neighborhood and share a love for fireworks.So naturally, around the fourth, both Kevins attempt to outshine the other with their own unique and boisterous displays of patriotism. The ...
As July steadily approaches so does the feud that everyone in Byng looks forward to every year.
Once a year on the Fourth of July, or in this year's case, Monday July 3, a battle for the best fireworks show happens over the Byng Lake between two men named Kevin. Kevin Holland and Kevin Truett share more than just a name, they also live in the same neighborhood and share a love for fireworks.
So naturally, around the fourth, both Kevins attempt to outshine the other with their own unique and boisterous displays of patriotism. The battle over the years has taken the community by storm and they have slowly turned this small feud between two Kevins into a whole Fourth of July Event for all.
This will be the ninth year Holland and Truett have hosted the annual “Battle of the Kevins” at their homes in Byng. “We both just happened to live in the same neighborhood and both love to do fireworks,” Holland explained how this all started, “it was just kind of natural.”
Despite the name given to their show, Holland and Truett are far from enemies. The event has always been more like a collaborative project rather than a battle.
“We found out we both loved fireworks so he came over one afternoon and we thought we could correlate everything and pop them off together…and it’s just grown from there,” Truett said.
Holland said the name came from his neighbors who witnessed the show. “When people would see it they were like ‘man it looked like you guys were shooting bombs at each other’ cause’ we’re both just right across the lake from each other. So basically it looked like we were having a war across the lake.”
The community has really made this fun thing between two neighbors... a battle for the ages. From voting on who had the best display in previous years to some reenacting famous moments in historical battles on the lake during the show, the community around them has truly made the “Battle of the Kevins” special.
Holland told The Ada News that both he and Truett didn’t expect that this would become more than just a show for their families. It was only after they started receiving calls from other neighbors asking when the next show would happen that they realized how big this could be.
Since starting, Holland and Truett were given fire trucks from the city of Byng so they can continue to put on these memorable battles over the lake. Besides that, the event now has a live D.J., a medical helicopter in case of injuries and the they sell shirts for 20 dollars. Trust said “It’s just grown over the years and it’s a lot of fun to do. We had no idea it would get this big.”
Holland and Truett are more than grateful for the support they have received. Holland says he feels that they have an obligation to the community now since so many of them look forward to the show.
“We’ve been really fortunate to get a lot of support from our local community…but certainly the Byng community as well,” Holland said.
In fact, this year’s show is in memory of a neighbor that supported them not just in the battle, but all year round. Milburn Wilson was not just a neighbor to them but Truett said he was also a dear friend.
“When we first moved in, he was a very helpful neighbor…he and my daughter had a pretty good relationship. she loved to fish, and he fed the fish so they would talk” Truett explained.
As the years went on, Wilson and his family became good friends with the feuding firework duo. Wilson passed away on April 5 of this year so Holland and Truett want to make this year’s show extra special by honoring Wilson and his family.
While Holland and Truett are unsure of what the display will look like, they are excited to try something new. After switching vendors, Truett said that he’s got some bigger and louder fireworks than what he usually sets off.
“This year by changing vendors, I’ve got some ones that will really make a big boom.” Truett continued, “I’m anxious to see what those do.”
The citizens of Byng are surely just as anxious to see the show as well. Even if the rivalry isn’t real, the amazing memories and the community it brings together is.
Despite the health benefits, people don’t want to exercise. Finding the motivation to dedicate an hour to getting hot and sweaty is hard. One woman, in particular, is trying to change the view of exercise being too strenuous, with a new business venture.Ada Main Street is adding a new business to its roster with the “Pilates on Main” studio this fall. The Pilates on Main is an expansion of Cara Crawford’s Central Oklahoma Dance Center.Although both businesses are located on Main Street, Pilates on Main w...
Despite the health benefits, people don’t want to exercise. Finding the motivation to dedicate an hour to getting hot and sweaty is hard. One woman, in particular, is trying to change the view of exercise being too strenuous, with a new business venture.
Ada Main Street is adding a new business to its roster with the “Pilates on Main” studio this fall. The Pilates on Main is an expansion of Cara Crawford’s Central Oklahoma Dance Center.
Although both businesses are located on Main Street, Pilates on Main will not focus on dance. Instead, Crawford hopes to share her love of Pilates with the Ada community with this new exercise studio.
The studio will offer Pilates classes ranging from beginner to advanced with four new teachers and full of Pilates equipment. When asked why she wanted to start her own Pilates studio, Crawford said she wants to educate the community with this studio.
Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates. He created exercise techniques to help wounded soldiers who were unable to walk during the First World War. He attached bed springs to hospital beds and used those as crude exercise machines for wounded soldiers to keep active.
Much of the equipment he developed is still used today, like the Reformer and Cadillac, although slightly adapted. Even though it was intended for rehabilitating soldiers in war, the dance community took a liking to the exercise method.
The low-impact exercises were easy for dancers to do while injured or in-between performances. Joseph Pilates taught many big names in dance, including Yvonne Choteau, one of the Five Moons Native Prima Ballerinas of Oklahoma.
It was Choteau who introduced Crawford to Pilates while she was dancing at OU. “Miss Choteau would teach us on Fridays,” Crawford explained, “she would sometimes end ballet class with Pilates movement and relaxation exercises.” This is where Pilates became a second passion of Crawford’s, as she eventually started offering limited mat classes for Pilates at Central Oklahoma Dance Studio.
In 2011, Crawford decided to get certified and teach Pilates to better educate her clients on the physical and emotional benefits of the continued practice. While the dream of opening a Pilates studio of her own lay dormant for some years, it wasn’t until her clients started asking how to get certified to teach Pilates that she finally acted on it. “So it just made sense that when my clients told me they wanted to help others and they wanted to start teaching, I would be the one to open a Pilates studio in the community,” Crawford told us.
One of those clients is Cami Weems, who Crawford has taught Pilates for 15 years. “It has helped me so much physically and mentally,” Weems explained what drew her to teaching Pilates. “I have back problems and rheumatoid arthritis and, it has been life-changing.”
Weems said that the exercises are for everyone of all ages. “My mother-in-law loves it. It helps her with balance and strength…So from young dancers to old people, it’s perfect for everyone.” Another client of Crawford’s, Kiah Anderson, told us that what she loves about Pilates is that it isn’t a frantic exercise routine. Anderson said, “You work slower but, you work hard and, you can feel it at the very end, you know you’ve worked.”
Crawford hopes that with this new studio, she can continue to help the community and better educate them on what Pilates can do for you. “It feels a little like you’re dancing,” Crawford said, “and instead of bulking up muscle, it stretches and lengthens your muscles. So you get a longer, leaner, and more defined muscle stretch with these exercises.” While Pilates on Main does not have an official grand opening date, Crawford said that she and her teachers aim for the studio to open in October. In the meantime, the studio will offer private and semi-private classes in September as a soft opening.
If Pilates has piqued your interest, you can enroll for these soft opening classes by emailing [email protected] or calling 580-436-0567.
Remember, not all exercise has to be hard for you to reap any benefits from it. Pilates on Main’s motto explains what exercise should be, and it is simply...Stretch, Strengthen, and Sustain your body.