Priya Tew | Pilates with Priya

Can pilates help with mental health?

24 April, 2017 Priya Tew

People normally start doing pilates with us because they have a bad back, want to gain more core strength or are pregnant. However Pilates has more benefits than just the physical ones. Joseph Pilates believed mental and physical health were closely connected and I think this is one area we need to explore further in this busy world where levels of depression are high.

I know for myself, teaching Pilates is the best job. After a stressful time in my other work as a dietitian or as a mummy, I get to chill out in a relaxed, beautiful space and teach a calm, mindful class. Focusing on your breathing, your body movements and your muscles is part of mindfulness so you can instantly see why Pilates has more benefits than just the physical ones. One statement I heard this week was “I always sleep best on a Thursday after Pilates”. I can see why that is. Pilates helps you slow down your pace of life, move your thoughts from work, home and stress to your body and draw plenty of oxygen into your muscles, using deep, thoracic breathing.

Mindfulness is a therapy that is being used for all kinds of mental health conditions now. A definition of it is: “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.” It uses compassion and breathing to help you to let go of negative thoughts, stress and even pain. The similarities to Pilates are easy to spot. Even if you went to a Pilates class and did nothing except lie on the mat and breath you would feel some benefits for your mood and stress relief.

So there seems to be an obvious link between Pilates and mental health. One thing I always want to know is what is the evidence? Has there been any actual research done? There is actually quite a lot that shows a link between Pilates improving your mood, lowering stress and helping with cognitive function.

Look out for my next blog post that looks at the research.

RUNA Review

6 April, 2017 Priya Tew

Disclaimer – I was sent these clothes to review, all views are my own.

My days tend to go from school runs to pilates sessions to being a dietitian and seeing patients, then back to the school run and more pilates. So I either have to change clothes multiple times a day or have multi-functional clothes.

The lovely team at RUNA sent me some of their clothes to review and having initially been intrigued about how a dress could be used as fitness apparell, I’ve now been converted. One of their website statements is “Designed for life”, which is what I need. These dresses are stretchy enough to be used when I am teaching a 1-2-1 Pilates session and fitted enough to look great over leggings for the school run or for a meeting. I can easily see these becoming my staple wardrobe for the days when I do a bit of everything! The material is soft and dries fast too.

Prints and patterned leggings are popular right now and I could easily have a legging addiction brewing. What I love about Runa’s leggings is they have a very different pattern and look to the rest of the market. Each piece is inspired by a different location such as Dubai which gives them a grown up, sophisicated look. I have had quite a few positive comments about them, saying how different they are.

You can find the brand here or on Instagram: @runa_ldn

Mummyhood: Finding your identity

6 April, 2017 Priya Tew

Becoming a mummy is the most exciting and nerve wracking thing I have ever done. Told me it would change my life, to be honest I shrugs that off not believing them. Now I completely agree. Life has changed, pretty much everything is different now that I have children to think about. It it changes how I shop, where I go, who I’m spending time with, what I wear and what I eat.

In the midst of the baby sick, playing with Lego, making snacks, doing the school run, teaching pilates and trying to stay in some control of the house, it can be all too easy to lose sight of one person. Now I have these wonderful, beautiful children who are need so much on me, who am I?

As a parent (I was going to say mum, but it’s not just mums is it) I think it is all too easy to lose sight of our identity and be all consumed by the small ones. Yes, to some extent we have to be consumed by them, they do become our world. However it is important to somehow keep your sense of self as well. Knowing who you are, how amazing you are, having your own sense of style, chatter and being will keep you alive. I well know how draining life with small children can be. On those days when I feel like all the life is being sucked out of me, it is then I know I have to dig deep and find me. The me that loves to dance, the me that likes to sing about anything and everything, the me that like colour and quirkiness. The me that likes to bake, loves markets, loves travel, loves the sun.

This blog has come out of me at a point where baby 3 is almost a year. The tiny baby phase is passing, I can leave her with someone else and have a few hours to myself. That feels strange. What do I do with child-free time? It’s exciting to think about who I was and who I want to be now. I challenge you as a mummy to rediscover yourself and develop that new identity.

Click, Clunks and Pops

15 March, 2017 Priya Tew

This is something that often comes up in class. Shoulders, ankles, hips, knees that click when you do an exercise. Sometimes the click does a bit of a Mexican wave around the class as we warm up. Sometimes it seeks out one person and proceeds to annoy them repeatedly.

So what are these clicks and pop, are they anything to be concerned about.

The sound of cracking knuckles – that is gas or air popping out of a joint as pulling the joint, stretches it and releases bubbles of gas. Usually due to a lax joint that is moved in a different range. The laxity gives it more movement than usual and….. It could be that the joint has sustained an injury at some stage and so is unstable and moves around more in the joint. Should you worry? Only if you are hypermobile as there could be risk of the joint dislocating. Either way Pilates will help.

The tendons supporting the muscle can catch on the bone as you move/stretch. This can be due to poor alignment and joint positioning. Should you worry? No, not in the short term but it is good to work on fixing the problem. See my tips below.

Crunching and grinding can be noises to be concerned about as they could be signs of osteoarthritis or worn cartliage. If you get any pain then you should certain seek medical advice.

Top tips:

TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE: this can not be emphasised enough. Having not just good, but great technique will really make a difference.

Reduce the range of movement and check your alignment. Are your hip bones level, are you lengthening through the hips and legs. Are you using the right muscles in the exercise?

I’m going to use the hips as my example as that is where the majority of people get a clicking noise. This is often due to an imbalance in the muscles around the hip joint. The femur struggles to stay in the hip joint and doesn’t move smoothly.

It could be your hip flexors are overactive, so work on switching those off. Exercising with the legs outstretched in turnout for the hundred so the inner thigh works more can help, or place a ball between your knees to activate the inner thigh on the mat for anything with curl ups. Nail those curls ups first and then add in the legs. Your bum muscles may need strengthening. Squats, spine curls and oysters are all good ones for this.

The position of the hip in the socket is key. Whether it is reaching too far out or sinking too far back into the socket. Experimenting will help you find out or book a 1-2-1 session with a good Pilates teacher to help you figure it out. Lengthening is what works for me. I tend to sink down into my hip and I have to think of length in the hip area.

Common exercises that lead to clicks are the one leg circle and single leg stretch. One of my hips clicks in these if I’m not concentrating hard enough! In the single leg circle turn your foot out as you move it away from your body and make sure the movement is initiated from your hip and you aren’t moving from your knee or thigh. In the single leg stretch focus on not over activating your hip flexors as you curl up and keeping length through the hip area as you stretch the leg away.

If you need any 1-2-1 support with this don’t hesitate to get in touch.

See you on the mat/reformer.

Priya

Reformer Pilates March Madness

6 March, 2017 Priya Tew

OH MY DAYS. We are SO SO lucky. We now have a reformer and a half Cadillac in our 1-2-1 studio. A friend reminded me yesterday how I have been talking about having one of these for around 4 years, finally the day has come.

The reformer is pretty much like a bed with pulleys and springs, which means you work against resistance. This makes you focus on your technique a lot more, makes you work harder and gives a greater depth to a lot of the exercises and amazing stretches.

The cadillac is a frame that goes over the bed, with bars and springs you can pull on that give beautiful length and enable you to go further in movements.

Both of these pieces of equipment were designed and used by Joseph Pilates himself and are just awesome for focusing on your body, working your weak areas, stretching the tight areas and getting stronger session by session. You really will see and feel a difference with it.

I’d highly recommend you give it a go hence we are offering it at a special rate in March. Personally I find doing some sessions now and again on the reformer makes a huge difference to how I then do Pilates on the mat. It also help me work on the imbalances in my body – shoulder tighness, leg length, tight hip flexors, tight back etc…

If you even just want to have a peek and a 5 min lie down on it after class let us know.

You can guess where I am spending all my spare time at the moment!

What to look for in a good Pilates class

25 January, 2017 Priya Tew

Pilates is such an amazing form of exercise, in fact I would call it a lifestyle and something that everyone needs to be embracing. Like all things there are a lot of variations on a theme out there and a lot of different types of classes around, some amazing, some less than good. Whilst I am certainly a fan of variety and keeping it fresh, there is also the need to make sure the class you are going to is teaching you correctly and that it is actually Pilates (if that is what you want to be doing).

So here are my thoughts on what makes a great Pilates class:

Check the qualifications of your teacher. Have they got a Level 3 Pilates qualification. Ask them how long it took them to qualify. If it was just a weekend then there is something wrong! A decent Pilates qualification takes time and more money than you may expect to complete, it involves course work, theoretical and practical exams and ongoing training. I do several courses a year and am continually learning through reading, practising and watching others teach. They should also be attending some sort of class or pilates 1-1 session themselves regularly to improve their technique.
A small class is key. Too many people and you will not get that individual attention and help from the teacher and can end up doing the exercises wrong. I take a maximum of 8 people in my classes. I started out being asked to teach large classes in sports halls, I had to stop as for me it just wasn’t pilates, there was no way I could correct and watch everyone.
Is it safe? You should have to complete a medical form of some sort and be screened for any health issues, injuries, muscular problems, back issues, pregnancy etc. It is important to keep your teacher up to date on your health.
The venue – for me this is important. Is it lit well enough so you can be seen, the teacher needs to see your body to be able to correct it. Mirrors are a big bonus as they help you see your form and help your teacher see everyone easily. You don’t want to be a in large hall, miles away from the teacher.
The teacher – are they approachable and do they explain things well? If you don’t understand, can you stop them and ask? You should expect to be corrected either verbally or through the teacher moving your body. If you don’t like their approach or manner it isn’t going to work in the long term.
There are many Pilates bodies and variations out there now. Body control Pilates, Stott Pilates, Pilates Foundation, to name a few. Whatever class you go to, Pilates is meant to be controlled, fairly slow, there should be plenty of emphasis on posture, on the technique, on using the right muscles and on the breathing. If you end up in a fast paced class it isn’t necessarily not Pilates, but it may not be appropriate for a beginner.
Is the level set right? Beginners thrown into an established class can make it hard to pick up the technique and hard for the others in the class who may have to slow the pace down. Learning the technique and basic principles is key in Pilates, so a beginners course or a 1-2-1 session first is a good idea before joining a regular class.
Does it progress you? Doing the same exercises week in and week out is not going to challenge you, after a while your body will adapt and you will plateau. Having fresh challenges and harder exercises to do as you improve is important to help you improve and to keep your interest.
Is there a passion and enjoyment in the room? If there is a good vibe then it is likely that it is a good class. A teacher who loves to share their knowledge, wants to help you understand it, cares about how you are feeling and will give you homework, extra helpa and chat afterwards is a good indicator that it is a good class.
Do you feel good after the class? Pilates shouldn’t hurt – well not in a bad way! You may have slighly sore abdominals, legs, arms or bums but not to the point it is really painful. Many of our clients will say they feel lengthened, like they have worked but also they feel more relaxed.

So when you are looking for a class, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Have a good nose around the persons website and social media, it can tell you a lot about that teacher. Expect a teacher to ask you lots of questions about your body and to correct you with their hands and voice. Small classes with teachers who are known to know their stuff are the way forward.

What postnatal pilates can do for you.

9 January, 2017 Priya Tew

When you are pregnant there is a lot of focus on keeping your body healthy, looking after yourself and putting you first. There is a lot more time to focus on exercising well, cooking good meals and thinking in general. The midwife and friends/family are asking how your body feels, how is the bump, what aches and pains do you have and giving plenty of advice. Then the delicious baby arrives and is totally the centre of attention. Your life is suddenly a whirlwind of feeds, sleepless nights, surviving as best you can. There is little time and energy left for exercise. Cake and chocolate can be relied to get you through the day or are part of a treat at playgroups. No-one really asks how your body is feeling or what they can do to help YOU, it is more about the baby.

The problem is that when you are postnatal your body is pretty vulnerable. It has been stretched, carried a heavy weight around and then birthed a baby. Now if you had a major operation you would lie in bed, rest, recover, have meals brought to you and be looked after for a few weeks. This is really what you need after having given birth. Instead you have a little person dependant on you, you cannot rest as much as you need and you cannot listen to your body.

As a pre/postnatal specialist Pilates teacher this is an area I focus on and love to teach.

Postnatal Issues Pilates can help with:

POSTURE:
It is hard to maintain good posture when you are sitting up feeding, especially at night. However without good posture, those aches and pains slip in. Muscles get tight in the wrong places which can cause restrictions in your movement and cause you to compensate.

Over time poor posture can cause long term pain throughout the body, so it’s not something you want to ignore. Postnatal pilates when run by a specialised teacher will put in exercises to strengthen your upper back, talk through shoulder placement with you and use functional exercises to help with those motherhood moves that you do daily.

Sitting more will also lead to tighter hamstrings, so these need to be stretched out regularly.

The key really is to find out which part of your posture you need to focus on and which muscles need releasing. A good class and teacher will highlight this to you.

FLEXIBILITY:
There can be a lot of hormones flying around. Relaxin is a hormone that can affect the laxity of your ligaments, so this can leave you vulnerable to overstretching and potentially pulling a ligament. Learning to work within the normal range of movement for your body is the key here and not pushing yourself too hard, too soon.

PELVIC FLOOR:
Having carried a baby around your pelvic floor has taken a lot of strain. If you have then pushed baby out then that is even more damage that will have occured to the pelvic floor. Pilates will help you strengthen the whole of your core, including your pelvic floor. If you need more help in this area then check out “Pimp Your Pelvic Floor”

ABDOMINAL SEPARATION:
Many ladies suffer from Diastasis Recti, this is a condition that is common in pregnancy and nothing to be concerned about as long as it is fixed postnatally! For some, the abdominals will naturally heal up by themselves, for others it will take more work. Exercises such as curls ups, planks and sitting up from lying on your back are not suitable and can make matters worse. A specialist pilates teacher with postnatal training will be able to help you.

PELVIC GIRDLE PAIN:
If you suffered from this in pregnancy then the likelikood is that it will disappear once baby comes along. However it is always a good idea to do some strenghtening work postnatally. If your hips and pelvis were struggling in pregnancy then some TLC for them can make all the difference in the long term.

LOWER BACK PAIN:
One of the common complaints I see in mums. Those babies get heavy when you are carrying them around a lot. Having a strong core and good posture when you lift and carry is so important. Pilates will help train your body so you are stronger and more able to manage this. The release exercises will also help mobilise and decrease any pain.

If you aren’t local to me, then check out my Postnatal Pilates DVD.

Why can’t I do a roll up? PART 2. Hip Flexors and Hamstrings.

6 December, 2016 Priya Tew

The hip flexors include the deep muscle called the Psoas. This runs from the middle of your spine to inside the top of your thigh bone. It helps pull the spine up towards your legs. The other hip flexors are the ones you can feel in the front at then top of your hip. If you stand on one leg and hug the other knee into your chest you should feel them. So the hip flexors need to be functioning properly. Not too short and tight, not too weak. If you spend time sitting a lot in your daily life then these muscles may well be tight and weak!

HIP FLEXORS:

Shortness in these can make it hard to move through your lower back. If you struggle to sit on the floor upright this could be the case. There are a lovely range of hip flexor stretches that will open your hips and make you feel less “stuck”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpFx3-SBvPk

For those people who find their legs lift off the mat as they come up, well that is probably down to your hamstrings, hip flexors and back. Your hamstrings help you keep your thighs on the floor and help lever the body up. If you can’t keep your knees straight in a roll up then it’s due to tight hamstrings.

TIGHT LEGS AND BACK:

The band is your friend. Get stretching your hamstrings daily. Open up your lower back in the rest position, in hip rolls and in hip flexor stretches. Find the part where you are tight. Now work on your roll down – going from seated down to the mat using a band around your legs going vertebrae by vertebrae keeping your heels heavy and stretching out through your legs and feet. Stretching the upper and mid part of your back is also useful and the Spine Stretch is often put at the end of a roll up for this reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oTnC_TZ3u8

And finally here is a get out clause for some of you…. I don’t tend to use this one in classes as I like people to try without having a reason why they can’t do something. However your body proportions do play a role, making it harder to master but certainly not impossible.

PROPORTIONS:

If you have a long torso then a roll up will be harder than a short torso person. You have more weight to lift up compared to the weight staying on the mat. Teasers however will be easier for you!

I also firmly think that for some people CONFIDENCE is the key. If you believe you can do something and are determined then you will get there!

Why can’t I do a roll up? PART 1. Stiff backs and getting stuck.

16 November, 2016 Priya Tew

Roll ups can be one of those nemesis exercises that people struggle with and they can cause so much frustration. I’ve got a number of people in various classes who struggle with these so it’s made me get my thinking cap on. Why are they such a struggle? How can you get better at them? How do people suddenly manage to be able to do them?

What is a roll up?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is2LFKfKCr0

A roll up can start from seated or lying down. I’m going to start from the mat. So we start with a curl up, chin towards the chest, working through the upper spine.

To do this you use primarily the rectus abdominus muscles (six pack muscles) and also the obliques (waist muscles). So this part of the exercise means you need to first off work on those curl ups.

The next stage is the most challenging part and brings more muscles into play. Bringing the ribs and torso off the mat. The aim is to do this segmentally, working vertebrae by vertebrae through the spine, keeping the shoulders down and not using momentum. So not only do you have too deepen and increase your curl up but you need to bend at the hips as you come up towards seated. This uses the hip flexors to pull your body up off the ground. Many people get stuck at this stage.

STUCK ON THE MAT: work on your breathing. If you get stuck at the ribcage, exhaling properly and using the diaphragm as you breath can help. It will open the ribs and help lengthen the spine. Also use spine stretches and the shoulder bridge to help mobilise your spine. Go back to the 1/2 roll back and focus on really deepening your C curve, this will stretch the tightness in your lower back and strengthen your abdominals. Think of scooping and bring your belly button towards your spine to really get the curve. When you try the full roll up, keep your ribcage heavy and down into the mat as you roll up, then once your ribs are up keep the lower back heavy on the mat and keep peeling the spine up.

For the roll up to work well you need your back to be flexible. It doesn’t matter how strong your abdominals are, if your back is stiff you won’t roll up segmentally. If you struggle with the rollover and rolling like a ball then this is likely you.

STIFF BACK: work on shoulder bridges. Get that spine moving piece by piece letting gravity help you. Focus on your breath as you do it. Breath out as you come down to the mat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lMy39J4zzQ

Use the spine stretch to stretch the upper-mid part of your back. Also work your C-curve. Focus on the half roll up and also rolling like a ball without rolling! So getting into that position really rounding the lower back and sinking into the tilted pelvis.

https://youtu.be/5v4aZ2p0gGM

To learn more look out for part 2 of this post focusing on hip flexors.

Pilates, build on the rock and not on the sand

4 November, 2016 Priya Tew

Pilates is one of those back to front type of practices I always think. In other exercises the aim is to go as fast as you can and as hard as you can for as long as you can. In Pilates it is the opposite. Before you can actually jump in and do an exercise we want you to learn how to :

Breath

Maintain neutral with good posture

Engage your core muscles

It is so important to master these basics first before adding too much movement. I know if can be frustrating to have to SLOW DOWN and focus on the small things but these really are the key to a strong, functional body.

Why?

Well this basic triad underpins everything you will do in a Pilates class. You can do all the moves without the magic trilogy and it will feel easy and like you’ve not worked. Add in the breathing, posture and core then suddenly it becomes a lot harder. Use the old parable of the foolish man built his house upon the sand and the wise man build on the rock. Lets say the house is your body. If you build on a good, solid foundation with a firm understanding of the breathing, a solid connection to your core and knowing how to correct your posture, then your body will get stronger and won’t fall apart when everyday stress is placed on the body. Think moving from sitting to standing, lifting, rotation movements and just bending down to the floor, all movements we do all the time that can impact the body if not done with good form.

I’ve had to slow down and reconnect with the basics after every baby I’ve had. It’s really shown me how important it is to do this so I am a bit advocate of it, but also know the frustations with it. So if you are new to Pilates, it is perfectly OK to go at a slow pace, get to know your body, connect with your core, learn to breath and find out which parts of your posture you need to work on most. You will continually learn more about your body as you progress through the classes (heck, I’m still learning now) but those initial few months are precious ones, where you can form the best foundation. Practise the breathing daily, engage your core when breathing out and work on that posture between classes. You will click with it quicker if you practise more often.

If you have done Pilates for a while it can be amazing to go back to the basics, really check you are using thoracic breathing (breathing into the ribcage and not the tummy), focus on your posture and the muscles you are using in each exercise and work that core even harder!

Check it out and let me know, I would love your feedback.

Author: Priya Tew