Hopefully all you regulars know this but there won’t be any classes this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Usual service will be resumed Monday and I have a couple of spaces Monday 5.30pm and Monday 6.30pm if you would like to come along then instead.
If I don’t see you then make sure you get some practice in…knee folds, shoulder bridges and press ups please!
Due to popular demand and a slight change around of my hours I’m going to be putting on a Wednesday 5.30pm class. This will be a class for beginners and also those with a little experience of Pilates. Three of my current clients had been coming along to a Thursday class which I have had to move to a Monday…. they weren’t keen on Mondays, so I’ve put on a special class for them and it’s almost full already. The perks of coming to small community classes, you get to have a large say in what the class does, how it’s run and therefore it ends up being well-suited to you 🙂
The Pilates initiated baby will be joining in with this class, so come expecting some entertainment too.
For the past few months I’ve been working with 2 lovely older ladies who have both had double hip replacements. I must admit I was a little dubious as to how things were going to work at the start of our time together, as I hadn’t worked with this type of hip issues before, but we have become good friends as these ladies really enjoy their classes. In fact when I had to cancel the other week they not only missed the class but felt a noticeable difference in their strength over the week.
What excites me about working with these ladies is seeing the functional difference in them. Both ladies are noticeably stronger now, their balance is improving and they feel more confident doing things like getting in and out of chairs and cars. Very excitingly both ladies can now get down to the floor unaided and one of them can get up from the floor unaided! This is a major achievement and has shown how Pilates can really strengthen bodies and change your day to day living. I’m hoping that in a few months time both ladies will be even stronger and have less pain, more mobility and flexibility too. They will be climbing mountains soon!
One thing I like about running my own classes is the way I can watch friendships being formed. So in my post natal classes the mums all become great at supporting each other, passing on tips and helping out with other babies. Books get swapped, recipes suggested, cups of tea are drunk (and yes we do also do pilates!).
In other groups that have been going a while there is always that hum of friendly chatter and banter through the class (the banter being at me or from me). Tips get shared, lifts are given to save petrol and too many cars, phone numbers exchanged and now food is shared as I was given a large bag of apples 🙂 Always a great way to make me smile as I’m a bit of a foodie and love fresh produce.
Tonight’s class had me in a fit of the giggles, I do feel exercise should be fun so it’s great when others agree and we take a moment to laugh at ourselves 🙂 Laughter can be a great release and stress buster.
So if you need some stress release in a friendly not too serious environment….come along, we’d love to see you.
This week has seen the start of my Thurs 8pm and Sat 9.30am class. It’s been a bit of a shock to the system but an absolutely lovely one 🙂 I have loved teaching both classes. Pilates last thing at night is a great way to unwind, work out and stretch before bed, Pilates in the morning sets you up for the day. Its been lovely to have both friendly faces and new faces in both classes. I’m much looking forward to the next few weeks which see a few more people coming along to these classes, filling them up to capacity already. Pilates is popular!
With new classes come new clients and a few people recently have been asking me how Pilates can benefit them, so here is a little recap for you….
(1) Mind & Focus & Clarity
Pilates exercises require you to use your brain! There’s body alignment to think about, muscles to focus on, limbs to move and breathing to perfect. It can take a while to get the hang of all of this but when you do it become relaxing and challenging all at the same time. Pilates movements are smooth, stretching, and flowing, leading to a relaxed body awareness and focused attention. The philosophy of pilates is to understand and accept your current capacities and slowly work towards improvement, rather than trying to force things. I find that focusing on feeling my muscles working and concentrating on my breathing really leaves me feeling like I’ve worked but I also feel refreshed and chilled.
(2) Spinal Stabilization
Pilates is particularly helpful to individuals with back pain or arthritis because it stabilizes and strengthens the muscles around the spine. Research shows that the transverse abdominus and multifidi muscles are involved in spinal stabilization. Following an injury, the spine can get out of alignment, either due to the injury itself or the person’s attempts to compensate by making postural changes. The deepest layer of transverse muscles in the abdomen wrap around the spine and help to stabilize it. Therefore strengthening these muscles can both prevent and diminish low back pain as well as improving posture and strength. Personally I’ve seen a lady with really hunched over shoulders and upper back (kyphosis) start to straighten out and have worked with lots of people with lower back pain who have seen significant improvements. It helped me all throughout my pregnancy and continues to help me now when I’m carrying a baby around.
(3) Core Strength
The core muscles are those in the back and abdomen. Pilates exercises strengthen these muscles, leading to better posture, better balance, flatter abs, and more resistance to injury. Over time you learn to use these muscles when doing day to day tasks. Becoming more aware of how to protect your spine and look after your body whilst moving, twisting and bending is key to preventing injuries. Many people hurt their back simply through bending over and picking up something in an unsafe way. Pilates will help build strength in your core and help teach you how to move using your core.
(4) Breathing and Relaxation
Pilates exercises require a focus on the breath as participants move with in and out breaths. This can be tricky to learn but so relaxing once you get it! Breathing may be lengthened to accommodate the movement, and awareness of breathing is enhanced. The combination of deep breathing and rhythmic stretching movements can lead to deep relaxation and stress relief.
(5) Fitness and Toning
Over time, when combined with cardiovascular exercise and a healthy eating plan Pilates will help you tone up your body and build your fitness up. I combine my Pilates sessions with running, walking, step aerobics and conditioning sessions where I do exercises such as squats, lunges, press ups and use weights. However I also like to vary things and so review what I am doing regularly and make changes to keep it interesting. My exercise has to fit around my baby, so its often involving her too.
So I’ve certainly noticed that as my baby is getting older she is getting bigger and heavier. Those of you who know me may well smile at this as it’s a well known fact that I have a petite baby who really isn’t heavy compared to others her age 😉 But the fact remains she is getting bigger and I have been very aware that I need to be using proper alignment to carry her safely and protect my back, pelvis and shoulders. Pilates is so good at helping train your brain to think about correct alignment, it also strengthens your core so helping you lift safely and in my post natal classes we target the shoulders and arms as well. So if you manage to get to a Pilates class you will certainly be helping your body out.
The very lovely Katy Bowman has done a fab video post on how to carry your baby safely and so here it is for all of you, it made me think, hopefully it will help you too:
My baby is now 9 months old and appears to have inherited the movement genes from me, early to crawl and now already raring to walk. She often ends up in part of my Pilates classes and by the looks of her in this photo she has been taking notes! Who needs toys when you can chase a roller then roll over it. And who says you can’t exercise with your baby too?!
So next week in post natal pilates maybe we should get the babies doing a workout too.
Skimming through a fitness magazine this morning whilst feeding the baby and this phrase leapt out at me.
“In fitness, one size does not fit all”
I LOVE IT.
To me that is completely how I like to teach. I always have a rough lesson plan but am ready to adapt the session dependant on who attends, how the class are feeling, how I am feeling and how many are there. I also adapt each exercise to a certain level dependant on the class and may have different people doing the same exercise at different levels. That way everyone gets the workout they want. Individuality is the key in my mind. We all have different bodies and different personalities so surely we all need different ways of exercising too. With Pilates you get that. Everyone works at their own level, some may add in an extra lever (arm/leg), some may have their head, neck and shoulders raised off the mat, some may use a ball as an aid. Others may take a break and have a snooze (its allowed, the break that is, maybe not the snooze!). In the case of post natal Pilates we also work at the need and request of the babies!! Mums dip in and out to feed or cuddle babes as needed. In my case yesterday with Little Miss Grump I had to feed and cuddle whilst teaching the class. Thank goodness I’m a woman so can multi-task 🙂
So however you feel today and whatever type of body shape, size and personality you are, get active in some way. Dance around the kitchen, go for a walk, go kite surfing, do some gardening…..or come to Pilates 😉
I shall be launching 2 new classes in September to keep up with the demand! Exciting stuff.
The new classes will be:
Thursday evening 8-8.45pm
Saturday 9.30-10.15am
Both classes will be mixed ability so suitable for beginners but with added elements for those who have done Pilates before.
Let me know if you would like a space, Thursday evening is already pretty full and looking like a fun group, some beginners and some old faces from my post natal class who are back at work.
Pilates is a great way to exercise and relax at the end of a busy week so come and join us 🙂
