My Pilates Journey.

The Magic Pilates Resistance Ring;
my personal favoriteat the moment. 

I first started working as a Massage Therapist 13 years ago. I worked in a Beauty Studio based in a department store near my home town and I was often asked which type of exercises would work best for my clients, as I still do. In 2000 I remember giving out the advice that I still recommend today to many clients; "try a good Pilates class to help strengthen your back". At the turn of the century here in the U.K it was like giving advise out for some underground sect that only a few people where privileged to know about! There were only two or three instructors in the surrounding area and I can't remember that there was much of an option for doing the equipment based classes. 

Oh, how times have changed, as now we can go to our local gyms and Pilates 'based' classes with about 50 other people! 

Today I want to give you a personal reason why I like the Pilates method so much and why I think it is a good concept for overall body wellness. 

As you know if you have been following my Twitter account and reading the blogs over the past

Don't forget to hydrate whilst
site-seeing!

couple of weeks, David and I have been traveling around Italy. We are here for a month and have been really enjoying ourselves. This weekend we went to Rome and had an amazing time there! But all this moving around has meant that we will be on four planes, seven different mattresses, (with corresponding pillows), over a six week period. I'm also doing a lot of driving, clocking up a loads of miles in 12 days already! So on Sunday morning at 2a.m I wasn't that surprised at being awake whilst my back was having a teenage-style strop at me. I realized as I got out of bed that we had been partying the night before, had walked miles around Rome and done some amazing site-seeing, all in beautiful hot temperatures, and I had forgotten to pack pain killers. 

Had I stretched and done all the things I urge my clients to do? No: The only thing I could congratulate myself over was making sure I drank two glasses of water for each glass of wine or espresso! 

I was hot and sticky and my back ached, so I sat on the edge of the bed and listened to the nightingales and started doing some seated roll-downs.  

This led to an hour and a half of Pialtes. I kept it slow, making sure I held each stretch for a good amount of time, I moved in all directions and got my body back. As I was doing my hamstring stretches  on a blanket folded up on the cool marble floor I thought: This works!

I was so relieved that I  had learnt enough over the past years through some amazing teachers to do Pilates safely on my own and that I could happily stretch out, work my body and make my back pain ease off in such a positive way. By 3:30am I was cooler thanks to the marble floor, but more importantly I was pain free enough to go to sleep. 

For me, Pilates doesn't ask my body to hyper-extend, (which it does too easily), and I can make it as slow or as fast as I like. I can pinpoint different body parts to work on knowing that they are being used not by themselves, but by the kinetic chains around the whole body, making it a full-body wellness program for me. I like the way I can make it a form of fascia release for myself and that it gets better and better each time I practice. I also find it a fantastic form of meditation. 

Personally I don't like the big classes and work best with a one-to-one teacher. Jill Heaton is teaching me at the moment and has allowed me to find my body again after the end of my course last year. I have also enjoyed classes, but I think 6 or 8 people in a class is enough otherwise the instructor cannot refine the techniques for each person

The Reformer Machines are fantastic, but a Mat Class
will give you amazing benefits as well. 

Pilates is hard work! If I don't feel it the next day I haven't done it right. If you are thinking of starting, you need to dedicate yourself and do it about three times a week. If you are going to a class you really have to do your homework, otherwise there is little point. 

Joseph Pilates, the man who 'invented' the exercise routines said: 

"In ten sessions you will feel a difference, in twenty sessions you will see a difference and in thirty sessions you will be on your way to having a whole new body". 

And

"Pilates develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, Invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit." 

I would always recommend finding a fully qualifide teacher, such as Jill, who will take you through the basic principles so you can be safe, and then help you find the new you! 

Finally, the best advice I ever had about Pilates and mixing it with other forms of exercise was by a guy who told me: 'You'll never die from a strong core, go get out of breathe!'. Basically he was telling me to mix Pilates with good aerobic work as well so that my heart and lungs also get a good work out! I fully agree!