HYPERMOBILITY & THE UNSTABLE SPINE

It wasn’t until I started teaching Pilates and yoga that I came across hypermobility.  In the days of high impact aerobics, step, legs/bums/tums, gym and sports, the opposite was far more likely.  People would leave my classes before the final stretch because they found it boring!  But being too mobile is just as much of [...]

12 TOP BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

Encouraging people to exercise and keeping them motivated is an uphill battle, so this article in the Times recently didn’t do anyone any favours:   For a more balanced picture, read the comments at the end.
This is what you need to know:
A combination of a healthy diet and regular, varied exercise is the formula to achieving an ideal [...]

FREE PILATES VIDEO: 6 MINUTE WORKOUT

Most people I speak to tell me they just don’t have the time to workout.  Those who attend my classes would love to do something between classes, but with work, children, the house, etc, they can’t fit it in. 
There is a misconception that one needs to work out for an hour in order to reap [...]

PELVIC FLOOR: AN OVERVIEW & EXERCISES

Weak pelvic floor muscles are responsible for several health issues in both men and women, yet enormous improvements can be made by exercising the pelvic floor muscles for a few minutes each day. They are a group of muscles stretching from the pubic bone to the tail bone, a bit like a hammock, and are [...]

CORE MUSCLES & CORE STABILITY

Ask most people what Pilates is all about and the answer is invariably “your core” or “core stability”.   But where is the core, what muscles are involved in stabilising the spine and pelvis and what exactly happens?
Throughout history, the importance of contracting the lower abdomen has been noted: this is nothing new – older than [...]

IDEAL POSTURE & THE BENEFITS

Ideal alignment: what that means and why it is important, how to achieve it and reasons why you may not have it.  Many health problems are caused by poor posture, particularly back trouble, so it is worth taking a few simple steps to try to correct it if necessary.  Poor posture contributes to a stiff [...]

INCONTINENCE

This refers to leakage, most commonly of urine, and is a distressing, embarrassing condition, far more common than you would think on account of the fact that it is something most people wouldn’t want to discuss openly.  Around 25% of women in their 30’s have experienced bladder weakness – that’s 1 in 4! – and [...]

THE 8 PRINCIPLES OF PILATES

The following are the principles which govern my practice and make it safe and effective:-