BACK PROBLEMS: REFERRED PAIN

Many people come to class complaining of discomfort or pain in their legs, thinking that they have pulled or strained a muscle and are surprised to learn that it may well be a back problem which is causing referred pain.  Most of us have either had sciatica or understand the idea that it is something to do [...]

SACROILIAC JOINT (SIJ) PROBLEMS & PREVENTION

Whenever  you lie flat on your back, you are resting on the sacrum and the two flat bones either side, the ilia.  The sacroiliac joint is where they meet and can be identified by the two dimples below the waist, either side of the spine. 
The joint, supported by very strong ligaments, has a limited range of [...]

PILATES: SUPPORT FOR THE UNSTABLE SPINE

For years I thought I had a stiff back.  I lived with low level back ache and referred aches and pains through my legs, occasionally seeing the physio if the symptoms became acute, usually after exertion of some kind: continuous bending and twisting to pick up leaves, lifting boxes and twisting when we moved house.  Generally, I’m [...]

PILATES: NEUTRAL POSITION & THORACIC BREATHING

The first things you learn when you enrol on a Pilates course are:-

how to find your neutral position,
where your core muscles are and how to engage them,
thoracic/lateral breathing and
pelvic/shoulder stability. 

You need this knowledge to make your practise safe and effective.
Now with so many Pilates video clips popping up all over the internet, anyone can have a [...]

BACK PROBLEMS: FACET JOINT BREAKDOWN

A long post, I know, but there is a lot of useful information here.  Our free video this week is an excerpt taken from our Back Care Series of 3 videos to help you through each stage of back pain and help you maintain a healthy spine.
The spine is hooked together by a series of [...]

WOMEN: EXERCISE THROUGH YOUR 20′S, 30′S & 40′S

For all round health and fitness your exercise programme needs to contain a mixture of cardiovascular exercise, strength/mobility/flexibility training and stress relief.  To avoid boredom, maintain motivation and guarantee continuity and best results, it needs to be varied.  It will also need to be adjusted at each stage of your life to take into consideration [...]

TOP 10 BENEFITS OF PILATES

Pilates is now the exercise of choice with many people on account of the impressive benefits to be gained.  Below are the top 10 benefits you can expect from your regular practise, in no particular order!
(1)  Re-educate and realign your body to prevent imbalances.  This is particularly useful for sportsmen, for example.  If you think of [...]

BODY AWARENESS: IMPROVE YOUR PROPRIOCEPTION

Probably the most frequently asked question during any discussion regarding working out from videos, MP3 downloads, etc,  is “How do I know if I am doing it correctly when I am working by myself ?”  In fact, I was on the underground in London last week and this was exactly what one lady asked her friend [...]