My Pilates Vision For You
Jan 10, 2021
When I wrote my very first post blog post & launched my online Pilates studio way back in September 2018, I was so excited to be sharing the amazing possibilities that Pilates provides with a global audience! It's my mission to ensure that as many people as possible practice Pilates & discover how movement can assist them to live a healthy, pain-free life & pursue their passions into their retirement years. In that first blog post, I introduced you to an older woman who I called Eva. I would see Eva regularly on my daily walks on her way to the local shops with a trolley. Walking was clearly a challenge and her joints looked painful & stiff. At every second house, Eva would stop to sit & rest on the front fence for a minute or so before continuing on. An everyday activity like shopping had become an arduous & painful experience for her. I haven't seen her on my walks for about a year now. I...
Pilates Highlights: Year in Review
Dec 26, 2020
As we draw to the end of one of the most challenging years in living memory, it's the perfect opportunity to look back at some of the most popular & powerful Pilates posts of 2020. As the world is still facing the second and third waves of Covid -19, let's focus on some of the positives that Pilates provides as we revisit the practical, the educational and the incredibly inspiring! Click on the headings or the names of the featured clients to read the full original post.
Breathe & Stay Calm!
Joseph Pilates said "Breathing is the first act of life and also the last. Our very life depends on it" He emphasised the importance of mastering correct breathing techniques. "It is tragically deplorable to contemplate the millions who have never mastered the art of correct breathing," he said. As we face uncertainty in our lives, stress levels start to rise and learning to control our...
Pilates & the Silver Lining in the Covid Crisis
Dec 12, 2020
Life is full of dualities, night and day, black and white, good and bad. It follows then, that amid the Covid-19 devastation of 2020 there are glimmers of hope, unexpected benefits and occasionally even major wins. Had I looked into a crystal ball in December 2019 at my life in December 2020 I would have never believed what I saw. It's almost 9 months now since I started teaching Skype Pilates so I'm going to take a look at all the positives that have resulted from the negativity of the Covid crisis. Back in March when my bricks & mortar studio was forced to close and we all went into lockdown, I offered Skype Pilates sessions and 3 clients signed up straight away. From there, more and more clients wanted to continue their Pilates training on Skype and suddenly I had a live online studio as well as JS Mind Body Pilates, my online Pilates Membership site.
Some clients participate in both these options, while some only do Skype and some only...
Change Your Brain With Pilates
Nov 28, 2020
Most people turn to Pilates to improve their physical fitness without being aware of the additional benefits it can provide for our mental well-being which becomes an added bonus. Originally called "Contrology" Joseph Pilates designed his unique method of exercise to benefit the mind as much as the body and referred to it as "the thinking man's exercise." One aspect of this mind-body connection is that you can take control of your body using your thoughts to create positive change which benefits your overall well-being. Even though we still have lots of unanswered questions about the brain that are yet to be uncovered, Joseph Pilates was ahead of his time and instinctively knew that the mind and body shouldn't be thought of as two completely separate entities and said that "Pilates is complete coordination of body, mind & spirit." Let's look at some of the ways that Pilates can change and improve our brains.
What is Mindful...
Pilates - Adaptable For Every Body
Nov 15, 2020
What could an injured electrician, a woman in her 2nd trimester of pregnancy, an athlete preparing for a marathon and someone with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) possibly have in common?
On the surface, it would seem almost impossible to find anything these people would all have in common but if you dig a little deeper you will find something that links them all together.
They all rely on Pilates. Pilates means different things to different people and everyone that I've mentioned above has specific needs and requirements in order to maintain their health and fitness and Pilates can cater to all of these requirements. So let's take a look at some of the usual and not so usual ways that Pilates can be of enormous benefit to such a wide variety of people.
Prevent Injury with Pilates
On the surface, it would seem almost impossible to find anything these people would all have in common but if you dig a little deeper you will find something that links them all together.
They all rely on Pilates. Pilates means different things to different people and everyone that I've mentioned above has specific needs and requirements in order to maintain their health and fitness and Pilates can cater to all of these requirements. So let's take a look at some of the usual and not so usual ways that Pilates can be of enormous benefit to such a wide variety of people.
Prevent Injury with Pilates
I've always believed it's far better to prevent yourself from becoming injured wherever possible than to deal with an injury, just like the old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of...
Pilates & Staying Hydrated
Nov 01, 2020
You are practicing Pilates and making your health a priority, but something as simple as ensuring your daily water intake is sufficient could really improve a large number of health conditions. Most of us know the importance of drinking water to stay hydrated and start out with the best of intentions for keeping up our water intake. However, it's so easy to get sidetracked and even slight dehydration can exacerbate many health issues. Over the years, I have seen so many clients in my Pilates studio improve their health and wellbeing, by adjusting their daily water intake to ensure it is sufficient for their individual needs. So let's look at the reasons why water is so important and which conditions respond well to adequate hydration.
Why is it so Important to Stay Hydrated?
Around 70 % of the adult human body is made up of water and at the most basic level, dehydration starts to occur when the volume of fluids that your body is using or...
Pilates - A Last Resort?
Oct 18, 2020
As a Pilates practitioner, I work with a wide variety of people who choose to do Pilates for vastly different reasons. However, one of the constants throughout the years is a steady stream of people who have been told there is nothing more that can be done for them medically or that the pain they are experiencing is unexplained. The only solution offered to them is pain relief medication and the people I see are searching for something more than a lifelong dependence on medication, that in many cases, isn't even an adequate solution. This is where Pilates comes in and offers hope to these people and this is why Pilates is often considered "the last resort". They may get relief from other therapies but it's only temporary so if Pilates doesn't work for them, there is nothing else left for them to try, which is a very daunting prospect. Fortunately for the vast majority of people that I have worked with over the years in this situation, Pilates or...
Pilates & Incidental Movement
Oct 04, 2020
Photo by PeopleImages
We've all found ourselves looking at the clock only to realise we've been sitting, working on the computer for far too long and are beginning to stiffen up and zone out. It's a similar feeling to sitting passively in the car on a long journey. On arrival at our destination, it always feels so good to finally move around and feel the blood pumping around our bodies again.
Heart disease and type 2 diabetes are just some of the health risks involved with inactivity. However, in a world where we are constantly being encouraged to move less as everything becomes more automated, we need strategies we can put in place to ensure we don't get caught in this dangerous cycle of inactivity. If we divide movement into two categories, planned, such as Pilates and incidental such as taking the dog for a walk, it will help us see areas where we can discreetly factor in some more movement into our daily lives. We will also look at how Pilates...
Client Spotlight - Meg's Pilates Journey
Sep 20, 2020
When Meg started Pilates with me back in May 2016 she was experiencing knee, back and hip pain which was interfering with her ability to enjoy life completely. Her husband Bruce had been attending my studio for many years with great results travelling from quite a distance, so when they moved closer it was the perfect opportunity for Meg to begin her Pilates journey too. Meg is a very young 68 year old with a wide variety of interests including challenging group walks, dancing, attending theatre and art exhibitions as well as travelling both within Australia and overseas.
As a hands-on grandmother of 3 young children, Meg needs to be able to care for and keep up with her grandchildren as well participate in and enjoy her activities.
Pilates has assisted her to take control of her pain and she now has the tools to manage any flare ups with home practice. Meg was a little surprised when I asked her if she would be willing to share her Pilates ...
As a hands-on grandmother of 3 young children, Meg needs to be able to care for and keep up with her grandchildren as well participate in and enjoy her activities.
Pilates has assisted her to take control of her pain and she now has the tools to manage any flare ups with home practice. Meg was a little surprised when I asked her if she would be willing to share her Pilates ...
Pilates & Self Care
Sep 06, 2020
Photo by evgenyatamanenko
Making your own health and fitness a priority is not selfish, but vital, not only for yourself but also for the people who rely on you for love and support. We've all heard the old saying cautioning us to take care of ourselves first, as we can't pour from an empty cup. Well, actually you can try and many of us are constantly ignoring warning signs and pushing beyond our limits. However, continually giving to others when you are completely emotionally and physically depleted yourself leads to both short and long term health issues. A wise practitioner once used a very effective analogy when she said told me it was like continually adding charges to a credit card for years on end without making any repayments. There will come a day when you will have to repay the debt you have amassed or take the consequences of losing your house or declaring bankruptcy. In other words, if you neglect your own health needs, you are...
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Recent Posts
My Pilates Vision For You
Jan 10, 2021
Pilates Highlights: Year in Review
Dec 26, 2020
Pilates & the Silver Lining in the Covid Crisis
Dec 12, 2020
Joanne Sutton
Author
APMA Level 4 Pilates Practitioner