Stay Fit for Travel with Pilates
Dec 17, 2023
Travel is a passion for most of my clients and Pilates is the ideal way to help them prepare physically for the demands of travelling to ensure they gain enjoyment from their adventures. Long before I even knew what Pilates was, I experienced the importance of fitness on my first overseas trip. On route to Orlando, Florida for a dance convention with a colleague our Qantas flight landed in Los Angeles at LAX for our 1 night stopover. Instead of disembarking to a terminal as I imagined, we were herded onto small buses and packed tightly like sardines and suddenly we felt the intensity of the LA heat. There were no seats but you could hold onto a triangular strap hanging from the ceiling if you were lucky enough to get one. The bus took off for the terminal and everyone lurched forward and some older passengers were visibly distressed. In disbelief, I asked my colleague, an experienced traveller, if this was normal and she assured me it was. She said you have to fit to enjoy travel. As we were both young fit dancers at the time it wasn't as issue for us, but her comment stuck in my mind.
Now we have moved past lockdowns and Covid restrictions more people than ever are eager to travel and explore but also want to ensure they are physically fit to prevent injury and maximise their enjoyment. I'm going to share with you two of the travel succes stories from 2023 and how my clients have successfully used Pilates to prepare for their overseas adventures. I tailor my Pilates sessions to each person's individual needs and goals. Some clients want to walk 20 km per day, others want to be able sit on a plane comfortably for 14 hours without back pain . Whatever your travel goal is Pilates can help you to achieve it.
Toni's Story
Toni had back pain and was diagnosed with a lumbar disc bulge with nerve compression following a fall. Her chiropractor was able to get her through the acute phase of her injury and reduce the pain to a manageable level and suggested Toni start Pilates with me. It was in March this year that Toni told me she had 2 goals - to become pain-free and to be able to stay pain-free while she travelled to New York to visit her daughter for Christmas. At that time the thought of sitting on a plane was out of the question for Toni but she hadn't seen her daughter who was living and working in New York post-Covid and she was highly motivated to make the journey. Toni applied herself to Pilates all year and became pain-free about 3 months into her training. She flew to Cairns in September for a week long holiday and also as a rehearsal for the New York trip. She had only a couple of minor flare-ups which she was able to get under control quickly. She left for New York last week for a 5 week visit and she sent me a message. when she arrived. Toni was delighted to report that she was pain free for the entire flight and overjoyed to be reuniuted with her daughter and looking forward to the trip of a lifetime. She was so grateful for her Pilates training and I couldn't be happier for her!
Theresa's Story
Theresa had the opportunity to join a religious pilgrimage in France and Spain and as this was a lifelong dream she didn't hesitate to sign up. The tour would involve walking 20 kms per day with a group of 14 other pilgrims and Theresa knew she would have a year to prepare. With 6 years of Pilates training already under her belt we set to work to ensure Theresa was at her peak physically for the pilgrimage. Although having recently torn her ACL in her right knee at the time of booking the trip and having had a total knee replacement in the other knee 15 years earlier, Theresa felt confident she could overcome these limitations and successfully complete the walk. And as it turns out - she was right! in addition to her weekly virtual Pilates session with me, Theresa used the videos from my on-demand library for 2 other 20 min PIlates sessions per week. She slowly increase her walks building up to 5 km, 7km and then 10 km. Shortly before the trip she completed 2 walks of 20 km each. Everything was coming together well and her knees were largely pain-free. We discussed which exercises she could do if she had any flare-ups and I taught her a wall routine as she feared the floors of the youth hostels would be too dirty to lie on to do PIlates. In early October, I received a mesagge that Theresa and her group had successfully completed the pilgramage. She was understandably over the moon and so was I! This was one year in the making and it was wonderful to see everything come together for her. Theresa is now highly motivated to maintain this level of fitness and we are already working towards her next pilgramage - Portigal in April 2024!
Some of my clients have also used my online Pilates studio to prepare for skiing holidays, walking on uneven surfaces such as cobblestones in Europe and one client prepared for a boating holiday on a yacht. If you are planning a holiday and want to ensure you are fully prepared email me at [email protected] . Alternatively, if you would like to begin your Pilates journey book your in-depth Initial Assessment with me via Skype. or work independently at your own pace through my library of on-demand videos. Take the free 10 day trial and start now. It would be my pleasure to assist you!
If you are ready to take control of your own health and fitness then download your free copy of my detailed guide.
Learn more about what sort of people benefit from Pilates and how it can help you too. I separate the myths from the facts and share actual case studies of my clients who have achieved life-changing results from my unique Pilates program.
