Living In Lockdown? Pilates to the Rescue!

Photo by DaniloAndjus

Life has certainly changed dramatically for everyone since my last blog post, as we live our lives in lockdown in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  On a personal level, my physical Pilates studio has now closed temporarily and I have offered my clients' Pilates sessions on Skype.  For those who aren't already members,  I have suggested they join JS Mind Body Pilates my Online Pilates studio.  The main priority is that my clients are able to continue their Pilates training, which is essential for those who rely on Pilates for managing their various health conditions,  until the studio can re-open.  With the situation changing daily,  most of us are dealing with a sense of helplessness as we no longer have control over our daily lives resulting in fear, sadness, anxiety and disturbed sleep.  Some are overwhelmed with working from home whilst supervising and schooling their children.  Others are separated from their children and grandchildren and experiencing loneliness.  Others have suffered major financial losses.
However, with some creativity, compromise and discipline we can focus on the positives and make the most of this unique but challenging situation and get through this together.

Make Movement a Priority

When a conference presenter senses their audience is either nodding off or starting to shuffle and appear restless they have clearly lost concentration.  It's not usually the presenter's fault, they have been sitting still for far too long.  A wise presenter will suggest movement!  The advice is usually to move around the room,  run outside for some fresh air, grab a drink or go to the bathroom.  Just by taking 10 mins to move before re-commencing the presentation, concentration levels improve and the audience becomes re-energised and re-engaged.  This just goes to show the power of movement and what can be achieved in only 10 minutes.

How Can I Replicate This At Home?

Many of the members of JS Mind Body Pilates who are working from home have already been successfully incorporating 10 mins of Pilates into various slots throughout their workday.  Try to schedule your slots at the same time each day so you can establish some routine.  Most of the videos on my site are around 10 mins in duration, so they are the perfect way to maintain your fitness, break up the sitting and re-energise.  If you haven't already signed up, take the free 10 day trial now, you have nothing to lose as you can self cancel at any time.  Try having a mat and any equipment you have such as ankle weights, bands etc on hand, so you don't waste time setting up. 

Like never before we are being challenged to find creative solutions to our problems. In addition to Pilates, see if you can make use of what you have available.  Do you have stairs in your home? They can be used for calf stretches and step-ups. If your fitness level allows, you can also walk up stairs focusing on your glute connection, and then feel your quads or the front of your thigh working on the way down.  Ensure, you have access to the handrail if stability is an issue. Walking up & down stairs several times is a good way of activating your muscles and improving your cardio fitness.  Do you have some wall space?  Lie on a mat on your back with your pelvis close to the wall and elevate your legs on the wall.  Place a small pillow under your pelvis and hold for 10 to 15 minutes, breathing in your natural breathing pattern. This is great for your circulatory and lymphatic system and helps to relieve the stress and tension of being at a computer.

 Guard Your Mind

There is an overabundance of information available to us about the current crisis but it's crucial that we limit our news intake as an overload of negativity can be damaging for our mental health.  Stay informed, but try to avoid watching multiple news reports on multiple channels and switch off reports at least an hour or more if possible before going to sleep.