Pilates is Portable!

Perhaps the most widely recognised element of the Pilates exercise machines is the reformer – and there are many more pieces that can be added but…. Matwork can be just as effective, needs no equipment and can be practiced nearly everywhere from an office to a hotel room to a beach. The only essential being a properly trained and qualified instructor (and of course your unique One2One programme); Oh and a mat.

I have been lucky enough to teach all over the world and in the late 1990s I started training teachers in Spain where good instructors were scarce. I taught in hotels, fitness centres, orthopaedic clinics and even on the beach and by the pool (the latter being a bit tricky here in Scotland)!

Pilates is a body weight exercise which means it uses gravity to assist your exercises – it has been proven to help prevent or manage osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, balance and flexibility, all of which help to protect against injury. It will lengthen and strengthen muscles, joints and tendons and as the exercises are mindful it is recommended for stress relief and relaxation – just ask any one of my pupils how quickly the class hour passes!

Pilates is also prescribed as a method to assist with breathing problems such as asthma and bronchitis.

There should always be a full pre course consultation, and a good teacher should always be available for any questions or queries.

Julie x