Does it suit everyone?
It is important to choose a form of exercise that you enjoy doing and that leaves you feeling ‘good’ both inside and out. I have seen people over 70 years old, post hip replacement starting Pilates for the first time and completely turning their lives around. I have also seen clients with physical problems that have become worse through exercise no matter how gentle. The long and short of it is that Pilates is not necessarily best for everyone, no matter what their age. However, those who find it is for them can certainly enjoy long term benefits.  

Finding an Instructor
As we get older our bodies not only become injured or sick more easily but also heal more slowly. Ailments can change quite radically from week to week. The body can become quite set in its functionality and not be able to perform new tasks very well or easily. The brain can also take longer to carry out new instructions and find it difficult to remember them. Therefore it is important to find an instructor who is both patient and compassionate and who is willing and flexible enough to tailor make a session according to each client’s personal needs. A Pilates session needs to be paced carefully as one 70 year old may be capable of much more than another.  

What to Expect
Pilates is usually performed at a slow and gentle pace, especially in the first few sessions. There is a big emphasis on breath and breathing which can make you feel a little light headed at first. Try to avoid this by not getting up or down, from or to, a lying or sitting position too quickly.  Never allow yourself to be pushed to a point of uncomfortable pain. To feel muscles working however is good! See how you feel the next day or so after your class. Very occasionally people can feel nauseous, but usually this will pass as your body, and system adjust and get used to the new activity. At the end of a session you should feel pleased that you did it. Ideally you should feel ‘good within yourself’ with a feeling of centeredness. (Don’t be concerned if your legs feel wobbly after a session. This is usually just the muscles complaining because they have had to work in a different way for the first time)

The Benefits
Some of the benefits you may experience after a period of time are:  

• Increased muscle strength

• Increase In flexibility

• An ability to perform certain tasks that you may have found previously difficult

• Improved posture

• An increase in lunge capacity

• A greater sense of well being

Conclusion
If you are interested in starting Pilates for the first time, but are not sure as to whether you will enjoy it or not, just book for one or two classes. Take a deep breath, be gentle on yourself and above all remember to breathe out again! You could find yourself having fun….

If you are pregnant and wish to start Pilates for the first time there are a few important questions that you should be asked by your potential teacher pertaining to pregnancy:

• Have you had any history of miscarriage?
• Have you had any spotting?
• Are you used to exercise and if so what kind?
• Does your doctor know that you wish to start? And if so you should be asked to provide a doctors certificate stating that in his opinion it is safe for you to attend a class. Some doctors will recommend that you wait until your second trimester before you do start a new form of exercise.

Pilates is generally a safe and enjoyable form of exercise to do whilst pregnant and can provide many benefits. These include a stronger and more supported pelvic floor, which not only supports the fetus, but also aids labor. There can be a marked improvement in a clients breathing, better posture and more stamina. The recovery process can also be faster.

As a pregnant client it is important to take on the responsibility of how you feel. Know that your instincts are going to be right and stop if anything you are given to do doesn’t feel ‘right’ in any way. A qualified teacher knows that every client is different and every pregnancy is different again. What suits or works for one woman may not be right for another. A wise teacher is guided by their client especially as the pregnancy progresses.

As a pregnant woman enters the 3rd trimester and the end of the pregnancy drawers near she is able to do less and less. Movements become tiring and cumbersome and rests in-between exercises may become necessary. Remember to work in a well ventilated room and to keep well hydrated.

Pilates offers a very deep work out so even the smallest of movements can have a very profound affect. What might look or feel like very little can, especially when pregnant, have more impact on the system than imagined. So never underestimate what might be happening during a session.

Above all enjoy this focused time for yourself and the added benefits for  both you and your baby.

This is a phrase that one hears a lot when people are talking about Pilates. But, what does it mean? The easiest way of explaining it to the lay person is that;

“Core stabilisation refers to the abdominal muscles, namely the transversus abdominus, which wraps around the torso like a corset. When this is engaged together with the muscles of the pelvis then the overall stabilisation of the ‘core’ or torso is more attainable”.

However ‘core stabilisation’ actually means and in volves a lot more than that. When we refer to the ‘core’ we are actually referring to the pelvis, abdominals and vertebral column. The main muscles responsible for our core stabilisation are deep muscles which include: the transversus abdominus (TA as mentioned above) the internal and external obliques ( the two layers of abdominal muscles lying on top of the TA) the multifidus (which lies alongside the spine from the pelvis right up to the neck) and the pelvic floor muscles (the urogenital triangle that sits right at the base of the pelvis). It is the ability to engage and recruit these muscles and stabilise the body whilst moving that defines ‘core stabilisation’. But it is important to engage the above muscles prior to moving in order to achieve the desired outcome. The focus is on stability, breathing, and smooth, coordinated movement.

The diaphragm also plays an important role, creating not only the action of breathing but subsequently vital intra abdominal pressure. It is the action of the diaphragm along with the main stabilizing muscles contracting together upon the incompressible contents of the abdominal cavity (ie the internal organs or viscera) which provides support to the spine and pelvis during movement.

As you can see there are a lot more muscles involved in the overall achievement of stabilisation than often thought. This need not be a daunting prospect though. Rather when you perform your Pilates exercises try to visualize your body working as a whole, with every limb and major muscle group having a role to play, even if it needs to be still! Become conscious of the whole shape of an exercise and focus on how you move through an exercise rather than getting through an exercise.