Although having a mat is not an essential part of Pilates it is the first place I would start when setting up my own self-practice at home. Mats can come with varying price tags attached but the most important aspects to look out for are; the mat is non-slip, has enough padding and has enough length. Mats are about the only cross-over between yoga and Pilates. You may be wondering what the difference is and whether a normal yoga mat is suitable. A yoga mat generally tends to be slightly thinner (eg 2mm - 4mm thickness) this is because a lot more time is spent balancing and moving between poses ..read more

If you have attended one of our Pilates classes you will be familiar with small Pilates props and how they can transform your home Pilates practice. Small equipment can be a great way to increase the challenge in particular exercises and help support you in others. Here are a few of the pieces of equipment we use in classes and how they may help your own workouts. Resistance Bands Resistance bands come in a variety of lengths and strengths (The strength of the band is usually indicated by its colour) A light resistance band, usually yellow or red, is great for arm strength work such as seated ..read more

Menopause affects 13 million women worldwide and it can have a butterfly effect on the people around you. This is why I believe, regardless of whether you are going through menopause yourself, your partner, your mum or just someone you know, then you should sit up and listen! The more you know the better the experience will be! As part of a recent certification I have been undertaking I have dipped my toe into the world of women's health and to say that it's fascinating is an understatement. What the body goes through in a women's lifetime is so intriguing and learning the patterns of hormone ..read more

We have heard about how Pilates can help you physically, can rehab you after an injury and is just generally magic. But can it help you improve your metal wellbeing too? Pilates is famous for creating long, lean muscles that contribute to your strength, muscle tone and ironing out the everyday creaks. Since the original development in the 1920's there has been a Pilates revolution that has transformed Pilates from being a rehabilitation tool to world renowned fitness regime that everyone wants to get involved with. In more recent studies we have also begun to see the positive effects regular P ..read more

Two of the most common questions I get asked is how often should I practice Pilates and why can't I do this exercise. I hope to clear this up in todays blog post and equip you with some simple ways to incorporate pilates in to your daily life. When planning our classes we aim to cover movements in as many planes as possible. We know everyone loves ab movements so we always throw in a bit of this for good measure but we also want to make this functional so you can feel your core working in more functional movements rather than just when you lie on the floor with your legs in table top. When ch ..read more

Everything you need to know about Pilates and back pain Pilates and yoga have been talked about for years as being the magic cure to help back pain. I love Pilates and as an instructor myself would I be an advocate for Pilates helping solve back pain? Well ...yes absolutely but is Pilates actually magic? Pilates is essentially just a form of movement but it is done in a way that is graded, meaning that not everyone has the same starting point and it's through finding that and then starting to build strength that we really start to both see and feel a difference. 1: Understanding back pain. 2 ..read more

A whole body approach to fitness and wellbeing, for both your body and mind. Have you heard you're friends rave about how amazing pilates is but you're in the dark about what it actually is and how it's different to a normal fitness class? We are here to enlighten you and make it your new favourite workout. What is Pilates? Pilates is a low impact form of exercise with the aim to provide a whole body workout and get those deep muscles that you weren't even aware you had working. The practice relies on both gravity, body weight and exploring different ranges of movement to build endurance and a ..read more