Concentration

- is the key to performing accurate movements. In order to get the most out of Pilates one must be able to establish a connection between the mind and body.

Breathing

- Each Pilates exercise is coordinated with a precise, controlled breathing pattern that assists the movement. Breath is taken in through the nose, expanding the ribs laterally and out through the mouth. The general rule is that you inhale to prepare for the movement and exhale on the action.

Centering

- Joseph Pilates believed that our core muscles are the 'powerhouse' of our body. All Pilates exercises are initiated from the powerhouse, building a strong centre to support and protect the spine.

Control

- All movements in Pilates should be performed with optimum control. The focus is on quality rather than quantity, therefore fewer repetitions of perfectly controlled movements are much more effective than endless repetitions of sloppy ones!

Flowing movement

- All movements in Pilates are continuous, graceful and performed fluidly. There are no static, isolated movements.

Precision

- Every movement in the Pilates method has a purpose. The focus is on precision and perfection of movement.

It is important to remember that pregnancy is not an illness!

Both mother and baby will benefit tremendously by exercising gently and staying fit and healthy during the pre-natal period.

Pilates is an ideal exercise for expectant mothers as all the exercises can be adapted to suit pregnancy.

Many of the Pilates exercises are performed in the quadruped position (on all fours) which is a safe and comfortable position for both mother and baby.

The breathing techniques used in Pilates and correct use of Pelvic Floor muscles will also help with labour.

During Pregnancy, your abdominals and Pelvic floor muscles need to be strong enough to support your bump and protect your spine however you don't want to over strengthen your abs as the baby needs to grow without restriction.

You will also need to be able to release the pelvic floor muscles during delivery.

It is recommended that the abdominal work during pregnancy is limited to gentle Pelvic floor control and Transverse Abdominal strengthening.

( The TA is a corset like muscle that wraps around your mid section ) The common 'pregnant posture' whereby the woman lets her belly hang out and stands with an over arched lower back should be avoided, as this places undue stress on the lumbar spine.

Pilates emphasises the importance of correct posture during pregnancy and also serves as a good preparation for after the baby is born when correct posture will make lifting and carrying the baby more comfortable and injury free.

During pregnancy, changes in hormones cause the body's ligaments to become more flexible so that the pelvis is able to expand during labour.

This often causes joint instability, therefore it is very important that all exercises are performed in correct alignment and that you don't over stretch the stabilising muscles of the pelvis.

Ideally it is best to join a Pilates class specifically designed for pregnancy or if you have been practising Pilates regularly before you become pregnant it may be possible to join a regular class whereby the teacher can give you alternative exercises or modifications when necessary.

Regular Pilates classes throughout pregnancy ensure a healthy happy mum to be!

PILATES : Precise Intelligent Exercise.

Pilates aims to improve posture and increase flexibility through controlled strengthening and stretching exercises.

In particular the exercises work the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor, helping to create a centre of balance for the body, improving core-muscle tone and alignment.

Greater strength and muscle tone.

Longer, leaner muscles.

Better posture.

Flatter stomach and trimmer waist.

Increased core strength-stability.

Helps prevent injury.

Enhances functional fitness.

Balances strength and flexibility.

Heightens body awareness Increased joint mobility.

Compliments other methods of exercise.

Improves performance technique in sports / dance.

Improves balance, coordination, circulation.

Less incidence of back pain.

Helps reduce stress & tension.

After a natural birth this is usually 4 - 6 weeks after delivery and after a C-section 8-10 weeks but this depends on the individual as every woman is different.

Of course you want to get to your pre pregnancy shape and weight as soon as possible, but it is important that you don't rush into things as you don't want to cause more harm than good.

During pregnancy the muscle that runs straight down your front - ( the rectus abdominals or your six pack muscle ) will have separated to allow the baby room to grow.

The amount of separation varies, depending upon muscle tone, size of the baby, weight gain and number of pregnancies.

The gap may return to normal on it's own, during the first few weeks after birth.

However, for many women, the gap between the muscles remains.

Before starting Pilates after pregnancy it is necessary to have your abdominal muscles checked to see whether or not they have come back together.

Your midwife | doctor | physio | can check for you.

If the muscles are still separated, some exercises could actually cause the gap to remain or to get wider.

Ab exercises that involve flexion of the trunk (ie. sit ups and crunches) should be avoided while the Rectus abdominals are separated.

Instead it is advised that you focus on exercises that work the transverse abdominals and Pelvic floor like many of the more gentle Pilates exercises.

The transverse abdominals are your deep, core stabilising muscles, on the right and left sides of the abdomen.

Strengthening these muscles helps to close the separation of the rectus abdominis.

To enquire about a class suitable for Post Natal : CONTACT US at : pilates [ at ] rhpilus-studio [ dot ] com

Pilates – it IS a guy’s thing !

Ask the average man what he knows about Pilates and the chances are he will think Pilates is just for women.

Well for a start Joseph Pilates was a man, and many of his early clientele were too !

Pilates has been popular with both male and female elite athletes for many years, but in the mainstream fitness industry the tendency has been that women have significantly outnumbered men.

That trend is changing now as more men are inspired by celebrity sports figures to try Pilates workouts for themselves.

All exercises in the Pilates method originate from the body's powerhouse, or the core.

By strengthening this part of the body, you will have more control and strength over many of your movements.

Most men tend to work their abdominals incorrectly, focusing far more on repetition and increasing range of motion than they do on correct technique.

Pilates focuses on correct placement helping to achieve maximum results.

Men generally have less flexibility and a greater degree of upper body strength than women, due to excess weight training and cardiovascular work.

Pilates provides the perfect balance between strength and flexibility, making it a great additional exercise for men already doing other sports, be it tennis, running, weight lifting or golf.

If you’re a man with an injury,

Pilates offers a safe and logical method of exercising while your body is healing.

Pilates doesn’t aggravate the body; the exercises are always performed with control.

Here is a list of a few of the well known men practicing Pilates: Pete Samprass Tiger Woods John Cleese Hugh Grant Orlando Bloom Patrick Swayze, … and an ever-growing number of famous footballers, rugby players, cricketers and other professional athletes.

OK guys, see you in class!

Are you slumped over your computer with your head forward?

Are your shoulders rounded?

Before reading on, take a moment to think about your posture.

Try to lengthen your spine out like a string is attached to the crown of your head and pulling you towards the ceiling. Let your chest and shoulders open like a smile is painted across your chest.

Notice how you feel from making this change - more energised ? - more confident ?

Sitting hunched over at your desk for extended periods can cause the muscles on the front of your torso to shorten and your back muscles to become weak and stretched out.

Over time, this causes muscle imbalance, leading to chronic back and neck pain.

Poor posture in the office is the primary cause of neck and back pain and overall fatigue.

According to the Hong Kong Government's labour department, over 70% of sedentary workers are suffering from, or have experienced lower back pain at their work place.

Taking up Pilates is a great step towards preventing posture related injuries and reducing stress and muscle imbalance.

Pilates works by re-balancing the body, adjusting the way you recruit muscles to produce movements.

It changes the way you use your body, the way you move - restoring natural, normal movement.

Pilates also enhances mental alertness and productivity - a lunchtime Pilates class is the perfect way to stay energised before going back to the office!

Why not come along to a lunchtime class at RH+STUDIO for an instant ENERGY BOOST!

Book now to reserve a place!

Pilates is a series of body conditioning exercises that has been practised since the early 1920s.

JOSEPH H. PILATES, the founder of the technique, used his knowledge of gymnastics, boxing, skiing and diving in addition to studies of yoga, Zen and other Eastern disciplines, to create this unique mind-body exercise technique.

Interned because of his nationality during the First World War, he worked as a nurse and taught his method to fellow internees in a British Prison Camp.

As many of them were war veterans and bedridden from being seriously wounded, he experimented attaching springs to hospital beds which allowed patients to start applying movement and resistance to their muscles which seemed to speed up their recovery time.

Interestingly enough, none of his patients caught the influenza that was sweeping Europe at the time. In 1926 Joseph emigrated to New York where he began teaching his method to elite dancers, actors, gymnasts and other artists, all keen to learn from him.

Some of the first people to learn from him were dancers Martha Graham and George Balanchine.

“People won’t understand the brilliance of my work for 50 years.” That is a quote from Joseph, himself, about 50 years ago.

Today, healthcare professionals are studying and recommending Pilates exercise as part of their treatment programme.

Medical doctors are prescribing 'Pilates' to their patients.

His technique has become increasingly popular in the fitness industry as people are now moving away from the ‘no pain no gain’ way of thinking and towards the 'less is more', safe and effective mind-body exercise.

It is also the preferred exercise of many famous athletes, dancers and movie stars!

Due to the public fascination with Hollywood celebrities, the name Pilates is now a household word.

If Madonna does it, it must work!

PILATES – A WAY OF LIFE

It’s great that you’ve found time to fit in 1, 2, or 3 Pilates classes per week.

The real test is whether you can apply what you learn in the studio to your everyday life.

Only then will you really start to see and feel the many wonderful benefits of Pilates.

For many, starting Pilates is the first step to changing a lifetime of bad postural habits.

Time spent sitting hunched at a desk, long periods of time standing or carrying a child or heavy bag continually on one side can lead to poor posture.

This places undue stress on our body, movement becomes less efficient and aches and pains start to appear.

Years and years of standing or sitting in a certain way will not change overnight however taking Pilates classes is a great start to achieving better posture therefore reducing the risk of injury.

Once you’ve begun taking classes, try to think about how you’re sitting at work ( for example ).

Apply your knowledge of neutral spine position in your class to sitting in your chair.

Try to maintain the natural curves of your spine rather than hunching over and letting your head hang forward.

If you find it hard to keep reminding yourself, try to allocate a time when you will think about your posture.

For example – every time you take the lift try to stand up against the wall and feel your tailbone, back of the ribs and head touching.

Try to lengthen your spine imagining it’s being pulled in opposite directions from either end.

Think of the muscles you learn to use in your upper back when you glide your shoulder blades down and extend your spine in a Pilates class.

Try to use the same muscles to keep your shoulders wide when standing and walking around. Imagine walking around with a smile painted across the front of your chest.

Make sure the smile is pulling wide whilst your shoulder blades glide in and down your back.

People with good posture look taller, slimmer, more fluid and confident in their movement.

Think about someone like Jennifer Lopez - she’s gorgeous, curvy and by no means skinny but she appears tall, slim and confident because she stands tall.

Imagine what she’d look like if she slouched! Same goes for someone like Pierce Brosnan – he’d lose all his class if he was hunched over like an old man!

So, try to carry your new Pilates posture with you out of the studio rather than leaving it behind !

Not only will you feel so much better from improving your posture but you’ll look better too !

No, I’m not suggesting you perform the hundred, saw and criss cross in bed!

– but to try and sleep in a neutral spine position with the right pillow to support your neck so that you wake fully rested, energised and ready to face the day!

It’s really important to find the best pillow ( according to your physique and sleep position ) which will depress beneath your head and give enough support under your neck so that your spine stays aligned.

So how can we best use pillows to support our back and neck whilst sleeping?

BACK SLEEPERS:

When sleeping on the back, a pillow should support the natural curvature of the cervical spine ( neck area ), with enough support under the head, neck, and shoulders.

The height of the pillow should be lower than when sleeping in a sideways position as you don’t want to create a forward head posture!

Placing a small pillow under the knees helps to reduce the load on the lower back. Some people prefer to have a couple of pillows so that the knees are elevated higher.

This keeps the lumbar spine flatter therefore putting less force on the pain sensitive facet joints of the spine.

SIDE SLEEPERS:

When sleeping on your side, a pillow should support the head and neck so that the spine maintains a straight and natural horizontal line.

Cervical or orthopaedic pillows are contoured to fill the spaces under the head and neck, for maximum support.

Some people find placing a small cushion between bent knees helps to prevent the spine and pelvis from twisting.

When there is no support between the legs, the upper leg rotates downward, pulling the pelvis, and distorting the natural line of the spine.

Weight should be evenly distributed between the head, shoulders, hips and legs.
For women with large hips and a small waist try placing a very small cushion or rolled up towel underneath the waist to prevent slumping down in that area.

( This actually feels really comfortable! )

STOMACH SLEEPERS:

If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, the pillow should be relatively flat, or the head should rest directly on the mattress, so that the head and neck aren’t turned unnaturally to either side. In this position, you can try placing another relatively flat pillow under the stomach to help keep the spine in it’s neutral alignment.

This is not the best position to sleep in as it constantly applies pressure to a rotated cervical spine often encouraging excessive lumbar lordosis ( over arched lower back )

The wrong spinal position during sleep can be the cause of various health problems and generally a bad health condition or even mood.
It’s worth learning how to use pillows correctly to provide adequate neck and back support so that you wake up fully rested, pain free and full of energy!

Learning Pilates helps create an awareness of correct body/spinal alignment which is important for a good night’s rest.

Pilates also helps to keep your mind calm and body balanced which promotes peaceful sleep.

Joseph Pilates always talked about looking after the whole being, for instance, what we eat; what our occupation is and whether we get enough exercise in it; the importance of a good night's sleep and many other factors that promote a healthy lifestyle.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP! ZZZZZzzzzz