HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PILATES CLASSES

Have you been doing Pilates for awhile and haven't seen quite the results you are looking for? This may be due to small matters of technique that you can easily improve on in your classes. Even though instructors watch their clients like hawks, your body is programmed to subconsciously try to 'cheat' whenever possible in order to make the exercises easier for you. Below are some tips to use whenever you are in a Pilates class to assure that you get the most out of your practice. These tips should also be utilised outside of your classes to make your time spent at Pilates all that more effective. However, it is not enough to perform your Pilates exercises perfectly; without a healthy, balanced eating plan you will not see those results no matter how many Pilates classes a week you do! And I think everyone knows that on some level...

1.  You are not engaging your lower abdominals correctly. 

This is a very easy and common mistake to make that I see clients doing all the time. They think that to get their abs working they need to 'crunch' and overuse the top of their rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscles). Before learning how to instruct Pilates I was guilty of overusing these superficial muscles myself! Clients need to be taught how to activate their lower abdominals or their 'core' (as we talk about it at our studio) in a way that makes sense to them. Pilates exercises are not about crunching, they are about lifting your pelvic floor and imagining that you are zipping your hip bones towards each other. Another way to think of tightening the core is to 'scoop' the lower abs in. I am a big fan of the jean analogy to engage the core, that is, imagine that you are trying to get into quite tight high waisted jeans. You are lifting your pelvic floor to zip the zipper of the jeans up, then you are trying to draw your hipbones towards each other to do up the button. I spend a lot of time in my Reformer Introductory classes making sure that clients understand how to activate their core correctly before moving on to other basics. 

What you can do: Ask your instructor to feel if you are engaging your lower abs correctly- they won't mind at all! Practice activating your core every day and before you know it it will become something that you do without even thinking of it! 

2.  You perform exercises too quickly. 

Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates, designed his exercise regime to be executed with control and precision. You are not in a Crossfit class or going for a sprint. You may very well be able to perform Pilates exercises with the correct technique at a fast pace when you have been practising Pilates for years, however it takes a very long time to get to this level. If Pilates exercises are not performed slowly until the technique is learnt and achieved, you will 1. not be getting much benefit out of the exercise and 2. you may even be exposing yourself to an increased chance of injury. Never fear, you will still get an incredible workout when you slow down the pace, in fact, you will isolate your muscles even more and really feel the burn! 

What you can do: slow your roll! Listen to your instructor and let them set the pace. They will advance you and instruct you to go faster when you have improved. You'll also be surprised how much better you will become at cardiovascular / high impact exercise when you have the foundations of Pilates in your back pocket. 

3. You neglect to breathe. 

So this one is a biggy! If you do not breathe during your Pilates exercises, you will cut off the oxygen available to your muscles, which will result in light headedness and you will fatigue very quickly. I know it is tough to remember to breathe when you are focusing on getting the movement right, on engaging your core on and on what your instructor is saying. Read below for a strategy: 

What you can do: Stop the exercise for a second and just focus on your breath before starting again. If you are new to Pilates and are feeling overwhelmed, do not worry too much if you are breathing the opposite way to what your instructor is telling you. Just keep breathing. I always tell clients in my Introductory classes this! When the technique starts to become a little easier to understand, then we move on to really focusing on when specifically you should inhale and exhale throughout each movement. Keep in mind that Pilates can used as a form of meditation to many people and there's no reason why it cannot be for you, however you need to keep breathing in order to achieve this benefit! 

4. Your shoulders are up to your ears.

Another very common error! We often get so stressed and overwhelmed in life that our body subconsciously hunches our shoulders. This is the exact same copping mechanism the majority of clients adopt when they feel overburdened with information in Pilates classes. This tension leads to tightness and pain in the upper back or the upper trapezius or 'traps'. This is ironic as this is one of the muscles that you are trying to relax in Pilates class! 

What you can do: You and your instructor need to be watching your shoulders constantly, during class and throughout your day. When you are at your computer, when you are sitting in the car, when you are doing exercise, think of keeping your shoulder blades gliding down your back towards your hips. Your shoulders should be soft and think of them as 'melting' away from your ears. Your collarbones should be open and your shoulders back in their sockets, without arching the lower back to do so.   

5. You imprint your spine / tuck your pubic bone up too much.

When your instructor tells you to imprint your spine, we do not want you to push your lower back into the mat and round/flex your spine. We want you to very slightly tilt your pubic bone up towards your belly button, around 5% of how much you can actually tilt your pelvis. Then think of drawing the spine down towards the floor without pressing them into the ground. Your tailbone stays on the floor and you do not clench your butt cheeks. When you imprint your spine incorrectly or imprint your spine when you should be in a neutral position, you defeat the purpose of many Pilates exercises, as your core will not activate as it should and your lower back may start to do the work instead. 

What you can do: Listen to your instructor for which spinal position they would like you to adopt for each exercise. Try not to 'over imprint' the spine and tuck the pelvis up more than you are told to. 

Good luck incorporating these tips into your Pilates workout! Remember that your instructor is always there to help and assist you in any way that they can, so use them! 

x Premium Pilates Studio 

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JOSEPH PILATES

Whilst millions of people do Pilates everyday, many of them probably do not know much about the origins of this very on trend form of exercise. Pilates may not date back as far as yoga, however its history is incredibly interesting and involves a very confident and quirky yet caring German. Here's 10 fun facts for you about how Pilates came to be a worldwide phenomenon. 

1. Joseph Pilates was born in Mönchengladbach (a little town near Düsseldorf, Germany), on December 9th 1883. In his early childhood Joseph was a very sickly child; he suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. He was often bullied at school and was too sick and weak to fight back or run away. As a result of these early experiences, Joe made fitness and health his life journey and tried to help as many people as possible through Pilates to improve their lifestyle. 

2. Joe designed his fitness regime of Pilates with the image of the 'classical Greek ideal of a man who is balanced equally in body, mind and spirit'.

3. Mr Pilates was a Hospital "Nurse-Physiotherapist" during World War 1 and was posted to an internment camp. Joseph requested that he be given permission to help the sick patients with exercise. He was told that bed rest was prescribed to all patients but that he could "do anything you like with them, as long as they stay in bed". Hence Joe removed the bed springs and connected them to the bed posts to make the apparatus now known as the 'Cadillac' or 'Trapeze'. Joseph was said to have a very caring and helpful disposition with his patients. His exercise regime must have done some good, because when the 1918 flu epidemic swept the world and killed millions (and many from internment camps as these places were optimal for the spreading of illnesses), not one of Joseph's patients became ill! 

4. After the war Joe trained with the Military Police as well as continuing to instruct Pilates with personal clients. Mr Pilates was asked to train with the New German Army in 1923, however he refused as he was unhappy with the new political direction that Germany was heading towards. He had several relatives living in the USA, who persuaded him to travel over to America.

5. Pilates was originally called Contrology. Joseph Pilates came up with this name for his exercise regime as he intended the practice to be all about control of the body, mind and muscles. However his initial clients and the general public started calling his fitness regime 'Pilates' and it stuck!

6. The very first Pilates studio was opened by Joseph & his wife Clara in NYC in the 1920s. The husband & wife took over a boxing gym on 8th Avenue, which was located in the same building as several dance studios and rehearsal areas. Due to this very close proximity of the dancers, the exercise regime of Pilates became fundamental in the life, rehab and training of dancers! 

7. Mr Pilates was said to have a 'rough but kindly manner' with his clients.

8. While Joseph was considered very healthy, he was well known for his love of cigars, whiskey and women! He attended many parties in NYC and was often seen running around the city in the middle of winter in his skimpy little training shorts (see photos above)!

9. Joseph Pilates died at 83 years old in New York City and his obituary read like an advertisment for Pilates! Pilates is described as "‘a white-manned lion with steel blue eyes and mahogany skin, and as limber in his 80's as a teenager!"

10. As Joseph liked to say, he was sadly '"fifty years ahead of my time". Pilates really took off in the late 1980's and has become increasingly more popular since then. Once considered the workout of purely dancers and the elite, Pilates is now an incredibly accessible form of exercise and is a form of physiotherapy. Millions of people practise Pilates everyday and those numbers are only set to increase as many more people discover the amazing benefits of this form of exercise! 

x Premium Pilates Studio

Info adapted from http://www.contrology-pilates-method.com/history_joe_pilates.asp, images from http://www.mylocalpilates.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24042723/6200530_orig.png and http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55160801e4b05c72e7f10bf6/55172c60e4b05ede7c5afc3c/55172c8ee4b0413cd5e7351a/1427582094645/jopilates.jpg

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOSE YOUR PILATES FITNESS?

I find that many clients feel like they have lost a lot of their Pilates fitness and muscle tone after just one or two weeks away from their practice. Below I share my views on how long I think it actually takes to lose all that hard work you put in! 

I personally find that dedicated clients who attend classes two, three or more times a week will regain their Pilates strength quite quickly if they have been away from class for around two to three weeks. Muscle memory is an incredible thing and if you are consistent with your Pilates a few weeks off will not drastically reduce your fitness or your muscle tone. The muscle you have gained from Pilates will continue to speed up your metabolism whilst you are not practising. That being said after more than three weeks off your muscle tone will stay to slowly lessen and you may notice little changes in your arms, abs, bottom and legs. So if you do have a holiday coming up, or have just had one over the festive season, don't be scared to get back into class! Yes it may hurt quite a bit initially but the longer you put it off the more work you'll have to put in to get back to your fitness level prior to having a break. 

 Personally I find that if I have more than 3 days off my mid and lower back start to ache and my thighs feel 'heavier' and tighter. My stomach also starts to feel a little less toned. Pilates is like my own version of Yoga; I feel relaxed during and after my practice, I feel stretched out and lengthened even when I've done a tough class and I feel like I am on a natural high! Hence why I can't seem to stay away from the mat, the reformer or the barre for more than 3 days (even when I'm on holidays!). Of course many of us cannot attend classes every 3 days and that is completely understandable; I am just sharing how my body works. 

Clients who attend less than two classes a week, therefore one class a week on average, will see a decrease in their fitness and muscle tone if they miss one or two classes, that is one or two weeks. 

Lastly, we can all agree that the key with any type of fitness practise is CONSISTENCY. If something comes up and you have to cancel your usual Pilates class, make time to schedule another in that same week! Your body will thank you - in the form of some beautiful muscle tone! If you are going away for a holiday or have to travel for work, ask your Pilates instructor to make you a mobile program to do in your hotel room or gym. We want to help you, as we know first hand how hard you have worked to get your fitness and Pilates body to this point! 

x the Premium Pilates team 

MATWORK VERSUS REFORMER

Here at Premium Pilates, we love both Matwork and Reformer Pilates. All of our instructors incorporate both workouts into their weekly Pilates training due to the different benefits that both exercise regimes offer the body. We are often asked by clients to explain the key differences between the two. Here is a breakdown for you: 

Matwork / Floor Pilates 

A lot of people think that the Reformer is a lot harder than Matwork as it is a machine, however Matwork is a true test of your stability, as there is just you on the mat, against yourself. In Floor Pilates you need to use your whole body to support yourself, with no outside help or stability (the Reformer and Wunda Chair provides you some support). Myself & Chris often find that a tough matwork class can isolate our core muscles (the pelvic floor and lower abdominals) just as much, if not more, than a gruelling Reformer class. 

Matwork Pilates can also involve the use of props for several exercises, including the band, circle, foam roller, swiss ball and smaller Pilates ball, which increases the amount of different exercises that can be performed on the mat as opposed to on the Reformer. 

As Floor Pilates involves only your body (and some props) you may gain greater body awareness than you would on the Reformer. 

Our Matwork classes are limited to a maximum of 12 clients to 1 instructor, therefore you will never need to fear being 'just a number' in a class. 

If you are a true beginner to Pilates and have never done a class in your life, Floor Pilates is a little simpler to start with as you do not have to learn about all the components of the Reformer machine. 

Reformer Pilates

The Reformer machine assists in stabilising yourself to a certain degree as you perform exercises lying, sitting, standing and kneeling on a stable surface. Believe it or not, the Reformer was actually designed to assist people to do Matwork by providing added stability that the floor did not provide. 

Saying this, the Reformer is definitely a strong workout, as it provides added resistance in the form of springs to every single exercise. Some clients feel like they have a greater range of motion on the Reformer than on the floor due to the use of straps. The reformer can also feel like more 'work' on your muscles, due to the added resistance. 

The Reformer isolates your muscles in a different way to Pilates exercises performed on the floor. As our reformer classes are a maximum of 4 clients per 1 instructor, you may be given a more tailored and personalised workout than you would potentially be given in a Matwork class. 

Budget is the last factor to consider. A floor Pilates class costs $20 for a casual, $18 a class for a pack of 5 classes and $16 a class for a pack of 10 classes. In comparison reformer classes cost $30 for a casual class and the packages of classes are therefore substantially higher in price to Matwork. 

A new things to note: 

If you are pregnant or have recently given birth, Reformer Pilates would be the best option for you, as our Matwork classes are not tailored for pre or post natal woman.

If you have a debilitating injury or injuries I would suggest that you discuss what Pilates class would be best for you to attend with our instructors before starting a Matwork or Reformer class. 

Lastly, you are never going to truly know which class is right for you until you try both!! As I previously mentioned, Chris and myself and the other Premium Pilates instructors incorporate both Reformer and Floor Pilates into our workout routines as we have found that a mixture of both works best for our bodies with regards to improving our core strength, our technique, our body awareness and our general muscle strength and tone. 

If you have any additional questions, call Emily or Chris on 0402 680 724, email us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com. 

See you for a class soon! 

THE JUMP BOARD - AT THE STUDIO NOW!

The Pilates Jump Board is a relatively new craze to hit Pilates studios, even though it was first invented in the 1970's for athletes in the Soviet Union. Recently this unassuming board has become uber popular and we have just 'jumped on board' and welcomed this little addition to our studio! Let's break down what this board does and why everyone is loving it! 

What is a jump board? 

It is a board that attaches to the front of a reformer machine and changes the reformer into a horizontal jumping apparatus. The Jump board allows clients to jump, hop, skip and leap whilst lying on their sides and backs. The spring tension of the reformer machine removes gravity from the jumping, therefore you feel as if you are jumping with no pressure. As a result of the elimination of gravity you feel as if you are jumping on the floor without the high impact. 

Is the jump board the same as jumping on the floor? 

No. It is much easier and much safer for the joints to jump on a jump board than to jump on the ground flat footed as gravity is removed from the equation when using a board, due to the light springs attached to the reformer. In addition, the jump board facilitates the engaging of your core, whilst regular jumping does not. When lying on the reformer your spine is supported and aligned correctly, which is not the case when you are engaging in regular jumping. The springs of the reformer work with you and against you to tone your muscles whilst removing stress on your joints. As the jump board is low impact, it protects your knees, hips and lower back from the harsh and jarring impact of landing on the floor when jumping or performing other cardiovascular standing exercises. Jumping on the jump board is even safer than jumping on a trampoline! If you do not have any injuries, you may be wondering why low impact exercise is good for you. Low impact exercise keeps the joints healthy whilst obtaining comparable benefits to that of high impact exercise. For those poor injured souls out there, low impact workouts aid in the healing and recovery of your joints by keeping them fluid and by improving the strength of the muscles around the joints. 

How does adding a jump board into my reformer classes benefit me? 

This low impact exercise is an excellent way to get the core working, the cardiovascular system going and your muscles toning without putting strain on your joints. Traditional Pilates classes are often performed in a slow and very stable manner to assure the engagement of the core muscles. The jump board revives the core whilst challenging your stability on an unsteady but safe surface of support with a much faster rhythm than you are used to. 

A massive benefit of the jump board is the fact that it adds a cardio element to your Pilates classes. When clients perform a 15-20 jump board series, their heart rate is raised for an extra 15-30 minutes post workout, which burns copious more calories than a traditional Pilates class does. Jumping on the jump board is equivalent to performing the Pilates 100's over and over again! The heart rate increases, which removes unwanted toxins from the body, pumps the blood more quickly and assists in weight loss; all great things! 

A few more benefits of the jump board:

• It assists in building and enhancing bone density, as this form of Pilates trains the body to consistently articulate muscles and joints with nominal strain on the body,
• It builds muscular strength and tone,
• It reinforces and strengthens the alignment of the hip, knee, foot and ankle,
• It engages the principles of Plyometrics, also known as "jumping training", which are exercises that use massive amounts of force in small intervals of time. Plyometrics creates added strength and power, 
• It is a great change in your Pilates routine,
• It is amazing cardiovascular exercise and is one of the ONLY forms of cardio that you can lying down!
• You can even use the jump board for exercises for exercises that do not involve jumping. As the board is a much larger surface area than the footbar, clients often find that the board is more stable to press against, and LASTLY,
• It is very very FUN!! 

Can anyone use a jump board? 

Clients must have reasonable core strength to be able to jump on a jump board safely. You may not get to jump during your first few reformer classes, but do not be disheartened. Your instructor will know when you are ready to start jumping! Pre and early stage post natal woman are unable to jump, in addition to severely injured clients. 

Interested in getting your cardio on without standing? Want to see what this craze is all about? Call Premium Pilates Studio on 0402 680 724, email us at inquiries@premiumpilatesstudio.com or visit us online at premiumpilatesstudio.com to book in a class today! 

ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO'S TONED PINK PILATES THIGHS

Yet another Victoria Secret model loving Pilates! Stunning model Alessandra Ambrosio was spotted just last week getting sweaty in a gruelling Pilates reformer class in LA. The makeup free mother-of-two donned hot pink leggings for the workout which looked amazing on her lean, muscly legs. Whilst her Pilates class was very full, Ambrosio stayed focused and worked hard, showing off some very impressive core strength! 

The 32-year-old famous model knows she has to work hard to maintain her sculpted body. Just a week ago Alessandra sat down with her fellow angel Behati Prinsloo to dish on her life as a Victoria Secret model. Both ladies explained that it is not all glitz & glamour and that they have to workout a lot to fit into their costumes! Ambrosio reminisced about having to be very fit when she walked down the runaway four months pregnant with her first child in 2011. Alessandra had to wear the heaviest wings ever worn in a VS show - 27 kilograms of jewels! The next year (2012) the young mum returned to the catwalk a mere three months after giving birth and had to wear the 20-carat Fantasy bra for the VS show. "My preparation for this feat was intense...You work out as an athlete. All your mind, all your everything goes into it....but what better motivation to get into shape than to be wearing a ($2.5) million dollar bra?!" 

Alessandra insists that she workouts all year round, not just when she has a big show coming up. The toned model maintains a strict exercise regime and eats very healthily. She loves to stay fit by going to her Pilates classes, frequenting the gym and by jumping on trampolines whenever she gets the chance! (see photo above). 

It appears that nothing can stop this fit model & mum, as she recently launched her very own casual clothing line on top of all her other projects. Keep an eye out for her bohemian designs that will be stocked exclusively at Planet Blue. 

We hate to burst your bubble but you may not ever look exactly like Alessandra, but you can tone, trim and firm up at Premium Pilates Studio!! Call us today on 0402 680 724 or visit our website at premiumpilatesstudio.com. 

x Emily 

Images from dailymail.co.uk.