PILATES

My group Pilates classes are small, friendly and personal. This means that I can focus on quality rather than quantity and give everyone the attention they deserve.  My classes are tailored to coincide with my clients’ overall level of fitness, Pilates experience and goals.

I aim for my classes to have a natural flow and rhythm, which should help you tune in to your own body and feel pleasurable and empowering.  My classes provide a well-rounded work-out, combining stretches with the core strengthening work following the traditional principles of Pilates focusing on breath, concentration, centring, control, precision and flow.

I often include props such as balls and bands to enhance and vary movement and add a little fun.  Everyone develops at their own rate, working within their own capability in a non-competitive environment.

The fact that women and their networks have dominated the world of Pilates in recent years has bred the misconception that Pilates is a female-only activity.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Joseph Pilates was a cigar smoking boxer, acrobat and gymnast, and he developed his exercise programme from that background.  Now top sportsmen and women, actors and dancers use Pilates to keep them fit and prevent injuries.

CHAIR BASED PILATES

We all know that being physically active is good for us, but not everyone can take part in activities like walking, cycling or aerobics classes. If that’s the case for you, but you want to keep active, my chair-based exercise class could be just what you’re looking for.  Work your deep stabilizing core muscles, improve your strength, flexibility and balance, also reduce stress and tension with effective breathing techniques and calming relaxation.

Please note, you will need to be able to walk up a few very low steps to get to my studio.

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“In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 you will see the difference and in 30 you will have a whole new body.”

Joseph Pilates

ABOUT ME

Many years ago a chiropractor looked at the x-ray of my spine and said that he didn’t know how I was still walking; that whatever I had been doing, to keep doing it.  I had been dancing professionally and keeping as active as I could – so my personal motto became “whatever you do, just keep moving!”

Like many other active people I have endured a succession of mishaps but some injuries came back to haunt me as years later they developed post-traumatic arthritis.  Doctors told me they could do nothing for the excruciating pain caused by osteoarthritic degeneration of my neck and lower spine and referred me to the Chronic Back Pain Clinic.  They advised me to take up Pilates. 

At that first class, merely lying on the mat made me want to cry with pain but after six months attending two or three classes a week the reduction in pain was profound and I became virtually pain-free.