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    • Mar 27

Open Easter Sunday

Updated: Mar 28


Great new! We are open on Easter Sunday as usual.

10am - Mixed Ability

11am - Essentials / Beginners

12pm - One-to-One

1.30pm - One-to-One

2.35pm - One-to-One

BOOK NOW!

Don't forget the clocks go forward on 31st.


We are closed on Friday 29th March and Monday 1st April.

Open again on Tuesday 2nd April from 1.05pm.


Change in Class Descriptions

You may have noticed slight changes in the levels of the classes. This is to reflect the STOTT PILATES TM repertoire of exercises and give more idea of the structure and progression of their Pilates programme rather than the participants physical abilities.


The Essentials level will focus on the hundreds of exercises on the Reformer, Tower and Barrels which start the programme, and believe me, there really are hundreds when you take into account all the possible modifications there are on each piece of equipment and the addition of small equipment! Pilates is an exercise that really pays off to take the time to understand it as well as be able to do it - it really is the ultimate multi-tasking for your mind and body!


The Essentials is a great class for those who have never done Pilates; used Pilates equipment; have any issue or injury or just want a bit more time and space to process the physical and mental information in Pilates. It is for Beginners but it's not just for Beginners, sometimes it's really useful to go back to the basics because you will understand them more and get something new out of it. Pilates is an ongoing learning process (see how I resisted saying 'journey' - oh damn, I just did!): you will find things out about your body your body you never knew as your knowledge about it increases and your relationship with it changes. Pilates is about controlling your movements and changing your body - and that takes time, patience and self-awareness. We don't just want to do a gym workout on a Reformer, we want to use 'INTELLEGENT EXERCISE' to produce 'PROFOUND RESULTS' TM.


The Mixed Ability Level mixes the Essential and Intermediate repertoire of STOTT PILATESTM - hundreds more exercises and modifications. The Intermediate / Advanced class progresses into the Advanced repertoire. At Pilates Now! we always design the classes around the individual participants, so we take into account the specific needs, abilities, injuries, issues and experience of the 4 people in front of us. As instructors, we have been trained to work with individual needs, and as everybody is different and has different needs and abilities, our classes are always different. Variety is the spice of life!


In all Pilates classes and exercises we always focus on the Basic Principles of Breathing; Alignment; Focus; Flow; Concentration and control.


Pilates exercises progress in three different ways:

1) the breathing changes

2) the exercise gets harder

3) the choreography gets longer

Adding extra springs doesn't always make an exercise harder, (it's not like a gym workout)

often the lighter the springs the more the core has to work! The springs provide challenge and support, so the lighter the springs the more the body has to support itself.


Book your next class or 1-1 session on the


or


Buy your pass




Enjoy the Easter Bank Holidays. Find some time to focus on breathing, pandiculation, standing on one leg with your eyes closed and get some rest! And don't forget to Spring Forward on Sunday 31st!


Take care,

Ris







You are receiving this email because you have been in contact with Pilates Now!, however, if you no longer wish to receive the words of wisdom that take me ages to write, please let me know so I can take you off the email list. I'm human, not a robot and definitely NOT spam - the nasty internet variety or the tinned, processed meat!

    • Mar 7

March News




March -

In like a Lion -

And Out like a Lamb!

as the saying goes. Let's hope the lion sleeps tonight! (In the jungle, the mighty jungle ...!) It's not always the case, of course, but it is exciting that the days are getting longer and we have more daylight to lift our spirits and drive the winter away!


If you are of the meteorological viewpoint, Spring starts on 1st March, so Hooray! We have made it through another Winter! However, if you are of an astrological nature and believe Spring starts at the Spring Equinox you have to wait until 20th March this year. 3 more weeks!! F.Y.I. The clocks change on Sunday 31st March and Spring Forward, so an hour less in the morning but an hour more light in the evening. It's also Easter Sunday this year, so more time, more chocolate!


I am so excited about the Pregnancy & Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist course that I have just started doing with the Core Exercise Solutions company and Dr. Sarah Ellis Duvall. I've hardly started and I am learning SO much, which I'm keen to pass onto you. The great thing about it is how far and wide the Corrective Exercise part goes - for example:


Posture - head forward posture (21st century issue!) creates weak muscles in the front of the neck and tight muscles in the back. The upper trapezius become short, rounded forward shoulder muscles shortens and tightens the pectoralis muscles, which leads to shoulder pain, mid-back & neck pain. The Pec minor contributes to a shallow breathing pattern which leads to increased tension and stress. The serratus anterior (SA) is a key muscle for balancing the pec minor and connecting the core to the upper body. Strengthening the SA helps reduce shoulder and neck pain. The question is - do you know where your SA muscle is and how to activate it?! Come to Pilates Now! and we can help you find it, use it, improve your posture & reduce upper back pain.


March is National Tremors Awareness Month.

Essential tremors is a movement disorder - a condition that affects the nervous system causing involuntary shaking or trembling. It is most obvious in the hands & forearms but can also affect the head, voice & face. It is often hereditary, with about half of people who have it inheriting it, but can also develop in later life. It probably affects about 5% of the population. At the moment there is no known cure, but treatments include Beta Blockers, MR guided Focussed Ultrasound and Deep Brain Stimulation (in which a probe is inserted into the brain and controlled remotely by doctors with iPads - all very James Bond-y!)


I attended the Essential Tremor Awareness Day in Bristol in February to hear talks from neurosurgeons about surgery and Karen Hull, a specialist neuro physiotherapist with special interest in movement disorders, including Essential Tremor, Parkinson's, ageing and strokes. Her talk was focussing particularly on balance.


As a species we are inherently unstable being on 2 legs and in a state of being unbalanced, which is one reason why we are so prone to falls. We all need to work on our balance, so how do we do it? To balance, we are working with 3 systems - postural control (our bodies); Vestibular (ears, knowing which way is up); Vision / proprioception - our position in relation to the things around us. If we can't see we use other things to compensate. In Pilates we work A LOT of deep muscles to keep the whole body strong, including the lower limbs, ankles and feet. A lot of falls happen at night in the dark when we can't use our proprioception, as prevention is better than cure, we need to practise balance.



To find out the level you need to work at try this exercise:

  1. Stand holding the back of a chair.

  2. Lift one foot off the floor.

  3. Close your eyes.

  4. Take one hand off the chair.

  5. Take the other hand off the chair.

  6. See how long you can stand and decide to put your foot down (don't fall, and be honest about how controlled you are!)

  7. Try the other leg and compare.

The stage you find the hardest is the one you need to work at.


Fortunately balance isn't rocket science, it just takes work! The great thing about it is the speed you can feel your improvement. Go on, give it a go!


This is a Facebook Post from Issy BG, my step-daughter, who is fundraising for the Teenage Cancer Trust and is looking for sponsorship. She was 17 when she was diagnosed with cancer.

"Hello  

In March this year, it will be 10 years since I was diagnosed with Leukaemia.

To mark this, Luke and I will be walking the South Downs Way - covering 100 miles in 5 days - to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The Teenage Cancer Trust offers unique care and support for young people throughout their treatment, funding specialised nurses, youth workers, and hospitals across the NHS. Without them, I wouldn’t have had access to lifesaving treatment at The Royal Marsden.

Hearing the words “you have cancer” is devastating but the Teenage Cancer Trust makes sure that no young person has to face it alone.

If you can, please take a look at, and share, my Just Giving page - any donations you can make would be very much appreciated."


It would be very kind if you could contribute to this very important cause. Thank you for whatever you can give.



REFERRALS

We are a friendly bunch at Pilates Now! and we would like to be able to reach out to your friends & family to bring them into our happy group AND let them experience the joy that you feel after a session of Pilates (during the session maybe a different matter, but let's focus on the positive after-effects!). Word of mouth is the best way publicising the studio, so we would be grateful if you could spread the word of how fabulous Pilates Now! is! REFER A FRIEND AND GET £15 OFF YOUR NEXT PASS! (if they buy an Introductory Package or Pass)


March is a busy month so here are a few dates for your diary:

Friday 1st - St. David's Day - eat leeks and wave daffodils!

Friday 8th - International Women's Day

Saturday 9th - Maha Shivratri Hindu Festival

Sunday 10th - Mothering Sunday

Sunday 10th - Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan

Sunday 17th - St. Patrick's Day - look for a 4 leaf-clover & enjoy a pint of Guinness!

Wednesday 20th - Vernal Equinox - Spring begins! - Persian New Year starts

Saturday 23rd - National Rejoin March - Central London

Sunday 24th - Palm Sunday - Western Christian Calendar - grab a donkey!

Friday 29th - Good Friday - Studio is closed

Sunday 31st - Easter Sunday - Clocks go forward - STUDIO IS OPEN

Monday 1st April - Easter Monday - Studio is closed


Enjoy the extra daylight. Breathe deeply. Pandiculate. Karen Hull said we need to be willows and move with the wind rather than oaks and stay still. Move! Move! Move!


Take care,

Get in touch

Ris



07768762826





You have received this because you have contacted Pilates Now! If you don't wish to receive these emails please contact me. I am a human being, not a robot and definitely NOT spam!

    • Feb 7

February News


I love it when the snowdrops start to appear! They're such pretty little flowers and bring the promise of Spring! It's always exciting to see the crocuses and daffodils breaking through the brown earth, bringing colour and vibrancy to their surrounding - the winter sleep is over; the days are getting longer, new life is beginning! In the landscaped grounds of Chiswick Park the buds are starting to appear in the trees, soon to be bursting forth into blossom!


We are going orange in the Pilates Now! Studio as it's FRUITY FEBRUARY! Come for a session in the studio and have an 'easy peeler' afterwards. We all need our vitamin C to keep our immune system strong, especially during the winter months when the coughs and colds are going around. What could be more refreshing after a healthy Pilates workout than a piece of healthy fruit?!


"Not only is health a normal condition, but it is our duty not only to attain it but to maintain it." Joseph Pilates


I hope you are remembering to PANDICULATE! Yawn, stretch, wriggle, release - move before you move! If you have been still (asleep, sitting down or standing up ...) make sure you pandiculate to prepare your body for movement and reset your central nervous system. Do some stretching as you read this!


If you have a particular tightness or issue in your body, make sure you move it gently before you put any weight on it. Don't forget your ankles - point, flex, circle - and feet - scrunch and stretch your arches and toes. Our feet do so much for us and yet we often ignore them - poor things! Give your feet some love - it is nearly Valentine's Day!


At Pilates Now! we take our training very seriously, always looking for ways to deepen, improve and update our knowledge. We are lucky to be involved with an industry that is always researching and we are able to tap into all these amazing, intelligent and passionate people with different areas of specialisation.


So I am very excited to be starting the Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Course with the Core Exercise Solutions company. I have done many Pre & Post natal exercise and Pilates courses before but this is going deeper into the corrective exercise area and it will be helpful for so many people who suffer from stress incontinence, prolapse, hyper or hypotonic pelvic floor and so many other issues which are associated with childbirth. Even if you haven't given birth, our bodies change as we age and can weaken unless we keep working the deep core muscles and utilise correct breathing methods. As Joseph Pilates said, it is our duty to ourselves to look after ourselves - to attain and maintain our health. I'm looking forward to sharing more information with you in the future!


"Change happens through movement and movement heals." Joseph Pilates


Enjoy February! Chinese New Year starts on Saturday 10th February. The combination of the animal sign of the Dragon and the element Wood, means it is the Year of the Wood Dragon! The Dragon brings power, vigour and charm, and those born this year are thought to possess these qualities and are usually born leaders who encourage and inspire others! Sounds familiar?! I wonder if Joseph Pilates was a Dragon?!


Book your classes and passes.

Look after yourself and those around you.

See you soon, Ris


07768762826


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