I hope you are well and not getting blown around or rained upon to badly by storm Ciaran!
If you have tickets for the fireworks at Chiswick Park or any other displays on this week / weekend, it's a good idea to check that they are going ahead. If you are coming to Chiswick Park on 2nd November make sure you come through the entrance from Chiswick High Road, as the back entrance over the bridge from is closed to pedestrians. The car park is closed from this afternoon in preparation.
We were really excited! Pilates has made it onto the Dr. Michael Mosley radio programme, "Just One Thing", Radio 4, 11th October 2023 These are 15 minute programmes focussing on one thing you can do to improve your mental and physical health and this episode was talking about the benefits of practising Pilates regularly 2 - 3 times a week. Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley - Practise Pilates - BBC Sounds
We know that Pilates helps core strength, balance, flexibility and mental health, but it seems the scientific community is finding this in its research as well:
An Indian study from 2020 showed that doing Pilates every other day for one month saw a 30% increase in core strength!
In a Brazilian study from 2018, a 12 week course helped improve the speed of middle-distance runners by10%.
Tennis players sped up their serve by nearly 5 miles an hour with just 6 weeks of Pilates. Andy Murray uses it as part of his training.
It really does help chronic back pain, in another study from 2021, those who participated in an 8 week, supervised Pilates programme enjoyed reduced back pain and improved quality of life which was significantly better than those who got standard medical care.
Professor Ruth Melo from Sao Paulo University has been studying the benefits of Pilates for over a decade, states that Pilates works by using the deep muscles which don't usually get activated at the gym with common or usual exercises.
She studied a12 weeks course tested using Pilates to Improve health in older age - testing static & dynamic balance; cardiovascular endurance and stronger lower body muscles. The improvements made helped the Pilates test group walk further; increased lower limb strength which helps protect against falls and frailty and improved the Sit to Stand test which is a measure of longevity and quality of life.
Give it a listen - it's only 15 minutes - and then book your next Pilates session!
Joseph Pilates demonstrates his techniques in his Eighth Avenue studio in New York, 1961. Photo: IC Rapoport/Getty p.s. he's in his 80s in this photo!
There was a really well researched profile of Joseph Pilates in "The New European" Joseph Pilates: The acrobat who taught the world to keep fit - The New European on 4th October, which gives his history and an interesting insight into how 5 years of being interned on the Isle of Wight during the First World War, allowed him the time to develop his theories, exercises and vision of Contrology, which we call Pilates. So much of his philosophy is being used now - he really was a man ahead of his time. It's well worth a read - then book your next Pilates session!
You can now decide when you would like to start your pass, to make it easer to book in the future. Choose a date at the checkout.
We are offering members of Virgin Active an extra £5 off the Introduction to Classes Pass this month. Use the code VIRGIN-NOV23 at the checkout. Give a shout out to your Virgin Active member friends to take advantage of this great offer!
Enjoy November! Wrap up warmly! Keep your shoulders down!
Take care,
Ris
You are receiving this email because you have been in touch with Pilates Now! Ltd. If you would like to be taken off the mailing list, please let me know, but remember: I am a human, not a robot, and DEFINITELY not spam!