Laura Chats to the TV3s The Cafe about what Pilates is and how you can benefit from it.
How did you come to be a Pilates instructor?
I have always been passionate about fitness and movement so I trained to be a personal trainer and after a few years of this, I moved in to my Pilates instructor trainer – fell in love with it and after a few years started my own business, Wild Pilates.
What is Pilates and by practising it what are you hoping to achieve?
Pilates is a form of low impact exercise. Working on strengthening and toning the body to build up stability and improve posture + flexibility. Expect to see improved tone and strength in the whole body but especially those core muscles ( deep abs, back muscles ) that improve support for the rest of the body and help you to move better throughout the day.
Will Pilates help to tone and strengthen other areas of the body?
Yes absolutely, Pilates is a whole body workout and aims to work the body as a whole. We include a lot of leg work and especially glutes to support and strengthen the hips and alignment of the legs. As well as arms and upper body strength to improve the posture.
Can anyone and at any age do Pilates?
Yes! That is the beauty of the low impact exercise, great from teen years all the way to our ageing client, due to the gentle nature on the joints. Pilates exercises are designed to combat the changes to your body as you age. Great for everyone from professional athletes to brand new clients starting in their 60s/70s
What feedback and results do you see from clients,and how often do you need to do it to achieve those results?
We see a huge range of results, everything from toning targeted areas of the body like arms and core muscles that a client may have struggled to work in the past right through to really amazing rehabilitation results , clients recovering from hip/knee replacements or clients building up enough strength to help reduce pain due to severe back injuries.
We suggest starting with 3 x per week. You will get more effective results with consistent Pilates and with the low impact nature you can increase the number of sessions as you start to build strength.
Do you need specialised equipment or can you do Pilates easily at home?
You may have seen the Pilates machines, like the Reformers but mat Pilates is as effective, if not more effective. Our goal is to build client strength up to be able to perform Pilates on the mat where you have to focus on alignment and core connection. Another benefit is the Mat Pilates can be done at home making it a more affordable and more accessible option.
