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PILATES IN ELSTEAD
Oh my back!
Did you know that 85% of people in the UK will suffer from back pain at some time in their life that will be severe enough to make them see their Doctor or take time off work? As you can imagine this is also a huge burden to an already stretched NHS.
Most people don't realise that there's something they can do to help prevent this.
Many Doctors, Physiotherapists and related practitioners suggest strengthening "core" muscles, these are deep muscles in the abdominal, pelvic and shoulder areas which help to support our spine. One of the best forms of exercise to help to do this is Pilates.
Pilates is a programme of exercises designed to mobilise the spine and major joints such as hips and shoulders, to increase strength in the core muscles and to release tension. Typically a matwork class will consist of a selection of exercises standing, sitting, on all fours, on your back and on your front. Sometimes equipment such as flexibands or poles may be used to enhance or change the exercises.
There are 34 original Pilates exercises which were developed by Joseph Pilates over 80 years ago. With current knowledge not all of these exercises are appropriate today so a well trained instructor should know how to adapt these exercises whilst retaining the effectiveness of the programme.
Pilates is also very effective in strengthening the muscles that support the bladder and bowel and so can be helpful for clients with problems in this area.
The exercises can be performed at various levels of intensity so suit people of all ages and all levels of fitness. A good instructor will screen clients for any health difficulties and offer modifications to any exercises to avoid problems. Classes should be small - no more than 15 people and run in courses that build in intensity over several weeks.
One of the biggest problems for clients is finding a qualified instructor. At the moment in the UK there is no national register for Pilates instructors. The Register for Exercise Professionals has no special category at present (although this is under review). So clients need some guidance: a good instructor will be happy to discuss and provide evidence of their qualifications.
Modern Pilates provides some of the best training as all the exercises taught have been reviewed for effectiveness by a leading Physiotherapist (Chris Norris). Modern Pilates instructors can be found at www.modernpilates.co.uk
I currently teach Modern Pilates classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings in the United Reform Church Hall, Milford Road. Please feel free to contact me if you would like any more information.
Penny Gowers
(Modern Pilates Instructor Level 3)
01252 703794
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