What’s on this week:
25 – 30 September

It really is hard to believe that we’re coming to the end of September, although we’re really enjoying the more autumnal weather!

We’re also heading into the final week of our Grasshopper program.  In Community Corner this week, we’re re-capping on the Program and the benefits that we hope you can feel in your body.

As the weather begins to get colder and days get shorter, we’ve been turning our attention to practice at home, for those days when it’s too cold or wet to enjoy outdoor exercise.  We were reflecting on the lockdowns during the pandemic, when all of our classes had to be online.  Many of you told us that, having enjoyed an online class, you were able to bring some of those movements into home practice on a regular basis.  Despite being locked down at home, with regular practice, we maintained (or even improved) our mobility, flexibility and endurance.

Some of you have told us that you’d  like to develop a ‘habit’ of regular home practice, but don’t have any equipment, or know which moves to practice and which to avoid (eg. if you have osteoporosis, pelvic floor prolapse etc)!

Our response on equipment is that all you really need is a mat – preferably quite cushioned and non-slip if you’re working on a wooden or tiled floor.  As for other equipment, we developed a list of ‘swaps’ during lockdowns (eg. a pair of tights or a belt in place of a theraband) which we’re always happy to share.

As regards the moves you might practice – the ideal way to start would be to join one of our online classes:  Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7.30am.  If you book and can’t make it on the day, we’ll be happy to send you a recording so that you can practice in your own time.

You’ll get a feel for the right environment in your home, your prop swaps and an understanding of the moves that bring you joy – and those that you find more challenging.  (It’s often tempting to practice only the moves you love, but it’s useful to have a go at those that challenge you – over time, you may learn to love them!)

If you’d like to develop a habit of self-practice at home, why not book into an online class using the link below – we’d love to see you – and it’s a great way to start the day!

We hope you have a wonderful week and we look forward to seeing you in the studio or online!

All Things Pilates Community Corner!

We’re coming to the end of our Grasshopper program, so we thought we’d review what we have been up to and the benefits we hope you can feel in your body – and perhaps in your emotional wellbeing too!

Each week, we’ve enjoyed a full body workout.  As with each Find Your Flow® Program, we have a particular focus.  This time we have focused on finding extension through the front of our body, from toes to the crown of our head, while strengthening muscles in our back, shoulder girdle and legs.

We usually enjoy a warm-up by opening our hips – so often, they are tight from sitting, or from other forms of exercise.  Running, for example, can often lead to tightness in the hips.  If our hips are tight, it can hinder the use of our glute muscles, or cause us to overuse muscles in our lower back, leading to pain.

We’ve done quite a lot of work to mobilise and strengthen muscles in our shoulder girdle and thoracic spine too, with variations of kneeling arms movements.  We’ve also challenged our balance in those movements – kneeling upright demands more of our core muscles to ensure that we stay in control of the springs!

Some of us have enjoyed a love/hate relationship with our prone extension work.  It has really challenged us to mobilise our shoulder girdle, while keeping the legs strong.  It has been so inspiring to watch everyone become so much more comfortable and strong in this movement over the course of the program.  Effort, perseverance – and a can-do attitude have certainly paid dividends!

All of these movements led us into the Grasshopper movement.  This is an amazing full body movement, enabling us to find connections in our body from head to toe.  We have enjoyed building the movement with you all.  Initially, one or two of us were a little unsure about the movement, particularly as we tried to find the perfect pivot point.  Once we found it and the connections throughout our body, it was wonderful to watch as you all found your flow, allowing the energy in your body to help you see-saw back and forth in the movement. 

We’re quite sad to be saying goodbye to the Grasshopper program, but are looking forward to sharing our new Find Your Flow® Program with you all – this one is called The Twist!  More about that next week!

Class Timetable: September

Gemma and the All Things Pilates team

Tel: 0208 549 2892
Email: admin@allthingspilates.co.uk
Website: www.allthingspilates.co.uk
Address: All Things Pilates, Unit 03 Princess Court, Horace Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2SL

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Stay safe, stay well and enjoy your time at All Things Pilates!