Attendee and Lifestyle Blogger: Jennifer McMahon

My first collaboration and I absolutely loved it! Recently, Healing Divine and I joined forces to combine my love of essential oils with Pilates. Against the stunning backdrop of Cottesloe Beach, we were thrilled with the turnout. Some familiar faces and plenty of new ones, participated in a fluid forty-five minute mat pilates class, with the fusion of the “balance grounding blend” doTerra essential oil.

As many of us go into hibernation mode during Perth Winter, we wanted to create an opportunity for participants to take time out, feel more energised and connected to their body, whilst experiencing a little  of what Pilates can offer, with the added bonus of essential oils. It was a wonderful evening to connect with new people. Each attendee walked away with a goodie bag, pureglow cleanse juice and a few, lucky enough to win our fabulous door prizes which included: a one hour healing session with Dr Priscilla Brockman and a one hour private Pilates class in my boutique Subiaco studio.

If you would like to hear about my next event or begin your Pilates journey, please get in touch.

Did you know how many hours the average person sits at their desk every week?

The average Australian is sedentary for up to 7–10 hours per day. This does not include sleeping. Sedentary can refer to sitting or lying down at work or home, for study or travel. This translates into 70 hours per week and over a whopping 3,640 hours per year.

Pilates is the perfect lifestyle approach to exercise. It is an exercise method which emphasises alignment, as the basis for movement, by creating long lean muscles, building strength and flexibility, without adding bulk. It is a total body workout, which embodies the six Pilates principles of centering, control, concentration, precision, breath and flowing movement. It is a perfect way to work the body from the inside out. It improves core strength by learning correct breathing technique, muscle activation and recruitment patterning, as well as boosting your general health.

Wouldn’t you love even a little of what Pilates can offer?

• Stand taller
• Feel more energised and connected to your body
• Think with greater clarity and focus
• Move more freely with greater balance and with enhanced coordination

The benefits are endless. Under the guidance of a qualified Pilates practitioner, it is a safe exercise program which genuinely tones and reshapes the body without the threat of injury.

How to integrate pilatesnow into your lifestyle

Whether you are recovering from an injury, interested in honing your technique or wanting to ease into the Pilates experience with personalised one to one instruction, private Pilates classes may be the perfect option for you. Age is certainly no barrier. A tailored Pilates program is created to help you achieve your fitness goals. Oh and if you think Pilates is just for females, that is certainly not the case! Pilates was created by a man and many of my clients have been enjoying the benefits of increased strength and control. Suffice to say, they are hooked!

Find out more about private Pilates classes in the Subiaco studio or corporate Pilates in your workplace.

Are you pressed for time? I can come to you. Our corporate Pilates program certainly eliminates the need for travel after a long day. Designed to promote healthy bodies and productive minds. An opportunity to de-stress without leaving your workplace, is also a big plus. Follow this link to find out more about our corporate Pilates program.

CrossFit is one of the most popular high intensity workout regimes in the world, and for good reason. There’s nothing quite like training across multiple disciplines, while enjoying the camaraderie of people who care about their health and wellbeing, just like you.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest setbacks faced by CrossFit enthusiasts is injury. More often than not, these injuries are caused by incorrect technique, or exacerbation of an existing injury.

If you’re like most CrossFit lovers, then being out of action is a lot more than a minor setback. This is one reason why more and more CrossFit enthusiasts are turning to Pilates to enhance their strength, conditioning and technique.

What is Pilates?

Pilates focuses on developing the body’s core strength. This involves learning to engage the transverse abdominus, pelvic floor and multifidus muscles, while fostering:

• Muscular endurance
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Balance
• Posture and
• Coordination

These are all the elements a CrossFit enthusiast needs to enjoy a long and successful career.

Pilates is embraced by fitness enthusiasts who want to complement their existing exercise program with a dynamic, full-body workout. It focuses on correct muscle recruitment, which goes hand in hand with exercise rehabilitation and injury prevention.

A good Pilates Practitioner will prescribe movements and progressions that help you along the road to recovery.

Dynamic full-body conditioning

Oh, and if you think Pilates is boring then think again. The Pilates repertoire is extensive, with many different exercise variations and progressions. Movements will keep you challenged and stimulated, while engaging your entire body. It is a total body-conditioning program.

Even seasoned CrossFitters tell us they enjoy the challenge and results achieved from Pilates. Read more about how Pilates works here.

In 10 sessions, you feel better, 20 you look better, 30 sessions you have a completely new body.

Joseph Pilates – Founder of Pilates

How does Pilates improve CrossFit results?

• Transforms your physique – Pilates creates long, lean muscles without adding bulk to your frame. Movements focus on lengthening the body and aligning the spine. These benefits are realised in a relatively short period of time.

• Rehabilitation – movements can be tailored to your injury, so you can continue to improve your fitness and recover at the same time. Many Health Care Professionals recommend Pilates as a form of rehabilitation, as it can help to alleviate back, neck and joint pain.

• Improves conditioning – improves your body’s core strength. As a result, you’ll see greater results in your weight training, running and other sports you engage in.

• Body awareness – movements are fluid, intentional and controlled, giving you greater awareness of your body. This aligns with the 6 principles of Pilates, which are: centring, concentration, precision, breath, flow and control.

• Fosters mindfulness – when performed correctly, body and mind connect during Pilates, which offers great stress-relief for participants. Consider it an opportunity to take time out, just for you. You will leave a session with greater clarity, feeling more energised.

• Boosts general health – Pilates helps to stimulate and eliminate toxins and waste in the body. It improves digestion, and increases your metabolic rate. It’s also a great booster for the immune system.

Where do I start?

Engaging your core muscles and increasing awareness of the body can leave you:

• Standing taller.
• Feeling energised.
• Thinking with greater clarity and focus.
• Moving more freely.
• Moving with greater balance.
• And moving with enhanced co-ordination.

These benefits have amazing flow-on effects to your daily life, as well as the sports you engage in.

There are two ways you can integrate pilatesnow into your CrossFit routine:

1. Book a Private Pilates Class.
2. Join a Group Mat Class (Currently unavailable – until further notice)

The benefits of a Private Pilates Class

Private classes are perfect for individuals who:

• Are recovering from injury; or
• Want to ease into the Pilates experience with personalised one-to-one attention.

Classes are safely and effectively tailored to your body’s needs, to help you get moving again. This means an instructor will customise a program designed to help you achieve your fitness goals.

Head here to find out more about our Private Pilates Classes.

 The benefits of Group Mat Classes

Group Mat Classes are great for people who are injury-free and want a fluid yet fast paced movement experience.

Movements are designed to highlight correct breathing techniques and activate core muscles in the body. As a result, you will achieve a more streamlined shape by deeply toning, strengthening and sculpting your entire body.

To book a Pilates session at pilatesnow, please contact us.

Let’s be honest, the gym can be fun, but there are plenty of times where frankly, it’s just not what we need. There are so many of us, for a variety of reasons, that can gain so many benefits from a little bit of loving care and attention! After all, our bodies are unique – so why be treated as if we are all the same? A private Pilates class can not only help you achieve your health and fitness goals quickly, but can be done in a soothing, calm, happy environment that can feel a lot more restorative than a loud, sweaty gym session with 80 strangers. In fact, many people say that their private Pilates classes are the best part of their week.

Private Pilates lessons – popular with all types of peeps!

What type of people prefer private Pilates lessons? All types, actually. Let’s have a look at just some examples:

• People wanting to lose weight – and get in sound enough condition to do so. As the saying goes, “We all have to start somewhere” and if you have found yourself carrying way too many kilos, a sensible, gentle exercise routine overseen by a professional instructor is an excellent idea. Leave the military boot camp for television! If you have extra weight on your joints, they will need to be conditioned carefully – and Pilates exercise is perfect for this. Later, when you have developed some condition and strength, you will be in a better position to add more cardio exercise to your routine. All in good time.

• Out of shape/unfit people that need a gentle, caring, conditioning exercise program. If you haven’t exercised for some time, a group class may not be ideal. An individually tailored program can best suit your needs, to help avoid injuries and make sure that your return to exercise is a positive one.

• Anxious or shy people – and there are lots of us out there that have never felt comfortable about being terribly physical. As the name suggests, a private pilates class is just that – so you’ll be competing with no one and starting off at a level that you truly feel comfortable with. Before you know it, you’ll be wondering what you were worried about!

• Those who crave privacy. Some people simply feel too “peopled out” after a day of work and would actually prefer to exercise in a calm, private exercise environment. Others have high profile positions and don’t want to be photographed or observed while exercising.
• Individuals that simply want fast results. If this is the case, private Pilates classes are certainly a fantastic option! Pilates is famous for its deep toning and incredible body shape transformations. With one-to-one attention, you’ll be fast tracking your way to a streamlined body in no time at all. Wouldn’t it be nice to look the best that you can?

What happens in a Private Pilates class?

In a private class, the initial consultation will involve a little more assessment than regular sessions. I will find out about your history, medical conditions, injuries and so on – as well as your objectives and motivation for doing the classes. Along with recording these details, I will take you through your first class at this time. You will be introduced to the basics of the Pilates method and will work on various pieces of equipment, such as the Trap Table and the Pilates Reformer.

Over time, as your fitness and strength increases, I will introduce more challenging exercises to your regime, to keep you both mentally stimulated and to ensure that your body continues to change shape.

What should I bring to a Pilates class?

For all private and semi-private Pilates classes in my Subiaco Studio, you’ll need to bring a towel and clean socks. It’s also essential that you wear comfortable attire that won’t restrict you while exercising.

When do I start?

Why not start this week? It will be the same as next week, but you’ll have a week’s head start! As classes at my Subiaco Pilates studio are private, so you don’t have to wait for group courses to commence. Please give me a call on 0419 040 053 or email me: jasmine@pilatesnow.com.au  and I’ll get you started as soon as possible.