So you’ve read the hype and you are ready to take the plunge – the plunge into the world of Power Pilates. Read on to discover how to make the most of your ‘spring time’.
- Don’t just be there. REALLY REALLY BE there.
To get the most out of your 50 minutes on the Reformer, you have to give it your all. Take this time to disconnect from the rest of the world and really connect into your body. Take your brain into your muscle and work it! Listen to your teacher as she guides you and tells you where to work from. Listen to the muscle and bone cues and move from where your teacher tells you. Give your body the undividied attention it deserves and just watch how much stronger you get
- Remember that the burn will end so commit to it and don’t give up.
Pilates is a full body workout and taking an integrated approach, we improve your strength and your mobility while improving posture and alignment and total body control. With Power Pilates, we add in extra props and high intensity bursts to get your heart rate up and create that ‘after burn’ effect’ which means your body will continue to burn energy even after your class. It is so important that you dig deep when it starts to feel really hard and challenge yourself, don’tstop when it gets tough, you know you can do it so take a big deep breath and even if you take it a bit more slowly, don’t give up. Keep working, keep burning, keep shaking, keep sweating, keep improving.
- Consistency is key.
The odd class here and there is good but when you are consistent with your practice, you will start to see real results. Schedule your classes to suit your life and your goals and remember there is no need to over do it. Maybe try to do 2 Power Pilates classes and one regular Reformer class or Mat or Barre class each week. Remember that 3 classes a week might not seem huge but that adds up to 144 classes over 48 weeks (leaving you 4 weeks in the year to go on holiday or if you are away for work etc.) which adds up to an incredible body (we’ve crucnched the data, trust us, science doesn’t lie!). Book your classes and then make sure you get to them, make exercise a priority and you will get even more bang for your tuck! Stay patient with yourself, results take time and come from working consistently to achieve your goals.
- Work to your level and stay focused.
In Power Pilates as in all classes, there will be more challenging and more manageable options. If you are able for the more challenging version – GO for it! If however, you are not ready for the add-on challenge, remember there are no prizes for killing yourself and an add-on challenge is just that – an add-on! The exercise will be challenging enough even without the extra kick so listen to your body, remembering you will get more out of doing a basic exercise well than trying to take on too much and doing it with poor form. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the person next to you and what they are doing – you are working on your body not theirs! Progress in Pilates, as in anything takes time so don’t allow yourself to become frustrated if there is something you find really challenging or that you ‘cannot do’ – often the exercises you find most difficult may be the ones you need the most!
- Resist the momentum!
Remember that you are in class to work your body, not the springs on the Reformer! Resist the springs and engage your entire body and even when we increase the tempo, we will always do it so that you should still be able to maintain perfect control. We design the class to include smooth transitions between exercises to keep your whole body engaged and warm and your heart rate elevated – don’t let yourself rest between phases or repetitions (unless you really need to!). Stay in control of the work, when you are feeling tired remember that THIS is when it counts, breath and work deeper. And when it comes to the final stretches, put just as much effort into allowing all that work to melt out of your body so you leave feeling lengthened as well as strong and lean.
