Tag Archives: skiing

Kim Kardashian goes Pilates shopping

Kardashian Pilates BarcelonaKim Kardashian goes Pilates shopping

It’s been a good week. In London it’s been cold and snowy but I’ve got a lot of work done, and in Barcelona it has been warm and sunny with a lot of training sessions and fitness/sport holidays. But now it is Friday so time to relax with my blog and look at the lighter side of Pilates.

I changed my career from a desk-bound job in the City of London many years ago to teach Pilates and wellness because I wanted to get more satisfaction from my work, and because I wanted to help people.  Having educated hundreds of Pilates teachers all over the world, I know for a fact that many of us are motivated by the desire to help other people. But who would have guessed that we would be helping Kim Kardashian?

But Kim needs our help! In Twitter this week she posted the message:

“Does anyone do Pilates? What’s the best machine? I am going to get one for my gym anad I want the best one”

So, what is your opinion for Kim and why? My initial reaction was that she should not worry so much about buying her own equipment or the type of quality of machine, she should start by worrying about the type and quality of a teacher who will teach her. But I am sure we can still give her the wealth of our knowledge and experience, and I am sure that many of you will have differing opinions that you want to share, be they serious or with a touch of Friday Celebrity humour…

Chris Hunt is an international Pilates and functional training presenter and educator based in London and Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength. He also created Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. He organises Pilates events, retreats, fitness holidays and sports holidays in Barcelona and Ibiza. For more information about training with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris Hunt, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway? You can also subscribe by completing the form on the this BLOG to receive articles and special offers straight to your inbox.

Chris Hunt pays all profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.
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Guilt-free fitness and sport holidays and retreats in Barcelona and Ibiza 2015

Barcelona SUP fitness sport holidays

www.barcelonabienestar.com

Guilt-free fitness and sport holidays and retreats in Barcelona and Ibiza 2015

It’s the time for New Year Resolutions, many of which will be about health, weight-loss, fitness and happiness. If we pray or ask the Universe for happiness, the Universe will not give us happiness, it will give us the opportunity to find happiness. If we ask for health, we are not given health, we are given the opportunity to get healthy. I’m sure you get the principle.

With this in mind, I want to ask you what will you be doing on your holiday this year? Have you ever had a “guilt-free” holiday? In the past, many people saw their holiday as not only a time to relax and get away from the stress and strains of everyday life, but also a time to forget fitness and health regimes, and eat, drink and then eat some more.

The popularity of the “all-inclusive” holiday has only made things worse. If the food and drink is free, then why not make a pig of yourself? Besides, you are on holiday so there are no rules!

I have never understood the mentality of some people that when they are on holiday think it’s OK to forget all common sense about diet and behaviour, and see those few weeks every year as a time to “live a little”, cut loose and try to justify all this out-of-character behaviour by saying “it’s OK, I’m on holiday!”

The notion that overeating and drinking is “living a little” or even “treating” yourself makes absolutely no sense at all. So this year instead of spending the winter and spring months dieting and working-out in order to look good on holiday, then pig-out for a couple of weeks whilst away, and then start losing weight again ready for the annual Christmas binge, I have a suggestion. Why not have a holiday where you do not undo all the hard work you do for the rest of the year? Why not have a holiday where you do not have to feel guilty everyday and even more so when you get home? Why not have a holiday where you go home fitter, stronger, more relaxed and proud about having achieved some new experiences?

You do not have to pray for this, it is all possible, and with Barcelona Bienestar together we can make it happen. Bienestar is Spanish for “wellness”, and my business offers fitness holidays, sports holidays and many retreats to Barcelona and Ibiza. We offer 17 different sports (including hiking, cycling, golf, surfing, stand up paddling, mountain biking, scuba diving, tennis, horse riding etc), all of which can be done by anyone, from experts who want to improve to first-timers who want to learn. We offer dozens of fitness activities and techniques (including Pilates, TRX, HIIT, boxing, group training, personal training, circuit training, boot camp, tabata etc), and these again are suitable for beginners and more experienced exercisers. Lastly we offer several different retreats (such as wellness, detox, weight loss, meditation, yoga, team-building and corporate). We also offer family activity holidays.

The beauty of our holidays are that as well as offering packages that we have built for you, we also offer you the chance to totally build your own holiday from scratch. You can choose any of the sports and any of the fitness activities in any combination. We can arrange your accommodation for you (from beautiful farmhouses with private pools to apartments in the city), transfers and help you with any other aspects of your holiday.

Do not misunderstand me. As the pictures on my social network sites show, I love to enjoy myself in the best bars and clubs in Barcelona and Ibiza. I love the wonderful food here. Play hard is all part of a balanced life. But to do these and not feel guilty, to do these things knowing they are part of a healthy lifestyle, is truly having fun. With this in mind, we can also organise excursions to the wonderful local attractions, and nights out for you and your group. And of course there is always time to relax on the beach and have one of our relaxing massages. You can do as much or as little as you want to.

Interested? Well it gets better. If you bring with you a group of 8 people, then as organiser you get your accommodation and all activities for free! We can even pay for your flight (or at least contribute towards this dependant on the total cost). So for a little bit of organising, you can have a free holiday, or share this discount with the rest of your group. You will be surprised as to the cost of our holidays, as they are typically much cheaper than you might think.

There is lots more information on our website, www.barcelonabienestar.com and you can ask as many questions as you wish.

In your photo album, or on your Facebook and Instagram account this year, as well as the typical images of you on a sunbed and drinking an exotic cocktail, wouldn’t you prefer to post extra pictures to all your friends of you surfing? Or rock-climbing? Or swimming, cycling, hiking, SUP, playing tennis, volleyball, snorkelling? Well, as we like to say in Spain, “Todo Es Posible!”

Chris Hunt is an international Pilates and functional training presenter and educator based in London and Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also created Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. He organises retreats, fitness holidays and sports holidays in Barcelona and Ibiza. For more information about training with Chris in Barcelona and Ibiza, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris Hunt, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway? You can also subscribe by completing the form on the this BLOG to receive articles and special offers straight to your inbox.

Chris Hunt pays all profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.

 

Manchester United Footballer turns to Pilates

Barcelona Bienestar Man Utd

Manchester United Footballer turns to Pilates

I love writing about Pilates, but I especially love writing about Pilates and men. I have done it many times before, and I hope that I will do it many times again.

To read my previous articles you can click on:

http://www.chrishuntblog.com/2014/03/20/men-do-pilates-ask-dwayne-allen/

http://www.chrishuntblog.com/2014/06/17/you-do-pilates-are-you-gay-pilates-for-men-landon-donovan-and-moscow-time/

http://www.chrishuntblog.com/2014/11/03/pilates-for-men-ex-england-football-captain-steven-gerrard-says-yes/

The reason I love it so much is that we all know just how much benefit men get from doing Pilates, so it is a crying shame that more don’t do it. We all know the facts; that Joseph Pilates was a man, and that he trained other men many years before Pilates become synonymous in many people’s minds with dancers and women.

Here in Barcelona, I have lots of men who come on my Barcelona Bienestar  fitness and sport holidays where Pilates forms an integral part of the training.

I hope that Phil Jones’ story might encourage a few more men to venture into a local Pilates studio or join a class.

Manchester United defender Phil Jones is the latest Premier League footballer that has turned Pilates in a bid to overcome the injury problems that have blighted his early years at Old Trafford.
The England international made his latest comeback for Louis van Gaal’s team in the recent 3-0 Barclays Premier League win over rivals Liverpool.

Jones was rushed back ahead of schedule but came through unscathed and afterwards he revealed he has turned to some of the game’s more modern conditioning methods as he bids to maintain fitness.

‘I started the pre-season and played every single game and every single training session,’ he said. ‘Then, on international duty, I pulled my hamstring and I have never had a muscle injury so it was disappointing. When I was coming back I then had shin splints. It has been unfortunate. I have been doing a lot of work in the gym and hopefully that will stand me in good stead for the rest of the season. It is strength work, yoga and Pilates and loads of stuff. I will do anything I can to improve myself. My aim right now is to stay fit and stay focused and get a run of games under my belt.’

I hope that Phil Jones’ story might inspire more men to take up Pilates.

Chris Hunt is an international Pilates and functional training presenter and educator based in London and Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also created Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. He organises retreats, fitness holidays and sports holidays in Barcelona. For more information about training with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris Hunt, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway? You can also subscribe by completing the form on the this BLOG to receive articles and special offers straight to your inbox.

Chris Hunt pays all profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.

Free Retreats, Fitness and Sports holidays in Barcelona and Ibiza!

Barcelona Ibiza Free Holiday

www.barcelonabienestar.com

Free Retreats, Fitness and Sports holidays in Barcelona and Ibiza!

Free Retreats, fitness and sports holidays in Barcelona and Ibiza? Really? Surely in this day and age nothing comes for free, afterall, there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Maybe, but here is a wonderful opportunity that for just a little effort, you can get yourself a free fitness or sport holiday in Barcelona or Ibiza.

Who are Barcelona Bienestar?
First things first, who are Barcelona Bienestar and what does bienestar mean? It’s Spanish for “wellness”, and it’s what we offer to people from all over the world. Barcelona Bienestar are the experts in retreats, fitness and sports holidays to Barcelona and Ibiza. We offer a VIP tailor-made service to clients from all over the world. Our clients have visited us from places including Russia, the USA, China, Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Canada, Brazil, Latvia, Australia and Thailand. Why? Because everyone loves Barcelona and Ibiza! They are on most people’s wish-lists for a vacation, so what better than a dream holiday that includes health, fitness and sport?

So what do we offer our multi-national clients? Simple answer is anything they want. We have no barriers, no limitations. We have never failed to deliver exactly what our clients ask for. From fitness, sports, restaurants, secluded farmhouses, night-club entry to privates cruises on a beautiful yacht. We teach in English, Spanish and Russian. Todo es posible as we like to say in Spain.

Sports
We offer an amazing range of sports because in and around Barcelona and Ibiza there are so many possibilities. Sports we specialise in include surfing, SUP, snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, kite surfing, rock climbing, hiking, golf, football, scuba diving and tennis. Our holidays will give you the chance to have specialist training for the sports of your choice, and also the chance to take part in that sport, everyday of your holiday if you wish. So if you want to learn a new sport, or get better at a sport you already love, then we can help.

Fitness
We help our clients to achieve many different fitness goals including cardio fitness, muscle gain, weight loss, and we love to teach people new techniques. We use many different methods including personal training, group training, Pilates, yoga, HIIT, TRX, body weight training, boxing, kettlebells, tabata, weighted vests, circuit training and many more. We can train you inside, or even better outside. We use quiet secluded places, and we use the beach, parks and the mountains.

Retreats
We offer a wide range of retreats including:
1) Leadership
2) Teambuilding
3) Corporate
4) Detox
5) Meditation
6) Wellness
7) Weightloss
8) NLP
9) Life coaching

We work with many businesses to orgainse leadership and teambuilding events that are always very popular. You are free to choose one or many of these activities to make your retreat perfect.

Our Packages
We can help organise as much or as little of your holiday as you wish. You only have a to organise your flights and we can do all the rest. We can arrange accommodation to suit your budget and your needs, from private farmhouses to beautiful hotels. We can give you a special diet or detox. Even after your daily program of sport and fitness, there will still be plenty of time to explore, enjoy and relax. We will help you hire a car or even better a bike. We will tell you the best beaches in around Barcelona and Ibiza, and the best restaurants. We can usually get you a reduced or free entry into the best discos, bars and places to dance all night. We know how to train hard, but we also know how to play hard as well.

We also offer a personal photographer to capture some of the special moments of your holiday.

We can also organise excursions to the famous landmarks in and around Barcelona and Ibiza. We can book you treatments including sport massage, relaxation massage, physiotherapy and chiropractic. Remember, todo es posible.

Even after your sport or fitness holiday or retreat to Barcelona or Ibiza is over, our service does not stop there. We offer online programs to keep up the good habits you started on holiday with us. We will also keep you updated about sport and events and when you come back for another holiday (over 75% of our clients come back) then you get a special loyalty discount.

Free holidays
So, enough talk you are thinking, how do I get a free holiday? It’s simple, and here’s how.

First, please like and share our FACEBOOK page.  We will be checking! 🙂

If you are a trainer or club owner, then bring a group of your clients (minimum number of 8), then you get your holiday for free! You can either enjoy receiving fitness sessions for a nice change, or if you love what you do so much that you just can’t stop teaching, and you are a certified and qualified trainer, then we can incorporate some of your own training sessions into the holiday. If we like what you do, we might invite you back to Barcelona or Ibiza as one of our trainers.

If you are not a trainer but just love keeping fit or playing sport, why not get a group of your friends or sports club together and enjoy a fitness or sport holiday in sunny Barcelona or Ibiza. Again, all you need to do is bring 8 or more friends and you will get you holiday for free.

We only have a limited number of weeks available next year for this special offer, so please contact us as soon as you can so we can discuss your requirements, and start planning your dream holiday.

You will have a holiday in Barcelona or Ibiza that you will never forget. Remember, when you chose Barcelona Bienestar, todo es posible!

Chris is an international Pilates and functional training presenter and educator based in London and Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also created Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. He organises retreats, fitness holidays and sports holidays in Barcelona. For more information about training with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway? You can also subscribe by completing the form on the this BLOG to receive articles and special offers straight to your inbox.

Chris pays all profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.

 

 

Comment faire de votre séjour à Barcelone une retraite de santé et de remise en forme

Formation personnelle à Barcelone Comment faire de votre séjour à Barcelone une retraite de santé et de remise en forme

Un jour férié signifie beaucoup de choses différentes pour différentes personnes.

Certaines personnes vont à une station de plage pour se détendre au soleil. Certaines personnes choisissent des vacances d’aventure à explorer. Certaines personnes aiment les pauses touristiques ou un accent plus gastronomique de s’immerger dans une culture différente. Certaines personnes choisissent de vacances axés sur le sport à pratiquer leur passe-temps favori ou d’essayer quelque chose de nouveau, comme le golf, l’équitation, le ski ou le snowboard, le VTT, le surf / SUP ou la randonnée. D’autres pourraient vouloir musique et les arts pour former la base de leurs vacances.

Alors, pourquoi est un jour férié à Barcelone un excellent choix? C’est parce que à Barcelone, vous pouvez avoir tous les vacances que je mentionne ci-dessus.

Plus de gens choisissent d’avoir une organisation de leurs vacances. Les jours de vacances à forfait traditionnels peuvent être révolue depuis longtemps que les gens utilisent l’Internet pour créer leurs propres vacances de luxe, mais plus de gens veulent quelque chose de constructif à faire sur leurs vacances. Mais ils ne veulent pas d’une série d’hôtel organisé des événements ou des classes que le directeur de l’hôtel pense que vous aimerez à une heure spécifiée par l’hôtel. Ils veulent, un itinéraire personnel sur mesure qui s’inscrit dans les exigences et les délais particuliers individuels.

C’est là que Barcelone Bienestar répond aux besoins de nos clients. Il n’y a rien que nous ne pouvons pas et d’organiser pour nos clients qui nous viennent de partout dans le monde. Barcelone est une ville diversifiée et intéressante et nous nous complétons en donnant à nos clients un itinéraire personnel afin qu’ils puissent maximiser leur jouissance de leurs vacances.

Nous offrons un programme de santé et de bien-être basé autour de quelque intérêt de nos clients. activités de remise en forme comprennent la formation personnelle, Pilates, TRX, la boxe, la formation de veste lestée, fonctionnelles formation, HIIT, et des programmes basés autour des sports spécifiques tels que Stand Up Paddle (SUP) de remise en forme, ski / snowboard, le surf, la marche, le vélo de montagne, escalade et beaucoup plus. Pour toutes ces activités, nous organisons de temps non seulement la formation, mais aussi pratique. Ainsi vous obtiendrez le temps sur une planche de surf, sur les pistes ou sur une montagne.

Mais ce n’est pas seulement les activités physiques que nous offrons. Nous proposons également une gamme de services de bien-être et beauté: massage, régime, perte de poids, les yeux curling cils et les extensions, les ongles en gel et la méditation.

Nous organisons aussi des vacances culturelles, y compris les arts et la gastronomie, et nous donnons des conseils sur tous les aspects de Barcelone des meilleurs restaurants à des sites à voir.

Nous prenons le stress de l’organisation de vos vacances, mais vous êtes toujours en contrôle de sorte que vous avez exactement les vacances que vous voulez et le besoin. Nous ne pouvons tout simplement organiser vos activités, ou sur un ensemble complet, nous pouvons organiser votre hôtel, les repas et les transferts ainsi. Qu’est-ce que vous voulez et le besoin.

Pour plus d’informations, cliquez sur www.barcelonabienestar.com ou contactez-nous et laissez-nous organiser vos vacances de rêve pour vous. Barcelone vous attend, et nous le sommes aussi.

How to make your Barcelona holiday a health and fitness retreat

Personal training in Barcelona How to make your Barcelona holiday a health and fitness retreat

A holiday means many different things to different people.

Some people go to a beach resort to relax in the sun. Some people choose adventure holidays to explore. Some people like sightseeing breaks or a more gastronomic emphasis to immerse themselves in a different culture. Some people choose sport-based holidays to practise their favourite hobby or try something new like golf, horse-riding, skiing or snowboarding, mountain biking, surfing/SUP or hiking. Others might want music and the arts to form the basis of their vacation.

So why is a holiday to Barcelona such a great choice? It is because in Barcelona you can have every one of the holidays I mention above.

More people are choosing to have some organisation to their holiday. The days of the traditional package holiday may be long gone as people use the internet to create their own designer holidays, but more people want something constructive to do on their holiday. But they do not want a hotel-organised series of events or classes that the hotel manager thinks you will like at a time specified by the hotel. They want a tailor-made, personal itinerary that fits in with individual particular requirements and timescales.

This is where Barcelona Bienestar answers the needs of our clients. There is nothing we cannot arrange and organise for our clients who come to us from all over the world. Barcelona is such a diverse and interesting city and we complement this by giving our clients a personal itinerary so they can maximise their enjoyment of their holiday.

We offer a health and wellness package based around whatever interests our clients. Fitness activities include personal training, Pilates, TRX, boxing, weighted vest training, functional training, HIIT, and programs based around specific sports such as Stand up Paddle (SUP) fitness, skiing/snowboarding, surfing, walking, mountain biking, rock climbing and many more. For all these activities, we arrange time not only training, but also practising. So you will get time on a surf board, on the slopes or on a mountain.

But it’s not just physical activities we offer. We also offer a range of wellness and beauty services including massage, diet, weight loss, eye lash curling and extensions, gel nails and meditation.

We also organise cultural holidays including the arts and gastronomy, and we give advice on all aspects of Barcelona from the best restaurants to the best sights to see.

We take the stress out of organising your holiday, but you are always in control so you have exactly the holiday you want and need. We can simply arrange your activities, or on a full package we can organise your hotel, meals and transfers as well. What ever you want and need.

For more information, click on www.barcelonabienestar.com or contact us and let us organise your dream holiday for you. Barcelona is waiting for you, and so are we.

 

Pilates and fitness for Skiing and Snowboarding

Pilates fitness skiing snowbaording barcelona bienestarwww.barcelonabienestar.com

Pilates and fitness for skiing and snowboarding

I am a snowboarder. Anyone who either snowboards or skis will know that the two sports, whilst closely related, are very different in technique and especially mentality. One thing they do have in common (apart from snow) is the training that you need to be able to enjoy the coming season on the slopes.

When I fly from Barcelona, more often than not my route is directly over the Pyrenees Mountains. They look serene in the summer months but even more dramatic with a big dump of snow on them in winter. I get excited just looking at them!

Specific training for skiing and snowboarding

Skiing and snowboarding bring their own special demands on the body. If these demands are not adequately considered, then the skier or boarder, whatever their level, will reduce their performance potential, and thus reduce their enjoyment. By carrying out a specific training program, benefits can be gained such as:

• Improve endurance, so ski and board for longer
• Improve strength in the appropriate muscles
• Improve flexibility and agility
• Improve balance and control
• Reduce the risk of injury by strengthening areas such as the lower back and knee joints and muscles.

The fundamental skills needed to ski or board successfully are balance, rotary movements, edging movements, and pressure control. Most muscles of the lower body are used, as are the abdominal muscles and some upper body muscles. A planned training program carried out during the off-season can make dramatic improvements when the season arrives. It is also improtant to learn warm-up and warm-down routines which you should use before and after you ski.

Chris Snowboarding 21.2.14 2Happiness is a snowboard in your hands… This is me in February in La Molina.

Why Pilates?
In order to complete a turn, there must be adequate strength in the core, buttocks, lower back and legs. Flexibility is needed, especially in the hips. We use specific Pilates exercises to target all these areas.

Pilates is a revolutionary full body conditioning program, which focuses on training the mind and body to work together more effectively and efficiently. Pilates dramatically transforms the way the body looks, feels, and performs. It incorporates modern exercise science and rehabilitation principles, eliminating contraindicated movements while emphasizing neutral alignment, core stability and peripheral mobility. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a sleek, toned body and a flat abdomen. It teaches body awareness and good posture. Pilates improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion, and is a safe form of movement making it optimal for clients that need to rehabilitate injuries.

Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth, continuous movements. By developing proper technique, you can actually re-train your body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion – invaluable for injury recovery, good posture and optimal health. No other exercise system is so gentle to the body while giving it a challenging workout.

Injury Prevention
Skiing and boarding place great demands on the lower body, which can lead to overuse injuries. The most obvious place for such injuries is the legs, and especially the thighs. It is not so obvious that the core has a vital role to play in keeping the body upright and balanced, and enabling the hips to turn.

The shoulders and back can also become fatigued, and are prone to falling injuries. Such injuries can be reduced by strengthening these areas. This also applies to hand and wrist injuries, which can again be reduced by strengthening the forearm and wrist.

The time to start training for the coming season is now. If you are in Barcelona, then give me a call because Barcelona Bienestar offer specific training on a group and individual training basis. Sessions take place on the beach, in our studio or at client’s homes.

There are other functional exercises that great as well, and they can be done on the slopes as a warm up. Check out my video below. I shot a sequence of Pilates/functional movements in La Molina last year.

There are lots more exercises on my YouTube channel that you can watch by clicking here.

I love the sun and the sea, but I love the snow just as much. This is one of the many reasons why I love living in Barcelona. Where ever you live or plan to ski or snowboard, you really must start to plan your fitness routine now, before it’s too late.

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator based in Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. For more information about Pilates with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway? You can also subscribe by completing the form on the this BLOG to receive articles and special offers straight to your inbox.

Chris pays all profits made from this BLOG to his charity partners. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness.com and selecting the “charity partners” tab.

 

Surfing Baby Seal: Pilates core strength

www.chrishuntwellness.com

Now I am not usually one for posting videos of animals doing crazy things, I think that life is too short. But as a surfer and someone who trains surfers in the art of Pilates, I think that these two surfers had such an amazing experience that it’s worth sharing!

I wish it was me!

Check out www.sportcorestrength.com for advice as to how Pilates techniques can help you with many different sports.

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator based in Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. For more information about Pilates with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway?

Chris pays 50% of any money made from this BLOG to his charity partners, the other 50% covers the costs. More details can be found by clicking on www.chrishuntwellness and selecting his “charity partners” tab.

 

 

 

The World Cup: Coleen Rooney, WAGS, and Pilates

Sport Core Strength Chris Hunt Pilates

www.chrishuntwellness.com

Any excuse to talk about football and I am there. I am a lifelong passionate fan of Arsenal and Barcelona. When I lived in London I was a regular at Highbury and then the Emirates, and now I am blessed to be in Barcelona watching one of the most beautiful football teams in the world. I played football for many years as a boy and young man, so applying my knowledge of Pilates to footballers is something I naturally enjoy.

Before the serious stuff, you might have noticed that the World Cup is almost upon us, and whilst the players are going through their final preparations, so too are the wives and girlfriends (WAGS). In the UK there is always s big fuss about the WAGS and their impact on the players.

Queen of the WAGS. mother of two and wife of England striker Wayne Rooney is Coleen Rooney. She took to twitter this week to tell us all about her fitness regime, which includes gym sessions, interval training and of course Pilates. She said “I always wear a bikini on holiday, they’re the first thing I think about packing. I have drawers full and I always take far too many away. But like anyone else I have to be careful about what I choose. There are certain shapes I’ve found that make me feel confident, so I stick to those. I tend to avoid anything too skimpy on the bottom half and I look for halter neck styles on top. My main problem area is my love handles so I don’t want to wear anything tight around my hips. Thin, stringy, tie-side briefs aren’t flattering so I always go for big bikini bottoms.”

With these inspiring words in mind, let me turn to the serious point of my blog today. I love to work with sportsmen and women. Whilst I get a massive sense of satisfaction when I see someone rehabilitate from injury or improve their posture, I also love to work with athletes to help them to improve even further their game. In Barcelona I am working with people involved in sports such as golf, surfing and rock climbing.

We are all very familiar with the benefits that Pilates brings, and specifically for football Pilates is relevant because it can help to: improve  flexibility, improve mobility, improve co-ordination, build overall fitness, improve endurance, build body awareness and focus, reduce the risk of injury, and help to rehabilitate after injury

Football demands rapid directional changes, often at near maximum pace, and the delivery of controlled power from unbalanced body positions. As our understanding of the demands placed upon footballers develops, so has the approach to training and injury prevention. The quiet revolution in training techniques is now not so quiet, with modern-day managers acknowledging the crucial importance that stretching, suppleness and flexibility gives their players. Pilates meets these demands perfectly, so an ever growing number of footballers use Pilates to improve their core strength, their co-ordination, mobility, flexibility and technique, as well as for prevention and rehabilitation from injuries.

Pilates is also a perfect form of warm-up prior to playing, and cooling down post-match. Any out-dated opinions of Pilates being a sedate pursuit for ladies only have long been extinguished, with many Premiership Football Teams including Pilates in their training schedule. The benefits are also used by other top sportsmen and women, such as the All Blacks Rugby Team, and individuals such as Tiger Woods.

Pilates is not only appropriate for the professional player. Youth players, semi professionals, and weekend players, whatever their age, sex and ability, would all gain enormous benefit from a regular Pilates’ routine.

I developed Sport Core Strength (http://www.sportcorestrength.com) in London and now in Barcelona to encourage more sportsmen and women to include Pilates in their regimes. Whilst working one-on-one is always a very effective way to teach (especially when most players will have their own specific issues), it is a lot of fun to work with whole teams as well, creating exercises in pairs and groups.

If you want to chat about Pilates for sports (including golf, football, cycling, surfing, tennis, skiing/snowboarding, running rock climbing etc), about Sport Core Strength, or about Pilates in Barcelona then please contact me.

Chris is an international Pilates presenter and educator based in Barcelona, Spain. He is the creator of Pilates EVO©, bodyFUNC©, and CEO of Pilates Rehab Limited and Sport Core Strength.  He also organises Pilates Carnival and Fitness Carnival, conventions where all profits go to local children’s charities. For more information about Pilates with Chris in Barcelona, please click on Barcelona Bienestar. To learn more about Chris, please read Just who is Chris Hunt anyway?