Tag Archives: core

Current Affairs, Health and fitness

Beyonce & Paul McCartney are Pilates buddies!

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It doesn’t get any more celebrity than this, Beyoncé and Sir Paul McCartney doing Pilates together!

Regular readers of my blog will know that as well as more serious articles about Pilates, I also write about famous Pilatistas. My opinion is that anything that raises awareness of Pilates can only be a good thing. In today’s culture, it’s a fact that many people associate themselves with celebrities. It’s not my place to argue the rights of wrongs of this, I just accept it as a fact, and if just one person tries Pilates because of one of my blogs, then I consider this to be a success. If you want a technical Pilates discussion then please click on the link above to my website or my Facebook link below and let’s chat…

So back to Beyoncé and Sir Paul McCartney. The two music legends were staying in the same hotel, the Four Seasons, during the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in California.

The famous pair were seen going through their paces at an LA gym, according to the UK press. It’s reported that they hit the treadmills and after some cardio, Macca, 71, and Beyonce, 32, did some Pilates before heading off for a run.

Celebrity gossip aside, this Pilates pairing shows the world exactly how great Pilates can be. Yes, men and women do it! Yes, old and young do it! Yes, you can do Pilates with a friend because it can be done at many different levels as it is possible to modify the movements to make them appropriate for all levels of ability.

It is clear to the world what amazing condition Beyoncé is in, and it is a good job Sir Paul is staying in good physical shape at his age after he added six more dates to the North American leg of his Out There Tour.

Celebrities, love them or hate them, they do sometimes show the world the possibilities when it comes to using Pilates. For that, I thank them.

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Current Affairs, Health and fitness

Pilates for the over 60’s? Susan Lucci swears by it

 

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As all Pilates trainers know, there really is no age limit to practising Pilates and the continued benefits it can bring.

A great example of this is Susan Lucci, A household name in the US thanks to a very successful career in TV , the sixty-seven year-old is still looking amazing.

During a conversation about the second season of the TV series “Devious Maids,” Lucci revealed her tips for staying slim, happy and healthy. Her biggest secrets? Hot water with lemon, and Pilates of course.

“Everything I do is Pilates-based, which is dancer strength training. I didn’t want to bulk up. I’m very petite, so Pilates is what dancers use and that was good for me,” Lucci said. “I try to combine some cardio, too, and whatever I’m doing, it’s all about the core and flexibility and balance.”

Susan was born in December 23, 1946, and is an American actress, television host, author and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime series drama All My Children. Lucci has been called “Daytime’s Leading Lady” by with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the highest-paid actor in daytime television. As early as 1991, her salary had been reported as over $1 million a year.

Pilates is generally appropriate for senior fitness, and it is gaining popularity among senior citizens. The ability to modify the exercises to meet differing needs, along with the many benefits of Pilates, such as increased levels of strength, balance, flexibility, muscle tone, stamina, and well being, make Pilates an ideal senior exercise program. After all, Joseph Pilates practiced his method into his eighties. There are specific programs for the over 60s including my Pilates EVO Forever Young.

So if you are thinking that you are too old to start Pilates, then please think again. You are seriously never too old. Find a good qualified instructor (if you need any help with that then please get in touch) and get started right away. It will not take long for you to notice the benefits.

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Health and fitness

Pilates EVO: The Past is Dead

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The Past is Dead

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Since its birth around 100 years ago, the Pilates method has been modified and arguably made more effective by some distinguished presenters, but diluted and the basic principles largely ignored by less scrupulous teachers.

Pilates EVO© (EVO is an abbreviation of evolution) is like no other Pilates class you have ever been to. Developed by Chris Hunt Pilates in London, it takes Pilates in a new and exciting direction incorporating more functional training methods and movement patterns, whilst staying true to traditional Pilates principles.

Pilates EVO© expands the mind and body element of Pilates by incorporating Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Mindfulness Meditation techniques to maximise the psychological and physical benefits, improving concentration and making clients emotionally, mentally and spiritually fitter. It improves motor fitness such as agility, balance, speed, co-ordination, reaction time and power. Pilates EVO© also draws on the thousands of years of teachings from Kundalini yoga and meridian stretches to enhance the overall experience.

It has more flow and movement with sequences of moves made up from the sacred numbers 3, 7 and 21, and it uses unique, uplifting soundtracks mixed in London by DJ Shameless to enable clients to really connect with how their body is moving and working, giving a far deeper and rewarding experience. Most moves have different levels progressing muscular fitness using repetitions, range of motion, rate and resistance. This creates a system that will remain challenging to a wide range of training goals from elite athletes, people seeking everyday fitness, to clients rehabilitating following accident or injury.

This system increases muscular strength and endurance as well as flexibility, and helps prevent injury and improve performance with movements that are applicable to life and sport.

Pilates EVO© is more than an exercise system, it is a way of life. A way to maximise your potential physically, mentally and emotionally.

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Current Affairs, Health and fitness, My life

Pilates helps Boston bombing survivors

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CelesteSideKick3-11

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Pilates means many different things to different people. It changed my life by helping me to recover from a serious back condition, and for that reason I will always be passionate about it. As I tell me Pilates EVO students, I want teachers who teach from their heart because they believe in the system, not those who teach from their bank balance.

Pilates has helped to change many people’s lives, and this week it was reported that Celeste Corcoran is using Pilates to change her everyday life.  She is getting free Pilates sessions three times a week.

If you are not familiar with the name, Celeste and her daughter Sydney are survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings. In addition to having both legs amputated (one above the knee and one below), Celeste also had both ear drums blown out. Sydney, a freshman at Merrimack College in Andover, severed her femoral artery and nearly bled to death. While both women are healing, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Celeste has new prosthetics, but she needed a lot of strength both physically and mentally to move on with her life. About Pilates, she says “This is absolutely what I need in order to be strong and walk comfortably and to have my balance,” Celeste says. “Because my legs were taken away, there are muscles that I hadn’t used before. I wasn’t in the greatest shape. I noticed a difference almost immediately in my balance, like just standing. I believe that it’s absolutely because of Pilates.”

Pilates is the perfect rehabilitation technique because it not only gives many benefits including strength and flexibility, but it also teaches body control and muscle movement. In a rehabilitation scenario it can help to give people back control of their bodies and their lives. As it is not simply a hands-on method, it also gives people responsibility for their own rehabilitation. Whilst this may sound grandiose, I have experienced it first hand working with many clients via my organisation Pilates Rehab Limited so it is not inflated rhetoric.

I am always stressing the body control aspect of Pilates to my students as it saddens me to see some Pilates methods and teachers neglecting this crucial area. In my system Pilates EVO I use NLP and mindfulness meditation techniques to really enhance the mind and body experience for both the teacher and the student.

Pilates is not only celebrity pictures. It is a very real system that is changing the lives of millions of people around the world. I am very proud to be a small part of this global phenomenon and I will be forever grateful for the change in my life that Pilates bought about.

If you want any more information about Pilates, Pilates EVO or Pilates Rehab then please get in touch.

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Current Affairs, Health and fitness

Kelly Smith: Pilates extends football career

Kelly Smith

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As a Pilates presenter, my different Pilates businesses work with a range of people, from those rehabilitating following serious injury (www.pilatesrehab.co.uk), to elite sportsmen and women trying to gain that sporting edge (www.sportcorestrength.com).

Footballers have long used Pilates and core training to help them improve their game and reduce the risk of injury. Players like David Beckham and Ryan Giggs are well documented Pilates fans.

Last week Kelly Smith, a footballer for England and Arsenal in London, confirmed that she is using Pilates to prolong her playing career. Smith, 35, has an eye on the World Cup in Canada in the summer of next year, which she believes could see an explosion in the women’s game.

“At my age it takes a lot longer to recover after games, three or four days, when it used to be one or two,” she said.

“About 18 months ago I took up Pilates off my own back and that has really helped. “I go once or twice a week and it keeps me supple and fresh. With the BBC taking up the rights to the Women’s World Cup in 2015, giving the public access to it, it should give a huge lift to the game and see people start going to matches or supporting a team. I’d love to be there, so I’ll be pushing to make the squad.”

Smith has scored 46 appearances in 115 appearances for England.

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If you would like more information about using Pilates for football or soccer teams, then click on www.footballcorestrength.com or please contact me on my website above or via Facebook (please see link below).

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Current Affairs, Health and fitness

Model Karena Graham wants to teach Pilates

Karena Graham Miss Irish Sun 2010

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It was reported this week in Ireland that Karena Graham is ready to wave goodbye to modelling and wants to move to LA for a major career change.

The 27-year-old model has decided that after 13 years behind the camera, she was to live in Hollywood and become a personal trainer. The Dublin-based model is also taking on a course to become a qualified Pilates instructor.

“I’ve had an offer to learn how to teach, so to get a job in Pilates when I land in LA would be ideal because working in that arena is what I really want to do,” she said.

“It’s a weird one, but I’m obsessed with fitness, and California is the ideal place to work in that area,” she said.

“I’ve been visiting LA for years and it’s just very me, it’s casual and chilled and I can wear my gym gear all day if I want to.”

About modelling, Karena says “It’s a great job and I’ll do it as long as I can here, but over in the US I want to focus on different things and I do want to get away from it in a sense.”

So welcome Karena to the Pilates family.

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Uncategorized

Prince George will keep Pilates in the family

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The latest picture of Prince George and you can really see how much love there is between him and the family dog Lupo. I think he will make a good King. The future of the Royal Family looks bright! 🙂

And I am sure that his mum will introduce him to Pilates as soon as he is old enough as Kate is such a big fan, as is her sister Pippa. Kate attended 3 Pilates classes a week whilst she was pregnant with George in Fulham, London, and she is also reported to like using dumbells and a Swiss ball for an hour every morning as part of her regular gym workout.

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Health and fitness

Margot Robbie Pilates Pose

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Margot Robbie

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Margot Robbie is the latest in a string of celebrities to join the Pilates craze of sharing an image of herself flaunting her new gravity defying skills on Instagram.

Following in the footsteps of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Taylor Swift and fellow Australian actress Phoebe Tomkin, the Wolf of Wall Street star used her newly created social media account to document her workout at the Los Angeles fitness studio.

Legs outstretched in vertical splits, the stunning 23-year-old posted a photo of herself by a Cadillac machine.

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Health and fitness

Tricep Dip on the Wunda Chair

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Welcome to my latest Snap Pilates Videos shot in Barcelona at Studio Australia Barcelona.

This is the Tricep Dip on the Wunda Chair. This is a very versatile piece of equipment and an excellent exercise to really target the triceps to strengthen and tone them.

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Current Affairs, Health and fitness

Gwyneth Paltrow: Conscious Uncoupling/Conscious Pilates

Gwyneth2

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It was a sad day on Tuesday to hear that Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin were separating. For 10 years they have been one of the most interesting celebrity couples.

Gwyneth is well known to the Pilates community. After the birth of both of her children Apple, 9, and Moses, 7, it was well publicised that she used Pilates exercises in her routine to recover her strength and flexibility.  It was reported at the time that she worked out for two hours every day, even if it meant having her children crawling around with her.

Gwyneth was reported to have said that as well as the physical side of Pilates, she also really understood that it was a mind and body experience, and that it made her much more conscious of her body and movements. This is a vital aspect of the system and one that must never be over-looked or diminished.

I believe this is so important that  I have enhanced this aspect of Pilates in my system, Pilates EVO by using NLP, Mindfulness Meditation, Mantra chanting and meridians.

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