Strengthen your core with pilates

The thing is Pilates is so well known for strengthening your core and having good core stability, but what does that mean? And how can you achieve this? Having core stability is all about having good abdominal strength, particularly in the deep abdominals, there is this deep muscle called your transversus abdominus which you use constantly in pilates and the wonderful thing is it also helps support your back too, giving you more back support, strength, the bonus is it makes you feel better and better too having more toned abdominal muscles. How to achieve good core stability?

Well it’s a long and short answer, the simplicity of it is to do the exercises regularly, as in do something every single day of your life is ideal, this doesn’t mean a whole hour. Yes it’s ideal to practice a properly taught one to one or class every week so that you are doing the exercises in a good alignment, posture, but not just that that you are working at a level that you can keep progressing with too.

The nice thing about Pilates is that at a basic and re-habilitation level the exercises are sometimes the same as Physio exercises, or exercises given by a Chiropractor or osteopath.

The thing that’s vital though is doing them with good technique, working the correct muscles, releasing the correct muscles and doing good lateral thoracic Pilates breathing at the same time will also increase your core. Plus you’ll achieve many other benefits too. If you don’t do any exercise or Pilates type exercise, your muscles will just become more and more weak and tight and very likely your posture will be all over the place and that can cause all sorts of aches, pains and problems down the line.

So this weeks exercise of the week is absolutely brilliant, however a LOT of people cheat on this exercise and do it wrong and twist their lower back and don’t recruit their buttock muscles and abdominals enough or properly. So really it is best learnt with a qualified teacher or practitioner.

But here it is the amazing core stability opposite arm and leg exercise for you.

However it’s best to have done a 6 minute pilates warm up first before doing this.  Core stability all fours opposite arm and leg exercise: ‘to strengthen your back muscles, upper body, improve balance, core stability’ Starting position: 

From all fours Hands beneath your shoulders and knees beneath your hips Check your back is in it’s natural alignment, with it’s natural curve of the spine, (most people poke their head to the floor! Don’t do this!).   Breathe in to prepare through the nose, as you exhale through you mouth, scoop your tummy muscles in and slide one leg away on the mat and opposite arm, if you are new to the exercise, just lift your opposite arm and leg an inch off the floor. If you’re a regular, had lessons before and know what you are doing, lift up to maximum hip and shoulder height. Listen to your body. Do what is comfortable for you.  - Hold it breathe in, as you exhale, slowly lower your arm and leg back to starting position - Repeat x 10 repetitions in total  

Afterwards enjoy a gentle back stretch for a few breaths in and out to relax your back and wrists - Lying on your back hug your knees into your chest one at a time,  - Take a few breaths in and out to recover and relax 

Keep moving, keep shining and ENJOY  

Love Bev

Beverley Densham

Pilates teacher of 22 years  To help you with your back and lifestyle

How pilates helps reduce stress levels

and relax

Most people start pilates to help their back or body in some way but more and more people are also loving the benefits pilates has on good mental and emotional wellbeing. Personally I always feel better when I’m either practicing or teaching pilates.

And it’s so nice seeing clients have this simple tool to help them lower their stress levels. More people than ever have felt fear this year due to the world pandemic. This has resulted in increased anxiety. Of course there’s so many approaches and things we can do about this, one is practicing daily pilates and meditation and having a weekly lesson or one to one. Through experience of teaching for over 22 years it works.

This week am treating you to a 5 minute relaxation to help you de-stress and deeply relax: 

enjoy

love Bev

Goodbye hunched shoulders and posture, hello strong confident Pilates posture.

So I just sat there slumped at my desk discovering yet another way I make my neck and shoulders tense, sat at my desk at the computer, about to write this blog. I thought it was time to commit properly to a blog again, why I’ve been resisting it I don’t know, I’m busy, or some other excuse!! Yes I am busy, yet in a good way these days. I realised I was sat there with my hands on the desk, shoulders rounded forward and neck slightly hunched forwards. This is not good posture!! Just being honest that I’m still imperfectly improving on this body and mind thing of mindfulness Pilates, it seems a forever journey of self discovery if you let it. Why not keep learning about yourself and improving to both make yourself feel better, as well as I hope me writing this will inspire you to enquire about your habits both good and bad. (My friend and fellow author Janey Lee Grace has this expression of to keep imperfectly improving!! Thanks Janey, you’re a star!) Now I’m sitting with my legs crossed, I like sitting with my legs crossed!! With my right leg crossed over my left. But sat here long enough sitting like that and my back and nerves will start to complain at me!! Luckily I had enough sense to put a soft pink cushion behind my lumbar spine low back. But then I realised I was sat away from the back of the chair and it wasn’t actually providing the support I was hoping for, so I’ve uncrossed my legs and now my feet have sneaked onto the feet of the chair!!, right… finally I’m going to sit with good posture. I’ve moved my back to the back of the chair next to the soft cushion, my feet are now hip width apart with my feet planted on the floor, my shoulders are as relaxed as they can be whilst I type. That’s better. Although…. I don’t like to sit down for too long as my back prefers to be moving, or sitting on a soft surface, lying down!! Standing or lying on my side.

Have you got some bad posture habits you could rectify in a flash?

Then I realised this morning that I was doing my Pilates on a thin yoga mat, that really is not a first class thing to do at all if you’ve had a back problem like myself. Here are my excuses, my favourite posh thick pink mat is at the studio that I teach at, my other thick mat I managed to leave in the back of a taxi the other day, it to be honest had seen better days so quite a good way to de-clutter it. So as I write, I’m going to pause and buy a new mat. It’s a bright pink thick 15mm pilates mat, extra comfy and now my personal mindfulness pilates practice I do every morning can bring me JOY, as my low back will be very happy about it. I find that especially those of us who have suffered past prolapsed discs have more of a tendency to need a softer and thicker mat. Right…

I’m back, I’ve just ordered a really nice mat. It’s really important you have a decent mat too. Look after your body.

Something clients were all saying this week is that although they’d still practiced regularly, they had lapsed a bit me not teaching them for 3 weeks and weren’t always doing their daily 6 minutes pilates before breakfast practice that they were doing before. Good news we are back this week to normal weekly sessions.

I must admit that I too didn’t do as much Pilates in august and actually a 69 year old client had come back to classes fitter than me!! Is that a shame? No because I’ve at least been doing my daily morning pilates, meditation and my essential spiky ball pilates stretches too, sometimes more with back strengthenings many times a week. But even so less than usual. So you’re not alone on this.

Having lessons definitely keeps up morale, progress and that all important word practice which gives you the results and maintenance we all need. It’s like having a weekly MOT and service Pilates is! For mind and body, for that I will always be grateful for. For me it’s like breathing, eating, sleeping, brushing our teeth, a daily essential tool I can’t live without. I dread to think how I’d feel without it. Thank god!!

By Beverley Densham

Pilates teachers of 22 years

To help you transform your back and body

Ps pic from a lovely outing to some beautiful gardens this summer! I’d just enjoyed a cappuccino, chocolate, read and meditation was bliss!

Benefits of Pilates during pregnancy

Gosh there are so many benefits of Pilates exercise during pregnancy, but equally it’s so important to know exactly which exercises are good for you during pregnancy, but not just that it changes as you move from your second trimester to your third trimester, but also after a certain number of weeks too. It’s a great time to start your Pilates after your 12 week scan. It’s also very important indeed to know the exercises and positions that you should avoid. This is what I teach you during your pregnancy Pilates classes.

Amy-Elle sharing her baby bump during pregnancy

The wonderful thing is doing Pilates exercise during pregnancy makes you feel good, yes it improves your core stability, tones your entire body (always a bonus), improves your posture or helps you maintain good posture, strengthens your back, pelvic floor muscles, strengthens your back, gives you a chance to stretch gently and enjoy some TLC, tender loving care during the relaxations, an essential part of pregnancy. The Pilates breathing is absolutely brilliant not just for your core stability, but also for concentration, switching off and having some me time, but also learning the relaxation breathing is deeply restorative and essential for mums to be.

Core stability is a bit of a buzz word in Pilates and it’s very well known for improving your core stability and this is true during pregnancy too. However it’s important that you don’t overwork, and sit ups and those type of exercises are a no no. They are bad for you during pregnancy, equally just sitting up straight from bed isn’t good for you either, so during class, you learn how to move your body and support your body and baby the best during the movements both inbetween the exercises as well as during the actual Pilates exercise itself. Why is this? It’s important that your focus is on using your deep abdominal muscles during pregnancy, which support both your back and pelvis and help you gain better results in your abdominals. It prevents you from overworking your ‘six pack’ muscle, the rectus abdominus. (you want to do everything you can to prevent diasti recti, which is when the six pack muscle divides, it can become a real problem if it divides too much). So to get the best internal and external results you want to gently be working these muscles. 

Most people don’t realise that you can still achieve toned abdominals keeping your head down on exercises. 

The nice thing is that there are so many core stability exercises in pilates, and so much variety too, plus you can enjoy working on a physio ball for both sitting exercises, all fours and on your back too which can be very soothing, help with circulation as well as strengthening too. You get to enjoy the exercises without any strain and avoiding the more advanced repertoire of Pilates which won’t do you any good during pregnancy, enjoying nice slow controlled movements that make you feel good.

Tone Something thats wonderful about Pilates is that if you do Pilates during pregnancy and have that knowledge and put that time in for your body, mind and baby, it’s also so much easier to get back into shape after having your baby too. The important thing during pregnancy Pilates is to really listen to your body, it isn’t just about doing to recommended exercises, and of course each woman has a different fitness level, so it’s much better to work with a qualified teacher who can help you individually work at your level, this helps get you the best results.

Amy-Elle found pilates helped her tone up more easily post natally. Cat stretches great in pregnancy and post natal.

Posture Lets talk about posture, so with your growing baby during pregnancy it can be easy to slump at times and slip into bad posture, especially if you have other little ones too. Having a weekly regular lesson can really help you connect daily into your posture in how you sit and stand and also prepare you for feeding and carrying your baby when the time comes. Having good posture too helps you feel happier, more confident too, always a bonus.

There are wonderful lying on your side stretches which are such a relaxing way to improve your   posture, but link beautifully with your relaxing too. Sitting on the Pilates ball and standing exercises and adding in the resistance band can all really help too. Having plenty of head pads and cushions for class is important too to make you more comfortable.

Reduce or prevent back pain, Pilates is a wonderful and effective form of exercise to improve your back strength It’s really important to keep your back strong during pregnancy, which Pilates can help you do. Avoiding all the exercises on your tummy is important to know, but there are so many alternatives you can enjoy and benefit from to strengthen you back, exercises standing, on all fours are really brilliant for your back as well as side lying exercises to help stabilise your pelvis and keep your buttocks toned and supporting you all a bonus.

Keeping your deep abdominals strong during pregnancy really supports your back if you’re doing it properly, These muscles love to support you and the bonus is you’re more toned as a result too as well as less back pain or the prevention of back pain which is so important with your growing baby and if you’ve had previous or ongoing back problems.

Balance – your balance can improve with Pilates, giving you more stability from your exercises.

Pelvic floor muscles It’s really important to take time to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles during pregnancy, not just to prevent incontinence, it can have a huge impact on your recovery and is a support for both your bowels, womb and bladder. It helps you prepare for childbirth, during childbirth and post natally you will have the knowledge and practical experience of how to help the muscles heal. It is good to take dedicated time to strengthen these muscles during class, but also to know how to relax them too. This is just as important. It takes practice and helps prevent leaks such as when you cough and sneeze if the muscles have become weak. Helping you strengthen up. Prior to pregnancy there is often too much emphasis on all the other abdominal muscles, and often the pelvic floor muscles get forgotton. You’ll be glad you remembered to look after them too!!

Relaxation & breathing 

 As a pregnant woman, it’s absolutely wonderful to take time to really and deeply relax both for you and your baby, the first principles of Pilates are relaxation and breathing, and if you’re going to a good class, you’ll be breathing throughout the entire class, which in itself is deeply relaxing. But it’s also nice to indulge in relaxations on their own to feel calm, peaceful and relaxed in body and mind. 

 Practice, it’s a wonderful thing to learn during your lessons how to both enjoy practicing your Pilates at home as well as taking time out to enjoy relaxations too inbetween classes, I show you how and include pilates workouts and relaxations for you to enjoy at home inbetween lessons which helps you to achieve even more from your Pilates, feeling better on a daily basis with Pilates.

May you love the benefits of Pilates during Pregnancy, and fall in love with this amazing exercise technique forever!! It works

Love Beverley Densham Bsc (Hons), Dip

Pilates expert.

How pilates helps after caesarian and sciatica

It’s so heart warming when you see someone recover from the pain of both Caesarian and sciatica and Amy-Elle Robinson kindly shares her success story here, really hope it helps and inspires you too.

Watch the benefits of pilates after caesarean & sciatica interview here

Mum and baby doing well

Pilates can support you during pregnancy too

How many children have you got?

I have 5 children, ranging in age from 19 to 5 years old.

Bev: How did you get into Pilates?

Amy-Elle: I remember seeing you on social media after the last child which was after caesarean section, and thought I needed to do something about the re-curring sicaticato strengthen my core and get back on track after the birth of the last one. So I remember contacting you and talking to you all about the caesarean.

Bev: I actually remember teaching you at that time, and at that time you were really weak. I remember what it was like, I’ve had one caesarean and it can vary in the recovery. Cant it. How did you find it?

Amy-Elle: The last child was a caesarean, I had a caesarean, three natural births then a caesarean. The first and last were caesarean, I really struggled. After the three boys I had re-curring sciatica and it was quite debilitating. I did struggle, I had an infection after and was very weak needing lots of ways from you.

Bev: You’ve been doing Pilates for over 4 years now, how’s your recovery been?

Amy-Elle: I don’t get sciatica anymore at all. I feel so much stronger, I feel so much fitter, I’m more toned, aesthetically after caesarean you have this overhang, which most women are really self conscious of, since I’ve done the Pilates, regularly, its really sucked my tummy in, nice and toned, I feel inside those deep core muscles that you can’t get to with most forms of exercise, have really been strengthened. Then helps with your lower back and core in general, lifting the children and working in a physical job as a massage therapist. All these things helped.

Bev: Hooray for this. If you have any questions for us ask away. Now you’re able to do a lot more strengthening exercises for your back and body. How do you feel doing that? 

Really good, make you feel strong, once you feel like that it helps you overcome a lot of things, able to do more things. Things that set if off were any kind of lifting, lean over, able to do a lot more.

Bev: You got your quality of life back which is nice.

Amy-Elle: Yes

Bev: So back to the beginning, how long did it take the scar to heal. Do you mind me asking?

Amy-Elle: That’s fine, so the first time, I was much younger, fit and healthy, when I had my last child, it did take a really long time. 3 months and really up to a year before it was better. It was very sensitive after that too with clothes, 

Bev: Did you get inflammation in that area, did you get that?

Amy-Elle: Probably 3 years after it just kind of watch what I  was wearing, I didn’t wear jeans, wearing soft leggings so that nothing would press on it. 

Bev: It took me 12 years before I could wear jeans again, it too me a long time. I had to keep buying underwear and clothes that were too big for me so that it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Amy-Elle: With the Pilates with the deep core exercises, you wouldn’t be able to do that yourself, you need to be taught by a professional like yourself. You could damage yourself more, you’ve had a big operation, a procedure, you need to be really careful. You need to be told how to do it properly, make sure you’re doing it all correctly. Otherwise you could go to the gym or do something yourself and really injure your deep internal muscles. It’s quite specific toning isn’t it. 

Bev: You do need to know what you should and shouldn’t be doing. I don’t think that’s always very clear in the fitness industry. If you have a teacher who is trained in pregnancy and post natal Pilates it can make a huge difference, in your recovery as well. There’s so much out there about women getting into shape quickly after childbirth, there’s this kind of sit up thing, everyone thinks you should be doing sit ups and they are a big no no. 

Amy-Elle: That’s the worst thing to do after

Bev: Yes

Amy-Elle: I notice that the deep core work you do with me, I can feel it working , it’s very precise, it’s going from the inside out, its really deep strengthening, it has that physical effect, you just cant get that, or over do it using the superficial ones if you’re not doing the right thing. 

Bev: It really helps with pelvic floor muscles as well, 

Amy-Elle: Yes. Definitely, it’s all connected!!

Bev: What is it like having lessons with me?!!

Amy-Elle: very good Bev!!! I think also as a very busy Mum, and a business as well, it’s very busy, very hectic, the session is something completely for me, focusing on my health and wellness, as a Mum, if you’re not ok, you can’t look after everyone else, you’ve got to look after yourself as well. It’s so important to take that time for yourself. I’ve been for sessions with you before and you can have hormonal things going on, and with pregnancy and post natal, the sessions are so calming, relaxing with all of the breathing, you have that lovely calming voice at the end doing the relaxation part, which we’ve done on the beach before with the waves lapping. It’s a whole experience, I do really look forward to it, it’s part of my health maintenance and lifestyle now really. I like the fact it’s holistic and the essential oils, there’s so much breathing in pilates, the oils help, they smell so nice anyway, incorporating that into a session is quite clever! 

Bev: At the very early raw stage, before you have your post natal check up, did you find that your posture was horrendous afterwards? As there’s so much pain?

Amy-Elle: I couldn’t walk properly. Like I said before, lifting, hovering, any of these things were a struggle, 

Bev: Hopefully you weren’t doing that in the first week!!

Amy-Elle, No but trying to walk was quite impossible really. You can’t drive, you can’t do anything, Its a really tough time, the first 8 weeks, the way you’re holding yourself, got to feed your baby, can’t sleep in a proper position, just walking round the house, it’s baby steps, you can’t hardly do anything. Posture is heavily affected. 

Bev: Naturally with the pain, your body hunches forwards and your back muscles get weaker and weaker (I remember), you’re protecting yourself, how did you find it helped your posture? 

Amy-Elle: Having someone tell you how to re-gain your posture professionally is really helpful, it feel so much better once you’re able to re-gain your natural, normal posture again. Hunched up and leaning over in pain, it’s good to get back to normal. 

Any parting words

Amy-Elle: If you’re a Mum or Mum to be this can really help you in every way. It can help someone who has got children or during pregnancy and birth, definitely after caesarean, you have to be careful, its good to have an expert to help, recommend it to everyone and really enjoy our sessions. Thank you Bev

Thank you Amy-Elle

Really hope this helps and inspires you in some way

Love Bev

Beverley Densham BSc (Hons)

Pilates expert