Mat Pilates is a great, safe and fun form of exercise for everyone, and everyone can benefit from it – no matter how fit or unfit.
There are three ways of practicing Mat Pilates 1) by going to a group class 2) by organising a duo class with a friend/acquaintance 3) by taking one-to-one, personalised classes.
In this post I will explore the reasons why one might want to take personalised Mat Pilates classes.
Today I am also launching my New Year 2017 special offer on personalised private and duo sessions… Please read on and see the end of the post for more on that.
Personalised Mat Pilates for back and shoulder pain
It is often difficult to know the real cause of back pain, whether it is lower back pain or pain in the shoulders and upper back, and in fact the origins of the pain are usually multiple. But one thing is for sure: back pain is always made worse by muscle weakness. If you want to avoid/fight pain in your back and shoulders, you should strengthen your back, shoulders, and core muscles. And stretch. And this is what we focus on in Pilates. A typical Mat Pilates class will include core-strengthening exercises, back-strengthening exercises – where we work on the deep muscles of the spine – and shoulder and back stretches.
In a typical group class, the instructor will go through these at a pace that is suitable for the majority of the students in the room, but it will not be the best pace for every single student. Some clients, those who experience back pain for example, would greatly benefit from doing a set of one-to-one Pilates sessions before they start group classes.
In these 5 or 10 session, they would be able to familiarise themselves with Pilates, learn the basics, and more importantly learn the modifications they need to protect their back if it is injured. They would also learn how to position their pelvis correctly to protect their lower back if their core is weak, and they would get stronger and more confident much faster.
Personalised Mat pilates to regain strength after an injury or pregnancy
For those who feel that they have lost their strength or tonicity in their muscles because of immobility forced by an injury or because of pregnancy, one-to-one Mat Pilates classes are also a great way to “get back on track” fast and safely. These clients too would benefit from a slower pace during the class and more emphasis on the modifications needed to protect the parts of the body than have been weakened.
Personalised Mat pilates to connect with your body
Students who are new to Pilates often find the coordination of breath and movement tricky and can end up feeling a bit lost in a group Pilates class. For those who feel like they are always out of synch, always doing it wrong, but would like or need to practice Pilates, a series of one-to-one sessions would be extremely beneficial. During these sessions the student, with the help of the instructor, would focus on “learning how to feel” – or improving body awareness – and on improving coordination. The pace of the class would be slower, more emphasis would be put on learning the basic principles of Pilates and learning the basic positions and arm/leg movement coordination found in Pilates exercises.
So… if you think you are in one of the situations described in this article, and would benefit from doing a few one-to-one sessions, why not give it a try? There is more information about personalised classes on my Personalised Pilates page, and this page is where you will find more information about my New Year 2017 special offer on all personalised sessions, valid from today until the end of March 2017.
If, on the other hand, you think that group classes are more fun and better for you, then you can find more information about my group classes in Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte here.
If you are a mum with a young baby and would like to bring your baby along to class, find out more about my Postnatal Pilates classes here. You can also read this post on the topic.