Against my better judgement I’ve created a new Pilates Workouts Forum. It’s against my better judgement because from past experience moderating and managing a Forum is hard work!

Not only do I have to answer questions posted by interested souls but keeping a Forum spam free is almost a full time job in itself.

Currently the Forum only has one topic but it’s easy enough to add others if people are interested. One of the great things about a Forum is not only the ability to ask questions and get a reply from myself or Bob but the responses from other members that may also have experienced your particular challenge and invaluable.

The sense of community is what a great forum is all about and to that end I’m asking anyone who reads this post and has an interest in Pilates to register and not only ask questions but share your knowledge with the other members.

The challenge for me is to get enough people to register and visit on a regular enough basis to give the forum life. A dead forum is just that dead and of no use to anyone.

To that end I’ve sent an Email to all my Free Pilates Exercises subscribers and I’m hoping get it kick started this month.

So if you have an interest in Pilates, have a Pilates question or wish to share some of your knowledge and experience with Pilates then why not join me.

The Pilates Workouts Forum can be found by clicking the link and I look forward to seeing you on the inside.

Pilates Workouts Forum Now Online is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

People can be strange and it never ceases to amaze me how little they’ll do for themselves sometimes. The number of times a client has told me about a particular problem / injury they have and when I suggest they go visit a doctor / Physiotherapist to get a professional opinion refuse to go.

It often goes something like this – Bob when I do this (rolls shoulders backwards) I hear and feel a grating sound from my shoulders and it hurts what do you think could be wrong? Well I’ve done the shoulder course and have an idea but I’m not qualified to diagnose injuries I’m just a Pilates Instructor.

I therefore strongly suggest that this client go see a Physiotherapist to get a diagnosis before continueing with her Pilates as without knowing what’s wrong with the shoulder it’s possible even Pilates might make the problem worse.

Do you think the client does as I suggest? No she doesn’t and in the end I have to tell that that until she gets it looked at I can’t have her in my class any more as I don’t feel comfortable teaching her without knowing what’s wrong. Sometimes that does the trick but sometimes it doesn’t and I lose a client who could have benefited from Pilates.

I know you’re thinking she maybe couldn’t afford to get treated but I live in the UK and a visit to the doctor is free of charge so what gives?

If you know the answer I’d be pleased to hear it because to this day I can’t understand why someone won’t seek professional help when they obviously need it.

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates And The Case Of The Strange Clients is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Finding Free Pilates Exercises on-line can be challenging. There is no shortage of information available on the Internet in the form of articles and videos on Youtube and other video sharing sites.

I soon discovered though that no one is providing the Pilates Beginner a program that is safe, effective and complete.

Carol and I (Bob) decided to produce such a program to help the complete beginner get the benefits of Pilates by means of written material, audio and video. This program would take a complete beginner step by step through some of the most beneficial Pilates exercises we know.

This was intended to be a pay-per-month subscription program building month by month to a complete library of exercises you could do at home; but sadly my marketing skills and peoples’ dire financial situation meant there were very few who had the money to pay for it.

Carol and I invested a lot of time and effort in creating the program and it seemed a shame to let it sit on the shelf when it could benefit so many people.

Therefore we’ve decided to giveaway Month one of what was going to be  a 12 month series.

It is a complete program comprising a 73 page book and over 30 videos, showing in detail 7 exercises, including Mobilisation, how to Zip and Hollow, how to find neutral spine in all positions and culminates in a 20 minute Pilates workout video with a separate audio track and 10 minute relaxation track.

Don’t let the fact it’s free put you off

To sign up enter your name and Email address in the boxes below and click the Sign Up button. I’ll then Email you your access details and show you how to log-in.

Then check your Email for details on how to log-in.

I’d be delighted to hear your comments and feedback on how we could improve the course and you can do that by leaving a comment anywhere on this Blog or you can Email me at
support@mypilatesforbeginners.com or you can register at my Pilates Workouts Forum and post any questions you may have there.

Regards,

Carol & Bob Bartram
(Pilates Instructors)

Free Pilates Exercises is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

I’ve just returned from a two day back care course run by a Physiotherapist called Jenny (who really knows her stuff). I already knew something about the back as it was covered in detail (or so I thought) on my Level III Pilates Instructors course.

I knew which exercises to avoid for all the common back conditions but this course took things into a lot more detail with specifics on remedial one to one exercise prescription.

I never knew so much could go wrong with your back – if you don’t look after it that is.

I came away from the course convinced that the only safe way to teach Pilates was to sit class members on a block and don’t let them move! The part about assuming everyone over the age of 50 had osteoporosis blew me away!

Enough rambling and back to the question can Pilates help with an existing back problem? Yes it can but as always prevention than a cure.

Once your back has been damaged Pilates can help strengthen and keep it mobile and flexible but it can’t repair any damage already done nothing can.

The bottom line is look after your back and it’ll last you a lifetime (pain free). Neglect it and you’ll accelerate the spinal degeneration that naturally occurs as you get older and maybe suffer pain as a consequence.

Keeping your back flexible, strong and mobile should be your goal and Pilates can certainly help with that if taught correctly.

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Can Pilates Help Your Back Problem? is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

I’d like to talk to you about Pilates; what it’s done for me and how it could benefit you too if you take it up and practise the exercises regularly.

Put simply, Pilates has banished my pain; the muscle pain I have held in my neck and back for years. The pain that was the result of years of poor posture and not taking proper care of my back.

“Posture” is one of those things your mother always nagged about when you were young – “Sit up straight!”; Stand up properly – come on, head up and shoulders back!” I never took any notice, but (I hate to say it), she was Dead Right! If I had taken notice then, I wouldn’t have half the back problems I have now, and probably neither would you!

None of us want to have pain; those that do have it want a way to ease it, and anyone that doesn’t have pain (yet) would be wise to take steps to prevent it.

This is where Pilates comes in; an exercise system that is based on the results of a lifetime’s work by Mr Joseph Pilates, who was born a century ago and became a self-taught genius in the then-unknown field of physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

You are never too young or too old to learn Pilates. Learnt young, the exercises will head many aches and pains off at the pass before they even manage to develop. But equally good, Pilates taken up when you are older will correct many of the problems that a lifetime of bad posture has caused.

Up to approximately the age of 40, our bodies are forgiving and tolerant of us – any muscular injuries heal quickly, and sitting at a desk all day, or standing leaning on one leg for hours at a time while we iron or lifting kids around just causes minor grumbles from our backs which ease when we rest.

But as we get older, our bodies cope less well, and that’s when old injuries and a lifetime of poor posture start conspiring to give us aches and pains we never had or noticed when we were younger. And the older we get, the worse the problem gets, as our spines stiffen and our muscles weaken. You see elderly people shuffling along slowly with a big hump on their back and their head pushed forward.

They’ll tell you they have constant back pain, which hurts worse if they even try to straighten up, as their spine has “set fast” in the wrong shape. So they move around less and less, their posture gets worse and worse, and we all know where it ends.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

No matter how old you are, your spine can be made more flexible and your muscles can get stronger. And no matter how young you are, it’s never too early to learn how to exercise your spine and muscles to keep them strong and slow down the ageing process. Getting old is inevitable. Feeling old isn’t ?.

Anyone can learn Pilates Exercises– it’s safe, effective, and the benefits will last a lifetime.

Carol Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates For Beginners – Is Your Posture Giving You Pain? is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

I’m sure Bob is becoming more and more like Victor Meldrew every day. The only thing needed now is for him to say “I don’t believe it” and he’s there. Pilates Instructors are supposed to be relaxed and chilled out – don’t you believe it. He would of course blame me but I’m innocent I swear!

Watch the video and see for yourself!

Carol Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates For Beginners Meets Victor Meldrew! is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

This exercise is the most important technique in Pilates that you can learn, in our opinion. I wouldn’t call it difficult, but it can be tricky to get the hang of it at first – it’s a bit like learning to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time – but once you get it, you will never forget how to do it.

There is very little point in doing any Pilates exercises without Zipping and Hollowing as your midsection and back won’t be braced, the exercise won’t work as it should and you may even pull a muscle. So practise Zip & Hollow until it becomes second nature to you; the best thing about it is that you can practise anywhere and at any time, and no-one else will notice a thing. It’s not called The Hidden Secret of Pilates for nothing ?.

“Zip & Hollow” is simply the term we use in class when we want everyone to engage their deep abdominal muscles and pull up on their pelvic floor. Other Pilates instructors use different terms; one instructor I knew would shout out “Brace yourselves, Ladies!”, but our classes would keel over laughing if Bob came out with that one ?.

Doing a Zip and Hollow stabilises your trunk internally, bracing your midsection for the exercise you are about to perform. The actual muscle set-up is fairly complex, but the effect is like tightening a corset.

Here are the instructions for Zip and Hollow in Standing: -

Start by finding Neutral spine in Standing and make sure your neck and shoulders are relaxed.  We’ll begin with the Zip.

Pull up between your legs, as if you’re trying to stop yourself going to the toilet. This is the pelvic floor that’s moving. Pull up a few times as far as you can, then halfway up, then a third of the way up. If you feel hardly any movement DON’T WORRY. Takes a bit of practice…even if the muscle just twitches at first, it means you’ve given it a wake-up call! Relax the rest of the body and don’t forget to breathe…the crazy thing here is if you tense up and try too hard, you won’t get anywhere. Close your eyes and let the Force flow through you. ?

As you do this, you’ll probably feel your deep tummy muscles contract a bit and your lower back tense slightly. This is GOOD…it means your deep core muscles (called your Transversis Abdominis or TVA has switched on. The TVA is a sheet of muscle that runs around your midsection; another name for it is “Nature’s Corset”.

Now we’ll do the Hollow.

Imagine that you’re wearing a pair of jeans, and they’ve suddenly got too tight, so you have to pull your bellybutton backwards away from the waistband. Practice pulling it back as far as you can towards your spine, then halfway, then a third of the way – just like your pelvic floor. You will feel your abdominal muscles flatten slightly. Keep the contraction low down – if you suck in the muscles directly below your rib-cage, you won’t be able to breathe easily as they are the wrong muscles!

Now try doing the two actions together….pull your pelvic floor up a third of the way, and at the same time pull your bellybutton back a third of the way towards your spine – and there’s your Zip and Hollow

Now do the two together and breathe at the same time! This may seem like one too many things to do at this stage, but persevere. Remember learning to drive? How impossible it seemed to change gear, indicate and look in your mirror all at the same time, while not stalling the engine at those uphill traffic lights? (I go into a cold sweat just thinking about that one!). But after you’d been driving for a while, it all became second nature and you could do it subconsciously and hardly think about it. Your Zip and Hollow will become like that. I promise

Watchpoints

The most important one is to remember to breathe normally and not tense up and clench your jaw. When you first practise pulling up on the pelvic floor and pulling the belly-button backwards, it’s almost impossible not to raise the shoulders and hold your breath! Perform the Zip and Hollow and then deliberately drop your shoulder-blades down your back – which will relax your upper shoulders and neck.

These deep muscles in your core are not meant to fire all the time, so practise pulling up and in and then letting go whenever you can. Your body will soon start to respond.

See the video for the verbal instructions.

Carol Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Beginners Pilates – The Zip and Hollow is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Pilates in recent years has become very popular and I think for some very good reasons. The problem comes when people try Pilates without really knowing what it is or what it can do for them. They start a class and are disappointed when it does not meet their expectations!

Pilates differs from many traditional exercise programmes as it focuses both on strengthening weak muscles and stretching tight areas (often in the same exercise). Its focus is on good posture and form and is often quoted as ‘intelligent exercise’.

This document will address these issues and tell you simply what Pilates is, what it can do for you and more importantly what it isn’t and what it can’t do.

People who practice Pilates regularly are also more “Chilled out” and relaxed to quote Joseph Pilates “It is the mind which builds the body” and Pilates addresses both the mind and the body together as one unit not separated as in many other types of exercise.

Physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and doctors often recommend Pilates for their clients’ rehabilitation. This endorsement simply indicates that . . . .Pilates works!

Pilates has been shown to improve sport performance. Because  with most sports a stable and strong core is essential to be able to move and turn quickly.

There is no point in being powerfully built if your body has become rigid and restricted in its range of movement. More and more sports coaches now employ structural fitness exercises based on Pilates principles to help athletes become better at their chosen sport.

Bob Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Learn Pilates At Home is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Guinea Pigs Only

Below you’ll find a link to the written instructions for Standing Knee Lifts and it’s accompanying video. I’d appreciate it if you’d take a look at both and tell us what you think.

I’m assuming your computer skills may be rusty if so watch the video below and I’ll explain how you can save the written portion of the exercise and how to play the video. If you’re computer savvy just download and view.

How To Download Ebook

Written instructions

Right mouse click on the link ==> gpkneelift.pdf <== and save as.

Standing Knee Lift Video

Out Takes Scene One

If you’ve time take a look at this video Bob at his grumpiest

.

Bob Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Guinea Pigs Only – Standing Knee Lift is a post from: Pilates For Beginners

Pilates is first and foremost a functional exercise system. An exercise is considered functional when it gets us ready for some movement we are actually likely to encounter in “real life” like picking up a child or hoovering the carpet.

Its exercises closely resemble and mimic many of the things we are required to do in our normal daily lives and teaches us to do them better and safer.

How may times have you heard someone say “I just bent down to pick up my toothbrush (replace with an object of your own choosing) and I felt my back go”

Pilates teaches you to engage the correct muscles to help stabilise your back before bending over to pick anything up thereby greatly reducing the chance of injury due to poor lifting technique and weak stabilising muscles.

Pilates practised over a long period of time can help to address and correct many aspects of incorrect habitual posture. Most of us do not stand or sit for that matter in a way that is beneficial for our backs and neck.

Many of the postural problems we encounter today are down to our modern lifestyle. Sitting for prolonged periods at computers and in office chairs is just one example in the cause of imbalance and pain. There are also genetic and injury related conditions that can be helped using the Pilates method.

Pilates addresses:

Spinal alignment
Neck placement
Shoulder stability
Pelvic stability
Trunk stability
Core stability
Correct breathing
Relaxation
Focused attention

Bob Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Learning Pilates – The Benefits is a post from: Pilates For Beginners