Last year I had the opportunity to have private Pilates tuition in order to become an instructor. As we were in LA only for the summer, I wasn’t able to complete the course and get certified. However, we certainly crammed in as much info as we could and I practiced on the reformer, Cadillac and mat work.
Unfortunately, when I returned to the Gulf, I never kept up with my Pilates learning which was a shame as we have a bespoke Pilates Studio. Reason was, I wasn’t keen on the previous instructor’s style of teaching and as a result would never go to her classes.

A year has passed, and the previous instructor has moved on. We now have a new instructor and am really excited to be getting back into training.
Why does Pilates work for me?

Recovering from Stage 1 Adrenal Exhaustion meant that I had to stop high intensity classes like Body Pump (using weights) and Combat (high intensity martial arts) and RPM (high intensity spin class). These classes were playing havoc with my adrenals as the constant stress attributed to high intensity exercise, caused in response, my body to continually release cortisol (the main stress hormone). Unfortunately, as a result of the constant demand my body wasn’t able to shut down this release and as a consequence the rest of my hormones became depleted or imbalanced. (namely my female hormones!)

The treatment and future?
Over the last year I have balanced my hormones out by using the natural supplementation and have incorporated mind body exercises into my routine. Certainly, once I healed, I could re introduce the weights but it made me look in other directions for a discipline that I can work my muscles but without the high cortisol release. And so along came Pilates and Yoga!

Continue reading for a nice article for those of you not so familiar with what Pilates is (surely not many of you, although we did come across a German who had never heard of Pilates before!!, BTW Pilates originates from a German by the name of Joseph Pilates!).

Lastly, I am pleased to know that there are plenty of Pilates Studios in  Bahrain, let’s just hope I find an instructor I like!!!

Pilates: Hype or Here to Stay?

Pilates has received a lot of hype in the last few years…but what does pilates do for the body, anyway? Is it yoga without the ommm? Guest blogger and certified pilates pro Zoe Anderson shares the definitive scoop on everything there is to know about pilates:

1- Will pilates give you flat abs?

Yes! Pilates focuses on the abdominal region (commonly known as the
core) as the basis of movement. The abdominal region is the center
point to maintaining proper alignment. But… pilates won’t create a flat
stomach if you keep chowing down on burgers and fries!

2- Pilates gives you longer and leaner muscles, right?

Trick question: It is a visual effect! No one can physically make
their muscle longer – well, not unless they have some kind of surgery.
Pilates combines resistance training with stretching to create less
bulky muscles. Think about the bodies of a body builder and a figure
skater. You can see that the type of exercise affects the outcome of
their physical body (as well as diet). Bodies can only be altered to a
certain extent through exercise. Genes – don’t we love them!

3- True or false: pilates makes your taller.

False. Though some of the equipment looks like torture machines -
they’re really not! Pilates aims to work in several dimensions -
flexion, rotation, and extension. It could be that by working in
several different dimensions and articulation through the spine that
you create a tiny bit more space between the vertebrae – though this is
probably more of a feeling than is visible. But it is more likely that
it is your posture that has been corrected.

4- True or false: pilates will cure all my aches and pains.

False. However, back pain is often due to alignment shifts that
develop throughout life, so pilates can help with that as well as
recovery.

5- Can pilates make me lose weight?

Yes. But this comes with a caveat! The amount of weight you lose in
pilates will likely depend on how much activity you already get and how
fit you are to begin with. Those that are less fit are the ones that
might lose some weight. In general, pilates is not a weight loss tool.
If you want to solely focus on weight loss: go see a nutritionist,
evaluate the stress you have in your life, your diet, your exercise
habits, etc.

6- Can pilates can enhance athletic performance?

Yep! Tiger Woods has said he uses pilates as his secret weapon,
though I’m sure he has a few. Many dancers use pilates. Think of
pilates as a type of conditioning. In any sport certain muscles can get
overworked, creating an imbalance in muscles. In general, any athlete
will perform better with more total body connectivity and awareness
paired with core strength. This is true for the weekend warrior and the
Olympic swimmer alike.

7 – So how is pilates not like a regular workout with weights or other machines?

Like yoga, pilates focuses on heightened mind-body awareness. These
are not mindless exercises that can be achieved while simultaneously
watching TV. Like other exercise activities, pilates works on flexion,
extension, rotation, balance, and coordination along with resistance.
But pilates does incorporate more of a mind-body approach. If you want
to try pilates, just make sure it is with an educated pro!