All about Pilates

As part of my return to wellness (and retreat from not-being-ill-ness) I’ve started doing yoga again – and taken up Pilates for the first time. I’m taking lessons from my friend Diane, who is a brilliant teacher, and although I expected Pilates to help me to become strong again, I’ve been absolutely amazed by the results I’ve had in less than a month.

As she is so much better at talking about Pilates than me, I’ve got Diane over to the blog and asked her all about it.

Stephanie: So, Diane, when I first met you, you were a spinning teacher. Now you teach Pilates. What happened?

Diane: It’s always been something I vaguely thought about doing, since I took up Pilates about 10 years ago. Spinning teaching wasn’t really a full-time job so I was looking around for a more permanent career path. I realised that here in London I had the opportunity to train with one of the best organisations in the world, Body Control Pilates, so I decided to get to it and here I am!

Stephanie: Most gyms seem to offer Pilates classes these days. To be honest, I’ve been along to a few when I felt I ought to do an exercise class without doing very much actual exercise. How do lessons in a more specific Pilates environment differ?

Diane: Hmm… ‘without doing much actual exercise’… Remind me to show you some of the advanced moves next time! Pilates has really increased in popularity over the years – when I started, not many people had heard of it, in fact I hadn’t! Group mat classes are helping to cater to this demand, and they’re a great way to keep fit and toned. In the more traditional Pilates setting, however, groups are small, or you work one-to-one, and the focus is much more centred on precision of movement and addressing your own goals. And it’s far less easy to ‘cheat’ and slack off than it is in the gym!

I work mainly one-to-one with clients, which gives me the opportunity to spend time discussing their goals and individual needs, then designing a program which will fit them. I can make sure that the workout is at just the right level – always challenging without being either boring or unsafe. Working in very small groups gives a Pilates instructor much more adaptability too, you can change up the exercises if a client is having a slow day, or feeling particularly energised, and use equipment to add extra support or a variation to a familiar exercise.

Stephanie: I’ve come to you for lessons now because it feels like time for me to be getting well again, and I want to use Pilates as part of regaining my strength and repairing the damage that cancer treatment has done over the last 18 months. Is this a good use of Pilates?

Diane: Pilates is fantastic for this. Your body has been through a great deal, emotionally and physically, and that has no doubt caused long-term build-up of tension and constriction. Add to that the many months of limited activity and the chemicals that have poured through your body and we have a lot to work on.

First up, the focus will be mobilise, mobilise, mobilise. We’ll be relaxing the muscles which have set up a defence reaction to treatment, mobilising joints (like the left arm/shoulder where the PICC line was), and generally getting everything moving again. We’ll gradually add strength and resistance exercises and I’ll be recommending some increased aerobic activity as well. You’ve had a medical menopause, which means that you’re at a greater risk of osteoporosis now, so we’ll be addressing that as well. The great thing about Pilates is that we can start small, and as you get stronger there’s practically no upper limit.

Stephanie: When I was struggling through chemotherapy last year I decided to do some yoga, but I had a hell of a job finding a teacher who would work with me. Not because I’m horrible or anything, just because many teachers seemed to feel that yoga might somehow be bad for me while I was having treatment. For my readers going through treatment at the moment, is there anything they need to be aware of when considering Pilates?

Diane: I think it’s a pity that many people think that reduced activity is the way to go for cancer sufferers. Research on exercise and cancer treatment has found that moderate exercise helps reduce symptoms such as fatigue, nausea and depression, as well as helping maintain good physical functionality so that you can return to normal life as soon as you can after treatment and even keep up as much as possible during it. You know yourself that just because you’re having treatment doesn’t mean that life stops – yes there’s down days, maybe weeks, but in between you can work, and play and you certainly don’t want to spend months languishing on the sofa.

There are naturally some contraindications to exercise, including heart/BP problems, infection, etc., and you should stay in constant communication with your medical advisor. In general though, if you listen to your body, and it tells you that exercise is ok then that’s a good sign. Rule of thumb – schedule exercise when you feel good, scale it back when your body says ‘rest!’

I always treat every query on a case-by-case basis. If there’s a medical issue, I get a thorough history and confer with medical professionals if necessary. Pilates is great in this situation as you can adapt it to meet the most involved needs of a client and focus on whatever goals they have, whether that’s just relaxing an over-stressed body, or keeping up a reasonable level of strength and mobility so that the tennis matches can start again as soon as treatment is over.

Stephanie: How do you know when you’ve found a good Pilates teacher (apart from the fact that she’s called Diane Mulholland, obviously) and what should a good Pilates lesson feel like/do?

Diane: Never be afraid to ask your teacher what their qualifications are. Did you know that in this country (in most countries) you can call yourself a Pilates instructor after a weekend distance education course? Check for at least a 200 hour training certification and preferably 400-500, especially if they are working with studio equipment.

A good instructor will:

• Talk to you about your goals, offer advice on how achievable they are, and then check back down the track to see if you’re getting there

• Watch you closely for technique – a good teacher can do this even during a big class, they’ll be walking around observing from all angles and not just standing at the front fiddling with the cd-player

• Ask you for feedback about how exercises feel to make sure you’re working in the right way

• Work to a planned program which is designed to be the right level for you

• Push you at a level which encourages progression without the workout feeling like a boot-camp

You also need to feel comfortable with your instructor. Personalities vary and you may need to shop around for a good fit. You’ll know you’re in the right place if you’re feeling energised, challenged, and supported. Pilates should never hurt (except in that ‘wow I forgot I had that muscle’ kind of way) and you shouldn’t ever be made to feel frustrated or hopeless.

Stephanie: Do you need a Pilates teacher, or can you practice from a book or DVD?

Diane: This is a tricky one. I’d love to just say ‘Yes, you definitely need a teacher!’ But the fact is, we’re not all Victoria Beckham, and one-to-one Pilates sessions a couple of times a week may be out of reach.

So, some thoughts:

• Working with a (good) private instructor will ensure the greatest level of achievement as you will be pushed at just the right level and won’t be able to cheat during workouts

• This doesn’t mean that you won’t learn anything in a mat class or from a DVD, but be aware that progress will be slower

• To extrapolate, a small class is better than a big class, and a great mat class teacher will be better than a rubbish private teacher – shop around

• If you have an injury, medical issue, or back pain please see an instructor at least a few times before practising on your own – doing Pilates exercises incorrectly can be dangerous if you are not fit and well

• DVDs and books are portable and economical and you don’t have to go out in the rain – home practice is better than a gym membership you never use

My advice to those who don’t have the resources of the Beckhams is to book a series of 6-10 private sessions with a reputable instructor. This will be enough for you to learn the basics, develop your goals and expectations and learn where you’re most likely to cheat in exercises. You can then join a mat class or work from home secure in the knowledge that you’re ‘doing it right’ and working at the right level. Pop back and visit your instructor every 2-3 weeks for a tune-up and to re-assess your progress.

Stephanie: And finally – where can readers find out more about Pilates?

Diane: Below are some of my ‘go to’ sites for Pilates and fitness information. There’s some basic background on my website as well, and you can sign up for my monthly Pilates newsletter if you like: the latest news, fitness and nutrition ideas and Pilates Q&A. You can also email me with specific questions and I’ll do my best to help.

For comprehensive Pilates information click here. There’s information about different exercises, history of Pilates, videos, and general tips and advice.

Based in the UK, http://vitalflow.tv/ has classes you can download for workouts at home, posts on nutrition and fitness, and in-depth answers to Pilates-related questions.

It’s also worth subscribing to http://www.lisajohnsonfitness.com/. Lisa has a great reputation in the fitness industry and writes on topics including Pilates, fitness, nutrition and a bit of celebrity gossip thrown in.

There’s an interesting article about breast cancer and using Pilates to aid recovery here

You can read about lymphedema and exercise here.

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As you can probably tell by Diane’s answers, she doesn’t do things by halves – she’s very thorough and conscientious. Since I started Pilates, my cramps have stopped, I can stand and walk for longer, I have less stiffness, I am aware that I am more upright, and I sleep better. Obviously I’ve stopped having herceptin in the same period, which has got to be helping too, but I really think Pilates is having a huge impact on me.

I’m interested to hear what Bah! readers to to help get well, or to feel better? (That’s a general question, not specific to people who have danced with cancer.) Please, leave a comment….