Pain tends to creep up on us as we age, but Pilates and other forms of movement provide the perfect opportunity to embrace “playtime” and reap the benefits of active play.

It’s funny, we spend so much time on our feet, yet pay so little attention to them in our everyday lives. What if I were to tell you that strengthening your feet would help you strengthen your glutes and your hips, thereby supporting your lower back and helping you move with ease?!

As a physiotherapist, I have had many dealings with individuals who have been involved in accidents but have found that using individualized Pilates programs has time and time again shown to help bring them back to their baseline function.

The older I get, the more excuses I make. It is easier to not do something than to put in the effort to try. I have done some work on why I make excuses.

In Pilates, we often play with the notion of tempo during movement and though we can also speed up, I have really enjoyed slow, controlled movements lately.

As we are still collectively living through a once-in-a-century global pandemic, it’s worth reflecting on one of the most positive lessons that we have learned. While our lives have become more isolated in many ways, there have been myriad examples of how communities have come together to connect and support each other.

I bet you keep hearing that you need to have “core strength” and “strong abdominals”, so before you start sucking your belly buttons in, doing more sit-ups, planks or crunches, let’s look at what core stability is.

I love the idea of “the humble chair” for a Pilates class, a class which is designed to use a regular chair as a tool for movement. We sit in one everyday, be it for work or for a meal perhaps. But have you ever played on one?

As masks are now a very necessary part of our everyday lives, coupled with general anxiety in terms of the future and the state of the world, our breathing has imperceptibly fallen on the shallow side of the scale. Breathing is important not only in the delivery of oxygen to our cells, but also to the proper mechanics of the neck and shoulder complex.

This one is for all the post abdominal surgery patients out there! The exhausting journey of regaining strength/function post surgery can be overwhelming and perhaps you’ve been given the green light to start exercise, but you have no idea where to start.

When it comes to exercise, how much is enough? We are constantly bombarded with research and news articles that tell us we’re not getting enough exercise, and that we have to move more.

As the pandemic has created a shift to a “new normal” and working from home, the existing health risks posed from desk work have only been amplified!

Being tethered to our home workstations for upwards of 6-8 hours a day can cause a world of issues, from back pain to muscle aches and joint problems.

The closest thing to a spring chicken, in my house, is what we had for dinner in the instapot a few nights ago. Although, no old goat either, I am definitely noticing the signs of many years of neglecting therapy for injury to my body.

While it is true that Pilates can be a very effective form of movement with no equipment, the addition of props to Pilates mat exercises can intensify your experience and can give you excellent feedback during movement. It is a common misconception to view props in a negative light (I know you like to do things all on your own!), but props can be very good friends that can offer assistance when you need it.

There are a few myths surrounding Pilates. But luckily, Ashley’s debunked a handful of them to inspire you to start/continue confidently pursuing Pilates. When you’re done reading, make sure you book a class!

Pilates can be intimidating for those who are new to it. Perhaps you’re coming back from injury, prolonged time away from fitness, or maybe the idea of moving your body in this way is completely foreign to you.

Is it time to rethink Pilates?

I have to admit that in the past, I was guilty of believing some of the stigmas about Pilates, especially regarding the population I thought it was targeted for. But I like to consider myself open-minded to trying new things. After all, I gave yoga a shot and ended up really enjoying it!

Typically, Pilates movements are done in low repetitions. To get the best understanding of a movement pattern, slow and steady wins the race.

How do we solve the age-old dilemma of having to do something important, but boring? By thinking outside the box!

Our feet have one of the most important jobs out there; to carry our bodies all day long!

Each foot (including the ankle) has 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than one hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments.