I have been teaching Pilates for two years and I absolutely love it! Teaching Pilates for a living is like a breath of fresh air, I enjoy my work. The classes are relaxing but challenging, I get a great sense of satisfaction from seeing my regulars improving in posture, strength and body shape. It’s great to bring people a sense of calm amidst their busy lifestyles.
I started out on my fitness career in 2000 doing dance and poi spinning classes with a youth group in Bournemouth. When I moved back to Birmingham in 2004 I became a fitness instructor in a local gym connected to a visually impaired and disabled College. I loved working in the gym with the students from the special college, so when an opportunity came up to teach the Sport and Recreation NVQ I took it. I taught and managed the NVQ for one year. As much as I loved the teaching role I missed working with the public. I went away to study Nutrition, Personal Training and Pilates in 2007 and have been working for myself ever since.
I have travelled to India on Two occasions; I practised various disciplines of yoga, Reiki, pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation. I am now a Reiki practitioner. Body work and Reiki blend very well together, It’s great to give Reiki treatments to my Pilates students because I feel I have a connection and awareness of their physical body already, it’s a joy to work ‘energetically’ to bring people into balance with themselves.
I mainly teach Pilates to groups but sometimes I work 1-1. I also do some Personal Training and Nutrition advice.
I have some unusual interests including Meditation, Reiki, Yoga (mainly Ashtanga), dancing (5 Rhythms), Capoeira, travelling and going on retreat, cooking vegan food, painting, drawing and writing.
I hope you enjoy my blog, please comment or contact me.
Lucy,
really injoying the classes but i struggle a bit with the breathing i can’t seem to coordinate the breathing with the movements (i exhale when i sould be inhaling or voice versa).
can you advise on how i can improve this or will it just come in time? also i find it hard to exhale for the whole of the movement and have to stop half way to inhale again is that ok?
I find i am totally high from all the oxygen i take in during the class is that normal or am i really that unfit? overall really look forward to the classes, keep up the good work
Hi Steve,
The breathing takes a while to get used to. Generally you exhale when exerting the force.
For example when lifting in a sit up or rolling up in a shoulder bridge. I’ll try to talk through the breathing during the exercises a lot more. You’ll get used to it in time and it will come naturally. We will do some more breathing exercises at the end of the classes, that way you will be able to take deeper inhalations and exhalations. The secret is to take the air in and out slowly instead of letting it all go at once. Yep! Deep breathing will make you ‘high’!! But that’s good for you, breathing properly can cure many ill’s, Indian Guru’s swear by it, it can add a few years to your life! It doesn’t mean you are infit if you find the breathing difficult, it’s just getting used to something new.
I hope this has answered some of your questions, thank you for blogging, i’ll see you next class.
Lucy
Oh yeah! I love Pilates and I offer a Pilates inspired poi class to help my poi artists connect with their breath and core muscles more — PoiLates. If you’re ever in SF, check it out at Temple of Poi.
Wow!!
Poilates! That sounds great I love poi, when I’m spinning I often try to throw in random yoga, pilates and capoeira moves – Great!
ENJOY!
x