Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
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BACK IN THE 80'S you owned a hot 'G' string leotard, you could finally admit that you had an 'ab roller' tucked under the bed, and you probably even knew your way around a gym circuit. In 2012 the talk is all about The Twist, The Seal, The Scissors and Rolling like a Ball. It is time to find out what all the excitement is about and investigate Pilates. You'd think it was new (given that most of us only heard about it in the last five years) but Pilates is a well established, well respected and beautifully balanced form of exercise and body maintenance, which has been around for decades and is perfect for most people. Pioneered by Joseph Pilates as a rehabilitative form of exercise, modern day Pilates combines Joseph's knowledge of core strength and control with current exercise science wisdom providing a real recipe for success. Pilates develops a balance between strength and flexibility to make sure your muscles are working optimally, improving your posture, balance and coordination. It does this by working on your "core". That's Pilates-speak for all those muscles in your middle that hold you together, the ones that most of us don't even know we have. Core strength is vitally important for athletes, but also for the rest of us who sit at computers, jump in and out of a vehicle, or lift heavy objects all day long. WHY WILL PILATES WORK FOR YOU? The beauty of Pilates is that it is designed to be adapted to the individual. Men, women, athletes and seniors can work alongside each other, each to their own ability, and improving at their own rate. Pilates enthusiasts attend mat classes and/ or Studio Pilates sessions to fulfill their health and fitness goals. Mat classes are designed for groups, ideally of no more than 12, with the Pilates trainer monitoring all participants. Classes are offered for all levels from beginner to advanced. Most of the exercises involve just you and the mat, using your own body weight to work out. In Studio sessions trainers work with individuals or groups of up to three utilising specialist Pilates equipment such as the Chair, the Cadillac and the Reformer. Unlike typical gym equipment each one of these is designed to leverage specific Pilates movements to improve the overall mind and body connection while developing lean 5 ways Pilates will enhance your lifestyle? 1 2 3 4 5 You'll stay fitter and younger for longer. It's like servicing your car. You have to keep your body well oiled and all parts moving so that it gives you the very best performance it can. Keep moving it and challenging it … or you will lose it! You'll see real results. Pilates will sneak up on you – it is a progression-based programme. You will love the feeling of achieving and improving your own performance each week, adding constantly to your repertoire of exercises while the physical benefits stack up. You'll get relief from back, neck and joint pain. If you're recovering from an injury or suffer from work-related back and neck pain, Pilates will strengthen your core muscles, improve your posture and reduce the pain as your body learns to work the way it should. You'll meet like-minded people. As a community we have figured out that the "go hard or go home" approach to exercise may no longer be what we are looking for. The right way to care for our body is a goal all Pilates enthusiasts share, and it's great to train in an environment where your motivations are the same. You'll be doing something that elite athletes are doing. If it's good enough for Andy Murray it's good enough for us! The Scottish tennis ace, who came so close to taking out World number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Aussie Open earlier this year, swears by Pilates Core strength training to prepare for international matches. muscles without adding bulk. So what now? Shop around … look for a specialist Pilates provider. Book in for an individual assessment and remember physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness –and we could all do with a little more happiness! p.s. You can finally ditch that G-string leotard – Pilates works best in comfortable clothing that you can move around in. Sonia Lidington Sonia is a Certified STOTT PILATES Instructor. She has been involved in the fitness industry for 27 years. In 2011 she opened her Pilates studio – Progressive Pilates, 10 Myrtle St, Hamilton. For more information visit www. progressivepilates.co.nz or contact Sonia on 021 576 503. www.hermagazine.co.nz | 89 STOTT PILATES© Photography © Merrithew Corporation