Starting your Pilates Journey with private lessons is essential. Here's why.
Starting your Pilates journey with private lessons is essential. Here's why! Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and whole lot of other A list celebrities who rock sexy, sculpted abs incorporate Pilates into their fitness routine. And who doesn’t want a body like Jennifer Anniston! Understanding the real essence and benefits of Pilates takes time. To perfect the art of control in your body, mind and muscles and the awareness of breath – is something that cannot be achieved within a few lessons, it takes a long time to master. This is why starting off with private lessons is essential. You will learn from the beginning the true feeling of what the moves - that are designed to focus on your core muscles and provide proper alignment of the spine – are meant to feel like. Unlike group classes, when you have private lessons you have the undivided attention of your professional instructor. They focus on one specific body and mind. They can tailor exercises suited to your bodies needs and give in depth explanations, providing you with knowledge you will practice in your every day life. Their trained eye can see if you are doing the exercises correctly and if not, they will move you into the exact placement, and work through the breathing with you. This kind of one-on-one collaboration is not as possible in group classes, and lets face it - results are what you are after, so why not learn it right from the start. Once you master these moves, you will be working muscles you didn’t know you had. You will be seeing and feeling the real effects. Dorothy Roborg-Sondergaard, Director of Pilates Health and Well Being in Samford Valley, Brisbane has a range of clientele with diverse needs, from those with chronic injury to those seeking general strengthening and body awareness, to high performance athletes. A professional ballet dancer who used Pilates as part of her training, has over 13 years experience in teaching the art of control. The unique system of stretching and strengthening exercises is taught in either private or group lessons on Mat, Reformer & Total Barre classes. Dorothy is a staunch believer in having private lessons to kick-start your Pilates journey. She speaks of one client in particular, who has been attending group matt class for 5 years. Having to take 5 weeks break due to Mammoplasty surgery, she decided to ease back into classes by taking private lessons. After 5 weeks working one-on-one with Dorothy, her client was not only astonished at how different the exercises felt, but the transformation in her body. She realised, after all this time, not only was her placement wrong, her breathing was out of sync. She has continued doing private lessons. Pilates done right is a work out that challenges your core and is scientifically proven to produce lean muscle and burn calories all day long - unlike cardio – the moment you stop, so does the burning of calories. Pilates is just not for the fit, but for anyone who has injuries, joints or physical problems. The essence of Pilates movements all come down to resistance training - improving strength, posture and eventually allows pain free movement. Quality of life is paramount. Book your Pilates private lesson today and watch your health, flexibility and motivation improve all by thinking and doing Pilates moves on a daily basis. Pilates Lifestyle and Wellbeing hold private and group Mat and Reformer Classes from Beginners to Intermediate level. https://www.pilateslifestyle.com.au/
The Silent Intruder Who Steals the Glory of Mothers Day
Mother’s Day is not only difficult for those whose Mums have passed, it can be difficult for those whose Mums are still alive.
Seven years ago, Alzheimer's stole our Mum. And it is not giving her back.
Our mother is still with us physically and on the outside to the rest of the world, she looks exactly like she always did. But mentally and emotionally we lost her a long time ago and this Mother’s Day, like all the celebrations we have lived through recently, she won’t really be there.
Alzheimer's is insidious. We are mourning the loss of someone who is still very much alive.
When first told of her diagnosis we really didn't comprehend the enormity of the disease, nor its power it would have over the dynamics of our family. Nothing prepared us for what lay ahead.
Our initial thoughts – seriously, how bad can memory loss be? People forget things all the time.
How uneducated were we! This disease is not a normal part in ageing. It is ageing disgracefully. It strips you of normality, dignity, self-esteem and the most important human right - communication.
Communication is a two way process and the essence of being a human being. Watching someone you love fearfully trying to remember a face, a name or where they are, is heart breaking. To know they want to recognise, talk or reach out with a touch - but can't, is incomprehensible to someone who can.
Intellectual thinking and making sense of the present is, what we do everyday. For Alzheimer’s suffers it is a slow process of knowing routine behaviours and a lifetime of memories are slowly being erased. And there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
According to Dementia Australia - the new voice of Alzheimer's Australia, statistics show:
Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians contributing to 5.4% of all deaths in males and 10.6% of all deaths in females each year.
In 2018, there is an estimated 425,416 Australians living with dementia (191,367 (45%) males and 234,049 (55%) females)
Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to 536,164 by 2025 and almost 1,100,890 by 2056.
Every three seconds someone in the world develops dementia.
These statistics do not present a great deal of optimism.
Even though our Mum still remembers the core family members, staying positive and connected with her is not an easy feat. Few and far between are the days we actually have her in the present.
The simple things in life are not so simple anymore. Family get togethers, special events, shopping, lunch in a cafe - they all require a whole lot of patience and perseverance. The days of easiness are long gone.
What we wouldn’t give, to have her back in the present for just one day. A day to shop, lunch and share conversations about our everyday lives, dreams and ideas.
To hear her motherly advice, input and criticism - yes criticism, who would of thought? But it is better than a blank stare.
We once took all of these for granted.
This Mother’s Day we may be lucky to have her in a moment of presence, where she is with us, she is our Mum.
If not, we soldier on and cherish the moments we do have. We will communicate our warmth and affection by holding her soft hands and stroking her beautiful face. And even though mindfully it may seem like she is slipping further and further away, bodily she is always there.