The year is flying by and surely the warmer weather isn't too far away. Practising Pilates is a great way of achieving all over toning so when the temperatures rise and the summer clothing eventually comes out, you can be sure of looking good.

Of course, looking good is not the only reason we do Pilates, feeling healthy and well is hugely important too. We know there are significant health benefits from regular exercise and Pilates, as part of a regular exercise programme has many health benefits helping combat many of the common and serious health conditions that are prevalent today.

Diabetes is considered the silent killer and it responds well to exercise that reduces fat and increases strength such as Pilates.  High blood pressure can lead to strokes, heart disease and kidney failure. Exercise can reduce blood pressure.  High cholesterol is associated with a sedentary lifestyle and any exercise that reduces weight can help with this. Pilates is particularly helpful as it is a prolonged stamina workout using more fat for fuel.

There is much evidence that exercise can help prevent certain cancers and aid in the management of symptoms.  The only long term treatment for degenerative arthritis is to maintain good muscular strength and joint flexibility and to establish a strong core. Pilates is ideal for this.

Some of these conditions affect men more than women. Despite all its benefits, unfortunately, Pilates attracts far fewer men than women. At NPF, only about 10% of clients are male which equates with figures from America which show about 16% men in class. The good news is that these percentages are on the rise as more men realise the huge fitness and wellbeing gains that Pilates can offer.  There are many reasons why men are not attracted to Pilates. It is often perceived as a women only discipline. Almost all images of Pilates show women, it is associated with dancers and most studios are owned and operated by women. Hardly surprising that it doesn't appeal to men despite the fact that Joseph Pilates was a man and a boxing trainer.

Pilates is considered a gentle form of exercise and not very sporty with few men aware of how challenging the workout can be and how it can make you stronger in your chosen sport. Perhaps if we renamed it ' the ultimate core workout ' it would appeal more, especially if just looking good is not your goal (despite what I said in the opening lines! ) If international rugby players incorporate Pilates into their training programme, it has to be doing something very worthwhile.

To try and encourage more men to give Pilates a try, we are offering a couple's concession card at the discounted rate of $155 for ten sessions for the month of September. It has to be shared equally so you both get exactly 5 sessions which are not transferrable between you. It really does take at least four classes to establish if Pilates is right for you. So, see if you can persuade a man in your life to give it a go, it can be a male relative or friend if you prefer. Existing couples who attend can also get this rate in September.

Carla, Val and myself all have skills other than being excellent Pilates instructors ! Val is a great massage therapist and is available for massages on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at Hatea Drive. Carla is a very experienced dance teacher with her own business called 'Just Dance'. She runs classes after school on Mondays and Tuesdays for all levels and Baby Ballet on Wednesdays. She will consider an adult class if anyone is interested.

I worked as a physiotherapist for twenty five years before arriving in New Zealand and have also been a personal trainer for fifteen years putting both of those skills together to work in rehabilitation after injury. Pilates is the ideal marriage of physiotherapy and exercise.   Between the three of us, we offer quite a comprehensive array of experience.

There has been a slight change to the timetable as Val and I have swapped Wednesday and Friday mornings. There is now only one class on Friday mornings at 9.30 am and it is intermediate level. Otherwise, the timetable is unchanged and can be seen on the website or in the studios.

We hope you have enjoyed working with the power circles over the last few weeks. We have some for sale at $35 if you want to continue with them at home while the classes move on to other things.

Winter months make motivation quite hard I know especially when you have to leave a warm house on a wet, cold evening. All that work will have paid off though when the weather gets warmer and the nights get lighter and you are ready for spring, fit and well.

Many people practice Pilates for pain conditions as the movement, strengthening and stretching help address the causes of the pain. Not everyone comes with injuries, some of you come to stay well for your sport.

Pilates is recommended for sports conditioning, improving core strength especially sports that are asymmetrical, using one side of the body more, such as golf and tennis. 

With its focus on centre and equal use of both sides , it provides balance in the body. There is indeed a Pilates company called Balanced Body, for that very reason. Many Pilates moves significantly improve strength. The plank or Leg Pull recruit maximum use of the abdominals, even more when done on one of our balls and more than any other gym based abdominal exercise.

It also makes you feel good mentally and improves quality of life. A study from Rio de Janeiro followed a group of Pilates practitioners over a number of years (so they were pretty experienced ). They scored in the highest category for physical function, general health and mental well being. Really happy chappies. Of course, they must be quite a committed bunch but there are many of you who have been coming for years who would, hopefully, fall into that category. I wonder how the World Cup is affecting their mood. As I write, Brazil are still in.*

There are quite a few holiday dates during July. Firstly, school holidays start on Friday 4th and many of you will either be away or needing to change class over that time so please give us plenty of notice if you are. If you are getting away we hope you enjoy your break.

I will be taking a break in July too. Firstly, I am on a first aid course on Wednesday July 9th all day and I will be teaching no classes that day either morning or evening. Val will be teaching her usual evening classes that day. Let me know if you want to change class that week and I'll see if there is space anywhere. The twenty four hour notice period very much applies.

I will then be away for ten days from the afternoon of Thursday July 17th and return to work as normal on Monday July 28th.   Basically, none of my classes will run while I'm away but all of Val and Carlas' will.  If you need to change class that week contact Val or Carla directly.   Their mobiles are, Carla 021 023 57440 and Val 021 230 0293.

It is getting to be the coldest time of year and you may find you need to wear socks during class to keep your toes cosy and avoid cramp. We have specially designed non slip socks for sale at $20 if you need them. We would ask that you wear socks anyway if you know you have a verruca or fungal infection of your foot to avoid any risk of cross infection from the mats.