Welcome to the first newsletter of 2014 . We hope you have enjoyed your break. Hopefully you will feel very refreshed and ready to get straight back into your Pilates. The start of the year is quite messy with a lot of public holidays happening so I will begin by clarifying exactly when classes will happen.

We start back on Monday January 13th with a limited timetable for one week which is quite straight forward.

If you normally do a class with Val or Carla, your class is unchanged.




Monday 13th, Wednesday 15th and Friday 17th, all classes as normal.

Tuesday 14th, only the 4.30 pm class will run.

Thursday 16th only the 5.30 pm class will run.




The week beginning Monday January 20th, all classes are back to normal.

Monday January 27th is a public holiday so the studio will be closed.

Thursday February 6th is Waitangi Day and the studio will be closed.

Then we will have a long time of regular weeks and no breaks.




Towards the end of last year, I gave a lot of advice on how to release and massage tight muscles using foam rollers. This was mainly for people experiencing hip and thigh pain mostly associated with running and some of you have had to give up running to allow the hip area to heal. I know from personal experience how hard it is mentally to give up running and it has driven me to do a lot of research into walking instead.

Walking is a great form of exercise, it doesn't cost anything except in buying a good pair of shoes and up here in Whangarei , it is a safe and beautiful way to take exercise. It is brimming with health benefits but needs to have some key elements to be truly effective.

The speed you walk at determines how much fitness benefit you get. You need to be walking at 100 steps per minute, 3000 steps in 30 minutes and this should be at least 5 days a week.

Any climbing you add to this increases your calorie burning without increasing the load on your joints (coming back down is more load on the knees though! ) Remember that some joint loading is healthy.

The use of a weighted vest will further increase energy expenditure and can be from 10 to 20 percent of your body weight. Carrying an evenly weighted back pack can achieve this but you should not be using hand or ankle weights.

You can always use a treadmill if it's too wet or too hot but this is the time of year it is great to be outdoors and there are some really good walk/ run programmes coming up too.

As I recommend some form of cardio exercise to support your Pilates, walking is by far the easiest to do.

It is now officially spring though it can still be very chilly in the studios. We still have the excellent non slip socks for sale if you are one of those people who get cold feet and cramp.

Pilates is the brainchild of Joseph Pilates and has been around since the middle of last century. While he was alive, he trained a number of instructors in his method. They are called the Elders. After his death, these instructors took his teaching all over the world and over time his Pilates changed as they put their own slant on it. The instructor who stayed closest to his original work was called Romana and it is her classical Pilates method that we follow at Northland Pilates. It is as close to the original as it can be while incorporating our more modern knowledge of health and exercise. Unfortunately, Romana died on August 30th at the ripe old age of ninety. Until four years ago, she was still able to do most of the advanced exercise repertoire  good news for us devotees!

Romana emphasised flow in the workout and, overall, that is just what Pilates should be, a flowing workout. You should get very warm while doing your Pilates and definitely feel that your muscles have been exercised.

For those of you who have worked with each of us instructors, you have probably noticed that we more or less teach the same class but with very different styles. This is probably due to our different backgrounds. Carla is a dancer, used to working with healthy, fit bodies and she really goes for flow. My back ground is in physiotherapy and rehabilitation so I focus more on precision and control and work a little slower. Val sits somewhere in the middle. All of us will give you a great workout but you can pick who you want to work with. None of us will be offended if you like another instructor's style more, just let us know and we'll try to move you. Please bear in mind that the evening classes are crammed full at the moment so it may take a little time to move things around.

In the last newsletter I talked about the benefits of Pilates associated with ageing but it is also an excellent exercise for the young, fit and healthy. It is a great exercise in itself, giving you strength and flexibility, toning and stamina.  Pilates gives you a fantastically strong core as a great support if you perform activities with a strong impact or aerobic component.  It is, without doubt, the best abdominal workout you can get. The American College of Sports Medicine conducted some very thorough research on the abdominal work in Pilates, comparing it to regular gym based abdominal work and Pilates came out as significantly more effective. This was not just the abdominal series but the plank, push up and Teaser positions too. Good news for us all.

In the last newsletter, I mentioned that it may be possible to run a lunch time class if there is enough interest. It would be intermediate level, early in the week, around 12.30 pm. Please let me know if you are interested.

This newsletter sees us over half way through the year already and the temperature in
the studios is decidedly chilly at the moment. Wear plenty of layers and remove them
as the class progresses but also remember to take them home with you. We develop a
small wardrobe of left behind clothes at this time of year!
It is the season of holidays too. School holidays, Val's holidays and also my holidays so
this will affect the timetable. Val is away for a number of weeks from the end of July to
visit her family in Italy and we hope she has a fantastic time. Carla and I will be able to
cover most of her classes except Wednesday evenings. This means the Wednesday
evening clients are looking for spaces in other evening classes during that time.
What with school holidays and trying to manage fewer classes, we absolutely need at
least twenty four hour's notice of a class cancellation because there will surely be
someone on a waiting list hoping for a mat.
If we ran huge classes in a huge space, the cancellation policy would not be
necessary, however, we prefer to run small classes in quite an intimate space so we
can give you close supervision. I am sure you all prefer this but that sort of close
tuition means the need for our cancellation policy.
I am also away for a week in August and, nearer the time, will send out the timetable
for that week depending on how much Carla is able to cover.
Then there are the school holidays to consider, please let us know in the coming week
whether you will be able to make class or not, we might have to do some reorganising
of the timetable.
I seem to spend as much time rebooking classes as teaching them at the moment!

Now on to more general Pilates things, the beneficial aspects of Pilates are many and I
outlined them in the last newsletter which is also up on the web site.
None of us is getting any younger and the ageing process has a few detrimental
impacts on our bodies as you probably know or are even experiencing.
We experience a loss of muscle bulk, joint flexibility and bone density. Balance and
coordination become more of a challenge and the general wear and tear of our
lengthening lives may result in various types of arthritis. This all leads to increased risk
of injury. Then there is the age effect on our hearts and circulatory systems and the
fact that certain cancers are age related.
This may sound all doom and gloom but it's not.
We are all living a lot longer. In developed countries like New Zealand, we can expect
to live many years beyond the traditional three score and ten. Advances in health care
means that many diseases and conditions can be easily treated and become symptom
free. Some diseases that were previously killers are now erradicated. We eat more
healthily and, for those of you reading this newsletter, when we exercise
Pilates addresses many of the negative aspects of ageing. It increases muscular
strength and endurance. It improves joint flexilbility and bone density.All of the above help mitigate the onset and impacts of arthritis and help prevent injury. To exercise for a prolonged period positively challenges the heart and circulation. The challenges of balance and coordination we put in at the end of every class help prevent stumbles and falls and the very act of getting up and down off the floor is recognised as being an essential skill as we get older.

There are many other small things that are recommended by fitness and health
professionals that are part of a Pilates class, such as working in bare feet which
improves flexibility of the foot and ankle and therefore balance too. Being able to
reach your feet with your hands is also recognised as highly desirable. People who
can't do this tend to wear easy slip on shoes or slippers which contribute to stumbles
and falls. If you have weak bones, these falls can result in fractures and
hospitalisation.

Thanks goodness for Pilates and please remember that if you can't do all the exercises
in our classes, we can give you modifications so that you are still working effectively.
Even if you don't manage the whole class, you are still doing your body nothing
but good.
Then there is the concentration, control and sheer brain power of Pilates. I could go on but I think you get the picture. Keep coming!

Don't worry about getting old, the alternative doesn't bear thinking about !

There are many benefits from Pilates. These are improved strength & coordination especially in the abdominal and back muscles, improved spinal and hamstring flexibility, reduction of low back pain and reduction of stress. Pilates also improves stamina and endurance. There is a calorie burning effect in all class levels, more in advanced than beginner. However, cardio vascular benefits seem to only occur at the advanced level.

Are there any negative effects? No, if all the exercises are done correctly with control & concentration in otherwise healthy individuals. If you always engage your power house, stay fully focussed and work at your level, you will not hurt yourself and will improve all the time.

Joseph Pilates was amazingly forward thinking and embraced many movement principles that are only recently practised in modern rehabilitation. His main aim was to get people moving. Eighty years ago, he said, “change happens through movement and movement heals.” He was so right.

Years ago, when I first practised as a physio, people with back pain were treated with bed rest which we now realise made them lose strength and become less flexible and more uncomfortable. What were we thinking ??

Nowadays, the very opposite thinking prevails. Getting moving is proven to aid healing. The cause of most back pain is unknown and mostly doesn't last long. In this case, movement is the solution to faster recovery. Strained muscles need to stretch and be put through their full range of movement to heal. Moving stops the pain becoming chronic. Core strength and the correct movement patterns are essential as are increasing strength and cardio vascular fitness. Overrestriction of activity makes muscles spasm and increases pain so keep moving. Thank goodness for Pilates! It addresses all your movement needs. Of course, if you have no back pain, all that core strength and flexibility is the way to prevent it.

A recent study of Pilates periodically monitired class participants' abdominal strength with muscle electrodes. During the study, the subjects did Pilates twice a week over a period of nine months. The findings showed that, not only did overall abdominal strength improve dramatically but inequalities in abdominal strength were greatly improved too which is very good to know if you find you are weaker on one side than the other. However, it takes that long and needs that much consistency to achieve the results, just like anything you really want to achieve Twice a week would be ideal, more often if you're keen.

On Monday mornings and on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, classes are happening in the house and the studio at the same time so the car park may be full. There is plenty of parking on Hatea Drive right outside the house or in the side streets.

If your class is in the house, you can go right in through the front door, no need to come around the back. If we have forgotten to unlock the front door, ring the bell loudly and we will open it for you.

There are no changes to the timetable at the moment which is a bit of a record. All our information is on the web site including class times and prices.

Val is a massage therapist and a naturopath and is available at Hatea Drive on Monday and Wednesday. Her cards are in the studios if you wish to contact her.

Welcome to the second newsletter of the year while summer just keeps going on and on. It is still very hot to exercise in the studios especially in the afternoons so please be sure to stay well hydrated. We always have plenty of cold water available for you. This is especially important if you are coming straight from work and may not have had a chance to drink enough.

There is a new timetable with a new Monday 10.45 am class on it and some classes have advanced (well done to you!).  The new look timetable is on the "Classes" page.

 
We have new classes because of such high demand and a large waiting list. Most classes are very busy so we would remind you all that we need 24 hours notice of cancellation to allow people on the waiting list into classes.

The new classes mean that both studios are in use on Monday mornings and Wednesday and Thursday evenings and the car park may get very full at these times. Be prepared to park on Hatea Drive or on the side streets close by at these times.

Some years ago, I offered an early morning class at 7.15 am which was eventually cancelled as not enough people were interested. Carla would be prepared to offer this again if there was enough interest. It would need a minimum of eight booked so please let us know if that would be for you. It would be a more intermediate level class.

Carla, Val and I can always offer a personal Pilates session if you want to refine your mat work. However, at the moment, I don’t have any time slots left to offer Pilates apparatus training but can put you down on a waiting list if you want.

We also all have skills other than as Pilates instructors !! I am a physiotherapist (no longer practising) Carla is a very busy dance teacher and Val is a massage therapist and naturopath. Val is offering both these services at Hatea Drive on Monday afternoons and Wednesdays. She has business cards in the studios if you wish to contact her regarding this.

Winsor Pilates is well known world wide for marketing Pilates and offers various Pilates DVDs teaching mat and using various small equipment as well. It is the DVD series that I recommend as closest to the classical Pilates we offer at Northland Pilates.

It’s founder, Mari Winsor has just completed an Australasian tour and I had a fabulous workshop in Auckland with her last weekend. She’s no spring chicken but looks great ( she attributes this to Pilates, take note ! ) She is very down to earth, totally inspiring and very, very funny. We had a great afternoon of mat and apparatus work with her and I have learned lots of new stuff that I will be bringing into your classes and sharing with Val and Carla so they can too. I have posted a group photo of Maree and the twenty five instructors who trained with her that day on the top of this page. You can also see this latest newsletter there.

All classes have been working with balls over the last three weeks and we can get the green balls for $20 each if you enjoy them and can see yourself working with them at home. Just let us know and I will place an order.

Easter is just three weeks away and the studio will be shut for the long weekend after classes on Thursday March 28th and reopening for business as usual on Tuesday April 2nd. I will remind you nearer the date.

Happy New Year to you all and I wish you all the best for 2013. This newsletter is a little late owing to the holidays, my apologies.

There are even more holidays coming up very soon. Monday January 28th is a holiday and the studio will be closed, the same for Wednesday February 6th, we will be closed for Waitangi Day. I am taking a couple of days off towards the end of February and will let you know the dates later.

This is the time of year when resolutions are made, the most common new year resolution is getting some weight off and taking up some form of exercise. Unfortunately, only 17 % of people stick with such resolutions!! Lucky for us that we are already on the journey with Pilates especially with all the medical evidence pointing towards how beneficial exercise is.

We know that Pilates improves strength and flexibility, improves stamina and improves the function of the core which helps prevent back problems. It enhances body composition, encourages good posture and proper breathing patterns. It is also good for the mind with the focus and concentration it requires.

The latest research I have come across is how exercise can help improve brain function by helping the nerves conduct messages more effectively.

Pilates may further help with that. Australian research has shown that Pilates helps improve balance and coordination. Using our balance sensors in the brain, muscles and joints, it is a way of helping prevent stumbles and falls and the injuries associated with them. Hence all that work in standing at the end of class to challenge you.

It is very hard to keep track of everyone over the school holidays and I really try to keep up with when everyone will return but I strongly recommend you let me know when you plan to start back if you haven’t contacted me for a while. Even with the extra classes on the timetable thanks to Val and Carla, space is limited and classes are very full. The latest timetable follows.

I hope all of you who made it to the Christmas party had a great time once the bar situation was sorted out! Several people enquired about John’s chocolate pavlova and he has agreed to share his recipe with you. Let me know if you want it and I will send it to you.

Reminders

There are a few do’s and don’ts, the latest being no zips please. There is no place for zips on any Pilates gear, they damage the mats and the paint on the walls. They can also be very uncomfortable to lie or roll on.
The cancellation policy is 24 hours notice or you pay for the class.
Please turn your phones off.
Classes start on time.
 If you arrive late, please enter the class as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the others who are trying to focus. Please don't chat once class has begun.
Please bring a small towel to put under your head on the mat for hygeine reasons.
If you are hurt, it is your responsibility to let us know before class.
 If you don't let us know, you run the risk of aggravating your injury
All concession cards have an expiry date.
  A 10 session card has an expiry date of 4 months from the first session and a 4 session card has an expiry date of 2 months from the first session. We can accommodate holidays & illness when fixing expiry dates.

All bookings and cancellations are made through me even if I don't take your class My phone numbers are, 438 8289 or text 021 036 0448 or e mail. niki@northlandpilates.co.nz