When you are busy fitting in Pilates practice can seem impossible.
You just have so much other stuff to do and Pilates feels like a luxury; like you are being selfish when you choose Pilates over. your other jobs.
The guilt then doubles – we all know we should exercise, we know that it’s good for our health, we even know that when we do our Pilates(or other exercise) practice we feel more energised.
This gets worse because we all know that person who is in a similar situation to us but always manages to do their exercise – so we should be able to too!
But…..
After a long day, children, partners, and parents all take priority over fitting in your regular Pilates practice.
So here are my 5 tips to help you sneak a bit of Pilates into your day –
- Eat the frog – Mark twain said if it’s your job to eat the frog do it first thing in the morning. Get out of bed a little earlier (see point 2 for how much time is needed) pop the kettle on and while it boils do some basic pilates moves or a stretch and mobility routine to help you start your day. This doesn’t have to be complicated move your body in a way that feels good, watch a short youtube video or do some of the pre-pilates exercises you have learned in class such as roll downs, bridges, hip rolls, spinal extensions and side bends – keep it simple so your don’t talk yourself out of it before you havebegun.
- Start short – everyone thinks that a workout needs to be 60 minutes but in actual fact your Pilates routine needs to be the length of time you can get your head around – what I mean by that; if you think about a 60minute workout and then break out into a sweat because you have no idea how you will fit it in or because it’s an hour you just put it off because you have other things to do. Think about the time that you could fit in 5 minutes, 20 minutes ???? Getting started is the key plus once you start fitting in your 5 minutes this will give you the confidence to try for 10minutes at some point in the future. My mantra is it’s better to have done something!
- At your desk – Poor posture is the bain of modern living; sitting at a desk or even a dining table (thanks to the increase in home working) staring at a computer for hours on end can have us hunched with a headache in no time. Getting up and stretching at least twice a day can make a difference to how you feel. Movements like the lat pulldown, dumbwaiter, pelvic tilts, and thigh stretch can be performed quite discreetly and only take about 5minutes.
- Practice just the breathing – when we are crazy busy just practicing the breathing can help to reduce our stress levels, increase the flow of oxygen which in turn helps us to concentrate and will reduce feelings of tiredness. Pilates exercises encourage a natural breathing pattern; breathing in wide and full to the sides of the ribcage. This is called “lateral” or “intercostal” breathing and promotes the full use of your ribcage and respiratory muscles. Most people don’t breath this way they breath with short shallow breaths with the chest lifting instead of widening which means most people need to practice.
- Take Pilates with you when you walk- During our Pilates practice, we concentrate on our pelvic floor, powerhouse (core muscles), posture, and the way we move. In everyday life this can get lost. Why not start to be aware of engaging your pelvic floor and posture as you walk to and from the office or when you pop out at lunchtime. Be aware of whether your shoulders back, are you looking at the floor or straight ahead, notice whether your bag is dragging you to one side, is your stride length even, are you able to maintain a steady pace comfortably.
Pilates isn’t about being able to “do” Pilates; Pilates is about making your body move better and your life easier. Pilates shouldn’t be the chore that you add to your ‘to do’ list or the punishment because you ate a cake. Pilates should be the love you give to your body; that little act of self-care you sneak into your day.
At Pilates Avenue we would love to help you on your journey to feeling amazing. from some from some regular Pilates practice but if you are not ready to commit to a 60minute class then I really hope these tips help you to bring some Pilates into your day.
If you are ready to join us or would just like to have a chat about our classes please contact our team at [email protected]
