Posture makes Perfect!

Well,back from a weekend of Back/Spine/Posture Lectures with the Pilates Institute & the heads buzzing with information...not feeling so well today though, very tired and feeling a bit sicky..so in bed..got loads to read up on as well...

Posture Types

Swayback (me!! was gobsmacked as never even thought about it...tho 70% of population are..)
Kyphotic
Lordotic
Kyphotic-Lordotic!
Ideal (not many of the population I can tell you!)
Flatback

Its very difficult to tell unless you've been a Physio for years. Ideally take a photo of someone from a head to toe side view, they have to be relaxed and not posing for the camera or holding in bum/tum or you'll get it incorrect..then looking at the photo draw a line from ear to ankle via clavicle and Greater Trochanter, see where the line is...then judge your posture...then theres various tests on whether you've got short Hamstrings, Quads, how your Pelvis is tilted, how Neutral Feels and looks, how important scapular stabilisation is to your Neutral Pelvis, how you stand and how your weight is transferred between your feet. After the course you totally realise how much of a clever clogs Joe Pilates was, way ahead of his time creating exercises to lengthen & strengthen each muscles in the body and to balance it out..amazing really, & to think he started it when Queen Victoria was about too...
Amanda Howards the Physio who took the lectures, based in Brighton and has an Ultrasound diagnostic machine, so I am looking to get her to come to Cornwall and test our TA connection and correct anyone whos not quite sure or pulling in from the wrong place..or overusing your obliques...very very interesting when you see it on screen in front of you! It all goes to help you get a better back and flatter tum quicker!! Thought that would inspire you...

what a gorgeous day, & here I am tapping away on my laptop surrounded by paperwork and pilates books..I should be packing as off tomorrow for a fun packed weekend in a stuffy studio in Old Street, London for 2 days of lectures on Posture & Clinical Back, the sun will be shining and I will be indoors, but hopefully the bell will ring at 4/4.30pm & we can go out to play in the nearby drinking establishment for the remainder of daylight hours!
I'm quite excited about going tho, not only do I get to see glorious Cornwall by air in the 1st 10 mins of take off, always makes me smile and glad/lucky to be living here, but get to catch up with 2 friends , Julie & Lydia, who started this diploma with me, hoping we can see it through together! Julie emails me often, and I try to reply with a short message but I tend to go on a bit!! shes got a great sense of humour, and is proving to be a great Pilates teacher..but lives loads of counties away so dont get to catch up for gossip and vino at all, but hope we will saturday night, if our brains arent frazzled by loads of new info...
went to a pilates class in Falmouth this morning, love the instructor, Helen, shes bubbly and full of fun, made me laugh, so worth sitting in traffic for. Must go & check the chickens in the garden, ensure the new babies are fed and watered, then off to Penpol School in Hayle to teach a load of stressed primary school teachers the ways of de stressing in a Pilates Class...bliss...release those shoulders now..

Are you Ranting again??!! Put a sock in it!

Howdee doodee..haven't updated this for a while..whoops..lets talk about last nights classes
the 6.30 crew are great, they've been loyal since I started teaching and are progressing with vigor & drive! Its great to see them all chatting before a class and afterwards too..even if its about wine and ashes to ashes on BBC1.(thats Jo & Sally-Ann then..) Nice to see Avril there too who handed me a list from her Physio on certain exercises they've asked her to do..daily, so may get a copy of that then! Lyndas lovely, she's a bit unsure if shes doing it right so may do a 1:1 session with her to just iron out any insecurities..its not an easy thing to get your head around.
The 7.30 late crew are also great, they've been coming along for about 4 weeks now, and are sticking to it, nice to see leslie-ann come along again, who has also been to see her Physio, and also nice to see Sally Williams, Michelle and treble bendy hips Anita! Terrys also great (workaholic), shes always dragging a friend along as well..can see its going to turn into another class time at this rate..possibly a 5.15pm followed by 6.30 and then 7.30pm,yep..they love Pilates!



No pain plenty of gain chicks! thats the spirit, if it doesnt hurt you are doing it right, if it hurts you've pushed yourself too far flower! Take it easy & rest for a while..BUT got to stop going on a rant, did a bit on the 7.30 lot, as one did mention the "but I cant feel it thing"....look, it took me a while to get used to Pilates when I first started it, so I must give everyone time to get used to it, especially if they've been used to "Feel the Burn" at aerobics...lets face it, its for Rehab clients originally, so if it hurt it wouldnt be endorsed by physios would it?

Ive been inspired to start a BLOG (!) by two of my new friends in the village...Sally-Ann & Jo. So here it is, though Im struggling to think of how to begin, & when will I find the time? What with Facebook & Twitter as well...what a computer nerd Ive turned out to be..or am becoming.

I have spent 10 years of my life working in offices (I always vowed never to work in an office..never mind..) I was trained in London to Diploma standard (again I am amazed at myself!) to be a Residential Property Lettings Manager..this job took me to Cornwall, though I didnt really want to do the job as hated being stuck in an office, the best bit was nosing around peoples houses!

Redundancy came calling late 2008 thanks to the recession, so not one for taking defeat sitting down , I signed up for a Pilates Diploma before any reasonable thought entered my head to change my mind. 2 year Diploma, loads of dosh to the Pilates Institute, plus all the travelling expense later, and I am loving it..why didnt I do this before?? so the Blog will be about my experiences during the course and the classes and the colourful people coming to the classes...