Why An Online Pilates Class Maybe What You Need During Lockdown

At Happy Being in Edinburgh, our complementary therapy centre was growing.  At the beginning of the year we were full of great exciting plans for the future.  We had some new highly experienced practitioners and were delighted to offer our clients a wide range of holistic therapies.  Then COVID-19 hit and our business was temporarily closed.

This change hit us hard and we all became worried about the business and our jobs as holistic therapy practitioners who work very closely with our clients.  Our stress levels rose and we had to put all our training to good use on ourselves.  We don't know what is going to happen in the immediate future any more that anyone else but we are trying to adapt.  We do understand that being stuck at home in lockdown is not easy for many people.  So how can we help and put our skills to good use just now?  We have written some helpful articles on our blog about stress and stress management and how to make positives changes in your life.  And we have started COVID-19 safe online Pilates classes.  

What Is So Great About Pilates?

Pilates facilitates better health, pain relief and good body awareness through the development of mind and body connection using the breath. 

Pilates is suitable for everyone irrespective of age, gender, fitness level, ability or experience.

Pilates focuses on lengthening and strengthening muscles, improving alignment and core stability. 

Pilates is a great way to release, strengthen and energise the body and mind. 

How To Practice Pilates At Home

All you need to practice Pilates is enough space to be able to lie out fully and to stretch your arms without hitting anything.  You don't even need a yoga mat as you can just use a towel to lie on.  

If you have been practising Pilates for a long time you may be quite happy to continue by yourself or you may decide to follow a workout on YouTube.  

However, it is hard to stay motivated to complete a workout by yourself.  Also are you sure you are carrying out the positions correctly?  You could end up hurting yourself more than getting any benefit.

An Online Pilates Class from a professional Pilates teacher has many benefits:

1. You will stay motivated throughout the class as the teacher will be watching you.
2. You won't be as likely to skip classes because you can't be bothered if you have already paid for a block of classes.
3. Depending on the class, you may get a chance to chat to the others taking part.  Social interaction is great way to reduce stress and stay positive.
4. Your teacher will ensure you are carrying out the exercises correctly and give you a slightly different version of the exercise if you have an injury.
5. The classes will not be the same every time so you won't get bored.  
6. You will have something to enjoy during lockdown that you can look forward to.