I have been practicing pilates for about 15 years and have been a certified STOTT instructor for over 10. I first started trying classes when I was training for an IRONMAN triathlon after I graduated from university, mainly for injury prevention. I knew with the rigourous training schedule I would have to be extra diligent if I did not want to get injured so I committed to Pilates three times a week during my 10 months of tri training. I have to say I was very diligent with this and I did end up completing the race injury free, which I still credit in large part to this Pilates practice. I’ll be honest, outside of these classes, I never stretched and these classes held me to it.
After the triathlon I fell off the Pilates wagon for a couple of years but then found I became plagued with chronic back pain. I remember being 26 and thinking I was going to have to give up running because it was just becoming too painful. This was devastating to me because running was such a huge part of my life and my go to for fitness and stress release. As a last resort, I thought I would try Pilates again to see if it would help, and I was amazed at the difference. Not only did it help elevate my back pain but it actually improved my running performance. I even reduced the amount of runs I did per week and found I still got stronger and faster. I remember distinctly running my first half marathon after consistently practicing Pilates for over a year and feeling amazed during the last few km’s at my ability to maintain my posture. In the past as my body tired near the end, I had always finished a long run slumped forward having long lost my proper running form. I had never had that strong powerhouse (core) before that and it felt incredibly different to run tired, and still be able to stand up straight. All Pilates.
The following year I decided to pursue my STOTT certification and become a Pilates instructor. Now fast forward 11 years and I have taught hundreds of classes AND bonus- I’m still running. Pilates has become the greatest compliment to some of the more rigorous forms of exercise that I love to do. It has improved my balance and mobility incredibly, improved my posture, increased my body awareness and helped my body rebound after delivering four babies in 6 years. As long as my body is able to move, I will continue to practice Pilates and I’m confident I will move better and longer because of it.
T
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To compliment and enhance my breathing and relaxation during my Pilates sesisons, I often diffuse doTERRA essential oils during my class. My absolute favorite is wild orange and peppermint. This combination helps to open your airways to allow for deeper breathing and is also uplifting and calming. I also love the new yoga collection, which is a trio of three different oils- Align, Anchor and Arise. To find out more about this trio you can visit here. https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/doterra-yoga-collection
