Inspirational Greetings from Norway and Start of New Term
Hope you all had a lovely Easter break. The weather has been pretty good, certainly over the past few days. Spring has finally arrived.
I was so lucky to spend Easter in beautiful Norway. We took the Hurtigruten boat trip from a very cold Kirkenes, in the Artic Circle on the Russian border, down to Bergen, where my son Jack is studying for a year.
Just WOW.
What amazing scenery - landscapes, fjords, mountains. And the light! Hard to describe. Don't panic, will not bore you with the details (unless you twist my arm a tiny bit..) but what incredible natural beauty.
But, not without incident or stress. Our luggage got lost on the way so we arrived minus one bag, which was a horrible start to the trip. Had to cancel and rebook trains, hotels, change flights and buy replacement stuff. Of course it did turn up a full 24 hours later, but by that time the damage was done. Seems crazy to worry about things like that, especially with the world as it is, but just post Covid I found it difficult to put it in perspective! Anyway, things thankfully improved from there.
How does this relate to Pilates?
As I get a bit older and observe those around me, I hear quite a few complaints from strangers re knee/hip/back pain etc. (Unbelievably I remained fully incognito on this trip, no mention of Physio or Pilates, hard to do when you see people taking the lift or walking sideways down the stairs!).
The boat journey was not esp demanding, lots of book reading and sightseeing. Although with 5 flights of stairs we got our steps in! And a gym - so a bit of Pilates was done as we navigated through islands. The real physical demand was on on our return to Bergen where we did a mega hike up Ulriken (Norwegians DO love their steps!), and then skiing in beautiful Voss.
As some of you may know, I have Osteoarthritis of the knee, nasty on MRI scan, bone on bone. Result of sports injury at 16 when I ruptured my Anterior Cruciate ligament,(ACL) but only officially diagnosed by a knee specialist in my 40s! Basically what that means is that the knee is majorly unstable and I need to keep the muscles strong to compensate for the lack of ligament function. I firmly believe it is Pilates which allows me to function physically at a decent level.
Interestingly, when the scan was analysed, the consultant was really interested in what I did for exercise, and I was advised to carry on doing exactly what I was doing and keep myself fully mobile. Hence my total conviction to the benefits of Pilates.
So, I do wear a knee strap for skiing, but so far, I feel SO fortunate to ski and hike with no pain. Without a shadow of a doubt the hinges, squats, rotation, balancing on one leg, Reformer work have maintained my function. (Did try swimming with flippers once - oh boy, my knee DID NOT like that. Not to be recommended with no ACL!!)
ALWAYS a work in progress, and will be a few blips along the way, but Pilates has always got me back on track. I am certain it has played a huge part in my continued enjoyment of sports activities and daily function.
I strongly believe the ongoing importance of maintaining as much range and strength in our bodies cannot be underestimated. At least until we are 99 and a half.
Another thought popped into my head - where is the 'give' and where is the 'restriction' in the body? Generally the give, or where we feel the pain, is the bit that is vulnerable or moves too much, (commonly the knees, shoulders, neck, lower back.) The restriction is the stiff bit that doesn't move enough.(eg ankles, hips, thoracic spine) Mobilising these bits can really help our bodies function more optimally and offload the sore bits.
More to follow, I will expand on that again..!
(Quick book recommendation The Mercies - based in Vardo, North Norway..)
REMINDER RE NEW TERM STARTS MONDAY 25th APRIL : GET BOOKED INTO CLASSES !
3 OPTIONS
MAT CLASS IN STUDIO (but option to Zoom in if can't make it)
REFORMER CLASS IN STUDIO (hard to do at home!!)
ZOOM CLASSES FROM HOME ( this option remains, especially as Covid sadly still rife! Access to all mat classes -10 per week )
FOR EXISTING CLIENTS :
REMINDER RE BOOKING IF REGISTERED WITH TEAMUP :
Once in TEAMUP go to COURSES to reserve a place to attend your 'live in studio' mat or reformer class.
OR go to CLASS PACKS to purchase a Zoom pack. Access to 10 classes per week, but you will have your favourites! More detailed explanation HERE.
FOR BEGINNERS OR RETURNERS:
Please get in touch through alisonlyons@studio36ni.com, and we will try sort a suitable class for you. So welcome!
SPACES
Although a few are full, there are still classes to choose from and find a space. These classes noted below definitely have room at moment and offer a good variety of ability and times.
MAT CLASSES
MONDAY 9.30am MATWORK with Anita. Classical pilates suitable for beginners or those with some experience. Calm and flowing.
NEW STUDIO CLASS MONDAY 6.15pm MATWORK with Ali. Places available at moment. Dusting into the corners of those joints! Love to get this one back up to speed again.
WEDNESDAY 10.40am MATWORK with Stephanie. A Pilates for Life class we have recently introduced due to demand for good functional based hips, knees shoulders etc strength and mobilising class. Steph style.
REMEMBER IF BOOKED INTO A STUDIO MAT CLASS AND UNABLE TO ATTEND AS UNWELL OR AWAY, YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF ZOOMING INTO THE CLASS. OR MAKE UP ANOTHER TIME IN STUDIO WITHIN THE TEN WEEK BLOCK.
REFORMER CLASSES
There are a few slots available for Reformer classes too - places are limited but see the schedule below. These are ideally for those with previous Pilates mat experience.
MONDAY 10.45am (Anita)
MONDAY 7.30pm ( Ali)
WEDNESDAY 9.25am (Steph)
WEDNESDAY 6.40pm (Anita)
NEW CLASS IDEAS?!
REFORMER TASTER? For total beginners to this amazing bit of kit, or those needing a refresher. Thinking of Thursday 12th May to start with, at 12 noon with Anita. £18pp. Let me know if keen and will arrange.
CALLING ALL MEN! More details to follow re a stretchy, strengthening MEN'S CLASS. You know the stiff ankles, knees, hips. For golf, tennis, gardening or putting on socks! So worthwhile to keep mobile. Planning Thursday afternoon taught by me. 6 weeks pre summer. Ideal for retired or flexible timings men. Think it could be fun. Let me know if keen...