What is balance?Balance refers to the ability to maintain your line of gravity within your base of support (BOS). It can also be described as the ability to maintain equilibrium. Balance is affected by three senses: sight, touch and sound.
Returning to exercise post-partumAfter having your baby, exercise is something that most new mothers look forward to, however with limited sleep and busy routines regular exercise can seem difficult. At Q Pilates, our Baby & Mama exercise classes run in a relaxed and supportive environment with your baby and helps address the changes to the body that occur during pregnancy to help you recover from birth and regain your strength and confidence. Read more
Meet Q Pilates Partnered Athlete, Jarrod HarveyJarrod Harvey has been competing in triathlons since the age of 12. Jarrod is a 3 time Australian Triathlon representative, 3 times Ironman and Kona finisher and also teaches HPE in his “spare time”. Jarrod has been practising Pilates with Q Pilates over the past few years and has been reaping the benefits of his hard work on both training longevity and triathlon results. Here, we have asked Jarrod a few questions about his Pilates journey and how it has benefited him in his sport. Read more
Stomach Muscle SeparationThe clinical name for the separation of the stomach muscles is Diastasis Recti Abdominis (DRA). The stretching and thinning of the recti abdominis muscles is a natural occurrence during pregnancy due to abdominal growth and up to 66% of women have a significant separation by the end of their third trimester. The good news is that for the majority of women this condition resolves during the early postpartum period. Read more
Do I need to do them?These days most people are aware that pregnancy and childbirth are risk factors for weakening and injury to the perineum and pelvic floor. This may result in urinary and faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, defecation dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, sensory and emptying abnormalities of the lower urinary tract, and chronic pain syndromes.
5 Reasons Why It’s Seriously UnderratedWith so many new and fascinating forms of Pilates emerging into our ever-evolving health and wellness arena (case in point; barre, reformer, aerobatic, cardiolates, interval pilates Wunda chair and the list goes on) it’s only fair we think spending an hour sprawled on the mat without all the fancy equipment is a waste of our time, right?
The Rhyme and Reason for ImbalancesThe shoulder girdle and upper quadrant of our bodies is a very complex and intricate system of muscles, joints, nerves and ligaments that allow humans to produce gross and fine motor movements for full dexterity and upright posture. If you have pain around the neck, shoulder or in your arm, chances are that there may be more than one of the above anatomical structures not working to its fullest capacity and creating a situation of overload on your body and resultant pain.
Choose exercise to combat the condition affecting bone density.Bones are mostly made up of collagen, a protein that provides the flexible framework of bone, and minerals such as calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate that provide rigidity and strength to the framework. Bone cells are constantly changing and adapting to their environment, with bones responding to the demands and stresses placed on them. If you do not use your muscles and bones they will become weaker, but if you stay active and use your muscles then bones become stronger due to imposed demands. Read more
Targeting tightness through PilatesOne of the biggest benefits of Pilates and a goal my clients often come in with is to increase their flexibility. The most measurable of which seems to be the ability to touch one’s toes, aka hamstring flexibility. Although possible, it is not always as straight forward as performing daily static stretches. It is important to address all of the contributing factors to “hamstring tightness” to achieve an increased range of motion and henceforth “flexibility” within these muscles.
The Do’s & Don’ts for Sitting at Your DeskRecently you may have read articles stating that “sitting is the new smoking”. These days the majority of us seem to spend a great deal of time sitting. We sit in a car, bus or train on our way to work, sit at our desks at work, sit to eat lunch and dinner, and then sit and watch tv in the evening. We were designed to move around, not to sit all day. Research has shown that we now spend as much as 80% of our working day seated and that sitting greater than 6 hours a day increases the risk of death by up to 40 %, even if you exercise regularly.