Having taught Pilates in London, Surrey, Sussex, Italy and Spain over the last 8 years I came to Winchester in late 2011 to be with my new family and, after a bit of a break, started to think about setting up Pilates classes in my new area of Kings Worthy. Coming from a background of teaching matwork, machine-work, workshops and one-to-ones, with a variety of classes including Back Care Pilates, Pregnancy Pilates, Pilates for Runners and Pilates for Seniors, I had a lot to choose come when it came to deciding which of my styles to unleash on Winchester!
After initially taking over a ‘beginners / general’ class at Studio Yoga, Houghton, I decided to stick to matwork for the beginning ‘phase’ of my expansion into the Winchester area and soon after set up some beginners classes in Kings Worthy. Now that these have taken off (and have moved up to ‘improver’ level), the next step is to start some Pregnancy Pilates classes as there don’t seem to be many of these in the area. Pilates is so beneficial during and after pregnancy that I passionately believe these classes should be available to local women and in February 2012 I’ll be giving a talk to the local NCT. Please see my article on Ante Natal Pilates if you would like to know more about this.
I also love teaching Pilates one-to-one and am now doing this for several clients around Kings Worthy and Winchester. The benefits for the client are so valuable. An initial consultation gives me great insight into the client’s needs, then a tailor-made programme is devised, and updated regularly. Whether clients are recovering from an injury or just want to improve their Pilates and have their own specific programme, one-to-ones are very rewarding for both of us!
Being a Nutritional Therapist as well, which is a practice that treats the whole person rather than just the symptoms, I am often able to see where factors such as stress, inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and even digestive problems may be impacting on a client’s back or shoulder condition. Many conditions, such as arthritis and osteoporosis, do well with a combination of both Pilates and Nutrition.
My plans long-term are to open a Pilates studio near Winchester, with machines, where I can teach more one-to-ones and small groups. I love teaching on the Pilates machines – they expand an already extensive Pilates repertoire and can make the work-out either more challenging or more adapted to a client’s injuries or limitations.
Winchester is a great area and I’m already enjoying teaching here. I look forward to meeting many more clients in the months to come.