Pilates Works

Take A Look At My Pilates Facebook Page

2010-06-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

I have been dragged kicking and screaming into the realm of Social Media. I've avoided it for a long time because I believed it was a fad that would eventually go away! Alas (I mean good!) it hasn't so I'm embracing it now before it's to late :)

I picked Facebook because almost everyone I know has one and it's an excellent platform for posting videos and other Pilates related stuff.

It also gives you the opportunity to ask me Pilates related questions which I'd be delighted to answer. So if you have a few minutes why not click the link below and take a look? I'll be adding more videos and articles as time allows (I still have to earn a living).

Carol J Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

My New Personal Trainer Blog

2010-05-08T04:27:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't Pilates relates but hey what the heck. I'm busy promoting my Personal Trainer Blog so I thought why not tell you about it as well :)

You never know if you live in the UK you may just need a Personal Trainer Hull! I have it on good authority that people do actually live here. It's on the East coast of the UK right by the river Humber and although like the rest of the country the weather is pretty cold and damp it's not a bad place to live if you can live with the appalling Hull accent!

The Blog details my Personal Training services and carries a lot of useful posts and articles on all aspects of health and fitness.

So if you're bored and have nothing better to do why not meander on down and take a look. I'm always looking for feedback on the site layout and am always glad to answer any questions you may have on fitness and how to get the very best from your workouts. Just leave a comment and as and when time allows I'll answer them.

I love Blogs they're so easy to set up and maintain and I really enjoy entering into conversations with like minded people.

Jist don't ask me how you can lose 20lbs in a week - you'll get a very short answer :)

Carol J Bartram
(Personal Trainer & Pilates Instructor)

DogPedic - You Will Never Guess

2010-04-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't strictly Pilates related but seeing as I found it while searching for other orthopaedic type stuff and I found it very amusing I thought I'd related to you.

Basically it's a memory foam orthopaedic mattress for guess who, dogs. Yes that's right a mattress for dogs but not just any mattress apparently this will help any dog who suffers from arthritis, hip dysplasia and any other joint disorder.

When you consider how expensive these mattresses are from humans it seems unfair that a dog can get a mattress of this quality for less than $40. If I was to go and purchase one it would cost me a lot more than that. I must admit I was tempted to buy a couple and sleep on them myself.

I suppose these days when we treat our dogs better than we do ourselves it is hardly surprising that a whole industry has been created to pander to the needs of our pets. Mind you once I stopped laughing who knows maybe it good idea. After all it is fully washable, has a nonslip base and a waterproof cover. It's easily portable and least you always know where your pet is after all if I had a mattress like this I know where I'd be most of the time :)

So if you want to have a good laugh or maybe even by one take a look at this DogPedic Reviews page.

Bare Lifts - The Low Down

2010-04-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

Bare Lifts is one of the latest innovations on the market today. Touted as a method of giving us perky breasts without having to resort to block and tackle like under garments!

These little fellows are quite ingenuous they are adhesive backed patches which you place on your breast close to the nipple and then you lift the breast into the desired place and stick it in place. I know this sounds quite painful but I can assure you it isn't.

They are easy to fit and you will feel properly supported. I'm not sure I'd risk a high intensity step class wearing them although in theory they should stay in place.

According to the manufacturer they are also water proof so swimming while wearing them is also possible.

For me it's the not having to wear a bra that pleases me the most I hate the damn things and BareLifts will at least allow you to choose particularly for those strapless dresses.

If you'd like to read my full Bare Lifts Review please follow the link.

Pilates For Beginners - YouTube Video

2010-04-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

I've started to produce a series of videos on Pilates, Pilates benefits and other Pilates tips. I've done this because there is so much wrong and sometimes dangerous information available today that the record should be set straight.

Pilates is seen by many people as a way to eliminate or reduce pain (back and neck amongst others) and if taught properly can do just that. The problem is that many of the Pilates exercises and workouts shown on video sharing sites touted as beginners Pilates are not suitable for people seeking rehabilitation for an injury / back / neck problem.

In fact by trying to copy the workout they could make the problem a lot worse :( I'm not saying the quality of the videos or instruction is poor just that for the average person the so called beginners workouts are far from easy or suitable.

If you would like to learn more about Pilates, it's benefits and how to use the information found on the Internet safely then visit my YouTube channel Beginners Pilates by clicking the link.

Robert Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates Beginners Where Do You Start?

2010-02-13T06:19:00.000-08:00

If you're a complete beginner at Pilates where do you start? Most people start with a beginners Pilates book but very soon realize that they just don't have the information a complete beginner needs. They almost always make some assumptions about your current skill level.

Do they teach you the Zip & Hollow in enough detail?
Do the teach how to find Neutral in all positions?
Do they teach How to use a block?
Do they have a detailed video on each exercise
Do they teach you the correct mind set?

I know the answer is no because I've bought most of the Beginners Pilates books available to find exercises for my own classes. The books are good and written by some of the greatest Pilates Instructors in the world but they are not of much use to a complete beginner.

So Carol and I (Bob) decided to create a monthly beginners Pilates Subscription Program that would take a complete beginner (assuming nothing) through a comprehensive and safe Pilates course which would enable them to get the well known benefits of Pilates with minimum risk and at a pace a beginner can deal with - not to slow and not to fast.

To discover whether this program might be for you (because it won't suit everyone) please click the following link The Beginners Pilates Program

Bob Bartram
(Pilates Instructor)

Pilates Power Gym Review

2009-08-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of working out on a family gym that does not fit your body-type or fitness level? Tired of having your workout equipment take up most of the space in your home?

Are you looking for an exercise regime that fits your lifestyle?

It's now possible to solve all those hassles once and for all. Try the Pilates Power Gym.

Multiple resistance levels provide for a more intense and effective workout. This means that anyone can use it regardless of age, strength level, or body-type. In minutes, you can adjust the Pilates Power Gym so that it turns into your individual strength-training machine, crafted to perfection to suit your demands.

Pilates is the perfect way to attain that perfectly toned shape you've always wanted, and now it's accessible to you in the comfort of your home. Pilates can easily be made into any exercise regime that you already pursue, for a extensive workout.

You can concentrate on a special problem area, and work at achieving perfectly toned abdomen, arms, legs, back etc. without increasing muscle mass.

The Pilates power gyms strong carbon steel frame can bear up to 16 stone of weight. The machine also comes with multiple incline levels and various resistance cords in order to allow alterations, according to the needs of the user. It is built to provide absolute comfort, with padded handles, and comfortable foot straps. It allows for the slow movements that are necessary for Pilates to strengthen muscles, and the spine.

The Pilates power gym comes with an instruction DVD, which shows and explains the many unique exercise options available to you with the machine, you can use this DVD guide to try many unique workout routines, and to design your own system.

Unlike most other exercises, Pilates is suitable for people of almost all ages and physical condition, because it is a low-impact method, targeted at achieving the best results.

Pilates is also the best solution for problems such as arthritis, lower-back pain, and bad posture.

It deals with muscle related problems by strengthening the core postural muscles and adjusting body alignment. Doing a variety of Pilates exercises, improves muscle control, muscle strength and improves joint mobility. Although Pilates works best and returns better results if they are used together with other more vigorous exercises including jogging or fast walking.

The Pilates power gym is light and can be stashed away easily, saving you space, while supplying you with all the benefits any regular Pilates machine does, and much more.

Switch to the Pilates power gym and experience a complete full-body workout, in the comfort and privacy of your living room.

For more reviews on At Home Workout Equipment please visit my Blog.

Pilates Instruction And The Hidden Secrets

2008-08-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

When we think of Pilates Instruction we imagine people holding and moving through various poses; working their bodies through a well-balanced sequence of exercises. Most people are well aware of all the physical benefits regular Pilates training can bring, but often forget (or aren't aware) of some of the other, hidden, benefits which are just as important.

Joseph Pilates always intended that his exercise system was to be holistic and was to work not only the body but the mind as well.

If Pilates exercises are to be done well they require smooth and controlled movement, great concentration and synchronisation between movement and breath. All these aspects require you to become "mindful"; not by mistake has Pilates been called the "Thinking Person's Exercise". You cannot do Pilates well if you just throw your body about like you would in an aerobics class. You need to concentrate on what is going on within your body so that you can first learn to activate and then control your deep stabilising muscles.

This deep concentration has another hidden side effect that good Pilates instructors are well aware of. If you are concentrating very deeply to execute a Pilates exercise in perfect form there can be no room in your mind for anything else. Your mind is forced to cease its endless chatter as it focuses on the challenge at hand. This in turn causes your mind to relax and to "forget" (for a short time) about all the other things that were stressing you before the class started like "Did I lock the front door?", "Is my boss going to fire me?", "Does my bum look big in this tracksuit?". You get the idea.

Most people have lost the ability to relax their minds, even for a few seconds .Even when they are sleeping, the stresses of the day, week or year seep through causing them to sleep restlessly, toss and turn, have nightmares, and wake up feeling more tired than they did when they went to bed! This in turn has a knock-on effect the following day as more and more stress is piled upon them.

I soon became aware of this sometimes hidden benefit when my clients started to tell me that the night after a Pilates class they slept like babies and woke up refreshed the following morning.

The Pilates class was not only exercising the body, but was allowing the mind to relax and "vent" some of the stress that had been building up during the day. When we consider how many people stress kills every year, anything that can help you to reduce your stress levels (even if it's only for an hour) has to be a good thing.

I'm discovering over time more and more hidden benefits to regular Pilates training and I'm grateful to the man whose genius invented this fantastic exercise system.

Thank you Joseph Hubertus Pilates.

Imagine living life with a body that is free of aches and pains a body that is straight and strong, that's the promise of doing regular Pilates exercise. I'll show you how Pilates has made me stronger, fitter and more flexible than when I was much younger and how it could do the same for you.

If you would like to learn more about the hidden secrets of Pilates then visit my Free Pilates Exercises website and make a start towards that new you today.

Robert E Bartram is a qualified Pilates Instructor.

Pilates Instruction

Technorati Tags: pilates instruction, free pilates exercises, pilates training, joseph hubertus pilates

The dangers of teaching Pilates!

2008-02-01T05:46:00.000-08:00

Hi,

I just have to blog on this one!

Bob is teaching the Pilates class tonight while I keep house, feed the Ravening Hordes, do the company accounts (bleahh!) and supposedly write an ezine article.
That's the cunning plan, anyway. But he's just phoned from the gym, spluttering with indignation, and when I stop shrieking with laughter I'll explain why:-

He goes straight from working to the gym - he's such a good little sausage. Every day I pack his bag with a full set of clean gym gear to teach in (matching of course; he's such a fop. Asks his classes if his bum looks big in this set of togs; it's a good job they're used to him!)

In the UK you can buy boxer shorts for both men and women; it solves our age-old girly problem of VPL without having to resort to the torture of wearing a thong.

You can guess what's coming, can't you?

In the early morning rush of getting ready, I'd packed him the wrong boxers. He hadn't realised until he tried to put them on in a changing room full of blokes!
My girl-boxers have scalloped legs and cute little buttons on the front - and they're one hell of a lot smaller than his boy-boxers.

I leave the visual to you…but can you imagine the looks he got from the other blokes?!
Well, I'm afraid that instead of being apologetic, I fell off my chair laughing and dared him to tell his Pilates class that he was teaching wearing his wife's knickers.

He was not amused.
Oops :)

All the best,

Carol J Bartram

Technorati Tags: pilates, exercise, boxers

I eat like a bird - honestly! - Part Two

2007-06-28T03:36:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Here's some ideas for you about how to sort out your food problems:

Try keeping a food diary for 3 days, including a weekend day. Everything you eat and drink - EVERYTHING - goes on that list, together with the quantity and the time of day.

If you would like to read the rest of this article about I eat like a bird - honestly! Part Two please click the link.

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, fitness, health

I eat like a bird - honestly! - Part One

2007-06-14T04:55:00.001-07:00

Hi,

"I eat like a bird - honestly!"

This is what many of my weight-loss clients tell me, while looking at me all wide-eyed and innocent. " I've no idea how I've put on so much weight. I must have a slow metabolism, surely. It's not my fault." Well, ok, I'm a reasonable human being (although not according to some of my clients and my daughter).

If you would like to read the rest of this article about I eat like a bird - honestly! please click the link.

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, weight loss tips, diet

Tom Cruise gets in shape by doing Pilates!

2007-06-12T06:22:00.001-07:00

Hi,

So, Tom Cruise gets in shape by doing Pilates.
Works for me!

All the best,

Carol

National Ledger - Tom Cruise Gets Buff for Katie Holmes

According to a report from Star Magazine the megastar keeps his body in action-hero shape with a grueling 90 minutes of Pilates every single day. "This is a really tough workout, and it isn’t for the squeamish, but Tom likes to really challenge himself,” a friend tells Star.

Technorati Tags: pilates, tom cruise, fitness, exercise

The T-Bow - Great for your Pilates Exercises

2007-06-06T07:39:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Well I bet you've never heard of a T-Bow or Tbow. Am I right? Thought I was! Actually, neither had I until a few months ago. We were at a Fitness exhibition in London when I saw this - Thing. Looked like a small humpback bridge in bright orange with a blue exercise mat fixed to the convex side. Gaps in the sides meant you could pick it up and carry it like a briefcase. I lifted one - not heavy; I could easily carry 2 and I'm not exactly built like Charles Atlas.

If you would like to read the rest of this article about the T-Bow please click the link.

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, tbow, t-bow, exercise, fitness

Pilates and Osteoporosis - Part Three

2007-06-04T04:45:00.001-07:00

Hi,

And here is the last part of the article on osteoporosis. If you do have osteoporosis – and you MUST take your doctor’s advice before doing any exercises – here are a few “do’s” and “don’t’s”:

If you would like to read the rest of this article Pilates and Osteoporosis - Part Three please click the link.

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, osteoporosis, exercise, fitness

Pilates and Osteoporosis Part Two

2007-05-31T04:37:00.001-07:00

Hi,

And here come the Do's regarding osteoporosis.

Try not to get it in the first place! We rarely think about the future when we're young too busy living. But, like our pension, our bones are something we should invest in before we start having problems with them. When you are eighteen, you can't be bothered thinking about your pension. When you are fifty-eight you wish you had!

If you would like to read the rest of this article Pilates and Osteoporosis - Part Two please click the link.

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, osteoporosis, exercise

Be kind to your Parents

2007-05-25T03:47:00.001-07:00

Hi there,

This nothing to do with Health, Fitness or Pilates, and everything to do with being a parent. I wrote this for our pre-teen daughter, whom I love dearly despite my exasperation! She was actually quite amused by it. Although she'd die rather than admit it :)

Be kind to your parents

Be kind to your parents
Even though they whine and moan
And pester you to say "Hello"
And eye your clothes and groan
Be gentle to your parents
Even though they give you grief
By telling you "It's time for bed"
And "Have you cleaned your teeth?"
Why must they get so crabby
When you sulk without a word?
Why can't they see a parent's place
Is NOT seen and NOT heard?
Why don't they get their duty
Is to fill the fridge with cheese?
Why must they keep insisting
on stupid words like "Please"?
They exist to buy you ipods
Put crisps upon the shelves,
If you'd known what they were really like
You'd have specified House - Elves!
You think they're prehistoric
You really, truly do
But it isn't long ago they thought
Theirs were prehistoric too!
So be kind to your parents,
Smile when you're waited on
Be gentle with those Dinosaurs
You'll miss them when they're gone!

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: parents

Pilates and Osteoporosis - Part One

2007-05-25T02:38:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Ok, so what about Pilates and osteoporosis? It’s more a series of “Don’ts” from the look of it. If there’s any osteoporosis in the thoracic spine – the bit between the shoulderblades – over time the spine will crumple in on itself to form what is known as “Dowager’s Hump”. And at this point it gets nasty…seems like just about ANYTHING (including sneezing) can cause the vertebrae to fracture. Don’t like the sound of that!

If you would like to read the rest of the article Pilates and Osteoporosis - Part One please click the link.

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, osteoporosis, fitness, health

A tale of two ladies

2007-05-18T00:40:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Once upon a time there were two ladies who had been friends for most of their lives. They met at primary school, went through the giggles and general insanity of the Teenage Hormone years together, kept the other one sane at their respective weddings and were godmothers to each others' various offspring....

A tale of two ladies

Technorati Tags: pilates, health, fitness

Pilates - You Can Be Sincerely Wrong

2007-05-16T01:21:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Sometimes I see people exercising with such bad form that it makes me want to shoot myself. My lecturer Alan(Yoda) told me once that, when I qualified, I wouldn’t see dead people, but bad posture. He was right. Boy, was he right...

Pilates - You Can Be Sincerely Wrong

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, exercise, training, stretch

Do Pilates, Live longer - Part Two.

2007-04-26T00:58:00.001-07:00

Hi,

This is the continuation of my article on stress. My advice is avoid it wherever possible!

All the best,

Carol

Do Pilates, Live Longer - Part Two

Sometimes we have been suffering from stress for so long that we almost get used to it. This is dangerous as we then regard the way we feel and act as “normal”, simply because we cannot remember being any other way...

Technorati Tags: pilates, stress, exercise, relax

Pilates and how to scare your clients!

2007-04-19T04:39:00.001-07:00

Hi,

This has been billed as The Next Pilates.
Hmm...maybe if you're a seagull. Personally, I can't see it happening in my classes; some of my clients get vertigo doing Side Bends!

All the best,

Carol

WiredBerries: In Mid-Air: Suspension Training

In Mid-Air: Suspension Training
by Valerie Nahmad

Meet the latest, greatest exercise craze--suspension. Billed as "the next Pilates," suspension training utilizes gravity and body weight to work the total body, with a special focus on the core.

Technorati Tags: pilates, exercise, training, stretch

Do Pilates, live longer!

2007-04-15T03:13:00.001-07:00

Hi,

This is an article I wrote a few months ago about stress. I was stressed when I wrote it! People do not realise the insidious damage that stress causes to health, mental and physical, when experienced on a long-term basis. Have a read of this. Then examine your own life and sort your stress before it sorts you!

All the best,

Carol

Do Pilates, live longer Part I

Technorati Tags: pilates, stress, exercise

Pilates apprentice (slave)

2007-04-01T07:59:00.001-07:00

Hi,

My name is Bob Bartram and I'm the other half of the Pilates team here in the sunny UK.

I have a full time job, so I only get to teach Pilates part-time in the evenings :(

I am a qualified Pilates Instructor and Hypnotherapist, so as well as teaching Pilates I manage to squeeze in a couple of Hypnotherapy clients per week as well. (Phew, life is busy!).

My wife Carol is a hard task-master as she wants me to take over some of her evening classes, but not until "I'm ready" lol. So I'll be taking over some of her classes soon but she gets to keep all the money! How unfair is that? Pilates Apprentice indeed, more like Pilates Slave!

Still, I enjoy teaching Pilates; it relaxes me, almost as much as self-hypnosis.
Over the next couple of months, I'll be posting on my experiences as a Pilates Slave, oops, I mean Apprentice. I'll also be sharing some of my "Mind Management" experience to help you get the most from your own Pilates practice.

Remember "You can't have a change without making a change" so make a change today by really investing time and effort into your Pilates training. You won't regret it and it will pay you back in spades, I promise you. It did for me :)

All the best,

Bob Bartram

Technorati Tags: pilates, instructor, exercise, hypnotherapy

Free Pilates Exercises!

2007-03-29T07:48:00.001-07:00

Hi,

I have finally got my www.free-pilates-exercises.com Web site up and running.
It's nothing fancy, but I intend to add content and articles to it on a regular basis. It's my baby!

What I hadn't realised, was just how much time and effort it takes to get even a simple Website up and running. So why don't you go take a look and let me know what you think. Personally, I'm going to sit down!

All the best,

Carol

Technorati Tags: pilates, free, exercises, stretch

The Horror!

2007-03-25T04:45:00.001-07:00

Hi,

I've just read the following article and just had to comment!
In an earlier post entitled why don't more men do Pilates I think I now know!

Nina should consider herself very lucky she could move out of the line of vision. Pity the poor Pilates Instructor who has to check the form of an entire class waving their limbs around! No escape for them! There have been times when I have wished for blinkers like a dray horse...

I used to just politely "suggest" that male clients wore tracksuit pants "for their own comfort". I now hysterically insist, after one incident involving an octogenarian wearing baggy shorts, a sidelying leg lift and full view of the "last turkey in the shop"!!
I was close to needing counselling, remedial hypnotherapy and a large drink after that...

All the best,

Carol

About Nina: pilates

About five minutes into it I looked up from between my legs only to see a pair of rather impressively hairy legs. Just as I was about to make a mental note to myself to finally shave my own limbs I realized the pair I was looking at belonged to a guy.

Technorati Tags: pilates, fitness, health, weight, stretch