Physio-led online Pilates classes by Anna Jenkins , Chartered Physiotherapist
"I strongly believe that you need the feedback and guidance of a good teacher when learning how to move and practice Pilates. However, lots of my students in Oxford over the years have asked me if I would do a video for them to practice at home. Having moved to Cornwall in 2019, and with the Coronavirus outbreak, I finally launched this project with our online membership. All live zoom classes and recordings are included for just £36 / month, and you can cancel your membership any time.
For beginner's, or anyone returning to Pilates after a long break, this membership includes access to an 8-week recorded beginner's course which will gradually take you through the Pilates basics and build up to an intermediate level.
Online classes are not designed to replace face to face teaching but it will allow you the flexibility and convenience to continue your weekly classes at home.
With all the restrictions which have been imposed on our lifestyles by the pandemic, in an effort to tackle spinal pain we are offering a new series of more manageable half-hour Move classes. These classes are designed to help tackle posture related spinal pain with a focus on neck, shoulder, back and hip mobility through both tension relieving and strengthening exercises. I believe that little and often is key, and hope that this will allow you to do some Pilates more regularly, even daily. So please, find time to down-tools from your desk and do one of these shorter sessions to break up your working day. From September 2022, we are increasing the timetable to offer a half-hour Move class via zoom every day of the working week. Keep moving!
As a sports physiotherapist and as a keen runner (and ex-rower and triathlete) myself, I have found Pilates hugely beneficial to keep any niggles or injuries at bay. The classes are suitable for almost anyone, sporting or not, but I always try to include key areas for sports people, including shoulders for swimmers or over-head athletes, as well as strengthening the abdominals, hips, back, hamstrings, quads, calves, and working on balance and coordination exercises to help keep injuries away.
The benefits of Pilates are not just physical. Mental health and physical health are so closely linked, and starting or finishing the day with a half hour Pilates fix is a wonderful way to reset both the body and mind.
WHAT TO BRING: You'll need a mat and a small towel to use as a head support. We have also been using a variety of optional home Pilates kit including the Pilates ball or foam roller, resistance band, and small weights. You can improvise with a hot water bottle (filled with cold water) instead of a ball, a rolled-up bath towel, a pair of tights instead of a resistance band, tin cans as weights, and most exercises can be adapted to do with no equipment at all.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. Stay safe and keep moving!"
Anna Jenkins
Chartered Physiotherapist
BSc (hons) Physiotherapy
MSc Advanced Sports Physiotherapy
Live Zoom timetable:
Monday 8.15am - hour intermediate - advanced class
Monday 6pm - half hour Move class
Tuesday 7.45am - half hour Move class
Wednesday 7.45am - half hour Move class
Thursday 12.15pm - half hour Move class
Friday 7.45am - half hour Move class
Terms and Conditions:
By participating in our live zoom classes or recorded videos you acknowledge your acceptance of the following terms and conditions:
Participants should be over the age of 18 and living in the UK only. On-line Pilates videos are for people who are fit and injury-free. For anyone with an injury, we recommend an individual consultation with your physiotherapist or Pilates teacher prior to attempting an on-line video to make sure that Pilates is suitable for you. It is important that if you have any underlying health conditions that you consult with your doctor before taking up a new exercise regime. Our online classes are not for pregnancy or osteoporosis which would require individual modifications. None of the exercises should cause any pain and you should stop the session if you have any pain, feeling of excessive fatigue or strain. We will offer a variety of levels and depending on your individual strength and fitness we recommend that you start with a more gentle class and progress to a level that you feel comfortable doing. All live zoom classes may be recorded on 'speaker view' and later edited ensuring that no participants appear in the recording before uploading it to our website.