Last year I had the opportunity to have private Pilates tuition in order to become an instructor. As we were in LA only for the summer, I wasn't able to complete the course and get certified. However, we certainly crammed in as much info as we could and I practiced on the reformer, Cadillac and mat work.
Unfortunately, when I returned to the Gulf, I never kept up with my Pilates learning which was a shame as we have a bespoke Pilates Studio. Reason was, I wasn't keen on the previous instructor's style of teaching and as a result would never go to her classes.
A year has passed, and the previous instructor has moved on. We now have a new instructor and am really excited to be getting back into training.
Why does Pilates work for me?
Recovering from Stage 1 Adrenal Exhaustion meant that I had to stop high intensity classes like Body Pump (using weights) and Combat (high intensity martial arts) and RPM (high intensity spin class). These classes were playing havoc with my adrenals as the constant stress attributed to high intensity exercise, caused in response, my body to continually release cortisol (the main stress hormone). Unfortunately, as a result of the constant demand my body wasn't able to shut down this release and as a consequence the rest of my hormones became depleted or imbalanced. (namely my female hormones!)
The treatment and future?
Over the last year I have balanced my hormones out by using the natural supplementation and have incorporated mind body exercises into my routine. Certainly, once I healed, I could re introduce the weights but it made me look in other directions for a discipline that I can work my muscles but without the high cortisol release. And so along came Pilates and Yoga!
Continue reading for a nice article for those of you not so familiar with what Pilates is (surely not many of you, although we did come across a German who had never heard of Pilates before!!, BTW Pilates originates from a German by the name of Joseph Pilates!).
Lastly, I am pleased to know that there are plenty of Pilates Studios in Bahrain, let's just hope I find an instructor I like!!!