Do I need to be flexible?

So….

I was having a chat with someone the other day and they said that they were worried about their up and coming one to one Pilates session with me because they hadn’t done Pilates before and they “weren’t that flexible”.

This is actually, I find, quite a common misconception with Pilates. And I totally get it! You see all these pictures of people in all kinds of fantastic ‘pose’ positions. Bending left, right and centre with that far away, contemplative look in their eyes, and if you haven’t tried it before, its’s natural to respond with no way, no how, not me!

Whilst these images can indeed be very beautiful, as a Pilates instructor I can assure you that they’re pretty irrelevant to your own Pilates journey.

For a start – everybody’s body is different. Some people are flexible, some aren’t. I can guarantee you that it doesn’t matter one jot for Pilates which one you are.

Pilates is about working to your own body’s range of movement. It’s about strengthening your spine, your muscles and joints and encouraging a healthier amount of movement in your stiffer bits. Re-correcting poor posture and giving you the physical support and strength to cope with your normal day to day activities like work, childcare, other forms of exercise or whatever. It’s specific to your body and no one else’s.

That’s the real goal with Pilates; to get your body moving more effectively, the way it was designed to move. It’s a foundation. A solid base for everything else. It heals. And that’s why it’s accessible to you and everyone else!

Pilates is a very personal experience and I would urge everyone and try it and see the difference it can make to their body.

And for the record…. I’m not flexible either.

Yvette xx