Take A Look At My Pilates Facebook Page

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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The dangers of teaching Pilates!

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

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