Ubud Pilates

06/03/2019

The studio will be closed for Nyepi and the classes will resume on Monday 11th March. Enjoy the Ogoh Ogoh Parades today and the silence tomorrow!

06/03/2019

This is Sky, one of our yoga teacher trainer clients who has been practicing yoga for over 25 years. He was kind enough to go on camera and talk about the benefits of Pilates mat work from a yoga teacher trainer's perspective. We learned a lot!

After 25 years of yoga practice, Sky Akasha Tobias shares a teacher trainers perspective on how Pilates mat work can help you create a deeper connection to y...

23/02/2019

Ubud Pilates is now on Instagram!

Click here to check it out: https://www.instagram.com/ubudpilates/

10/01/2019

Muscle memory - It's like riding a bike

You’re not imagining it, the first class back after a break can be tough. It feels like you've lost all your conditioning and have to start again from scratch. Don’t worry, your muscle memory will help you bounce back quickly.

So what is muscle memory and how does it work? According to this article on the Cathe Friedrich blog, https://cathe.com/the-science-of-muscle-memory-and-how-it-works-in-your-favor/, there are two factors at play. First, as you exercise, the brain builds connections with your muscles. Through repetition, those connections form pathways that remain even after you've stopped practicing. That's why an adult can still ride a bike, even when they haven’t done so since childhood. The pathways don’t need to be rebuilt, they just need to be turned back on. The key lies in building strong pathways through regular practice.

The second factor occurs at the cellular level. The resistance training we do in Pilates causes your muscle cells to increase their capacity for protein production. Much like a factory that reduces output during quiet periods, your muscle cells can quickly increase their protein production when you resume your practice to restore any muscle mass that you lost during your break.

So don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s normal to struggle for the first couple of sessions after a break. You’ll be feeling strong again in no time.

06/01/2019

Happy New Year Everyone! Hope you all had a great break. Time to get back into it. Classes resume tomorrow, Monday 7th January. Below is the Class Schedule. Booking is essential as places are limited. Looking forward to seeing you in class! Book here: http://ubudpilat.es/class-schedule-2

Monday:
8am - Beginner
10am - Intermediate

Tuesday:
8am - Advanced
10am - Beginner

Wednesday:
8am - Intermediate
10am - Beginner

Thursday:
8am - Beginner
10am - Intermediate

Friday:
8am - Intermediate
10am - Beginner

23/12/2018

Going into the holidays, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your ongoing support. To those just passing through, thank you for letting me be a part of your Ubud experience. To those who visit regularly, I love seeing you back in the studio. And to those lucky enough to live in Bali, thank you for showing up come rain, ceremony or sunshine. It's everyone’s commitment, inspiration and support that keeps the studio going.

Classes will resume on Monday 7th January. It can be a busy month, so let me know when you'll be back so I can save a mat for you.

Have a Happy Holidays and a fantastic start to 2019!

17/11/2018

Are you hunching?
If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer or looking down at your mobile device, you could be at risk of developing hunched or rounded shoulders. This foam roller stretch is one of my favourites for opening up the front of the shoulders and chest as well as giving your back a rest at the end of a busy day. So simple, yet so effective.

How it works:
Over time, if you persistently adopt a forward biased posture, your neck and pectoral muscles will shorten. The shortened muscles prevent the shoulders from returning to their natural alignment which creates a hunched appearance. It can even lead to neck and back pain. Lying on the roller in this way helps to stretch those muscles and counter the effect.

The stretch also reduces tension through your middle back and helps to maintain a neutral alignment of your pelvis. It never ceases to amaze me how beneficial this simple stretch can be. The foam roller is one of the most popular props we use in Pilates mat work but we don’t use it in every class, so feel free to grab a roller and do this stretch for a few minutes before your class starts.

06/11/2018

How many calories do you burn during a Pilates Mat Class?
It’s not usually the first question that comes to mind in relation to Pilates but the answer may pleasantly surprise you. This article, that is based on research published by the American College of Sports Medicine, states that a one hour Intermediate Pilates Mat Class is comparable to Speed walking when it comes to calories burned and a one hour Advanced Pilates Mat Class is comparable to a Step Aerobics Class: http://www.broadwayparklofts.com/how-many-calories-do-you-burn-in-a-pilates-class/

25/10/2018

Given the Ubud Writers & Readers festival is on at the moment, now felt like an appropriate time to share this inspirational speech by Neil Gaiman. It’s targeted to artists but it’s applicable to any creative endeavour. If you haven’t come across it before, it’s well worth the time in my opinion. Enjoy the festival everyone!

Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012 One of the best commencement speeches. A must watch for any artist and everyone who hopes to b...

08/09/2018

This is a great video that shows how our abdominal muscles work in the Chest lift. Notice that past a certain point, the hip flexors take over from the abdominals. It's why we don't come all the way up during the Chest Lift. https://youtu.be/4MeLHSjESlU

How the abdominal muscles work

06/09/2018

Do your hips "Click" and "Clonk"? Many clients report experiencing this sensation during certain movements, such as Leg circles. It's even been given its' own "syndrome" label but don't be alarmed, in most cases it's nothing to worry about. I have experienced it myself on occasion and for most people, it goes away with regular Pilates practice. The resistance band stretching we do at the end of class is particularly helpful and I can give you some tips after class on how to speed up the process. If you'd like to know more, this article from Central Coast Orthopedic does an excellent job of illustrating exactly what's going on in there:
https://centralcoastortho.com/patient-education/snapping-hip-syndrome/

Overview This common condition is a sensation of snapping or catching in the hip. Many people experience this sensation when performing certain movements of the leg. In most cases it is not harmful…