meet Chris

Today I want to introduce you to one of our clients Chris.  

Chris is a keen runner and suffered from clicky hips and lower back pain due to sitting for 8/9 hours at his desk.

I just want to begin by saying I've done some Pilates in the past but fell out of it because the class I used to attend didn't fit with having a kid. 

So, my missus, as a birthday gift got me a 4 week course with Emma. I say gift...
Booking is easy and if you're not following her on social, definitely give Emma a follow for more hints and tips.

The first thing I learned was that Pilates was invented by a man. Joseph Pilates. I honestly thought Emma was having me on. Turns out it's true.

I spend 8 or 9 hrs of the day sitting behind my desk working, and after that there's nothing better than Emma's Pilates sessions to stretch out my bones. I definitely don't have so much pain in my lower back at the end of the day. And, the other day I was walking through the house and thought to myself 'My bones feel very long', which if you've never experienced it is actually quite a pleasant feeling.

I'm 36 and I suffer from very clicky hips (Google it if you've never heard of it) and often get awful cramp in that area too when sitting on the floor playing with my 3year old.
You can imagine her face when Daddy has to jump up off the floor screaming in pain and having to stretch his leg before building another Duplo tower.

A lot of the focus in Emma's sessions is on stretching out your hips. She tells me hips are used to contracting but not stretching, so it's challenging but I'm definitely developing more flexibility in my hips.
Good news for my 3year old and the nightclubs of Newcastle, because y'know, hips don't lie.

I'm a keen runner too and I've definitely noticed a difference in my form (technical term for something or other) since starting these sessions. I feel more steady and able to keep a good posture which improves running efficiency and can help prevent injury. 

The benefits don't stop there either. After one of Emma's sessions I always feel calmer and mentally refreshed, sometimes for up to a day afterwards. It's almost a form of meditation or mindfulness, you're focussing on your breathing and movements in your body throughout. And, at the end of each session Emma does a guided visualisation (in her poshest Geordie voice) which can almost make you want to drift off to sleep there and then.

Emma makes every session different but also challenging, and even though they're virtual, she will tell if your technique isn't right. Personally I like that because the perfectionist in me wants to do it properly.

Plus, Emma's always willing to give you pointers if there's something you're not sure of or want to know more about.

The group is also great, and as the session is virtual, people join from across the globe. I'd never met anyone from Mexico before this. Now I know someone from Acapulco (queue the song). That blows my mind but shows just how good Emma is.

To sum up, if you're a dude and you think Pilates is for girls. It's not. It was created by a dude and has huge benefits for dudes like you, mentally and physically.

I would 100% recommend Emma's Pilates classes. Every session is different and challenging, but at the same time leaves you feeling amazing afterwards.

What could be better? 

Chris 
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