I’ve always been into activities – racing motocross, running around a tennis court, attempting to surf, I’ll give anything a go. Pilates wasn’t on my radar until I lived in San Francisco and was trying out every gym and studio that was on my commute. At first, it wasn’t for me, but then I broke my foot (my first broken bone, believe it or not!). Do you know how fast you can move with complete control on crutches when you have a really strong core? So fast! I was sold on Pilates from then on. That moment of strength is how I came to my style of teaching Pilates, striving for everyone to be stronger, more efficient and the best their bodies can be for not just supporting other hobbies, but also everyday movements.
Picking a favourite Pilates exercise is hard, but for my own practice it would be Control Balance on either mat or reformer – it really brings your mind to the movement, testing your abdominal strength and control, shoulder stability and overarm reach. When I’m teaching, you’ll most likely always find a Hip Roll/Shoulder Bridge in my class plan, with so many people working behind a desk, this really activates the glutes that we sit on for most of the day (often with a few cringes of hamstring cramps), it also gets the spine to move so beautifully in full motion.
If I’m not in the Pilates studio, you’ll find me perched outside, sipping coffee & reading (current book is Becoming – Michelle Obama). Since moving back from Colorado I’m not great with humidity, so when it is cooler, I try to get out for a run or ride on my bike, goal is to increase my cardio fitness so I can start trail running & mountain biking competitions in some of the beautiful tracks we have locally.
