Kate teaches lunchtime Pilates Classes on Mondays & Saturdays at Lotus Yoga.
Catering for students of mixed levels, her classes are free flowing from a gentle warm up to a relaxing warm down.
Contact Kate at or tel 086 8253691
Kate writes about core strength and its scope in dealing with postural imbalances, the cause of many injuries and the potential of alleviating pain through regular practice.
Core Strength and Pilates: Why is this for you?
What is Core Strength?
The core muscles that lie deep within the body work as stabilisers not only to the spine but to the rest of the torso including the ribs, pelvis and shoulders. The strengthening of these muscle groups that surround and support the spine is the basis of developing "Core Stability", which will result in improved balance, posture and stability of the spine and torso. Core muscle strength is the key to injury-free exercise and improved performance amongst athletes, as well as being the key to a pain-free life for many people suffering with chronic back pain. These muscles are the basis of strength, fitness and conditioning of the body that were referred to by Joseph Pilates as "The Girdle of Strength".
How Can Core Strength Protect Against Back Pain Conditions?
Pilates is the ultimate exercise choice for anyone looking to improve their core strength and stability, whether it be to improve posture, relieve on-going back problems and pain, or to just generally improve strength, fitness, body tone, balance and coordination. Many back pain conditions are associated with a weakness in the core muscles that stabilise and support the spine, resulting in poor posture and allowing stresses, pressures and strains put upon the body during the average daily routine to have a direct impact on the spine, thus resulting in pain. The muscles begin to tighten in the area of the spine experiencing pain and discomfort, which leads to further postural adjustments. This, in turn, causes extra strain on the muscles which tighten and spasm further in the affected area, ultimately resulting in more pain. This is a vicious circle that becomes more and more difficult to break, often resulting in increasing weakness of the core muscles as the muscles surrounding an area of pain continue to overwork and dominate the workload. An increasing number of people from all backgrounds, professions and of varying sport and athletic participation and ability are experiencing on-going back pain. It seems however you choose to fill your day there is no guarantee that you will experience a lifetime free from back problems.
Occupational Hazards
Maybe your occupation consists of sitting at a desk all day - this can result in a lack of mobility of the lower back, postural issues resulting from slouching and even sitting cross-legged for hours on end and an increasing amount of tension in the neck and shoulders. In many occupations, we often spend hours typing and manipulating a mouse, staring downwards towards a screen and keyboard (particularly for laptop users) and coping with the increasing stresses and strains of an increasingly stressful and demanding worklife. Perhaps you spend most of your day on your feet, standing in the same position or performing a series of repetitive movements throughout the day. Again, a lot of tension is often held in the neck and shoulders and strain is often felt through the lower back due to postural adjustments made from standing or making small repetitive movements for prolonged periods. You may even spend your day rushing around or frequently lifting large and cumbersome or heavy objects, thereby adding extra stress and strain to the body with continuous bending, stretching and lifting movements. Whatever your occupation, there is nearly always some aspect of your daily routine that encourages you to get into bad postural habits and put pressure on your back. Bad postural habits are an important factor to consider in virtually all cases of long-term back pain.
How Can Core Strength Be of Benefit for Athletes?
Core strength and stability training is also a must for the athletes out there, where a lack of core strength can ultimately lead to injuries. The recovery time-period and debilitating nature of any injury is always the grave unknown for those involved in serious competition sports and those exercising for pleasure alike. One only has to consider the kinds of injuries that prevent many athletes from continuing with their sport, or at least that prevent them from competing for some time, to gain an understanding of the benefits of this type of body conditioning for athletes. Back injuries and shoulder injuries are very common in a wide range of sports including running, tennis, badminton, rugby, cycling and horse-riding to name but a few. Core strength training should be a vital component of the training programme for any athlete and will ultimately help the body move and perform to its optimal level. Many high-profile examples exist in media of top-level sportsmen and sportswomen making use of Pilates for injury prevention, rehabilitation and core strengthening purposes. Examples include the Munster rugby team, the Welsh and Australian national rugby teams, and even David Beckham.
Core Strength Training: The Same Overall Results for Everyone!
The good news is that improved core strength and stability can be used positively to counteract bad postural habits, the physical stresses and strains of worklife and the pressures put upon the body through vigorous (and even not-so-vigorous!) sports and exercise programmes. Once the basic principles of Pilates are learned as a student in a class situation, the stabilisation of the spine and improved core stability gained can be applied to every aspect of your day-to-day routine including work, sports and relaxation time. After a few weeks of Pilates core strength training you will begin to feel the benefits of improved body awareness, core strength and control, and improved posture and balance throughout your daily life.