Complete Pilates, London Videos

SAME BUT DIFFERENT: JACK RABBIT & PIKES 🐇💥 😅Saving the best for last?! These full-body movements are a game-changer! They challenge your entire body with: ✅Upper Body Weight Bearing ✅Head, Neck, and Shoulder Organization ✅Axial Elongation and Core Control ✅Here’s how they differ on the reformer and trapeze table: 🌟Trapeze Table: With no spring, you’ll need to rely heavily on your abs and hip flexors to move your legs. It’s all about pure muscle power and control. 🌟Reformer: Adding a spring helps with the movements, making it a bit easier to bend and straighten your knees for the Jack Rabbit and lift/lower your hips for the Pike. The extra resistance can help you refine your technique. 😅Not for the faint-hearted—are you up for the challenge? 💪🔥 ⁉️Would you give this a go? Let us know! 👇 #JackRabbit #Pikes #FullBodyChallenge #PilatesReformer #PilatesTrapezeTable #CoreStrength #PilatesMoves #CompletePilates #LondonPilates #PilatesLife

⭐️ R O W I N G ⭐️ Rowing is a full-body sport, and core training is crucial for peak performance. 🚣‍♂️✨ Your core acts as a “rigid lever” to transfer power from your legs to the blade. Traditional core exercises like planks and crunches are great, but incorporating movements that use your extremities and power-producing muscles is key. 🙌 Pilates is perfect for rowers, by teaching you how to stabilize your hips, pelvis, and lower back while generating and transmitting force through effective biomechanical positions. 💪 Are you a rower? What’s your favourite rowing variation? 👇👇👇 - - - - - - #RowingLife #PilatesForAthletes #CoreStrength #RowingTraining #pilatesforrowers #pilates

🧘‍♀️Not Your Average Massage: Pilates Style! 🙋‍♀️Happy Thursday! It’s Day 4 of our Exercise Details Week, and today we’re focusing on the Stomach Massage. It might not feel as relaxing as a traditional massage, but it offers just as many benefits! 🎤Setup: Use 2-3 springs Set the foot bar to middle or high Sit on a non-slip pad if needed Execution: 💪Sit at the edge of the carriage with your feet on the bar in a Pilates V position. Create a C-curve with your spine by sinking your chest bone and lower ribs, sending your sit bones toward your feet. Maintain this shape as you press through your feet, extending your knees. Then, bend your knees to bring the carriage back in and repeat. You’ll feel your abdominals working to maintain this position, hence the name “Stomach Massage”! 🏆Key Principle: ✅Axial Elongation and Core Control Muscles Worked: ✅Core ✅Legs ⁉️Would you choose this exercise over a spa massage? Let us know in the comments! #Pilates #ExerciseDetail #FitnessJourney #WorkoutRoutine #HealthyLiving #PilatesLove #CoreStrength #StomachMassage #BodyAlignment #FitnessGoals

🔄 Side Sit Up Makeover! 🔄 👀The ladder barrel is an original piece of pilates equipment designed by Joseph Pilates using an empty beer keg. It was designed to encourage the spine to move into flexion and extension. You can also perform a side bend on the barrel, which brings us to the side sit up! 🙋‍♀️The side sit-up is fantastic for targeting your obliques and lower back. Beginners can keep their feet on the floor, if you’re advanced you can place your feet on the ladder. Once you’ve nailed the basics, we love adding variations to add some fun, challenge your core stability, and enhance your rotational ability. Here are some of our favorite variations: 🌟 Rotation 🌟 Mermaid Stretch 🌟 Light Weights ⁉️Have you tried these? Let us know your favorites! 💪💫 . . . #Pilates #FitnessJourney #CoreWorkout #SideSitUp #StrengthTraining #PilatesGoals

✨ Our Take on the Roll Down Series! ✨ 💛The roll down is a must-master move in Pilates, essential for tackling more complex exercises. It’s all about spine articulation and core control. 🏆What’s great about the trap table version is the assistance you get on the way up, letting you move slowly and really feel your spine flexing! 🙋‍♀️Once you’ve got this move down, it’s fun to mix things up with some variations to challenge your core even more. Here are some of our favorites: 🌟 Rotation 🌟 Bicep Curls 🌟 Rows 🌟 Alternating Rows 🌟 Leg Lifts ⁉️How many variations have you tried? Let us know! 💪💫 #completepilates #rolldownseries #rollups #traptable #pilatesvariations

✨ Scooter Moves: Our Fresh Take! ✨ 🙋‍♀️Next up in our series of classical Pilates variations is the Scooter! 🛵The Scooter is a super popular Pilates move, and it’s no surprise that there are so many unique and creative ways to do it. This exercise is fantastic for building single-leg strength, stability, and balance. You can make it easier by holding onto the bar for support, or amp it up with some rotation and adding weights. Here are a few fun variations: 🌟 Arm Swings 🌟 Rotation 🌟 Adding Weights ⁉️How many Scooter variations can you think of?! Share your favorites with us! 💪💫 Stay tuned for our take on the Roll Down series! #pilates #completepilates #scooter #scootervariations #reformerpilates #pilatesvariations

Our Twist on Classical Pilates! ✨ 🤓Did you know Pilates was started by Joseph Pilates way back in 1926? He created a bunch of exercises to help with spine mobility, stability, and strength. Over time, people have put their own spin on these moves, making Pilates incredibly popular today. 👩‍⚕️As physiotherapists, we love mixing the classic Pilates moves with our rehab know-how. This week, we’re sharing some of our favorite variations of Classical Pilates exercises. 🥳First up: Jumping! 🧐The jump board, invented by Eve Gentry in the 1970s, adds a fun twist to reformer footwork. Instead, you jump, extend your legs, and then land by rolling through your feet and bending your knees and hips. This exercise is great for adding some impact to your joints in a safe way. Plus, it’s super fun! Here are some variations we love: 🌟 Criss Cross 🌟 Alternate Legs 🌟 Ova Ball Under Upper Back 🌟 Side Lying 🌟 Side Planking ⁉️What’s your favorite variation? Let us know! 💪💫 #pilates #completepilates #jumpboard #reformerpilates #jumpboardvariations

⭐️ FIRE UP THURSDAY ⭐️ ✨ For the first 6 weeks post kidney transplant you will spend a lot of time either sitting or laying down. It’s not uncommon to lose muscle mass everywhere including your glutes. ✨ The core muscles on the side of the transplant will be inhibited due to the kidney transplant surgery. This can cause the glutes to over compensate, working extra hard for the muscles which cannot switch on / activate yet. ✨ Roxy mentioned how she had a lot of lower back pain post surgery, due to her core being inhibited and glutes overworking. Combined with all the extra laying down and sitting. This did improved with time and patience but it was a process! The exercises we are looking at here are: 👉 Side lying glutes - clam variations 👉 Four point kneeling glutes - leg extension, donkey kicks and lateral clams (fire hydrant) It’s always important to note that stretching out the glutes post transplant is just as important as firing them up! What other exercises can you think of, to get the glutes going? 👇👇👇👇 - - - - - #transplantweek #transplantawareness #kidneytransplant #pilates #recoverypilates #recovery

⭐️ MOODY MERMAID ⭐️ There’s no rush, and it’s not a competition on how fast you can recover. ✨You might be on a lot of medication which can have some intense physical and psychological side affects. ✨Some days you are just not going to want to move and that’s absolutely okay and completely normal. ✨The days where you want to move a little, mobility is your friend! ✨A gentle stretch can be great for your mind and your body. ✨Checking in with how you and your body feels is such an important part reconnecting with yourself and of your recovery journey. ✨Most commonly with a kidney transplant your scar is on the right side (usually) of your stomach close to your right hip. It’s not uncommon to feel uneven and tighter on that side. ✨The aim is to explore your movement and not going into end range, you want to avoid overstretching. You’ll be surprised how tiring it is! Roxy: ‘I loveee a mermaid, it’s one of my go to moves! But I was really surprised and taken back by how different it felt, and how restricted I was in my right side. I would just lean into the mermaid stretch and take my time breathing in that space.’ What are your go to movements when you’re not feeling great? 👇👇👇👇 - - - - - #transplantweek #transplantawareness #kidneytransplant #pilates #recoverypilates #recovery

⭐️ BUILDING UP TO BRIDGE ⭐️ ✨Post kidney transplant, you are recommended not to lift anything heavier than a full kettle for at least 6 weeks. ✨This means lots of sitting and laying down to be as comfortable as possible whilst you recover. ✨As you can imagine 6 weeks of not moving a lot can make your back extremely stiff! ✨Adding in some gentle bridging with your feet on a higher surface such as a couch, chair or footstool, can offer a really lovely stretch on the way down from a bridge, allowing your spine to articulate and finally move again. * Disclaimer, you absolutely must make sure the surface you are putting your feet on is NOT going to slip!!* Roxy: I wouldn’t say bridges are not my usual go to move, but post transplant I found myself craving some spinal articulation, and bridge’s felt so lovely on my back, and I felt like I could ‘actually’ move again afterwards.’ What other options can you think of to build up to bridge? 👇👇👇 - - - - - #transplantweek #transplantawareness #kidneytransplant #pilates #recoverypilates #recovery

⭐️ TRANSPLANT AWARENESS ⭐️ This week is all about looking at transplant recovery. Roxy has been teaching for Complete Pilates since 2016 and has recently received a Kidney transplant from her Mum in November 2023. She will be taking you through her own experience of returning to movement post transplant. She also had a c-section 11 months prior to the transplant, she knows a thing or two about recovering from abdominal surgery! 😃 It’s recommended to wait at least 6 weeks before doing any gentle exercise post kidney transplant. Roxy: I tried some gentle movement at 6 weeks post, I could feel that my body wasn’t ready, so I continued to rest, kept trying little and often and around the 12 week post mark I finally felt able to do 15 minutes of Pilates. You need to be patient with yourself, which can quite often be more difficult than the physical recovery! Today we are looking at some gentle core exercises with a dead bug series. ✨ Please note, all videos this week have been sped up by at least x 2.5! The goal is to explore movements to see how your body feels, not rush through them. 🙌 Do you have kidney transplant questions for Roxy? 🫶 👇👇👇👇👇 - - - - - #transplantweek #transplantawareness #kidneytransplant #pilates #recoverypilates #recovery

Dumbbell Scooters 🚀 💪Think scooters are tough? Try them with weights! 💪✨ 🏆One of the best things about the scooter move is that there are SO many possible variations. Adding in weights to this exercises will work your shoulders as well as challenging balance core stability and leg strength! Here are 3 of our favourite variations: 🌟Dumbbell to Chest + Thoracic Rotation 🏋️‍♂️ 🌟Weighted Arm Swings 💥 🌟Shoulder Presses 🎯 ⁉️Have any creative weighted scooter variations? Share them with us! ⬇️💬 . . . . . #PilatesWithWeights #FitnessChallenge #CoreWorkout #StrengthTraining

🚴‍♀️CLIMB A TREE TO RIDE A BIKE 🚴‍♀️ Yes, cycling involves a lot of leg work, but you’ve also got to be strong in your core and be able to weight-bear through your arms for long periods…. This calls for some full body Pilates!! 💪Climb a tree: Although this move looks elaborate, there are some great strategies that can be used to make this exercises feel great and look alot more seamless. Placing your hand on the bottom of your thigh as soon as possible will lift your body up from that deeply extended position! This move will help to improve: ✅ hamstring length ✅ core control ✅ spine extension ⁉️ would you climb a tree . . . CyclingDay #TeamGreenBritainBikeWeek #PilatesForCyclists #CoreStrength #InjuryPrevention #Flexibility

🚴‍♀️Pedal & Pilates! 🚴‍♀️💪 ⁉️Did you know many athletes turn to Pilates to strengthen their bodies for their sport? Cycling is no different! It’s important not only to practice your craft but also to incorporate different exercise methods to achieve your long-term goals. 💪 Leg Series on the Spine Corrector: Today’s exercise focuses on core control while moving your legs—exactly what you need for cycling! This leg series offers numerous options and feels fantastic for your hips our example demonstrates the cycling version! It’s perfect for freeing up your movement, relieving lower back tension. Remember, the goal is to move within your hip socket rather than making the movements huge.⁠ Get ready to enhance your cycling performance with this awesome exercise! 🚴‍♂️✨ #CyclingDay #TeamGreenBritainBikeWeek #PilatesForCyclists #CoreStrength #InjuryPrevention #Flexibility #CyclingLife

⭐️ STRONG KNEES ⭐️ Football is a popular sport to watch and play. ⚽️ ✨ Knee injuries in football are very common, and there is no surprise as football is a high intensity sport, which is played on a soft, spongey surface. ✨ Combining this surface with sudden sprints and twisting movements, can cause a lot of pressure on the mechanics on the knee. Potentially causing a knee injury. Take a look at these exercises to help build strong knees: ⚽️ Assisted SL squat ⚽️ SL squat ⚽️ SL deadlift Which one will you be trying? Let us know 👇👇👇 - - - - - - #football #euros #pilatesforfootballers #pilatesforeveryone #pilates

⭐️ MOBILITY HAT-TRICK ⭐️ Having good mobility allows footballers to move more efficiently. 🙌 It can help footballers move faster, jump higher, and change directions more quickly. Benefits of mobility are: ⚽️ Reduced risk of injury ⚽️ Improved recovery ⚽️ Increased flexibility ⚽️ Enhanced performance Todays exercises: 👉Thigh stretch on TT 👉Russian splits 👉Standing side splits What’s your favourite mobility exercise? 👇👇👇👇 - - - - - - #pilates #pilatesforfootballers #football #euros #pilatesfotperformance #physiopilates

⭐️ KICK START MONDAY ⭐️ Let’s kick start Monday, this week is all about the Euro’s ⚽️ We are going to focus on all things football, and how Pilates can help! Who is your tip to win the Euros? Let us know below 👇👇👇👇 - - - - - - #pilates #pilatesforfootballers #football #euros #pilatesfotperformance #physiopilates