Pilates for Beginners: What to expect at Runlates
- vicgidney
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
We’re not talking about what to wear (comfortable is a good start) or what to bring (we have everything you need), but what you’re likely to experience when you join a Runlates class. We’d like you to feel comfortable but challenged, and enjoy your time with us too!
Expect a mental as well as a physical workout
You will quickly discover that we ask a LOT of questions in class! Because whilst we are always happy to offer you individual feedback, or assist hands on when needed, usually this comes after we have prompted you to bring awareness to your own body and the feedback it may be giving you if there is a movement or exercise you’re finding tricky.
For many people, Pilates for Beginners is their first introduction to this kind of mindful movement, where learning to tune in to how your body feels is just as important as the exercises themselves.
For instance we might ask you to notice:
How it feels when you…
What happens if you then…
If this makes it easier… or harder?
What you can adjust to…
How you can find more space by…
If you can find more stability through…
Your classes are a chance to learn more about your body and how you can use it kindly and efficiently - perhaps by putting less strain through muscles that are overworking, and strengthening those that need to work a little harder! It’s also important to maintain coordination as we grow older and keep challenging the nervous system, so asking you to do multiple things at once isn’t us being cruel - it’s a strategy for successful ageing!
No Sweat! The devil’s in the details..
When you turn up to a class, it’s best not to expect fast and bold movements, sweaty brows or racing heartbeats and initially you might not even feel too much the next day (we’re not promising that though!)
You should expect however to be asked to pay attention to everything from your little fingers to your big toes, your scapulae to your hip bones and even the individual vertebrae of your spine. Making small adjustments to positioning when we set up an exercise can help you to experience familiar movements very differently. Often we are targeting deeper, sometimes smaller ‘whisper’ muscles that help to stabilise a joint effectively BEFORE we then add load - bypassing them can contribute to overuse injuries, strains or simply discomfort.
So if you are old friends with a sit up, plank or press up expect to find a new level of challenge hiding within!
Feel taller, stronger, and more ‘connected’
Overheard from those leaving a Pilates class:
‘I feel like I’ve been put back together’
‘It feels like everything’s back in the right place’
‘I think I’m leaving an inch taller’
And that’s usually all without anyone laying a finger on you! There’s something quite empowering about knowing and feeling connected to your body. Being aware of some tightness or stiffness, how that movement should/could feel, and what you can do about it.
After a few months of Pilates you’ll likely start to find without realising that you’re actually ‘doing Pilates’ more than you realise. As you retrain regular movement patterns, lifting your arms overhead for instance, bending your knees (squatting), turning and twisting (rotation) you’ll be applying what you have learnt unconsciously - moving more efficiently, and comfortably all the while.
The less load we place on our bodies, the more efficiently we move, the longer we are going to be able to use them to do all the things we love to do and enjoy. So you won’t find us talking about sculpting or toning, more likely we’ll be trying to find ways to equip you with a toolkit of movements that you can use to offer your body some TLC whenever it (and you) need it.
Curious? Enquire about our Introductory workshops, Beginners courses and private appointments now to get started.
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