Over the past couple of months, we have released 2 new categories to Our Pilates at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to exercise; Sweat and Sculpt and Mindful Movement/Meditation. I am so excited and proud that we can offer such a variety of classes to our members so that you can give your body exactly what it needs on any given day.
We’ve all heard the word ‘balance’ floating around for a while now. Like most buzz words, it can feel a little tired and over-done and sadly this can dilute the meaning behind the word. I personally still feel that balance is a valuable word to have in our vocabulary and a state of being that is worth striving for. I think words can easily be taken out of context and perhaps where we went wrong with the concept of balance was to expect it to be a defined end point rather than a constantly evolving and changing target.
Looking at social media and other forms of marketing, we can get the impression that ‘balance’ is the destination at the end of a series of actions or behaviours. But the reality is that feeling balanced requires you to check in with yourself and tweak your behaviour intuitively depending on what you have going on in your life at that time. Ideally we make these tweaks regularly to avoid large ups and downs, aiming for small bumps along the way rather than a rollercoaster ride.
If we think about this in relation to our physical health, there should be periods where we push ourselves and periods where we pull back. If you think about professional athletes, they always have ‘off seasons’ and during periods of heavy training loads there will be a big focus on recovery. This is known to be vital for tissue recovery, repair and injury prevention, but the impression most of us non-professionals have is that we should be exercising at the same intensity every time.
Our bodies are designed to operate at varied intensities so that our nervous system can maintain a balance between the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) systems. High intensity exercise puts us into a sympathetic state, whereas gentle stretching and meditation will activate the parasympathetic system. Both systems are important and neither state is ‘bad’, but the reality of the way we live our lives is that we are far more sympathetically driven. This can leave us feeling ‘unbalanced’ and in a state of stress without even realising it.
5 simple tips for creating a more balanced week:
- Finish your exercise sessions with a few deep breaths: breathing exercises are a proven way to reduce cortisol levels and activate your parasympathetic nervous system. 5 deep, diaphragmatic breaths or this alternate nostril breathing class are two easy options to make part of your daily routine.
- Prioritise good sleep: Equally as important as making time to move your body is making sure you get good quality sleep and enough of it. Sleep is crucial for optimal functioning of our bodies and brains so if you want to get the most out of your exercise routine, get enough sleep!
- Vary the intensity of your classes: if you love HIIT, try to add in at least one more flow-focused class to challenge your body in a different way. Similarly, if you gravitate towards more gentle classes, perhaps try one of our 15 minute Sweat and Strength classes. You’ll notice both physical and mental gains by mixing it up.
- Schedule a rest day each week: this doesn’t have to mean no exercise at all, but you might go for a nice walk outside or choose a class from our Stretch and Reset or Mindful Movement categories to move your body gently.
- Be aware of what you have going on outside of your exercise routine: this trips people up all the time. If you’re going through a busy period at work, socialising more than usual, unwell or dealing with personal stress, this will all contribute to the total load on your body. In these circumstances it is important to recognise that you may need to focus more on rest and recovery to avoid injury or overload.
Remember that what keeps you balanced is constantly evolving and there is no set recipe to follow. Check in with yourself regularly and be ok with switching things up every now and then as your circumstances change.
Head to our new Mindful Movement category for a collection of classes designed to help you slow down, breathe deep, and connect with your body.
If you have any questions, reach out at any time via email hello@ourpilates.com.au or DM us @ourpilates, I am always happy to help out!
Han x