Lets Meet Michelle
We caught up with Michelle, a popular instructor and the woman behind The Pilates Hut, to chat favourite moves, first class nerves and why she’s so passionate about pilates for everyone.
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ON DISCOVERING PILATES...
“Like many people, my pilates journey started with a desk job. Long days spent sitting in front of a computer were wreaking havoc on my posture. Admittedly, it had never been great but eventually my slouch became so noticeable that even my family started pointing it out! I knew that something had to give… but I had no idea how much change was coming my way.
I tried loads of cures for bad posture but nothing helped. Finally, I contacted an expert to carry out a Posture analysis. She was also a pilates teacher and suggested I give it a try. The rest is history.”
ON BEGINNING TO SEE THE BENEFITS...
“I started taking regular pilates classes and really enjoyed them. After a long day at work pilates helped me switch off, relax my busy brain and re-centre. At the time I did aerobic fitness classes but soon I’d replaced them completely with pilates. I was hooked.
Best of all, I’d finally found something that addressed my bad posture. Over the space of about a year I got stronger, fitter and happier… and my stance improved dramatically. The impact was profound and I stuck with it; attending regular pilates classes, as a practitioner, for about ten years after that.”
ON BECOMING A TEACHER…
“A decade into my practice, I found myself thinking about taking my working life in a new direction. It was actually my pilates teacher at the time who suggested I consider training to become a teacher myself. We’re a supportive bunch! With her encouragement I decided to give it a go.”
ON CREATING A VISION…
“I decided that, if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it really well. There are lots of teachers working out of various town halls, lugging their equipment around or even asking students to bring their own mats. This works for them but I had a different vision...
I wanted to create a dedicated pilates space; a haven for the local community which would offer everything you could possibly need in one lovely location. I imagined a relaxing rural environment and was lucky to find the ideal venue at Inchmarlo; there’s nothing quite like doing a pilates class surrounded by countryside, mountains and rivers!
Bit by bit the vision became reality. As time went on we added large equipment and brought new teachers and classes into the fold. We’re always interested in what’s new and in how we can innovate in the field.”
ON TEACHING THE FIRST CLASS…
“Those first few classes were daunting! I’m not an extrovert so standing up and being the centre of attention took some getting used to. It’s funny to remember that as I don’t even think about it anymore.
Teaching is natural to me now and I try not to overplan my sessions. Instead I like to plan intuitively, around my clients, adapting the class to meet the various needs of the room.”
ON FAVOURITE MOVES…
“Everyone has different favourites depending on their strengths, weaknesses and body type. For me, right now, the shoulder bridge is a winner. It’s a move that creates great mobility for the spine (and is excellent for my posture!) but also provides core and shoulder stabilising work and hamstring an Gluteus strength .”
ON OTHER WAYS TO EXERCISE AND RELAX…
“I love the power of exercise to help you unwind. Apart from pilates, swimming is my low-impact go-to for whole body - and brain - benefits. I also do a lot of walking with my dog, Bosun, and spend a fair bit of time gardening… when the weather allows it!
I’ve dabbled in open-water swimming and triathlons and (even though two years ago I would have definitely said ‘I’m not a runner’) I’ve done a few half marathons. I taught myself to run with a little bit of reading and found that my pilates training has helped me achieve more than I ever thought possible.”
ON FINDING MY PASSION…
“My fondest memories as a pilates teacher are of watching people grow in confidence as their physical strength increases. Clients thank me because they can get up, stay up, stand tall and move freely. It’s an amazing feeling to enhance someone’s life by helping them recover from an injury or achieve things they didn’t believe they could. I love pilates and I feel so lucky that I get to use it to help people enjoy life, every day.”
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Come along to one of our classes to meet Michelle and discover how pilates can enhance your life too.
