- Tell me a bit about yourself, how did you become a Pilates Instructor
I’m a Wellbeing and Lifestyle Coach, Yoga and Pilates Instructor, originally from Chester but have lived in London for 17 years.
During my time in the ‘Big Smoke’ I’ve been on quite a journey personally with my own health and wellbeing.
Keeping fit, well and strong has been important to me, especially as I love to be active and travel.
Over the years, especially in my 30’s I’ve recognised the importance of caring for my body and experiencing the results; having more energy and feeling well generally.
For most of my career I’ve worked for the NHS and charity organisations, all mainly office based which has meant that I’ve been glued to a desk and a screen, not moving for hours! Over time I noticed the impact of office working and snacking and decided to join a gym near work, which also offered Yoga and Pilates classes.
I experienced a significant difference in how my body felt once I’d started classes. I became more conscious of my overall health and wellbeing. These practices enhanced my running and strength-based gym sessions and led me down the path of mindfulness and meditation.
I initially trained as a Yoga teacher in London after several years of exploring Yoga in India, travelling around South East Asia and volunteering in Cambodia.
Since my training in 2017, I’ve gone on to train as a wellbeing and lifestyle coach, and developed my learning in anatomy and physiology, long term health conditions, common injuries and encouraging body awareness.
When you’re a lover of Yoga, you want to share the practice far and wide for people to feel and experience the same benefits…but not everyone’s into it. People can feel it’s a spiritual practice they can’t relate to or one that requires you to be super flexible and touch your toes!
I totally get why people feel and say these things, I’m sure I thought and said the same once upon a time!
My mission and purpose in life is to support and encourage people to live a happy and healthy life. Understanding the potential barriers people experience with Yoga, I decided to train as a Pilates instructor, to broaden my knowledge and reach more people in a way they could better relate to.
- What are the main differences between Yoga and Pilates and which one is better?
Pilates and yoga both focus on mind-body connection, flexibility, strength, and overall well-being, but they do have distinct differences in techniques and goals.
Pilates is more focused on strengthening the core also known as the “powerhouse”, improving posture, and other core muscle groups, to help create more balance throughout your body. It’s a great form of exercise to improve your mobility through controlled movements and can support you through rehabilitation when recovering from an injury.
You may use different equipment in your Pilates classes such as the ‘Magic Circle’ (Pilates Ring), Small or Large Ball, Resistance Bands and Small Weights. All aim to enhance the exercises and increase the challenge to help develop muscle strength, tone and overall posture.
Yoga on the other hand’s aim is a practice that focuses on uniting the body, mind and spirit, to achieve harmony and balance.
There are an amazing range of different styles of Yoga, the original being Hatha. Yoga integrates physical postures (asanas) breath control and meditation.
It’s a great exercise and practice that will increase your flexibility and range of motion (helping you to achieve your goal of touching your toes ;-)), improves balance and coordination, and can really help to reduce stress and anxiety. There are styles of Yoga that can really challenge you and develop your strength, and there are others that help your body to relax and restore too…I refer to them as Yin or Yang type practices depending on the style.
The breathing techniques are very different too! In Pilates the breath practice is called ‘lateral thoracic breathing’ which means you focus your breath only into the ribcage, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, keeping your abdominals lightly engaged. There are many different breathing techniques in Yoga, usually breathing evenly in and out through your nose, to your lower belly as well as the chest and ribs.
From my experience and perspective, neither is better than the other. It comes down to what you’re wanting to focus on or specific goals, personal preference and what feels more accessible to you.
Movement classes no matter what they are can feel a little intimidating or quite difficult at the beginning, there’s often lots to get your head around and learn…so it’s important to explore which one you enjoy the most and to spend some time thinking about what you want to self-develop.
- What are the benefits of Pilates and when can you expect to see results?
We’re not always aware that back, neck and joint pain, muscle tension and stiffness can be caused by how we stand, sit and move. Often, we push through because we think it’s the norm.
Pilates is an amazing practice that will develop and strengthen ALL of your muscles and improve your overall mobility.
If you practice regularly, 2-3 times a week, you’ll start to see results from about 3 weeks in.
You may find that you stand and carry yourself differently, becoming more aware of your posture and how you move. What muscles to engage or combine for general day to day activities.
It’s really important to ensure you warm up and stretch in a Pilates class to support recovery and also reduce the impacts of the exercises. People can often skip this part, but I feel it’s a must to ensure you give your body the right amount of challenge and TLC.
- Pilates and Yoga seems to be a female dominated arena in the UK, what could draw more men?
This is a great question and I asked a few of my guy friends what their thoughts were on this too!
From my experience, it has predominantly been women in class. Men usually come if they’re recovering from injury, have neck, back or joint pain, or want to develop their flexibility if they run or cycle. They may also be looking to enhance their performance in the gym and other sports.
It tends to be once an injury has occurred that Pilates is recognised for its rehabilitation benefits and people turn to this type of exercise practice.
From feedback I’ve received, men may feel some classes aren’t challenging them enough, or the education and focus on the benefits of Pilates for other types of sports such as football, rugby, martial arts, marathons and climbing could be defined more to help people understand how Pilates can complement these other activities, but also aid recovery.
I also think classes targeted specifically to men would help draw people in, understanding what their goals are and then tailoring classes to help reach them.
- Describe a typical day in your Pilates lifestyle and what’s your diet like?
I make sure I go out for a walk and do some gentle exercises in the morning…it’s important to move first thing….as they say, ‘motion is lotion’.
I’ve a very busy day generally with project work, in addition to my teaching so I can end up working long hours. It’s important for me to head to the gym to use the weights or attend Pilates and Yoga classes, at lunchtime or in the evenings.
I have a standing desk which has been such a great purchase! It means I can do standing exercises, and really focus on my posture. I tend to get discomfort in my lower back if I sit for too long.
During the week I’ll also be preparing for classes that I teach online and in-person, so that means I’m working out too!
I love to cook and always have a fridge full of veggies to bundle together in a salad, curry or noodle soup. I do need to be upping my protein intake which has meant that I do eat more fish now and on the odd occasion meat.
I feel the whole experience of cooking from ‘shopping board to chopping board’ can really influence your mood and energy. Flavours and colours are a must in my meals, and I really do feel nourished and energised when I cook from scratch.
I enjoy my food very much and firmly believe in balance. Eating well and ensuring I have wholefoods to nourish my body is important, but also having a yummy sourdough pizza if that’s what I fancy is too!
6) Finally, how do you unwind is it all healthfood and early nights or do you still like to party?
Hmmmm how do I unwind…? It’s changed a little recently, I’m denying that it’s because I’m getting older haha, but I really appreciate quality time with my pals. We’ll often have a bottle of bubbles and cook up a storm. There’s been a few occasions lately where we’ve been up chatting until 4am!
I’m a spontaneous person, and tend to go with the flow or mood I’m in. I love to go to classes as much as I love teaching them, so I usually take some time out to treat myself too and maybe head to a soundbath or meditation class.
Another thing I’ve loved doing of late is going to a Sofar sounds gig. Music is good for the soul right; if it’s been a busy or hectic week and I feel in the mood to chill, I’ll book a ticket just for me or see if a friend wants to join too.
I’ll be honest, I do need to get back on board with my early night routine. Having recently relocated, I’m still settling in, but I’m confident I’ll be into a new flow in no time and finding the balance once again.
Written by Cerrie Baines – Founder of Mindful Moves
Thank you Cerrie for such a wonderful interview!
If you wish to try Pilates yourself with Cerrie you can visit her website here:
