In this blog, we’ll explore whether our workouts can be more meaningful if we try less hard and consciously connect our body and mind.

As we speed towards mid-January, and the time when many give up on their New years’ resolutions, let’s consider a revolutionary (or perhaps evolutionary) idea - instead of rushing to achieve hard goals, take time to celebrate small wins, stay present, and be kind to yourself.

Poor breathing mechanics can contribute to lower back pain, neck pain, headaches and migraines, pelvic floor dysfunction and anxiety. In this article, I’ll talk about how stress can affect our breath, causing sub-optimal breathing, and what we can do to help ourselves.

Six ways to get your body and mind back to the Pilates mat - let's take up those good habits that fell away over the summer break (yes, even mine!!), and move your body intentionally, perhaps with a new perspective, increased energy or sense of resilience. Get back to that Pilates movement that feels good, and relieves your aches and pains.

The ease with which you can slot Pilates into your day combined with the positive impact it can have on your whole health, give it top-of-class movement credentials, but because there are so many ways to practice Pilates, we put together a handy guide of what you should consider before getting started with Pilates!

Back pain is the largest single cause of disability in the UK, with lower back pain alone accounting for 11% of the total disability of the UK population.* 

All you need to know about the Pilates side kick - how to correctly position yourself, the benefits and tips for your Pilates practice from experienced Pilates teacher, Lauren Hilton.

My top 5 benefits of using Pilates resistance props in your mat work to get a studio workout at home, and delve deeper into your Pilates practice, build strength, improve your bone density, feel more flexible and build muscle tone.

Ever wondered about the why behind some of the Pilates movements you do in class? We delve a little deeper into a move per month so you can learn the benefits of the movements we’re offering our bodies and what those mean for our day-to-day movement and well-being.

Let’s talk about Pilates plank…

Each month we'll give you the why behind some of the Pilates movements you'll be most familiar with in class, so you can learn the benefits of the movements we’re offering our bodies and what those mean for our day-to-day movement and well-being.

Here we'll talk through Mermaid…

In each edition of Behind the Moves, we'll give you the why behind some of the movements you're familiar with in class. When we attend a class each week sometimes we're unaware of the benefits of the movements we are offering our bodies and what those mean for our day-to-day movement and wellbeing.

This time we're talking all things Bridging!

Swan is a Pilates exercise that you may know from your mat class and it also features in all of the apparatus too. Swan is a back-bend, known in movement language and anatomy as an extension. Extension exercises can often be our least favourite.

Let’s take a deep dive into Pilates Swan…

At Lauren Hilton Pilates we use the full studio equipment in 1-2-1s and studio circuits class, this includes the reformer, tower bar, barrel and Pilates chair or ‘Wunda’ chair. Most people have heard of the reformer but the chair was, until more recently, considered a niche piece of equipment that only Pilates devotees had heard of.

What is the Pilates Ladder Barrel?

What is that?! What do you do on it? Clients that come into the studio are always curious as to what the ladder barrel is and what you can do it on it!

If you have seen one you may have felt a bit scared (a common response to the dungeon-like apparatus on the walls), or you’ll likely want to drape yourself over the ladder barrel as soon as you see it.

Fascia release balls and Pilates.

If you have attended Pilates classes at our studio or elsewhere you might have used release balls of various size and shape. I’m going to explain why we use these during class and what the benefits are to your body.