I recently developed sciatica, went to a physio who gave me some pilates exercises to do – all well and good.

Does anyone do pilates as part of their fitness regime?

I don’t actually feel like I’m exercising (i.e. I’m not dripping sweat, burning my lungs out, or have muscles feeling like jelly on the last rep of a lift), is it genuinely a full body fitness system? What’s your experience -classes or home workouts? Any recommended books/dvds?

Thanks.

Yes (kind of Our amazing Pilates teacher has just left Edinburgh so we’re high’n’dry without a comparable replacement).

However, if you go to a proper class you will sweat, you will feel like you’re exercising both at the time and the day afterwards and you will feel the difference in core strength.

IMHO books and DVDs cannot ever replace a decent teacher – look up private classes in your area and give it a try. You won’t look back…

I’m genuinely gutted our teacher left, no where else does the same level – its all leisure centre classes for al levels, rather than the bespoke personal experience.

Shiver me timbers! …oh wait, sorry I read that wrong 😛

I’ve done a couple of classes, but as per your experience I left underwhelmed. Would love to find a good yoga class.

first time i did it it felt like wishy washy hippy rubbish, i stuck with it and a few more classes and i’;d developed the muscles a bit more and able to do it a bit better.

I like it.

genuinely a full body fitness system?

not really it’s about core strength, everything hangs off the core so maybe. IMO.

My cycling club has organised Pilates classes and after a bike related RTA in which I fractured my back, I naively thought that “gentle Pilates” exercises would be a good idea. Unfortunately the Pilates was, understandably, geared for fit cyclists, as a consequence it was rather more challenging that I expected and it caused considerable problems for my back. I never re-booked.

If the exercises which you have been given appear particularly gentle then I suspect they are designed not to make your back worse.

I did 6 sessions a few years ago and by the end of it I was the most flexible I have ever been in my enitre life. I was amazed what a bit of breathing and clenching can achieve 🙂

Didn’t continue as it clashed with night riding and I haven’t found another class near where we are now. Definitely worth it despite the piss taking in a class of 20 women.

I’d love to try Pilates but when I was working in gyms 15 years ago the craze was just taking off and there were relatively few properly qualified instructors outside of his original place in America (I think it was?), so I’m a bit sceptical about the instructors now found in every village hall on a Tuesday night!

A friend of mine does it to improve his core strength after being advised by his physio as it would help his bad back. He says it’s pretty good, looked a bit scary when he showed us a couple of positions and his right foot was by his left ear!

Yoga. As above you are much better going to classes, at least initially to learn how to do the moves properly.