How to feel motivated to exercise in winter

About the author – Christina Wyatt

As well as a friend to Pilates Live, Christina is a seasoned confidence and success coach with a passion for empowering individuals to reach their own potential. She has been a full-time coach since 2014, partnering with hundreds of clients, seeking personal and professional growth.   

Find out more about Christina and her coaching here: www.christinawyatt.co.uk

As the days start to become shorter and the cold weather begins to set in it can often feel harder to get motivated to exercise. For some people winter means cosy jumpers, but for others winter can feel a more difficult time. Winter months can be linked to changes in mood, feeling low or more irritable. However, there are ways to harness the power of the winter season to boost your physical and mental well-being. 

It may seem daunting embracing exercise during the winter season, but numerous studies have highlighted the advantages of staying active during this time. 

• Vitamin D production: Exposure to natural sunlight can boost your levels which is essential vitamin that plays a vital role in bone health, immunity, and overall well-being. 
• Enhanced Mood and Energy: Regular winter exercise can alleviate symptoms of Season Affective Disorder (SAD) Also during physical activity we release the hormone endorphins which can reduce stress, improve our mood, and boost our energy levels. 
• Overall Health: According to research people who exercise in cold environments may burn more calories due to the body’s need to regulate temperature and also improving overall cardiovascular health.

Here are some useful tips and strategies to try and help overcome those winter blues and keep motivated to exercise through the darker winter months.  

1. Routine

Setting aside a specific time in the day or week can really help to keep up regular exercise, especially in winter when we can think of lots of different reasons to avoid it. Working out a time of day that works best for you is also important. If you are often feeling exhausted at the end of the day this might not be the best time for you to schedule trying to exercise. We can also use exercise to help break up our day. For example, if you are working from home, exercising at lunchtime can be a nice way to get your body moving and help to reduce any tension or stress.  

2. Setting small and realistic goals

Setting some achievable fitness and wellness goals can help you stay motivated through the winter months. These could be maintaining your Pilates practice, improving your flexibility, or simply staying active. By setting realistic goals, you will be better equipped to overcome challenges and celebrate your successes. Why not share your goals with a friend or even better find an accountability partner who can exercise with.  

3. Dressing the part

It sounds simple but ensuring you are dressed appropriately in the winter months is so important. Making sure you feel warm and comfortable to exercise. Layering is key so grab an extra layer (or two!) more than you usual to make sure you feel comfortable throughout your workout.  

4. Mindfulness and Self-care 

Mindfulness practices, like meditation and breath work, can help you stay centred during the winter. Incorporate it into your exercise routine. Mindfulness can also be achieved in different ways, such as journaling, setting intentions, noticing your thoughts, and even noticing sensations in your body. These techniques can alleviate stress, combat the winter blues, and enhance your overall sense of wellbeing. There is also a need to be kind to yourself. There might be days when things don’t go to plan, or your motivation might be low. These are the days you need to show yourself the same self-compassion you might show your own friends or loved ones. 

5. Mindset matters

One of the things that holds people back is their mindset. Having a positive, growth mindset that see’s challenges as opportunities for personal growth and tries to see the positives when times are tough. This will make you workouts more enjoyable and carry forward into other areas of your life. Here are three things you can easily do to support your mindset. 

• Attitude for gratitude. Find three things every day that you are grateful for. It could be as simple as a good night sleep, the winter sunshine or maybe someone in your life. 
• Visualise your goals. Set your intentions for your fitness goals and spend a few moments each day visualising the happier, healthier version of yourself that you’re moving towards. This mental exercise can be a powerful motivator. 
• Celebrate progress. Remember progress cannot always be measured. Celebrate the small wins such as consistency of your efforts, increased stamina or simply feeling better each day.  

Remember the power of your thoughts and attitude can be your greatest asset towards your journey of winter wellness. 

The winter season is an excellent opportunity to build resilience, discipline, and sense of accomplishment. Embrace it as a chance to challenge yourself both physically and mentally.

How long does it take to see results from…

Pilates is a great way to stay mobile, fit and healthy. But how long from starting Pilates can you expect to start seeing results? Vicky, Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor discusses.

Strength. Flexibility. Balance.

Pilates exercises combine strength, flexibility and balance. Pilates aims to engage and strengthen your pelvic floor and deep abdominal core muscles by challenging the control of your core with arm and leg movements.  Through regular stretching movements Pilates also helps to maintain and improve your joint and muscle flexibility.

Building up muscle fibres

As with any form of exercise it takes time for muscle fibres to adapt and to begin to strengthen. Therefore we do not begin to see and feel changes immediately from exercising. However, our bodies are designed to move and stretch so we can often feel better and improvement from Pilates after just a few sessions of stretches and from engaging muscles that may be weaker or underused.

Putting in the practice

The other big factor in how long it may take to see changes from Pilates comes down to how frequently you are able to practice. Practicing regularly will help the muscles to adapt much sooner and build on your strength and flexibility. I would recommend trying to practice Pilates two to three times a week as a gold star aim! The length of time you are able to practice for will also be a factor in how quickly you may see changes. It is often difficult in our busy lives to carve out time to exercise but you will still feel benefit from trying to practice a handful of stretches and exercises regularly.   

Although Pilates has a key focus on strengthening your pelvic floor and core muscles it also incorporates other major muscle groups including those in the arms, legs, back and chest.

Everyone’s base level of fitness varies from person to person which will also be a factor as to how quickly you may see or feel results. 

In short…

It takes at least six to twelve weeks for muscles to adapt and changes to be seen so don’t expect to see changes overnight! Keep practicing regularly and you will see results!

Is Pilates good for lower back pain?

Pilates is used by many people to help manage aching backs

Please note, this article only intends to give advice from the perspective of a Physiotherapist and Pilates Instructor. Although advice and exercises given below may help in a number of cases it is not intended to replace the advice of your medical professional or provide solutions to all kinds of back pain. If you are concerned about your back pain, you should always seek advice. For further information see the NHS web page on back pain

Pilates was born from the teachings of Joseph Pilates who believed that movement and exercise played a key role in a person’s physical and mental health. Pilates focuses on strengthening the body’s pelvic floor and core stability muscles which act like a corset to support around the spine. The strength and control of these muscles is then challenged through movement of our arms and legs. Pilates also enables you to focus on your alignments and maintain movement and flexibility from stretches.

Backs and other aches

It is very common that as a result of lower back pain we begin to develop compensatory movement patterns which can lead to stiffness in joints and muscle weakness. Pilates encourages rehabilitation through movement and good postural alignment.

As a Physiotherapist I often use Pilates based exercises for people with lower back pain. Pilates exercises can be gradually progressed and modified depending on the severity of your pain and level of activity allowing you to avoid aggravating positions and emphasise more relieving positions and movement. Strengthening and retraining your core and pelvic floor muscles to work effectively during day to day activities can help to restore normal movement patterns and reduce pain.

Getting it right

It can sometimes be tricky to feel you are working the right muscles when trying to engage your pelvic floor and deep abdominal core muscles but remember that less is often more and we only need to engage these muscles about twenty per cent when performing the exercises for them to work effectively.  It is important to get this right first and then progress and build on challenging these muscles otherwise you may increase the strain on your back and other joints.

However, strengthening your core is not the only reason Pilates can be so beneficial for people with lower back pain, regular stretching of your lower back to relieve tight muscles and joint stiffness is also an important component.

Breathing

Living with pain can often lead to increased stress and muscle tension. Breathing control practiced with Pilates can also help to reduce this built up muscle tension as well as allowing you to focus and reconnect with your body’s movement.

Exercise is a recommended form of treatment for people suffering from mechanical low back pain (NICE guidelines: Low back pain and Sciatica) but Pilates is not the only form of exercise that can help. So it is important to always find what works best for you and to what feels most comfortable and beneficial but most importantly find an exercise you enjoy!

Try some Pilates for back pain today

Many of the classes on this webiste will help you strengthen your core and pelvic floor and so can gradually help reduce mechanical lower back pain. If you’d like to get started, we have a class designed with this in mind:

Pilates for lower back pain

Other ways to deal with back pain

Keep it movin’

Our spines are like the rest of our body, they’re designed to move.

As mentioned above, one of the reasons of Pilates helps alleviate back is simply that it encourages controlled movement. But it is certainly not the only way to stay mobile – go for a walk, stretch regularly, tidy the house…whatever, just keep moving. You’ll know what feels OK, and when you’re ready, introduce more aerobic exercise such as cycling or hiking.

Gone but not forgotten

You may find that your pain recedes and that is great. But don’t put it to the back of your mind. Continue to build strength in your back through some of the exercises recommended above. Get into a good routine to keep your body strong and so prevent the re-occurrence of back pain. Try to be disciplined with your exercise regime.

Holistic

According to some sources, research continues to emerge demonstrating the benefits in using turmeric for conditions characterised by inflammation. Including studies that suggest that turmeric can help with upper and lower back pain.

Ergonomics and posture

Take the time to ensure your work space, driving position or even your favourite comfy chair supports good posture. Ensure you have lower back support, and that your are not forward – such as to see a screen.

Ice and heat

The use of ice, cold pack or similar can reduce inflammation (if that is what appears to be the problem.) Heat can help with pain if it is persistent to help. Ensure you give your skin regular breaks and if the pain does not recede you should speak to a medical professional.

Our most popular classes of 2022

Taking a look back at some of our most popular classes of the last year

In this blog I highlight some of the classes that got you talking, commenting and replaying! For some these classes may be your favourites, for others, they may become a new favourite. I hope you like them.

…And don’t forget, we’ll be back with a brand new class to kick off 2023 and our January Calendar very soon.

Easier class – stretch and release Pilates:

This is a mat-based class, released in May, focuses on movements to help stretch out the body and release tension. The class also includes movements to work on strength and control throughout the body. This is a nice gentle paced class suitable for most levels.

Go to class >

Moderate class – Total body Pilates workout:

This 40 minute class from early on this year generated quite a few comments, messages as well as views. It was certainly popular at the time and has continued to be a ‘go to’ for some. It works the whole body including some great sequences to strengthen our core muscles and mobilise through the spine.

Go to class >

Tougher class – Pilates core and abdominals:

Short but challenging, this class received a lot of views in July. It focuses on strengthening through our abdominal and core muscles with some tough exercise sequences

Go to class >

And….one of my favourites: Pilates for stress relief:

Christmas can be a stressful time of year! Take a short break and relieve some tension with this easy-to-follow and relaxing routine. 🙂

Go to class >

Search for more!

…And if you don’t fancy any of these classes, you can search more classes on our ‘find a Pilates class‘ page.

I have loved sharing classes with you this year. I hope you’ve enjoyed follwoing along! I am taking a short break over the Christmas period but will be back at the end of December to share with you our brad new calendar to kick start 2023. Have a wonderful Christmas and a brilliant New Year. See you soon.

Vicky

Your feedback on our Pilates classes 2022

We asked you what we could do to improve our classes. Here’s what you said.

Pilates Live is all about making Pilates accessible. So it is really important to me that you get a chance to tell me how I can improve the classes. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts and suggestions. So. What did you say?

Preferred class length

The majority prefer classes lasting between 30-45 minutes. While a quarter of you like having all the options. No one was keen on classes lasting over an hour 🙂

Looking ahead

Moving forward we will continue to create a range of classes. But will try to ensure there’s plenty of new options lasting between 30-45 minutes.

Class difficulty

We asked if we’re categorising the class difficulty correctly. Nearly 90% of you agreed that the classes are about right. 10% thought that we should increase the difficulty slightly.

Looking ahead

It is important to continue providing a range of classes to suit everyone in our Pilates community. I am so pleased that we’re classifying classes correctly for most people, most of the time, but understand there is a spectrum of people undertaking the classes – some of which are more experienced. With this in mind I will do my best to continue providing a range of classes but perhaps also explore the possibility of introducing the odd ‘extra tough’ class. (CRIKEY!)

Month long calendars

We’ve now created a number of month-long Pilates programmes. We’ve had some great feedback on some of the calendars and from the survey I can see they’re still largely popular – with 65% of you following all, or some of the time.

Looking ahead

As with last year’s feedback, we can see the calendars are quite popular, but enjoyed sparingly. So we will continue to provide the month-long programmes at a rate of 3 or 4 a year. Starting with our new January calendar!

Within the feedback was some great suggestions on how to improve these calendars. One of which was a downloadable sheet that would allow you to ‘tick off’ the classes as you go and so remember which class was next. I will look to introduce this as an option on our next calendar – Do let me know if it is useful!

Areas of the body

There is a real interest in more classes focusing on all areas of the body.

Looking ahead

As there is a desire to continue making classes that focus on all part so of the body, so we will continue to do so. Not included within the options, but highlighted in the comments was a desire for more classes that include and / or focus on pelvic floor. We will plan to create some early next year in response. There was also enthusiasm for more holistic / full body Pilates workouts.

Using Pilates equipment

The desire for more classes using Pilates equipment is split almost 50-50

Looking ahead

Presently we have a small range of classes utilising equipment. We’ll continue to increase the options available for those that enjoy classes using different Pilates equipment – but we’ll also continue provide plenty of classes where equipment is not needed.

Types of equipment

For those interested in more classes using Pilates equipment, we asked what the preferences would be. There was a broad interest in all the equipment offered with a particular interest in more classes using the resistance band.

Looking ahead

We will look to provide more classes using all equipment. With a particular focus on providing new classes with the resistance band.

Other feedback

Within the survey there was also the opportunity to share any other feedback you may have had. Thank you so much for taking the time to fill this in and share your suggestions and comments. There was so many great ideas and other things for me to consider as we move forward into the new year.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. All the best and here’s to a fantastic 2023.

Vicky

Breathing and Pilates

And Breath….

Breathing is a big part of Pilates and helps to focus our mind-body connection when we are exercising but it also has other important physical benefits. Breathing is how we promote the circulation of oxygen around the body and up to our brain so effective breathing is important to maximise full oxygen utilisation and removal of stale air.

Naturally we don’t always utilise the full capacity of our lungs and instead we tend to take more shallow breaths from our upper chest and around the neck. If our breathing is inadequate, i.e taking, short, rapid or very shallow breaths then our oxygen supply is less, muscle tension can increase, and we have less movement of the diaphragm.

Applying breathing to your exercises

In Pilates we encourage a natural breathing pattern by breathing in wide and full to the sides of the ribcage.  This allows full use of the ribcage and respiratory muscles. The diaphragm is the upper part of the core cylinder and it is thought that during early expiration the core muscles are activated. Including breathing in our practice can help to increase the core connection and used to promote and facilitate control of movement.

You may often hear me say ‘Inhale to prepare the movement and exhale to move’ this is because in most cases we are exhaling and connecting the core on the hardest, most effortful, part of the movement. Sometimes when we change the pace of an exercise we may modify the rhythm of our breathing pattern. For example, I might say ‘breath in for two movements and out for two movements’ this is often best applied when the movement pattern is more rapid and we want to maintain a slower breathing pattern.

However, this may not always work for everyone and a key aspect of Pilates is to create smooth, fluid movement patterns in the most efficient way for our muscles. Therefore for some people their breathing patterns may be different depending on their flow of movement. More importantly we want to encourage a natural breathing pattern when exercising and avoid holding our breath.

The mind-body connection 

By focusing on our breathing cycle we can gain a greater connection between the flow of the movement and the connection of the mind to how we are performing the movement.

Mindful breathing by taking deep steady inhales through your nose and exhales through your mouth can also reduce stress and anxiety helping to promote a feeling of calm.

Take away message….

So, remember to breath and do what feels natural for your body and don’t hold your breath!

Simple breathing exercises to try:

• Sitting up tall, place your hands around the lower half of your rib cage so your finger tips from each hand slight touch. As you take a breath in feel your rib cage widening and your finger tips move apart from each other. As your breath out slowly feel your ribcage sinking back down and your fingers tips coming back together.
• To add a pelvic floor focus to breathing continue with the above instruction but as you breath in focus on relaxing your pelvic floor muscles, releasing the muscles downwards. As your exhale, focus on feeling the pelvic floor rise upwards.

Putting it into practice

You can try all our online Pilates classes for free. So what are you waiting for?

Go to Pilates classes >