Livin' it up at LIVe Pilates

Great start to my week with a Monday morning matwork pilates class at LIVe Pilates.

The class incorporated a lot of balancing on rollers, stretching with elastics, roll ups and (of course) mat work. Our teacher Nicole was very positive and encouraging, since there were only five ladies in our class today she was able to give each of us feedback and individual attention. Also because the class was small we were able to face our mats towards the teacher and mirror wall. I really liked that Nicole joined in many of the exercises with us, it was great to have a demonstration of how the movements should be done correctly.

The entrance to Liv Pilates Hillaries

I find pilates incredible for my posture and core strength. My love of pilates can be accredited to my awesome teacher Anna Harris at Moksha Yoga Uptown in Toronto, Canada. For my Toronto buddies be SURE to check out one of Anna's pilates classes or booty camps ASAP! www.annaharris.ca Love your work Anna, continue to build that empire lady!

PILATES is a physical fitness system and body conditioning routine that builds flexibility, strength, coordination and endurance in the abdominals, arms, legs and back. Joseph Pilates developed a system of mat exercises in first half of the 20th century with the intention of developing controlled movement from a strong core. Today, in addition to mat work, pilates can also use a range of apparatuses for progressive resistance training.

Check below for more info...

• DETAILS: Monday morning, 9:30-10:30am. Liv Pilates Hillaries. Ste C4, 32 Endeavour Road, Hillaries 6025.
• COST: $22.00 per class on a casual basis (cheaper if purchased as set of 10 classes or more, see website below for more details)
• TEACHER: Nicole
• BRING: Nothing required as Liv Pilates supplies mats and all props such as rollers, elastics and fitballs. I recommend wearing tight-fitting crops (lululemon athletica wunder under crops or astro crops are ideal) in preference to long pants as there was a number of balancing on roller exercises. You don't want to have to continuously hitch up your trouser legs or risk getting your feet caught up and tripping on them.
• BEST BITS: I liked that we faced the teacher and mirror so we didn't have to strain our necks to check our postures were correct. Was fun to practice stability on the roller, was my first time ever using a roller and was surprised and delighted at the focus required to stay upright. Something new to conquer!
• LIVe PILATES WEBSITE: www.livepilates.com.au

Ginny's Finding Fitness Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (I've always loved pilates!)

Bec's Personal Training - Fun in the Sun!

Deciding to start hitting up any and every fitness option in Perth is one thing, but actually getting organised to find and attend them all is quite another...!

Once committing to my goal I started thinking through the resources most immediately available to me to make it happen. I figured that contacting my nearest and dearest friends would be a great way to start. My gorgeous girlfriends Amy and Bianca have become awesome fitness devotees in recent years, testing out everything from BoxFit to personal training! They were definitely my first point of call when taking on this endeavour. They invited me to join them at their Saturday morning personal training session with Bec in East Vic Park.

Bec lead us through an awesome hour commencing with a jog and encompassing a range of activities. We rotated through a circuit which included weights, boxing, ab, arm and leg work. The session she takes with my friends is just perfect for them. There is usually just four females plus instructor in attendance and the PT is beautifully tailored to suit their needs. One participant was recovering from an injury and Bec was extremely attentive, she modified the activity at each station for the girl's unique circumstance - exactly the level of care and expertise you hope for from a personal trainer. She also took the group through some great stretches at the end. Really worthwhile doing lots of stretching following a session like this because we used a variety of weights for different exercises.

A PERSONAL TRAINER is a fitness professional who develops a fitness program and assessment for their clients. They motivate by setting goals and providing feedback. PT's may also educate their clients on nutrition, general health and wellbeing.

Check below for more info on this session...

• DETAILS: Saturday morning, 9:30-10:30am. John McMillan park off Kent Street in East Vic Park.
• COST: $15.00 per individual
• TEACHER: Bec
• BRING: A decent-sized towel for exercises done lying on the grass. A hat and sunnies are a definite must, especially as we come into the hot summer months. Also recommend applying suncream before the session gets cracking or alternatively wearing a good sun-blocker shirt to cut out UV rays. Water bottle is obviously a must.
• BEST BITS: Being outside in the sunshine! Bec brought along all the equipment we needed from boxing gloves and pads to various weights, it was awesome to have all of that provided. Thanks for an awesome morning Bec!

Ginny's 'Finding Fitness' Rating:  ★ ★ ★