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                    [post_date] => 2025-06-17 08:10:51
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                    [post_content] => I am constantly fascinated with the human body and the complexities of human movement – particularly the way asymmetries present in different structures.

Human bodies are never truly symmetrical – but where more significant disparities exist between different sides of the body, this can reduce function and cause pain. This might be a long-standing or innate variance – such as scoliosis - or it might be more recently acquired, such as with repeated movements like sitting cross-legged, using the same limb for a regular activity (such as in sport or performance), or rotating the same way repeatedly at a desk.

It could be an almost indetectable variance causing significant strain on structures elsewhere in the body. An example of this is where I often see that one dominant hip will have a matching opposing dominant side of the ribcage, as the spine tries to offset the load across uneven forces. A client might be struggling with discomfort from one element of this bigger picture, but what appears most noisy/painful to them is just a compensatory mechanism for a pathology elsewhere.

I have found that helping clients to regulate their breathing patterns, primarily using lateral breathing techniques from the Pilates method, can have enormous benefits for rebalancing the whole spine. Beyond increasing thoracic mobility and helping to regulate the respiratory and autonomic nervous systems, balancing the ribcage can improve rhythms of the lumbar and pelvis moving together, and thereby help to reduce pelvic and lower back pain. Even more broadly, studies into pulmonary function have found that lung capacity and function is strongly linked to longevity and overall wellbeing [1].

*If you’ve ever seen my wedge cushions with the fun patterns hiding in the prop corner – they are very helpful for helping to de-rotate the ribcage and pelvis!*

I also see these benefits in my work with performing artists, and it is always great to discover the benefits singers can unlock by rebalancing breath and reducing associated tension.

I am currently in my second year of osteopathy studies, where I am very lucky to work with cadaver specimens in my anatomy subjects. I was so fascinated to discover the lung specimens – the left lung is very different to the right lung (it moulds around the heart), and the purple colour and tiny tree-like branches of the respiratory bronchi etched into the surface are beautiful (I think anyway)! Seeing all the interrelationships with the different vessels gave me a much deeper appreciation for the relationship between the heart and the lungs, which has helped a lot with my pathologies subject where we have explored conditions like COPD and asthma and well as heart failure. Being able to explore all the minutia within the cadavers puts everything in wonderful perspective.

Seeing the way that different specimens vary so significantly has given me a better appreciation for the way each body I work with presents so differently in the studio. Health is an innately subjective metric. This year has been particularly challenging for me as I started it with major surgery overseas that had me under general anaesthetic for six hours. Recovering from surgery has not been easy, on top of mental health challenges as well as lymphoedema and iron deficiency. Deepening my understanding of the human body has helped me to be more compassionate for my own body and the amazing work that it does. The Pilates method offers constant support and nurturing, and practising breathwork has been instrumental in helping me to feel whole.

I think Joseph Pilates says it best: 
"Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it."

By Nick Kuiper

 

[1] Schünemann, H. J., Dorn, J., Grant, B. J., Winkelstein, W., Jr, & Trevisan, M. (2000). Pulmonary function is a long-term predictor of mortality in the general population: 29-year follow-up of the Buffalo Health Study. Chest, 118(3), 656–664. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.118.3.656

 
                    [post_title] => A word from Nick
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                    [post_content] => There has been a recent study by Stefano Cacciatore, MD (the corresponding author on the paper) with Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, in Rome. The study was published online on May 2, 2024, in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and explored the idea of physical performance being associated with long term survival in adults 80+ years. Physical performance was evaluated using Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) tests which included Balance tests; a 4-metre gait speed test and a chair-Stand test. ‘Long term survival’ was defined as reaching the age of 95.

We are very fortunate that the body of work we call ‘Pilates’ has within its repertoire many examples involving such challenges. So, let’s take a moment to look at some examples and how these not only integrate into your daily life, but can add to a longer life span!

Long Strides involving the speed and rhythm of walking gait

We’ve all seen it - and been guilty of it at times in our lives - of the ‘old person shuffle’: our feet slide along the floor as we step; the arches of our feet collapse and the length of our steps and the distance between each footprint becomes less and less. We slow down. We feel ‘heavy’.

Such an act requires less demand and less movement range from our hip sockets. We remain more folded in the front of our hip joints which shortens our hip flexing muscles and weakens our hip opening/extension muscles as we move through space. Our bodies are very clever: we get very good at what we practice and find ourselves physically doing most!

Hip Dissociation ”Chair Sit to Stand”

This is such a necessary part of our lives! Practically, we need to be able to get up and down of a chair, the couch or the toilet, therefore developing the strength and control to do such becomes vitally important! As this function decreases, we start to throw our body weight around to get up (running the risk of toppling over) or we land with a hard thud and we develop unconscious quirks and compensations throughout the body to do either action.

“Our muscles should obey our will” says Joseph Pilates and again, we find this action replicated in much of the work we do. We want to stand up strong and sit down soft.

It feels so amazing to find that power under our ‘seat’ to achieve the opening and closing of our hips! And often, as an instructor, our work is on emphasizing the great movement patterns and reducing the quirks and compensations. There are many examples of this action in the studio!

You will probably start noticing how you sit to stand or sit down again – Good!! We want to bring awareness to that as we can only change - and improve - what we become aware of.

Balance

This is a big issue! We are seeing more and more in the news and social media about ‘Falls Prevention’ and realising the importance of balance in our day to day lives. We try to make light about it regarding aging: You know you’re getting older when you don’t “lose your balance” but you had a “fall”!

Pilates brings balance to our various muscle groups, which in turn, brings improvements to the act of balancing. Let’s take this simple act: Stand on one leg for as long as you can. Notice where you start to feel a sense of work on the outside of your hips. Try the other leg – can you stand for longer on that side? Do you wobble more?

Whilst there is a lot more to ‘balance’ the exercise– Wall Glutes – are a great way to start. They target directly the muscles you would have felt activating as you stood with one leg off the floor. You could also try standing on one leg while you brush your teeth or wash the dishes. Again, we get better at what we practice.

But most importantly regarding balance – and in fact with ALL the exercises – is the importance of Breath. Effective and improved breathing improves our balance as we access all the lobes within our lungs rather than just a bit of each of them. When we hold our breath, we set up bracing and ‘locking’ patterns which makes us less responsive and adaptable to forces both from outside and within our bodies. Pilates has this integral factor and development at its’ foundation and the awareness of Breath is integrated from the first session.

Paul Schembri

 
                    [post_title] => Pilates: The Anti-Aging Secret
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                    [post_content] => You’ve probably heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking”. And whilst the comparison is potentially a bit dramatic, there are certainly negative effects to the sharply increased use of technology.

Our bodies are not physically evolved to accommodate the long durations of time spent in fixed positions, and without proper maintenance we are placed at a significant risk of injury.

Sitting for long periods causes your fascia (connective tissue) to become fixed in these positions, causing a lack of circulation and blood flow. The result is brittleness in the tissue, which can be described as dehydration.

Our bodies are 50-70% water, which acts as a lubricant, participating in metabolic reactions in all our cells. Everything we do relies on us having good hydration in our cells and our tissues, especially our cognitive functions. Connective tissue needs compression and stretching and breathing and expansion in order to stay hydrated. Research also suggests that dehydrated fascia can hold trauma.

In order to mitigate the effects of dehydration, orthopaedic surgeon Jennifer J. Beck MD suggests taking breaks to engage in stretches, and changing your position every 30 minutes or so. A foam roller can be a great piece of equipment to have at home to assist with stretching. Some of our favourites are lying with the roller under the length of the spine for snow angel arms and placing the roller under both shoulder blades and extending and flexing over it.

Typically use of technology causes us to be in hunched over positions, which can result in neck and back pain as chest muscles are shorted and posterior neck muscles are overstretched.

This also causes the diaphragm to become compressed, which Dr Beck links to a bad-posture cycle. "You can't sit up straight because your diaphragm is so tight, so that tightness in the front is actually pulling you forward. Also your digestive tract is crippled in this position, which can potentially lead to constipation.” A great way to avoid compression is to build some expansive breathing exercises into your day. We imagine the breath growing the ribs wide like an accordion; wrapping the thumbs and fingers around the rib cage with a nice tight grip, try use a wide inhale to force the hands to move. You can also try to release neck tension with nose circles with the head resting on a soft chi ball, or massaging the neck with a tennis ball or trigger ball.

Another important recommendation is to try holding your phone in front of your face rather than down at your torso to avoid hunching. Solid ergonomics are really important to support spinal health so make sure your work setup is thorough. You could also try daily mini inversions—like lifting your hips onto a foam roller for a spine twist, or lying down with your legs flush up again the wall. Inversion exercises help to traction the spine and release tension build up throughout the day.

Excessive texting and typing can also cause problems with the fascia in the hand, which have pathways into the shoulder and the neck. Overuse of this position can cause carpal tunnel symptoms, tendonitis in the wrist and nerve damage that can result in potentially permanent hand weakness from the compression of wrist nerves from sustained flexion. It is important to mobilise and strengthen the wrist throughout the day, perhaps by massaging the underside of the hand with a trigger ball or golf ball and practising wrist isolations with small hand weights.

One of the many wonders of the Pilates method is the ability to work in all ranges of motion and both isolate and integrate all muscle groups to hydrate fascia. Join us in the studio at Infinity Pilates to help unwind the seated posture with a program specially designed for your needs.

Nicola Kuiper
                    [post_title] => WALK TALL
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                    [post_content] => Very early in my Pilates career and developement over the past 33 years, I kept hearing about the work and style of Brett Howard and how I would apprieciate training with him having very similar movement qualities.

On the 25th to the 27th of August the PAA held its’ Bi-Annual Conference where National and International Pilates Instructors could come together to network and share ideas, methods, hints, tips and clarification of the repertoire – all under the umbrella of this amazing body of work we call Pilates.

Among the guest panel of invited international presenters was none other than the man himself: Brett Howard! At the conference I was able to realise a dream and work under the guidance and tutelage of this enigmatic man. Brett trained under the guidance of Romana Kryzanowska - who herself was a direct student of Joseph and Clara Pilates - so it was very honouring and humbling to work with someone who was that one step closer to the original teachings.

And he certainly put me through my paces! As I had chosen to attend all his presented sessions it meant I was very familiar with the concepts and focal points of his work. This also allowed him to call upon me to demonstrate his points within each session. It was also a wonderful opportunity to physicalise some of the Intermediate and Advanced repertoire that I don’t often get to do or to teach in the studio and to also make those connections with the preparatory/beginner/early intermediate exercises and concepts.

Another amazing experience to watch and learn from was to see Brett take an ‘Average Guy’ through his first Pilates session from start to finish. I was amazed – not only at the amount of repertoire Brett and the participant was able to get through in 45mins – but also at the care and thorough repetitive patterning of various Pilates concepts that we also explore at Infinity. This follows along from another Pilates Elder, Eve Gentry, who would often say “Teach Concepts, Not Exercises”. At the end of the session, Brett said “Is it pretty? No. Did I get him moving? Yes. Was he safe? Yes. Did I lay a good foundation to explore in future sessions? Yes.” It was a nice reminder that this method I am so privileged to be a part of is, at its core (pun intended), about movement and was a nice reminder to not get too bogged down in the details of an exercise but be more grounded in the concept behind it.

Another amazing presenter was Osteopath/Pilates Instructor Alexandra Bohlinger. She too was Romana trained but it was her Osteopathic insights into Neck, Knee and Hypermobility pathologies and conditions that I greatly admired and appreciated. Her approach to the method very much reminded me of a quote by our own Joseph Pilates: “Change happens through movement and movement heals”.

So very true!

 

Paul Schembri.
                    [post_title] => The Pilates Alliance of Australasia (PAA) 2023 Conference
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                    [post_content] => When people think about muscles, they usually think about muscular strength. From a strength-training perspective, lifting a heavier weight for a shorter period of time, would be considered optimal to produce muscle strength. But what about muscular endurance?

An article recently published by Dr Mike Bohl, licensed physician and medical journalist, describes muscular endurance as “the muscle's ability to do work over a period of time without getting tired". Being able to perform tasks for longer periods, rather than just being able to lift heavier weights, is key to building functional strength. Dr Bohl suggests this “can help with everything from playing sports to doing everyday tasks like gardening”.

This also relates to the overload principle, which states that in order for muscle to increase in size, strength and endurance, it must be regularly challenged to produce an output that is as near as possible to maximum capacity.

In the Pilates method, spring loading is perfectly adjusted to find the Goldilocks setting – not too hot and not cold. We ensure the spring is sufficiently heavy to provide challenge and feedback into the body, but also sufficiently light to allow for completing enough reps to build muscular endurance.

Not forgetting matwork Pilates - often considered the most challenging component of the method. Here the use of body weight resistance is maximised to its full potential. In all exercises within the method, a holistic approach is required – the body and mind must work cohesively as a collective. No exercise is passively isolated to one muscle group.

Dr Bohl also noted that building “muscular endurance of the core muscles—especially after 60—is also beneficial for postural stability and can help decrease the risk of falls."

Core activation is central to the Pilates method – or what Joseph referred to as the “powerhouse”. Joseph’s idea of the powerhouse was more of a lumbo-pelvic-hip complex: a rich network of superficial and deep muscles located at the front, sides, back, top and bottom of the torso.

When correctly engaged, the powerhouse acts as stabilisers, rather than a prime mover. Strength in movement is achieved through interconnectivity, rather than isolation, thereby the body is strengthened with more control and stability. When strengthened, this network offers a solid foundation to all exercises and enables you to perform everyday activities with more ease.

“When all your muscles are properly developed, you will, as a matter of course, perform your work with minimum effort and maximum pleasure.” – Joseph Pilates.

Nicola Kuiper

 
                    [post_title] => PILATES FOR ENDURANCE AND FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH
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                    [post_content] => We are all familiar with the proven benefits of Pilates whether it’s by our own experience of how we feel after a session, or anecdotally by friends and family who rate the method highly. Of course, we LOVE it when sports science research reinforces the benefits of Pilates.

Dr Michael Mosely, a former Medical Doctor, BBC presenter and health writer, in his book ‘Just One Thing’, explains the benefits of ‘Eccentric Exercise’. Eccentric training increases the load perceived by the muscle up to four times higher even though it uses less muscle fibres than concentric training!

Concentric exercise is when we shorten a muscle under load e.g., lifting a hand weight to your shoulder causes your Biceps muscle to contract, shorten and ‘bulge’. As you lower it back down, the muscle has to lengthen under the load to control its return. This is the eccentric phase of the exercise.

When walking up the stairs, the Quadriceps muscles (front of your thighs) shorten and contract to assist with straightening your knee and pulling you up the step. The eccentric phase of this muscle work is involved when walking down the stairs: the Quadriceps muscles are still working but lengthening in their work to control your rate of descent, so you don’t go tumbling down!

Pilates and Eccentric exercise:

Our classic Leg and Footwork series in-studio is a perfect example of this eccentric training! If we’re lying on our backs on the Reformer and we push the carriage out, there’s our concentric phase of our leg work. When we control the carriage on the return, this is our eccentric phase of the work. In fact, ALL studio spring work highlights this eccentric training.

Springs don’t like to stretch so when we do put a stretch on the spring and make them longer all they want to do is recoil and rest. Controlling it’s return to a rest position involves eccentric training of our muscles, joints and fascia thereby creating longer muscles in response to the loads and forces placed upon them.

All exercise, whether Concentric, Eccentric or Isometric (holding a still shape under load) creates microscopic damage to the muscles. The body then releases hormones to trigger the muscle cells to rebuild the muscles to be stronger than they were previously. Eccentric training increases the load perceived by the muscle up to four times higher even though it uses less muscle fibres than concentric training!

Various tests and studies have proven that people can obtain between 30-50% increase in muscle strength and 10% increase in muscle mass when utilising Eccentric forms of training.

Pilates, with its various ranges of movement, precision and control, really utilises this eccentric training at its fullest. Whether we use the dynamic spring loaded resistance on the various pieces of Pilates apparatus, hand weights – or even against gravity itself – we encourage the use of control. Not only does this protect our joints from impactful forces, but it also ensures the equipment doesn’t bang or snap back into place.

The use of breath to connect deeply to our abdominal centre also has that extra effect of helping the body to release the necessary hormones to repair and build the muscles thereby increasing flexibility, bone density, muscle strength and muscle mass.

The benefits of The Pilates Method continues to shine bright. Paul Schembri.

 

 
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                    [post_content] => I grew up in a busy house as the youngest of three. My sister and brother both trained in competitive swimming, and went on to compete at state championships. In their final year of high school, each was elected as the school swimming captain, and I have fond memories of them bringing home the giant school trophy after winning inter-school competitions.

I was wired a little differently to my sister and brother, and never looked forward to swimming training. I loved playing sport and tried almost every sport at school, but my skill base was more in the motivational side than the sportsman side. I have always loved being part of a team and cheering on my teammates. I loved being the house sport captain, organizing everyone into their events and making sure there was always loud cheering for our house. We even won the spirit cup! My love of cheering people on is very evident in my style as a Pilates instructor.

I started dancing when I was 6, and it will always be a big part of who I am. Up until my final years of school I would dance 5 or 6 days each week, and feel lots of gratitude for my mother who schlepped me around from school orchestra rehearsals to dancing each night and picked me up again 3 hours later. She even fed me dinner in the car on the way, and I’d usually have second dinner once I got home (thanks mum!). I developed a special love for ballet, due in part to being taught by John Byrne, former Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) in London. He always had me in fits of giggles in class, but also developed my desire to challenge myself to achieve very precise movement and clean technique without losing my artistic expression and freedom. I think what drew me to ballet was the mindfulness aspect – there was no way for my mind to wander through my giant to-do-list from school and music and sport and family and everything else when I had to concentrate all my attention on every single element of my body and my posture (and also try very hard to make it look easy)! This way the perfect challenge for a high achieving adolescent.

These same attributes led me to the Pilates world. The exception was that with ballet I was very aware that I didn’t have the natural affinity to be a dancer. I didn’t have the right level of turnout and my feet weren’t arched enough and I was too heavy. With Pilates, every session gives me an opportunity to find my perfect challenge. I have to focus mind and body for the full session and apply focus and concentration and am constantly challenged to do my best work, but I also get to leave feeling hugely accomplished. I am fascinated by the history of Pilates and am constantly in awe of Joe’s genius feat of engineering to design the equipment and create his system of “Contrology” as he called it at the time. The Pilates world is rich and dynamic and satisfies my need for constant learning and challenge

I studied a commerce degree with a double major in economics and accounting, and a diploma of music on double bass. My favourite thing about uni was joining the comedy club – never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned becoming a comedian, but the friends I made there found my potential and developed the skills that I now use on stage. With my commerce degree in hand I started work as a graduate in audit. I stayed there for three years, in what was an immense challenge for my mental health. I regularly suffer from depression, anxiety and insomnia, and I would not have made it out the other side were it not for a regular practice of Pilates. Pilates anchors me in the present moment and in my body – the key vehicle with which I go through life.

I love my career as a Pilates instructor, and my favourite thing about it is my clients. They give me constant inspiration and I am always learning from them. These interactions get me out of bed every morning. I feel very lucky to have joined Kerrie’s team and the wonderful community at Infinity.

Nicola.

My favourite Pilates exercises

The spine corrector is one equipment is love to use before and after teach to balance out my spinal curves and mobilise my upper back. The overhead is one of my favourite exercises to integrate spinal control and mobility, whilst ensuring lower abdominals and in gear. I use the short pole to give me feedback for shoulder connection.



 

Side overs  – what a beautiful exercise for lateral torso strength and stability! I love this exercise as it is a great way to challenge oblique strength and prepare the body for the more advanced version on the high barrel.



 

 
                    [post_title] => A word from our new team member Nicola Kuiper
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                    [post_content] => 
Men, Pilates and the Art of Transformational Change 
by Paul Schembri.
When I first begin work with a new, male client, the most common motivation to get them into the studio is that “pain is stopping me from living my best life”. When pain is tapping you on the shoulder that’s your body’s healthy way of making you take notice and incorporate a change to your movement patterns before the tap becomes a shove!

Pain is often an indication that there is an overuse in one part of the body. It is through the Pilates work we begin observe how the body is moving in space and where the imbalances are occurring that can cause strain and compression in our 3-dimensional bodies. Therefore as an instructor in the method, there can be many factors to consider when creating a Pilates exercise program for a client!

To make change we need to bring our awareness to where we are in space and how the body feels.

Breath is very powerful and begins that attention to one’s body. It creates a physical and mental sense of ‘Centre’ – a point of reference – and often, just knowing whether you’re breathing in or out is a major mind-and-body-shift!

If our bodies are slumped and compressed, we are already interfering with this very action. Freedom of breath within the body assists with the re-organisation of how we hold our body up in space. Finding better alignment ready for action in all directions.

We want the body to be pliable. We need to adapt and change to life’s ever-changing circumstances to find an efficient response to action.
“Change happens through movement and movement heals.” Joseph Pilates.
 

One of my male participants (Peter, aged 83) used to comment on his 'Cement Back', especially after periods of lengthened inactivity. By the time we’ve completed his warm up sequences in the studio, the feeling of rigidity begins to shift into a more flexible spine.

He laughs with me in the studio about how hard I work him, but often it’s not the work and movement that is hard. It’s reorgansing his thinking around the task; connecting it with breath and integrating the particular focus with the rest of his body. He challenges me to help him find ways of working smarter and with more imagination, before working harder.

 

[caption id="attachment_4461" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Paul guiding Peter on Wunda Straps[/caption]

To incorporate the use of breath, imagination and innovation through motion, we begin reshape our mind and bodies. This offers us a pathway away from pain. Without this change in behavior we won’t transform. We can’t transfer what we explore in the studio out into our daily lives. It is an ‘Art’.

Take it from a couple of our clients:

 "Pilates is calming as well as strengthening, a resource for mental as well as physical health”. Ben 52 

 “I can focus on specific strengthening needs to enhance my swimming and running...and sitting at a desk”. Robbie 52 

It is also why Peter can find muscles and movements he never knew existed in order to age gracefully and find new pathways for longevity.

 

This is the Art of Transformational change.
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                    [post_content] => This year, I decided to join the worldwide phenomenon of #marchmatness, originally started in 2013 by Pilates Instructor, Benjamin Degenhardt.

March MATness is a celebration of Joseph Pilates' original 34 Mat work exercises as presented in his book 'Return To Life Through Contrology' - "Contrology" being the label he applied to his own method. Pilates Instructors, clients and enthusiasts from all around the world come together and present an exercise a day and share their explorations and innovations under the hashtag #marchmatness on various social media platforms.

It has been wonderful to return to Joseph's original source material and instructions! As an instructor, we can get so caught up in the choreography of an exercise or the modified variations for current day clientele as we progress them through the work - both on the mat or in studio - that to return to the 'basics' was refreshing and inspiring!

I set myself the task of undertaking the exercises as precisely as Joseph wrote and demonstrated and coordinated each video with an appropriate and inspiring quote from his introductory chapters of his book. Then, when a beautiful sunny day presented itself, I unrolled my mat, set up my video camera and methodically filmed myself.

Whilst much of the material was very familiar, my favourite exercise was The Spine Stretch...



Not only is this spinal articulation - and stretch - delicious to do, I really began to appreciate just how much this simple and effective movement underpins many of the traditional exercises.

My least favourite exercise: The Hip Twist. With my long arm and leg levers this exercise was particularly challenging - and one I confess I have hardly practised over the years! The 3 minute video of me trying to psyche myself up for this exercise, working out precisely where my arms and legs needed to be in space and on the mat - and the few awful repetitions that occurred - was particularly telling...and quickly deleted!



But I DID persevere with each and every exercise - wobbles, challenges, triumphs and all - and shared these on Infinity's Instagram and Facebook pages. Click the hyperlinks to check them out and watch the images above come to life!

Paul Schembri
                    [post_title] => March MATness 2022
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                    [post_content] => 
			




Join Kerrie and team for 45 mins open Pilates mat class followed by a 15 mins insight session over a glass of bubbles on Mondays in summer.





Following the footsteps of Joseph Pilates with open air Pilates classes, Infinity Pilates Studio embraces the environment around the studio and invites you to join in an outdoor experience on the rooftop.
Feel the breeze on your skin while you work your body. Then, reward your good work with a glass of bubbles, a view of the city lights and some quality Pilates talk amongst friends.
What to bring? Hand towel and water bottle.
6.30PM Monday
BOOK NOW >

		
                    [post_title] => Summer Rooftop Pilates + Bubbles Series
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            [post_date] => 2025-06-17 08:10:51
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            [post_content] => I am constantly fascinated with the human body and the complexities of human movement – particularly the way asymmetries present in different structures.

Human bodies are never truly symmetrical – but where more significant disparities exist between different sides of the body, this can reduce function and cause pain. This might be a long-standing or innate variance – such as scoliosis - or it might be more recently acquired, such as with repeated movements like sitting cross-legged, using the same limb for a regular activity (such as in sport or performance), or rotating the same way repeatedly at a desk.

It could be an almost indetectable variance causing significant strain on structures elsewhere in the body. An example of this is where I often see that one dominant hip will have a matching opposing dominant side of the ribcage, as the spine tries to offset the load across uneven forces. A client might be struggling with discomfort from one element of this bigger picture, but what appears most noisy/painful to them is just a compensatory mechanism for a pathology elsewhere.

I have found that helping clients to regulate their breathing patterns, primarily using lateral breathing techniques from the Pilates method, can have enormous benefits for rebalancing the whole spine. Beyond increasing thoracic mobility and helping to regulate the respiratory and autonomic nervous systems, balancing the ribcage can improve rhythms of the lumbar and pelvis moving together, and thereby help to reduce pelvic and lower back pain. Even more broadly, studies into pulmonary function have found that lung capacity and function is strongly linked to longevity and overall wellbeing [1].

*If you’ve ever seen my wedge cushions with the fun patterns hiding in the prop corner – they are very helpful for helping to de-rotate the ribcage and pelvis!*

I also see these benefits in my work with performing artists, and it is always great to discover the benefits singers can unlock by rebalancing breath and reducing associated tension.

I am currently in my second year of osteopathy studies, where I am very lucky to work with cadaver specimens in my anatomy subjects. I was so fascinated to discover the lung specimens – the left lung is very different to the right lung (it moulds around the heart), and the purple colour and tiny tree-like branches of the respiratory bronchi etched into the surface are beautiful (I think anyway)! Seeing all the interrelationships with the different vessels gave me a much deeper appreciation for the relationship between the heart and the lungs, which has helped a lot with my pathologies subject where we have explored conditions like COPD and asthma and well as heart failure. Being able to explore all the minutia within the cadavers puts everything in wonderful perspective.

Seeing the way that different specimens vary so significantly has given me a better appreciation for the way each body I work with presents so differently in the studio. Health is an innately subjective metric. This year has been particularly challenging for me as I started it with major surgery overseas that had me under general anaesthetic for six hours. Recovering from surgery has not been easy, on top of mental health challenges as well as lymphoedema and iron deficiency. Deepening my understanding of the human body has helped me to be more compassionate for my own body and the amazing work that it does. The Pilates method offers constant support and nurturing, and practising breathwork has been instrumental in helping me to feel whole.

I think Joseph Pilates says it best: 
"Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it."

By Nick Kuiper

 

[1] Schünemann, H. J., Dorn, J., Grant, B. J., Winkelstein, W., Jr, & Trevisan, M. (2000). Pulmonary function is a long-term predictor of mortality in the general population: 29-year follow-up of the Buffalo Health Study. Chest, 118(3), 656–664. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.118.3.656

 
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