By Kirsten King
In celebration of Global Wellness Day, I invited you to ask all your burning wellness–related questions. Here is my take on wellness, answered.
Q. Is Pilates enough, in terms of “strength training”, for women?
A. This is such a great question, and one that has come up a lot in the studios and online more recently. The answer really does vary for everyone. Pilates teaches a form of strength training which uses resistance, body weight and small weights to work all our smaller muscles, building strength and tone. We work our small twitch fires which support our muscles, joints, balance and stability.
As we age, we lose bone density and strength which is where weight bearing exercises become essential. This coupled with cardio and stretching helps to improve our heart health, bone health, muscle health, posture, stability and balance.
For some people, the term “strength training” is associating with lifting heavy weights or “bulking.” But this is not the case. Read more about the fears we have around strength training, and how you can build strength, muscle and tone through Pilates.
On the topic of aging, strength training and women, we are launching a special Peri & Menopause program, tailored to women experiencing the symptoms of peri and menopause. The program combines plyometrics (jumping) with strength training, stretch and recovery, designed to support our changing hormones and bodies.
This program highlights the importance of a range of exercise, and when implemented effectively, can have a transformative effect on our minds, bodies, energy and confidence.
Q. How do you keep yourself motivated?
Always love this question! First and foremost, everyone has a different motive and it’s about finding what brings you motivation and joy!
Sometimes we need a bit of help getting started though, or guidance on what’s right for our bodies (because we are all different!).
Find yourself a workout buddy.
Whether it’s your friend, mum, dad, neighbour or colleague – find someone to hold you accountable to moving.
Did you know? The Fluidform at Home app allows you to connect with a “buddy”? This way you can help to keep each other accountable and follow each others latest workouts on the app. Sign up to the buddy program via your Dashboard.
… and we have a special new development coming soon – which will allow you to follow your friends on Fluidform at Home, track each others progress and challenge and motivate each other to move evervday!
Challenge Yourself.
Our exclusive Fluidform challenges are designed to keep you motivated to move everyday (plus see incredible results!).
We have over 120 challenges available on the app. Our latest “Bulletproof Your Body” challenge saw some incredible
transformations. Start a challenge today and make movement your daily non-negotiable!
Set Intentions
My final tip for motivation and accountability – setting myself intentions.
Our recent Pilates & Wellness Retreat with @sixsensesfiji taught me a lot about setting intentions, facing challenges and achieving goals.
Try writing down a goal, whether that be to:
- finish a challenge
- 20 minutes of movement a day
- 5 workouts a week
Write it down! Remind yourself daily and achieve real results!
Q. What are your tips for postpartum mothers returning to exercise?
A. One of the most popular questions we get from new mummas returning to movement!
Postpartum is a time for restoration after growing, birthing and nourishing a new being. It is also a time of adjustment. Our bodies start to rebuild themselves after delivering a newborn and we enter the world of parenthood. This time is beautiful and empowering, as well as challenging and exhausting. The single best way to restore energy and agility is sleep, however the fragmented sleeping patterns of new mothers and parents often comes with added stress and fatigue.
Other factors to support your postpartum journey are a trusted support group, a balanced nutrition plan, professional and medical guidance and movement.
Continue reading about how movement can support your postpartum journey on our Journal.
Q. What does “wellness” mean to you?
A. The concept of “wellness” is highly personalised and subjective and difficult to define. For me, wellness starts with loving and accepting ourselves. Without self-love, we cannot truly embrace the benefits of “living well”. And this is often the hardest part. Societal pressures and this need to compare ourselves to others make this incredibly difficult. As we grow and our hormones change, we lose this sense of self-love and it requires deep self-development to (re)learn this.
Wellness is a bespoke approach to achieving optimal health – encompassing movement, nutrition, social interactions, sleep and stress management. Wellness is about finding the things that make you feel healthy, strong and empowered. For some, that might be your weekly Pilates class, or an infrared sauna, or 4-day wellness retreat. For others, it might be spending time with your family, calling an old friend, or baking a cake! Find what fills your cup – this is wellness.
