Welcome to the November edition of Pilates Central News.

In this edition:

• Frosts among equals
• Gym and bear it
• Teacher I need it
• Horses for Pilates courses

Frost among equals

Sadie Frost “swears by Pilates,” writes the Sunday Times, in an interview on how Sadie keeps fit as she approaches 60. The film-maker and former model, best known for once being married to Jude Law and hanging out with the Primrose Hill set of Kate Moss, Noel Gallagher and Meg Matthews, is now a big advocate of Pilates.

She’s recently suffered a slipped disc and tells the Times, “It’s so important to keep moving. The risk of damage to joints and bones increases with age, so consistent strength training is a must for me. This involves daily arm weights…and Pilates.”

Frost has been training at Exhale Pilates for ten years alongside the likes of Harry Styles. She says: “Reformer Pilates is all the rage now, but I prefer a Tower class, which uses a wall frame with adjustable spring resistance to strengthen and stretch the muscles. It’s done wonders for my back problems. I’m hoping to do my own Pilates teacher training in a year or two. Forget your preconceptions about yoga and Pilates: they’re not just for women, and you can start at any age. My classes are full of men and women from 18 to 80.”

Frost lists three recommended exercises including the “Pilates roll-down” for when her back feels tight: “Stand tall, keeping your shoulders away from your ears. Breathe in and slowly roll your spine down, using the abdominal muscles while exhaling.”

Sadie also muses on how her relationship with her body has changed. “As I approach my sixties, it’s really not about how I look… I still look at the bodies of young, beautiful women and wonder how they look so sculpted, but my focus now is my bones not aching, and feeling good. For me, the key to that is yoga and Pilates.”

Gym and bear it

“Hysterics as gym bros get ‘humbled’ in Reformer Pilates class,” declares Newsweek, reporting on the 12.7 million views of a viral TikTok reel. It features a group of body builders and ‘gym bros’ trying Pilates at the Deep Sweat Hub in Dubai, UAE. Men doing Pilates is something of a trend on TikTok and these bros don’t disappoint, with lots of sweaty brows, jelly legs, moans and cries of “No way brother, this is crazy!”

Jessica Casalegno, director of Deep Sweat, told Newsweek: “Before the class, all of the boys were very confident—as you can see, they’re very strong from their physiques—but during the class, they were humbled. They were shocked at how much they loved—and loved to hate—this intense workout and can’t get enough of the challenge now.”

She went on to add that all those deathly moans were simply the guys having fun: “Pilates is resistance training, and it also allows you to hone in on some of the smaller muscle groups that you aren’t able to focus on in a more traditional gym setting. Pilates always has a way of challenging everyone—even those who appear to be sculpted and stronger than your average Joe. I am happy to say they very much enjoyed the session—even if their complaints and death glares in the video seem to say otherwise!”

Teacher I need you

“My first time at teacher-less Pilates: ‘There is a soothing quality to the digital instructor’s voice, like an early childhood educator or a cult leader’,” is the headline in a humorous Guardian piece by Michael Sun. He was visiting Pronto, a teacher-free Pilates studio in Sydney, Australia.

Instead of a human Michael gets a virtual instructor and writes: “Now there is no instructor to save me. If I fall I may well be trapped in the reformer like a dazed cockroach.” As the digital class continues, “the soundtrack transitions from a mellow muzak to tropical house. I feel as though I am in an episode of Love Island or maybe a YouTube video circa 2012.”

After 30 minutes he comments: “I can feel myself submitting to the digital instructor’s unbridled cheer. “Get closer to your knees!” Yes, master. “Hold for four!” Certainly, your excellency. “You got this!” Thank you, my liege.”

Sun’s mind drifts back to the Pilates teachers who have shaped him, “the one who played only Phoebe Bridgers remixes; the one who kept misusing the word “yummy” to mean “agonising”.” Then he realises that, “the digital voice is the voice of God. I find myself desperate to impress this stupid, anonymous screen.”

Finally he leaves after one final stretch as “a broken man… cash-strapped and masochistic.” Hmm, perhaps this is why we prefer real-life teachers.

Horses for Pilates courses

No fewer than five pages are devoted to Pilates in British Horse, the magazine of the British Horse Society (BHS). Pilates and riding expert Julie Driver writes how Pilates can improve rider fitness, and “the more supple, strong and balanced you are the easier it is to communicate with your horse and build a deeper bond with them.”

While BHS senior coach and equine therapist Gillian Higgins shares how, “in winter months Pilates-based stable exercises can help keep your horse happy and healthy.” Higgins writes that horses “have evolved to run forwards not necessarily sideways and so often they are weak in terms of lateral balance.” She suggests her “Wither Rock” exercise, standing by your horse and gently pushing and pulling the withers.

More intriguingly her “Tail Pull Up” exercises are designed to “stretch and stimulate the top line and related muscles, fascia, and connective tissue of the entire spine and strengthen the core muscles.” The exercise doesn’t involve actually pulling the horse’s tail but instead, “leaning back on it and pulling yourself up again in a rhythm.” Though she does warn, “don’t do this exercise if your horse has a tail injury or is liable to kick.”

Here at Pilates Central there won’t be any tail-pulling as we like to stick to humans, though we wish our horsey neigh-bours well with their stretches.

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The Pilates Central Team