Phil & Sarah’s tip on physical activity for adults
The national guidelines in the UK for physical activity for adults aged 19 – 64 is that they do two types of exercise each week: aerobic and strength based sessions. You should try to be active daily and limit large amounts of time just sitting (being sedentary). Ideally you would do at least 30 minutes of exercise 5x a week, with at least 2 of these sessions being strength based.
Your aerobic sessions can be moderate or vigorous (a mix is good) and can include things like a brisk walk, running, tennis, swimming, sports, bike riding…
Pilates counts as your strength based sessions. In an ideal world you would attend a class each week with your Pilates teacher guidance, you could then do a 30 minute home programme… all you need is mat and a bit of space to put it. Your Pilates teacher could also help get you started, you could invest in a 1-1 session every now and again to help keep you on track and refresh your ideas.
Pilates is designed to help you work your whole body so try to take yourself through all these planes – as long as you have no health conditions that might restrict you – in which case just miss that/those ones:
- Supine (Laying on your back)
- Side Lying (Both sides)
- Seated (You can use a block or even sit on a chair)
- Prone (Laying on your tummy)
- Weight Bearing (This one is very important – try not to miss this one. You can be in a 4 point kneeling position to start with or even do some in standing, pressing your hands into a wall)
- Standing (You can always hold onto a chair or use a wall for support; you may also like to stand off your mat if you struggle with balance)