Pauline Caswell is the owner of Love Pilates Wirral. Pauline is a skilled 2nd Generation teacher with a direct lineage to Joseph Pilates. She’s also a qualified teacher of Education in Biology, Psychology, Science & Health. Her practice is about helping people to feel good about movement and the body you live in, whatever your lifestyle, age or ability.
My husband is a wise man, at least when he isn’t chasing after the bin lorry in his dressing gown and slippers, having forgotten to put the bin out the night before…
He often says: “Always have something to look forward to every month”. Whilst this isn’t Yoda level wisdom, it can be applied to other aspects of our lives with long term benefits.
It’s obvious why we plan some things, summer holidays are always something to look forward to. Experiencing that miserable feeling of arriving home to a grey, chilly Blighty, after a week in the sun has us flipping open our laptop before our suitcase. A few clicks later we’ve booked our next trip before the holiday laundry finishes the spin cycle.
How about planning other things? Planning is often reserved for the important stuff, the things we value most. We all value our health a great deal, which is exactly why so many of you already do Pilates at least once a week, but if you’re struggling to be more active or add that important strength training into your life, know this – you might just need a plan first.
So the question becomes: “As I grow older, how important is it to me still to be able to run up the stairs, walk to the shops, drive my car, do my job?” Take the same approach to planning holidays as planning your future fitness. The action of planning for your next Pilates class, making a set time in the future for things we value, works the same. Here’s how:
- At the moment you finish your Pilates class…be decisive! Choose a day and time when you are likely to be free to do it again.
- Set a reminder in your calendar just as you would for a doctor’s appointment. You are physically allocating time in the future for better health. You no longer have to think about when or how you next workout, you’ve planned for it to happen already.
- Give yourself a mental pat on the back for getting to your next session, then, once every so often, treat yourself. You’re choosing to be more active, prioritising your own health and probably also inspiring your friends and family to start doing the same.
Treating yourself doesn’t have always to involve Easyjet and Euros (if that even qualifies!). Maybe you really like the sound of a whole weekend of uninterrupted ‘me time’. Getting to choose how you do life, not having the world choose it for you. That could mean some extra sleep, reading a good book, cooking and eating with friends or taking a walk in the woods – who doesn’t appreciate nature? Six months from now, plan to do just that. Join us in June 2024 for a very special “Return to Life” Pilates weekend retreat (Pilates optional – some folks go for the extra sleep!) Whatever you decide you will have earned it after six months of Pilates, or once a week running down the street dragging a wheelie bin behind you!
For further information on Love Pilates’ Return to Life Retreat, to join a community class or book a private studio session visit: www.lovepilateswirral.co.uk
