This short workout concentrates on the wonderful Side Clam, or Clamshell exercise and not only shows the basic version, but a number of variations to “up” the challenge and keep things interesting

Named for the way your legs and hips resemble a clamshell when performing the movement, this exercise not only strengthens your buttocks, hips and thighs it also stabilises your pelvic muscles, tones your gluteal muscles, particularly the gluteus medius, and is good for rehabilitating lower back and knee problems. A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy found that the clam is one of the best exercises for helping with injury treatment and prevention and can help to reduce pain. 

Around 17 mins of video instruction.

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Side Plank is a full body exercise, and you’ll work your entire body just by holding a static side plank for 10 seconds – no matter what version (bent knee, top leg straight, or both legs straight) you are doing. Side Plank is like the Marmite of Pilates, but the benefits of side plank are huge. 

In this intensive half hour workout we look at the various versions of side plank that one can do – from the simplest static bent knee version to the very challenging straight leg- leg raises. The class is suitable for all levels giving those at Intermediate Level a challenging half hour full body work out, or for the less experienced, a road map of how side plank should be done.

Around 30 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this course or have an active subscription you can access your course here

Plantar Fasciitis is one the most common cause of heel pain.  There are a variety of reasons why you might get Plantar Fasciitis but tight hamstrings, calves or Achilles tendon are major contributors. Rolling a tennis ball under the foot can certainly help relieve the pain, as can a number of Pilates exercises that help stretch and strengthen the hamstrings and calves. 

Around 19 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this course or have an active subscription you can access your course here

Pilates is known for helping people develop both strength and flexibility. The following set of Pilates stretches includes exercises that increase the flexibility of the back, shoulders, neck, front- of body, side of body, hamstrings, and hips

The strength part of the stretch and strength equation is very important—it’s what helps maintain physical integrity and alignment as one stretches a muscle, or increases the range of motion in a joint. All of these exercises promote both strength and flexibility. 

Around 45 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this course or have an active subscription you can access your course here

Strengthening the muscles that support the knee can help prevent the need for surgery, or in the event of an operation still being needed, help bring about a successful outcome to the operation. You don’t need to worry that working out will cause more knee damage or pain either. As long as your doctor says it’s OK for you to exercise, the best thing you can do to relieve pain is strengthen the muscles and keep them flexible. 

Around 20 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this class or have an active subscription you can access your class here

If you suffer from hip pain, Pilates is an excellent way to remedy discomfort. The pain is often caused by issues with nearby muscles, ligaments or tendons, although hip pain can also be referred from the lower back. While it may be tempting to keep the area immobile, regularly practicing Pilates can decrease pain significantly. This is because the joint itself benefits from gentle yet deliberate movement.

One of the most common problems I see with riders when I am doing Posture Assessments and Awareness Clinics are tight hips.

This class shows some modified Pilates exercises that can be used to help with tight hips.

Around 35 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this class or have an active subscription you can access your class here

Have you ever had difficulty reaching up to the top shelf or had pain in your shoulder or upper arm when raising your arm to the side or overhead? Shoulder pain or tightness is common, affecting some 18 to 26 per cent of adults. 

The shoulder is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body, as well as the joint most vulnerable to injury.

This class shows some modified Pilates exercises that can be used to help reduce shoulder pain.

Around 30 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this course or have an active subscription you can access your course here

Lower back pain affects most people at some time in their lives. For some of us, lower back pain is no more than a simple ache that quickly improves, for others however, it can be a much longer-term problem. This video focusses on some Pilates exercises that can help reduce lower back pain.

Around 29 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this course or have an active subscription you can access your course here

Many people and in particular, many horse riders and cyclists, moan about having tight hips. That makes sense, as spending a lot of time sitting means the hip flexors stay in a shortened position for longer than they should. Constricting the muscles in this way can make the hip flexors extremely tight, especially if the effects of sitting aren’t countered with hip stretches on a regular basis.

This class shows you how to perform the Thomas Test to check to see if your hip flexors are tight as well as showing how to do some simple stretches to help alleviate any tightness.

This class is suitable for Beginners.

Around 40 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this course or have an active subscription you can access your course here

Many people and in particular, many horse riders and cyclists, moan about having tight hips. That makes sense, as spending a lot of time sitting means the hip flexors stay in a shortened position for longer than they should. Constricting the muscles in this way can make the hip flexors extremely tight, especially if the effects of sitting aren’t countered with hip stretches on a regular basis.

This class follows on from Hip Opener 1 class and includes more difficult exercises and some intense stretches.

This class is suitable for Intermediates

Around 35 mins of video instruction.

If you’ve already already purchased this course or have an active subscription you can access your course here