Making the most of
Obp
A Word From Juliette
My ethos is to make the process of engaging in Pilates as individually tailored as possible. I would like to help you improve the way your body moves and feels.
Through our sessions, my aim is to help you discover more about how the alignment of your body throughout the different activities you engage in during your day affects how it functions and feels. I would like to help you maximise your core strength and engagement, so that you can recruit it naturally in your daily life.
I would like your work with me to be a discovery process for you about your body, how it moves and its strengths and weaknesses. By becoming aware of this as you go on, you will enhance your posture, both static and dynamic and your body’s movement and therefore function.
OBP Online Video Library, Live Online/ In Person Classes or Both?
This depends upon your lifestyle and what you think would work best for you.
OBP ONLINE
In developing the OBP Online video library, I am aiming to deliver an experience that is as close to live as possible while making it possible for you to exercise exactly when and where it suits you.
You can use the OBP video library on it’s own or along with live classes – here are some suggestions on how to approach your exercise plan :
First, determine what your aims are currently. Are you looking to:
Improve your overall fitness and enhance your performance in sport, etc.?
Address postural problems, including back, neck and shoulder pain, etc.?
Recover from injury?
You will find a variety of videos to choose from in the library which I will be building on in the coming year. My advice is always, no matter how experienced you are in movement, review and master the essentials of core engagement and integration with your movement in any given exercise and then challenge yourself further. Remember to invest a little time in a warm up of some kind. This will enable you to make the most of your workout. Also, stretches are powerful things and they make all the difference to improving and maintaining our flexibility and avoiding muscle soreness after a workout!
OBP LIVE CLASSES
Please email me at: [email protected] for information about how to join live group or private sessions.
HOW TO APPROACH YOUR OBP?
Listen to your body:
- Nothing should feel painful or worsen pain from injuries
- Consult your healthcare provider with any concerns you have before using our library or joining live sessions.
- Discover more about your body: Do you feel stiff in some areas of your body and more flexible in others? If so, where in your body? Are the two sides of your body balanced in terms of strength and flexibility? If not, this is very normal! The exercises will give you the opportunity to stabilise your joints and lengthen, strengthen and balance the muscle groups all over your body to optimize smooth, functional movement and performance.
Frequently asked questions
Is OBP for me?
The Pilates method and dance based exercise are extremely versatile and adaptable to almost all age groups and ability levels. There are many ways that we can work around injuries, etc. via modifications as well as enhancements to the exercises.
What is the Pilates method?
The Pilates method was developed by Joseph Hubertus Pilates over one hundred years ago while he was working with wounded soldiers on the Isle of Man during the First World War. Joe called the method he developed ‘Contrology’ because the focus of the exercises was to develop the strength of the deep, core muscles of the body in order to stabilise the spine, pelvis and shoulder girdle, develop the muscles which support the joints in the limbs of the body. His aim in developing the system was to facilitate greater strength and flexibilty all over the body. Through his work with the wounded and others as well as his own experience as a gymnast, circus performer, diver, skier and boxer, Joe found that even in the case of the loss of a leg, the greatest challenge was very often weakness in the core.
Joe suffered from various childhood illnesses and at age 14, he was advised to take up exercise to strengthen his body and his constitution. He became a very competent gymnast and boxer. Joe spent time practicing martial arts and yoga. He also studied anatomy as a part of refining his system of exercises which he called ‘Contrology’.
During the First World War, Joe, a German national, was interned on the Isle of Man and it was here, while working with wounded soldiers with complex injuries that the foundations of the Pilates method were developed. Joe found that the greatest challenge that the recovering men faced was the fact that their core muscles had become so weak from being bed bound for months in some cases, with complex injuries, amputations, etc.
What is the Barre method of exercise?
Barre work refers to a style of exercise that’s based upon classical ballet conditioning exercises normally done at the ‘barre’ – a wooden bar attached to a wall or a freestanding bar. You easily substitute this for a chair. Barre work is demanding for the lower limbs in particular while challenging the core, back muscles and arms as well. The proper alignment of your knees in relation to your hips is essential in addition to how you use your feet and ankles. I will cue you on this throughout our sessions, in video format or live.
Why is it Oxford 'Barre' Pilates
I integrate elements of Barre work in the standing portion of our classes. We do a greater of lesser amount of this depending upon the class. The Barre work and Pilates principles are closely linked as core activation is one of the most fundamental parts of dance technique. Challenging our core and other muscle groups in standing in a ‘functional’ way can make it easier to recruit them in our daily lives.
Can I workout every day?
Y
How often should I work out to see effects?
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Do I need to be a particular size or shape to do the exercises?
No. Not at all. Exercises on the mat are particularly useful if you are carrying extra weight or recovering from injury, etc. If you are not flexible, this is okay! This is one of the things that we work on in our sessions.
I’m recovering from injury, is there anything for me?
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Am I too old for this?
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Is OBP suitable for men and women?
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Is OBP a replacement for a personal physio/healthcare advice?
No, my online video library and live group classes are meant to fit alongside and often be a part of an exercise plan developed by your own healthcare provider. Although I am a physiotherapist and my training contributes to the way I design and deliver my classes, it is very important that you always be guided by the advice of your own healthcare professional.