Pilates Holidays in Italy - Travel Journal

Ever wondered what it's like to be a teacher on a Pilates holiday in Italy? Italian food, afternoon dips in the pool and relaxing Pilates... it's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it, right?

Read more: https://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/blog/daily-routine-pilates-instructor/

Book Review: Italian Ways

Are you searching for a great summer read for when you're relaxing by the pool on your Pilates holiday? We might be able to recommend you something - a wonderful book teaching you about Italy & its culture. Sounds good? Then read our full review here: 
https://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/blog/italian-ways-book-review/

Pilates for beginners - Top exercises

Our lovely Pilates holiday instructor Diane Parrilla tells us her 3 favourite Pilates exercises - perfect for beginners!

Want to learn more about Pilates? Then read our new blog post here https://www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/blog/pilates-exercises-for-beginners and find out how to get started with Pilates!

The Reasons Why You Should Take Up Pilates In 2014

For many of us a new year means a new start and of course, New Year's Resolutions.  The resolutions we make vary from person to person, but one of the most popular resolutions to make is one regarding our health. This is also one of the most notoriously difficult resolutions to keep, with many of us falling off the band wagon just 6 weeks in.

This is usually because the goals we set are unattainable and unrealistic, so we become demotivated as we struggle and don't see the results we expected. A fantastic way to improve your over all health and well being to to take up Pilates. It's relaxing, therapeutic and offers brilliant health benefits to help you achieve your goals in the new year.

What Exactly Is Pilates?

Pilates is thought of as a more difficult form of yoga. Whilst yoga primarily focuses on stretching the body and your breathing, Pilates also works to strengthen your body whilst maintaining all the benefits from yoga.

Over all Pilates focusses on stretching and strengthening the body from top to toe as well as improving balance, posture and flexibility. No matter your age or fitness level you will be able to take up Pilates as the exercises span from easy to intermediate and advanced.

What Are The Health Benefits?

Pilates boasts a lot of health benefits. It's well known that yoga is great for your health, but Pilates pushes the benefits that one step further. Through Pilates you can:

·  Improve your posture

·  Improve your strength

·  Improve muscle tone

·  Improve flexibility

·  Improve joint mobility

·  Strengthen your back

·  Strengthen your core

·  Relive stress

·  Relive tension

Through carrying out this one exercise you can increase your over all health and strength, not to mention benefiting from feel good endorphins that are released when you exercise.

One of the best elements of Pilates is that it doesn't feel like vigorous exercise that leaves you out of breath, exhausted and aching. Pilates takes the relaxing and therapeutic elements from yoga but aims to push your body that little bit further to also increase general health and fitness.

It's this relaxing element to the exercise that makes it easy to stick to as it doesn't feel like a real struggle and most people who do Pilates find it really enjoyable. So many of us go wrong when it comes to fitness goals by pushing ourselves too hard too fast and then find we are unable to keep this high level up. Pilates holidays offer a great way to improve your over all fitness, tone up and reduce body fat with achievable exercises that leave you feeling relaxed and invigorated.

Pilates can also work for the individual, allowing you to exercise at a level at which you feel comfortable. As you improve you are then able to increase the level at which you are exercising, meaning you can constantly move forwards, ever improving your health and fitness to reach your goals.

Pilates is a great exercise to add to your lifestyle, whether you practice it every day, or once a week, Pilates can help you reach your goals and stick to your New Year's Resolution in 2014.

So now you know the health benefits of Pilates holidays, why not give it a go?

Pilates holidays in Tuscany? Are you kidding? A male sceptic tries a Pilates Holiday

What are your preconceptions about Pilates? Perhaps you have never given this approach to fitness any thought at all. Maybe, as a man, you have dismissed it as a ‘girlie’ occupation.

Well, let me disabuse you of that notion. I know from experience, a Pilates holiday will introduce you to a completely new way of building strength which has nothing to do with using weights.

Sometimes, as we learned from the fable about the hare and the tortoise, a slow and sure, less is more philosophy can actually make a massive difference to achieving a goal. With a slight change of perspective it is possible to do things we never thought were possible. Or perhaps, had never even considered, in relation to our lives or experience.

I say this as a man who has exercised all his life, eaten too much, drunk too much and considered myself to be pretty invincible.

That all changed when I started having back problems. Suddenly life, literally and metaphorically, became a right pain. I had been used to taking my body for granted. I had given it little attention, if I am honest. So when I found that the tiniest movement, like stepping into my jeans even, would make me wince with pain I was floored. Some days that actually happened.

It was my wife who saw Flavours and suggested we went on a Pilates holiday. I moaned, dismissed it, but in the end she took the decision from me and booked a week in Tuscany. ’What have you got to lose?’ she asked.

I shrugged and a month later we found ourselves by the side of a swimming pool on a beautiful morning beginning our relationship with Pilates.

Can I admit to being a bad student right now? I had grown up with the more weight means more progress idea. Er, wrong. The classes were mixed ability and I watched in awe as, how can I say, a senior citizen breezed through every rep while I was wondering how I had managed to live with all these muscles I had never used in my life!

My Pilates teacher was great; she humoured me. As the classes progressed I was intrigued how a Pilates holiday was giving me insight into a world, of which, I had no previous experience. It was nothing short of extraordinary.

I began to understand I could do things to align my spine and that some core stabilising principles would literally change everything regarding how I dealt with my back problem in future.

I understand now that strength training comes in many forms and this journey began for me under Italian blue skies which somehow intensified the whole experience.

Pilates holidays are such a wonderful way to experience a new approach to exercise. You have the opportunity to become totally immersed. With an open mind, a different environment, a highly skilled and empathic teacher you can take the first steps towards getting serious about this incredible form of exercise fast.

I had the opportunity to really understand the potential for Pilates and have continued with a local class since returning home. Both my wife and I have really taken to something we knew nothing about before going to Tuscany. What can I say? Why not take a risk and book a Pilates holiday in Sicily or Tuscany today. It may well transform so many aspects of your life. Be open minded, try something new and begin to treat your body with the respect it deserves.

A Pilates holiday will tone summer bodies and reverse bad habits

In the summer we are far more active. The tendency to slump in front of the television wanes and suddenly the sitting room is almost a ‘no go’ area as we spend more time outside and generally looking to what the world is doing.

Of course summer time can bring a shock when we find our best linen outfit no longer fits or we are having difficulty heaving ourselves up from a picnic blanket. So, how did I find myself in tight-fitting dress booking a Pilates holiday?

I had decided this inactivity wasn’t going to spell the new me. None of us has to accept the consequences of our actions for long. Yes, of course we must take responsibility for what we do, but what I am saying is we can change things.

Bad habits are what happen when I don’t  take care of myself. It’s strange really because we are always downloading updates for our tech equipment but don’t consider we might need to also do this for ourselves. After all, we may not be Man or Woman 2.0 but it’s the only version we are likely to be. So it is worth looking after.

Amazingly, and let’s face it you are looking at a prize cynic, I found that just a little foray into the world of Pilates made an enormous difference. In fact, so much so, that I became a convert and wondered whether there was any way I might take this new found enthusiasm and capitalise on it.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered Pilates holidays actually existed. I couldn’t believe my luck and quickly booked, in case I changed my mind! 

It was an extraordinary decision to have made and let me tell you I didn’t regret it for a single moment. I would never have believed what a week’s immersion into an interest could do for one’s confidence, skill and general ability: I am an evangelising convert to Pilates holidays! 

Therefore if the idea of exercising in some much needed Italian sunshine appeals; if shutting off the outside world and talking part in a seven day immersion method Pilates holidays is what you need; then book today before the places are a snapped up.

You can find a late availability Pilates holiday in Sicily from 8^th June, Tuscany from the 15^th June and Tuscany on the 3^rd August. Why wait? Click here.      

Ease Back Pain with Pilates Courses

Living with back pain is difficult and it will affect most parts of your daily life and leave you feeling worn out. For most people back pain will mean repeated trips to the doctor, taking painkillers and having to adapt to coping with feeling low and run down. If you are suffering from back pain you could find the relief you need and be able to soak up the sun at the same time on a Pilates holiday.

For most people the thought of doing an exercise that involves stretching when they have back pain might sound odd, but in practise it isn’t. Pilates is a gentle form of exercise that was developed by Joseph Pilates over 75 years ago. It focuses on using various poses and stretches to build core strength, improve posture and increase a person’s flexibility. Over time this can have significant benefits for the body, including a reduction in back pain – but only if you have a tailored Pilates routine that caters for your back pain.

 

In other words, if you want to use Pilates as a method of controlling and easing back pain you need to get advice from a professional teacher. When you go on Pilates courses you will be able to choose your holiday location and enjoy regular Pilates courses and so much more. So what can you expect?

Firstly when you go on this type of holiday you will arrive at your villa which is equipped with everything you will need during your stay and has its own pool. You will meet up with your dedicated Pilates teacher who will discuss your needs in detail. This is to ensure that the programme of exercise that you will be following will not cause any stress or further pain to your back. In most cases the exercise sessions will start the day after you arrive, so you will get the chance to get settled in before embarking on your Pilates journey.

During the sessions you will be shown the basics of what you will need to do by your teacher. As time progresses you will notice that the pain and constant aching that you feel in your back starts to reduce. This is all thanks to the Pilates exercises that you have been following as they are working to improve your posture and muscle tone. Doctors recommend that people who suffer from back pain take exercise in order to keep their body moving, but few people would think to take up something like Pilates as they believe it will do more harm than good.

As well as working to reduce back pain Pilates courses will also help you to de-stress and unwind which is beneficial for your health and wellbeing. Being able to exercise without feeling rushed and in such a pleasant environment will give you a positive boost which will help massively with your Pilates courses. Over the course of one week, if you choose to holiday for this long, you will have around 10 Pilates courses. This will give you a fantastic foundation to build upon when you go home and to help you further you will be given a personalised exercise programme to follow.

So if you are living with back pain and want to explore alternatives to painkillers for the condition a Pilates holiday could be exactly what you are looking for. 

Flavours Explores How Italians Have Adopted The American Way With Disastrous Consequences

Before we start, I just want to ask a question. Bearing in mind all the meals Lillian is going out for on The Archers, not once has she made any mention about putting on weight in the whole of the Christmas period and now into January. I do wonder whether all her work outs with Paul are keeping the weight off!

That leads me neatly into a serious topic which was flagged up on the Radio 4 Food Programme earlier in January regarding the impending food crisis in Italy.

Flavours is passionate about Italian food but it appears all is not going well in the country aside of the economic problems they are now experiencing.

 

In Italy these days, childhood obesity in those of elementary school age is the highest in Europe and the Italians are very concerned about the future of their children. You might be asking what this is all about seeing as we often hold Italy up as a paragon of virtue with respect to healthy Mediterranean food habits. But slowly, despite the regional passion and love for traditional foods, youngsters are beginning to experience big problems.

A recent state funded study showed alarming levels of obesity especially in the south whereas in the past, people here were amongst the thinnest; Spain Portugal and Greece also bringing up the rather enlarged rear so Italy is not alone in this situation.

Flavours holidays was interested to learn that what appears to be happening is this; even though regions like Piedmont, Liguria or even Sicily hold on to their old dishes, the foods Italians traditionally ate sparingly as seasonal treats like pastrami or lasagne, to name just a couple of examples, have become so mainstream people are eating them all the time with disastrous consequences.

Not only do young people share their predecessors’ love of regional cuisine they also enjoy the fast food which is slowly infiltrating the Italian psyche and what is disparagingly called: ‘The American Way’. So if you add high fat to high fat, a lack of physical exercise as so many young people have abandoned their rural lifestyles, then the recipe is definitely one of disaster. The addiction to sitting glued to computers may well also be to blame.

The problem is passion and self-discipline do not make great bedfellows and with the Italians love of food, if they do not practise a little self-restraint, this worrying trend may well metamorphose into an epidemic.

There is the other matter of lack of nutritional education and cooking skills amongst young parents and the increasingly lazy lifestyles amongst teenagers. Just think how easy it is to consume high calorie levels by just snacking on a few slices of salami or serving a packet of tortellini; it’s all too easy.

Our cookingcourses at Flavours tend to focus on the very best produce available and we like to produce balanced menus which focus on flavour rather than quantity. I am beginning to believe the old adage ‘a little of what you fancy does you good’ with great emphasis laid on ‘little’.

It is obvious that high fat meals should not become the norm but perhaps more importantly it is essential to increase the exercise we all take every day. That is the key to this debate. 

Yes, food availability and price in real terms has affected our eating habits but over and above all of this our lack of hard physical work is taking its toll. 

So may we recommend a Flavours cooking course followed by a week’s Pilates in the sun? It’s just a thought, but a nice one! 

Flavours Agrees That A Pilates Holiday Is Just What Our Bodies Need Right Now!

Rousseau said: ‘a feeble body weakens the mind’ and if we accept that philosophy it appears most of us are probably operating well below capacity and with a new year just around the corner , it’s nuovo anno, nuovo corpo time isn’t it?

If you are also suffering from a post- Christmas spot of over indulgence you might imagine there is nothing to be done about fitting into those clothes which have not seen the light of day for years. Patterns of sitting, behaviour and eating may have silently layered a little more padding round the middle, like a potter gradually adding clay to the bottom of a pot.

Our predominantly sedentary lives mean there are few opportunities to balance the excess we consume; it’s not as though most of us will be going out to chop wood or walk miles to market. So what’s to do? New Year is the classic time to re-appraise what has gone before and predict what might happen in the coming months.

I know this year’s calendar is ringed with the date I flew out to begin a FlavoursPilates course and that was a real highlight. I had been following a class at my local gym but trudging through North London with the constant traffic whining in my ears and the filthy exhaust fumes permeating the air, I decided a break was needed from ‘urban chic’ and that I would keep a new year’s resolution to try different things instead of sticking with the ‘same old, same old’.

Firstly I have to confess I have never really travelled alone – yes I’ve taken the odd bucket seat trip round the UK but it was a short hop to meet friends or fulfil some work commitment. So packing my bags to spend a week in Sicily on a Pilates course was a bit scary, but I really need not have worried as the welcome was lovely.

I was initially attracted to Pilates a couple of years ago as I really needed to work on my posture. I knew my body’s alignment was out as my osteopath would sigh heavily when he saw how my back was never where he had left it!

I also knew that having a desk job meant increasing flexibility and strengthening those all-important core muscles had to be a priority if I was to avoid stiffness in later years.

It’s funny how we hardly realise how our flexibility lessens without constant attention; it’s little things like standing on one leg when putting on a pair of trousers or, heaven forbid, actually standing up to put on socks. I was becoming lazy and would never bend my knees when picking something from the floor and was slowly metamorphosing into a living fossil.

So, regardless of booking my course in January when my finances were creaking somewhat, I decided to strike while the iron was hot and just go for it and I am so glad I did!

The real joy of Pilates, for me, is the increased understanding of just what your body is up to and what you can expect it to do. That doesn’t mean you simply accept the situation, oh no. There is a tremendous difference to be made by working on troublesome areas. Strengthening the core muscles means I no longer suffer with niggling back pain. I even believe my shape has changed and a as direct consequence I have also enrolled in salsa lessons!

My Flavours holiday couldn’t have been further from North London and my gym. I found myself in a private villa exercising outdoors in the early morning right next to a tempting swimming pool which overlooked a peaceful Sicilian landscape. In terms of body and mind I was so relaxed and very happy to work through the classic mat exercises. It was also wonderful to have a series of classes in quick succession and I really felt as if I had achieved something quite significant after a week in Sicily.

It was also great fun in every sense; I really enjoyed my teacher who was patient and thoughtful and had answers to just about every question; the location was such an inspiration and I made some friends who I still keep in contact with. In fact we have all been discussing whether we should try another Flavours Pilates course in another location.

We have all moved on, from last time of course but as our teacher said, it doesn’t matter what level we are at, there is enough time to be able to work with everyone wherever they happen to be in their journey. Certainly we all came away with a good understanding of the Pilates method and all the core principles were covered which allowed us to make the very best of classes back home.

So if you fancy joining us for an invigorating Pilates holiday in a beautiful Italian landscape then read our Pilates holiday options or order a Flavours brochure to see all 2013’s planned trips!

Missing Tuscan Skies And Pilates’ Holidays...

Flavours Battens Down The Hatches For Winter.

No sun - no moon!

No morn - no noon -

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,

No comfortable feel in any member -

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -

November!

This poem written by Victorian poet, Thomas Hood is as true today as ever it was. You can sense the monochrome season which perhaps represents the antithesis of a Tuscan vista in summer.

We do our best in northern Europe to celebrate winter and all its joys: open fires, snuggling under duvets while watching a classic Dickens’ serial or eating hearty fare to ward off a chill.

Yet high blue skies, bright light and warm sunshine are not on the menu for the next few months. So, we need to understand that functioning well during this season is an important responsibility. We need to maintain buoyancy and physically activity until the summer solstice returns.

Anyone who has experienced one of the Flavours Pilates courses will already know, of course, how important full-body fitness is. Feeling fitter, as a consequence of increased core strength, will assist everyone to breeze through these winter months while feeling healthier and effervescing with energy.

Pilates, after all, exercises the whole body; muscles are strengthened and by improving balance, movement and flexibility you may well feel inclined to take the outdoor exercise so essential at this time of year.

Having the wherewithal to make use of the occasional sunny days is one thing, but having the strength of mind to exercise for at least a quarter of an hour a day, outside, is quite another. If you feel strong and confident you are much more likely to take up the challenge – really!

We all know how bad habits develop. As we snuggle into the sofa, we lie awkwardly, scrunch ourselves at our desks and generally have fewer opportunities to stretch our bodies. It’s a case of work, home, tv, bed in the main, or in other words, contemporary hibernation.

Yet it doesn’t have to be. The whole premise behind Pilates is to tone and strengthen. We would all like to see better muscle definition longer, leaner limbs and an athletic frame. Pilates exercise is a manageable way to cast ‘winter, flabby bodies’ aside. Flavours’ Pilates teachers wax lyrical about its efficacy.

Eating a healthy diet can also make you feel so much better during the short, dark days. Making a conscious effort to consume more fruit and vegetables is good advice. Utilise the cheery fruits in the shops brought in from sunnier climes: citrus, pomegranates and lychees are a colourful start. Walnuts are another super food at their best right now. Winter stews filled with lentils, pearl barley and gorgeous seasonal vegetables will boost your immune system while nourishing you too.

Visitors to the Pilates courses in Puglia will still have wonderful memories of exercising outdoors and gazing into the heat haze, although outdoor exercise is less desirable on a day filled with squally showers.

Yet there is no reason not to explore the benefits of Pilates. It is certainly less extreme than yoga and you will find a distinct improvement in your flexibility without feeling forced in any way.

Pilates has a calming, almost meditative effect and by keeping stress down to a minimum you may even find you are a little less susceptible to the usual wintery snuffles and such like.

Being a little more sedentary between November and February can also affect weight; without movement we can drop to burning only 1300 calories a day and when you think how much we tend to eat, on average, you can see where the body is going to store the surplus. Hmnn.

If you can’t keep an eye on diet then look at posture instead. A stronger core will lead to better balance and improved alignment; therefore your figure will immediately look more graceful. Yes, you do look thinner too, but easy on the hot chocolate with marshmallows, all the same!

If muscles are able to move more freely and if shoulders and back fall into line the whole body looks so much leaner; a little attention to the abdominal muscles will mean you look and feel great. Remember the little black party dress season is dangerously close!

So, Flavours top tips for winter health would be:

• Keep stress minimised wherever possible
• Rest properly and combine relaxation with some form of exercise every day.
• Cut back on alcohol
• Try to have a good night’s sleep every night
• Work on your posture
• Drink more water than usual, being in centrally heated homes and offices can really dehydrate us without us realising.
• Eat healthily: cut out excess sugary foods which includes cakes and biscuits but also processed and sugary processed juices too. Explore some of the winter recipes on the site
• www.flavoursholidays.co.uk/recipes
• Book a Pilates holiday!

Flavours offer Italian cooking holidays, Pilates, and paintingholidays in Tuscany, where you can experience the olive harvest at the right times of year - contact us to learn more! Flavours also offer holidays in Sicily, Umbria, and Puglia.

The Power of a Pilates Holiday

From Reese Witherspoon to Cameron Diaz, Hugh Grant to John Cleese, Pilates is practiced in studios and sitting rooms, on beaches and in bedrooms the world over.

Perhaps you already attend a regular weekly class, or maybe you’ve never tried it. Olympic athlete or couch potato, anyone can get involved, and a week-long Pilates holiday is the perfect way to get started, perfect your postures, or simply try something new.

The health benefits of regular workouts are immense, and by practicing everyday on a week-long Pilates holiday, you’ll give a real boost to your fitness, strength and overall wellbeing. Here are just a few of the positive impacts you can expect to experience on a Pilates holiday:

Fab Abs
With a focus on building core strength - the back, abdomen, and pelvic floor – Pilates is great for achieving a flat stomach and super-toned abs. Even after a week-long Pilates holiday, you’ll notice the difference in your body shape.

Full-body Fitness
As well as developing core strength, Pilates exercises the whole body. Each session works to strengthen your muscles, as well as develop better balance, movement and flexibility. Practice every day and you’ll notice that, by the last day of your holiday, you’ll be striding out more on your strolls and feeling far fitter than on day one.

Perfectly proportioned
The idea of Pilates is to tone and strengthen, rather than to build bulging muscles. By the end of your Pilates holiday, you’ll start to see better tone and definition developing in your muscles. Keep up your practice when you get home and you’ll achieve longer, leaner limbs and an athletic frame.

Fantastic Flexibility
Pilates works on lengthening and stretching your muscle and improving your range of movement without causing damage. Less extreme than yoga, it works with your body’s natural abilities, improving your flexibility without force. This means that joints can become less susceptible to damage and you’ll find twisting and bending movements far easier in daily life.

Perfect Posture
A stronger core, better balance, improved alignment - all these elements to lead to a great posture. Muscles will move more freely, shoulders and back fall more naturally in line and toned abdominals will help to create a superb silhouette.

Extra Energy
Learning how to control and optimise your breathing can have a huge impact on your energy levels. Couple this with your improved circulation, stimulated muscles and enhanced self-esteem, and you’ll find yourself returning home from your Pilates holiday, full of beans.

Mild meditation
You don’t have to go cross-eyed and start chanting to meditate. Pilates helps to calm the mind and improve your focus by encouraging you to actively engage with each movement and channel your concentration into achieving precise, controlled and dynamic routines. This level of discipline can work wonders for stress relief and takes the mind away from daily niggles and stresses.

Back To Front Change Your Life With A Pilates Course

Is your back talking to you and do you ignore its requests for you to take it away on a Flavours Pilates Course, somewhere warm, somewhere relaxing? Somewhere, anywhere but here it moans!

Have you ever had one of those days when you sit back and feel you just have to stretch out your spine? You can feel it almost crying out as if it’s taken on the shape of your office chair! As usual there is no time to attend to this kind of thing, so you simply adopt your usual scrunched over position and continue work.

Even when you get the opportunity to stand up or leave the building, it’s likely your spine won’t get much exercise as it sinks into the car’s upholstery. We were never built for this sedentary life and we are all paying the price for this new way of living.

What options have we available to us to improve this situation? What about this one? Imagine a sunny morning with the intense sound of cicadas and song birds penetrating your sub conscious. You wake, stretch and remember where you are: Tuscany. You pull on your exercise gear, have a quick splash and go downstairs to join a Pilates course.

As you begin your exercises, starting early to avoid the heat, you can feel the warmth already penetrating your bones, the view of the Tuscan hills is breath taking and suddenly your body is thanking you for taking time to relax on that much-longed for Pilates Course inItaly.

Sounds tempting doesn’t it? We are so good at putting our own needs last and this is a foolhardy approach. We ignore the niggling signs that things are not well with our backs and it’s only pain which finally stops us in our tracks, making us finally take notice.

If you join a Pilates Course in Tuscany, Italy you will benefit from being in a small class and it makes no difference which level you are at as there is plenty of opportunity to work one-to-one with Kathryn Cameron the Pilates Teacher.

Kathryn, whose background is in Physiotherapy says she first took up Pilates years ago on the advice of her doctor having suffered on-going back problems.’ Coming from a physiotherapy background’ she says, ‘I was really interested in the idea of working through Joseph Pilates original concept of working your lower back, abdominals and pelvic area to strengthen want he calls, ‘The Power House.’ ‘The Pilates course in Italy is fantastic, Kathryn says, people relax because there is time, they are all eager to do the exercises first thing in the morning and then have the day to themselves. We have another class in the evening when the temperatures cool and it really is an opportunity to concentrate on yourself and break some of those bad habits which are doing long term damage. It’s great to see people actually moving which is so important for each one of us. This technique is so good for improving posture, lower back strength and managing back pain.

Each class is small enough for individuals to work at their own pace so no prior experience is necessary, just bring yourself. An inspiring Pilates course set in the beautiful Tuscan countryside is waiting; turn things around and put your back first for once! It might be exactly what you need.