The Benefits of Pilates for Radiographers - Pilates in Clapham

Having been a Radiographer for twelve years I have a good idea of the stresses and strains we are under at times emotionally, physically and mentally. The purpose of this article is to bring to your awareness how you feel in your body and mind and how Pilates can help you in the workplace as well as help you look and feel more confident and good in yourself.



We are sometimes dealing with over booked lists, work loads, on call shifts where we are needed in five different areas at once and there is only one of us! We tend to deal with these situations very well and adapt to the situation because we have to. Even during the day with busy lists and having to juggle lots of different tasks at once. Stress can build up and sometimes we may not realise this is happening as we are so used to the situation we are in. Pilates is a really great exercise to help us de-stress and relax. By taking time out for you, it also makes you feel good too. We are always caring for others and thinking of them, especially if you also have a family to look after too. It is really important to recharge yourself emotionally, mentally and physically and take responsibility for yourself feeling good in your body and mind.



Many of us have suffered from back pain at some point with the positions we may have to get ourselves into doing mammograms, ultrasound or simply helping patients up from the table. It is vital for us to take responsibility of our own health and make sure we take time to look after ourselves to help prevent any back injuries or other injuries that may sometimes happen. By teaching your body what good posture is and developing your body awareness you will be really protecting yourself from risk of injury as well as looking and feeling better. What becomes a conscious effort will soon become a subconscious one and your posture will be better as well as any aches and pains reduced. Our inner core muscles tend to get a little lazy (such as the semi spinalis, multifidus, transverse abdominis….) as the outside superficial muscles get overworked (upper trapezius, quadrates lumborum…). We need to retrain them so that the muscle memory realise that the deeper core muscles should be taking their load also! The outer muscles will be able to switch off and on as they should do rather than being permanently over worked leading to injuries and pain.



Pilates will help you strengthen weak muscles at the same time as lengthening tightened muscles to allow your posture to naturally be held in a position that can be maintained and that is optimum for your body. Many of us like to do Cardio vascular fitness as a stress release and to get the endorphins flowing. By increasing your core stability and aiding correct movement patterns in the body, your performance in which ever sport or fitness activity you choose will be improved and the risk of injuries reduced.





Coming from someone whose concentration has not always been the best! I can vouch for the fact that Pilates will also help you with your concentration and focus as you have to really tune in to your body and the movements you are aiming to achieve. So if you find that your mind often wonders or your motivation is sometimes lacking I highly recommend that you try out your local class and see for yourself the huge benefits that Pilates will give you.



From someone who used to be into intense exercise I am hugely challenged by Pilates in my body and mind and it has helped me recover from an old injury to my back as well as giving me the shape and definition that amazed me. It is quite a pleasant surprise that you can get really great results in your body without having to slog it out in the gym as I used to. Health and Fitness are two different things and Pilates gives you both in a balanced and progressive way. I recommend that you go to a Body Control Pilates Teacher to make sure you get a high standard of teaching. Whilst still working part-time as a Radiographer at The Royal Marsden, I have set my business up running my own Pilates classes in Clapham and Wandsworth and find it really rewarding to help others feel better in their body and mind. Find out the benefits for yourselves and check out your local class. For further information on Pilates and health and fitness please visit www.pilatespluswellness.com for you reference. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask me and I can write the answer on my blog for you. I look forwards to hearing from you. Rosa
http://www.pilatespluswellness.com/
rosa@pilatespluswellness.com