Princess Diana recommended Pilates to me … in a manner of speaking. I was sitting in a hair salon in the mid 90’s, leafing through a magazine, and found an article about the then little known exercise called Pilates which the Princess was using. It claimed to increase strength and flexibility, realign the body and improve mental focus, using a very safe series of exercises. It sounded as if it was a regime which I, who found any excuse not to take exercise, might be able to do – might even enjoy. And if it gave me a figure like Princess Diana’s, what more could I ask for?

I found a teacher (there were not many around at that time) and embarked upon mat classes. Although giving up after two terms because of the pressure of work, I had enjoyed the experience and fully intended to return to it when not so much was going on in my life. A decade later I had retired from a very sedentary office job hoping that the variety of things I was now doing might bring more physical activity into my life, but this was not the case.

It was just at this point that I spotted the sign in Weybridge Church Street to Pilates Works Studio. On the spur of the moment I went upstairs into the large modern, airy studio and, to my surprise, found not only mats on the floor but bench-like structures with metal frames above, a bit like single four poster beds, and lower wood and metal contraptions with moving seats which made me think of a torturer’s rack! I subsequently learned that these were Cadillacs and Reformers, and play an important part in the vast variety of exercises which can be done with Pilates. There was a lively mat class underway and one or two other people receiving individual tuition on the equipment. There was a cheerful buzz about the Studio.

After a warm welcome and an explanation of what was on offer in terms of mat and Reformer classes, personal tuition and the costs involved, I went away to think it over. To use common parlance, it was a no-brainer. Exercise was non-existent in my life, I was suffering from lower back pain and becoming slower and stiffer because of recently diagnosed Parkinson’s disease. I needed help and I enrolled for a series of ten sessions with a personal instructor. I’m still there after more than two years, with every intention of continuing!

One of the significant benefits of Pilates is that the exercises can be tailored to individual needs, such as rehabilitation after broken limbs or operations replacing joints. In my case, my instructor works round the fact that I have painful arthritic hands, and also concentrates on keeping me mobile and flexible to counteract the effects of Parkinson’s Disease. Much use is made of the Cadillacs and Reformers to this end. I never cease to be amazed at the vast number of exercises which can be done on them – sessions are never boring as new, challenging exercises are being introduced all the time. When I compare what I can now do with the exercises beginners are doing, I realise how far I have come, in spite of my limitations.

The instructors are without exception totally professional and enthusiastic teachers. If one needed any proof of the efficacy of Pilates, one only has to look at their trim physiques and wonderful posture; they practise what they teach.

There is always a friendly, cheerful atmosphere in the Studio. One meets all sorts of people, coming from the surrounding areas of Surrey and Berkshire. A lot of chat and banter goes on before and after sessions and, dare I say it, during sessions too, but it does not get in the way of the instruction.

Pilates has become an integral part of my life and I always look forward to my sessions. They are just what I need to get me out of the house on a cold, grey winter’s day knowing I will return feeling more cheerful and physically more comfortable. Everybody who embarks upon Pilates must benefit from it, whether he or she is fit already or seeking fitness. And there can be no better place to start than at Pilates Works Studio in Weybridge.

Jenny Lindley MBE
July 2011