Discover the key to a stronger, more flexible you as we welcome the return of Pilates maven Lucy to RunPod. This episode is brimming with firsthand insights from Lucy's flourishing Pilates empire, including her exclusive retreats in Italy's picturesque Tuscany. You'll hear how focusing solely on Pilates rather than mixing it with other disciplines has propelled her business to new heights, and how the graceful dance of Pilates can benefit everyone—from runners to dancers. We also unravel the mystery behind the growing popularity of the Pilates reformer and how it's revolutionizing workouts for Lucy's clients and her own regimen.
Prepare to transform your fitness perspective as we discuss the shifting sands of exercise in our lives post-pandemic, including the surge of subscription-based workout services. I share a cautionary tale about the disaster of poor workout attire, reminding all of us that the right gear is crucial. Lucy and I then offer a sneak peek at Pilates moves that have dramatically improved my own strength and flexibility, with easy-to-follow visual guides linked for you to replicate the techniques at home. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a beginner, this episode is your ultimate guide to embracing Pilates and enhancing your fitness journey.
Plus, we have a new feature on the podcast you can now send me a message. Yep you heard it right- Brian's Run Pod has become interactive with the audience. If you look at the top of the Episode description tap on "Send us a Text Message". You can tell me what you think of the episode or alternatively what you would like covered. If your lucky I might even read them out on the podcast.
Discover the key to a stronger, more flexible you as we welcome the return of Pilates maven Lucy to RunPod. This episode is brimming with firsthand insights from Lucy's flourishing Pilates empire, including her exclusive retreats in Italy's picturesque Tuscany. You'll hear how focusing solely on Pilates rather than mixing it with other disciplines has propelled her business to new heights, and how the graceful dance of Pilates can benefit everyone—from runners to dancers. We also unravel the mystery behind the growing popularity of the Pilates reformer and how it's revolutionizing workouts for Lucy's clients and her own regimen.
Prepare to transform your fitness perspective as we discuss the shifting sands of exercise in our lives post-pandemic, including the surge of subscription-based workout services. I share a cautionary tale about the disaster of poor workout attire, reminding all of us that the right gear is crucial. Lucy and I then offer a sneak peek at Pilates moves that have dramatically improved my own strength and flexibility, with easy-to-follow visual guides linked for you to replicate the techniques at home. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or a beginner, this episode is your ultimate guide to embracing Pilates and enhancing your fitness journey.
Plus, we have a new feature on the podcast you can now send me a message. Yep you heard it right- Brian's Run Pod has become interactive with the audience. If you look at the top of the Episode description tap on "Send us a Text Message". You can tell me what you think of the episode or alternatively what you would like covered. If your lucky I might even read them out on the podcast.
So you're thinking about running but not sure how to take the first step. My name is Brian Patterson and I'm here to help. Welcome to Brian's Rompod. Welcome back to brian's rompod with me, your host, brian patterson. And well, I have a special episode today. I've invited back our most downloaded guest. Yes, pilates lucy is back now. If you haven't heard her previously being interviewed, then please do go back back to episodes 37 to 39. Today she's kindly agreed to set some time aside in a busy schedule to pop into the Brian's RunPod studio to update on how things have been going, plus a new feature on Brian's RunPod to demonstrate some Pilates exercises for runners. Don't worry, there will be links in the chapter markers and show notes. So if you'd like to give a warm welcome to Lucy Tomlinson part two how are you today, lucy?
Speaker 2:
I'm good. Yeah, I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 1:
Great, great. So first of all, I mean we know a little bit about you from previous episodes, but how's the business been growing since you last were on the show?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's good. I think I was on. Was it September time when I?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:
Time's just flying, but it's going really well. I've got a few new teachers on the team now, so that's really exciting. So, yeah, we're looking to expand the class offering out of Twickenham, actually Start to go a little bit further afield still southwest London but start to grow that way. So, yeah, I've got a few new teachers on board, so yeah, and then we've got our retreat happening in September. Oh yeah, I was wondering what's happening about that that. I think I mentioned it on the podcast last time. So, yeah, we've. We've actually got it fully booked now, which is very exciting. So we're running it in italy in september of this year and looking to run more the following year, so 2025.
Speaker 1:
So yeah, if you're interested, so we're in italy it's in tuscany oh, wow, yeah, that's gonna be amazing yeah, borders of tuscany, umbria, so yeah, really beautiful.
Speaker 2:
Hopefully september will still be warm, but not too hot, so perfect temperature to practice pilates in yeah, and so you.
Speaker 1:
When we last talked, you sort of said it was going to be, you know, pilates, stroke yoga. Is that still the case?
Speaker 2:
that I did say that last time, so we've actually just gone with pilates this time. It's my first retreat and I decided to keep it just pilates for now, see what the interest was like. And then ali, who I mentioned last time. I think we're going to be doing more kind of day retreats in london and potentially even in the lake, but she's got quite a busy schedule because she is actually studying at the same time she's doing her acupuncture course, so hopefully I'll bring that in at some point as well. But our schedule's doing quite a line, which is why we've just gone Pilates system.
Speaker 1:
Something's just popped into my head, because my wife and I go dancing on every Thursday.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
And it just happens that our dancing teacher is taking up pilates. Yeah, so she's.
Speaker 2:
She's actually learning to be a teacher like yourself yeah, so do you know where she's doing her trainer?
Speaker 1:
right, I don't know, but I know she said that she very soon she's going to canada oh wow, to be getting taught by someone who had been taught by joseph interesting okay, but I mean I don't the name escapes me or whatever, but I know she was looking, but she was um.
Speaker 1:
She actually did say you know any? If you were any guinea pigs, then you know, we kind of kind of tentatively put our hands up so we might do it. Yeah, but she's taking it up, but I don't know how long the course is, but it's something that she wants to do.
Speaker 2:
What kind of dance does she teach?
Speaker 1:
Well, she used to be a professional ballroom back in the day, so when it was strictly in Brighton, you know, and Blackpool and whatever, so she knows all the strictly lot. But you know, hey, in her youth, you know, she used to dance at quite a high level oh wow.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, because dance and blood is obviously often yes because I remember you saying about how social yes yes, yes, so I know she decided to take this, take this up.
Speaker 1:
So so, yeah, I you know. Obviously. I thought I must mention it to Lucy.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, oh, you have to put us in touch so we can. Yeah, yes, yeah, I'm happy to be a guinea pig as well.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, well she is. She's not far from where you teach. Oh, not giving her a location away from where I, from trickling greens so quite fine either.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, yeah, but but yeah, so it's interesting how it's kind of the word spreading yeah or whatever. Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:
Well, that's good news more people doing it, yeah so I've noticed, just moving on this, just I noticed on instagram you're doing loads of reformer work and it just boggles me how you're able to manage to balance yourself on on the reformer sort of thing.
Speaker 2:
But obviously that takes, you know, a lot of training and practice and whatever yeah, I mean the reform is great and I've been sharing, yeah, some exercises that I do on the reformer, because I've been teaching mat work for a lot longer than the reformer. So the reformer's great. There's so many different things you can do on it. So I kind of do the videos, partly for me to remember what I've been teaching, so that I can then progress clients as I go. But yeah, the reformer's great because it's. I think probably some of the things I post look a bit tricky or challenging, but it's not just like that. So I mean you could come on a reformer. If we had one here right now and I could, you would be able to do lots of stuff on it.
Speaker 1:
They're not as scary as they look basically Is it because you can adjust the tension and so there's different spring tension.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, generally reformers will have five different springs, and they're generally three heavy in inverted commas springs and then one medium and one light spring. So then you put on what spring tension you want to get the resistance from, and a heavy spring doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be harder. It actually might mean that you say you're standing on it. It might give you more balance, whereas if you put on a really light spring, oh yeah, you could go fly, okay.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, people often think, oh, I'm on a yellow, which is the lightest spring. Oh, it's going to be really easy, and then actually it's much more challenging. So, you can always kind of try.
Speaker 1:
It varies on the type of exercise you do.
Speaker 2:
Exactly and depends on the person and what you want to get out of the exercise. So that's the other great thing about Reformer is, while it can be really challenging, it can also be really good for rehab. So and older clients because you're raised up off the floor, you can get an older person to on and off it more easily because they can sit in it so, rather than getting on and off the floor. Yeah, so my granny has been doing it a couple of years.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, because she yeah, you're raised up so she can come on and do it and you know you're working with that spring tension so you can get the. You can lie down on it and get the spring tension resistance.
Speaker 2:
And they have the the ropes as well I don't know who's seen them so you can put your feet in the ropes and your hands okay, yeah, yeah it's basically a closed chain set of exercises, whereas when you're on the mat you're in an open chain, so you get the feedback from the machine whilst you're doing the exercises. So different from mat work, but they go really well. If you do both together, you'll get.
Speaker 1:
You'll really see the benefits and see how they interlink can you just explain just the audience for the this closed chain and open chain, what?
Speaker 2:
yeah. So if you're on the reformer and you've got, say, you've got your hands in the straps, yeah, and your feet are on the foot bar, yeah, you're closed. In terms of, you are almost like if you think of it like a frame yeah you're in that frame so you can feel the resistance and you can know where you are in space a little bit more easily than if you're on the mat and you're just in space.
Speaker 2:
Your hands and your feet are free oh right, of course you kind of haven't got that feedback that you get from the machine.
Speaker 1:
Oh, of course.
Speaker 2:
Okay, it's amazing.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so it's like. I mean, I know it's not the same thing, but if I was on a leg press.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:
You get the feedback, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and some access. I mean the footwork which you often start with on the Reformer. With on the reformer is when is essentially you're doing a? Leg press your feet up on the football and you're pushing against the resistance of the spring and trying to resist it as it pulls you back in each time okay, so how is?
Speaker 1:
oh well, I like the idea that I don't have to be on the ground. And then, how does it? How's your? I know this is a running podcast, but how does your granny found it?
Speaker 2:
yeah, she enjoys it, she likes it? I think yeah, because there's so much you can do on it, right, and you can really change the exercise depending on the individual. So it's really good for rehab People. If you've got injuries, it's really good for that as well. You just want to make sure that you're going to the right class and not a dynamic performer class if you've got injuries. Right class and not a dynamic performer class if you've got injuries, okay that's not going to be suitable.
Speaker 1:
My granny wouldn't be going to a dynamic okay, okay, but the but. But she she found it helps with sort of the everyday functioning.
Speaker 2:
I mean if every you know yeah and you know she, she's a lot older now. She she was a dancer when she was younger, so she was very mobile and active, but obviously she's in her 90s now and it it's just about you know getting some kind of movement every day, not every day, but as much as she can, you know, weekly, just to keep the joints going.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, Because it's very I mean, I know I can't get over the tangent here, but I know because my dad's sort of like 80s, but it's very important that you know that age. Then to be, keep moving and exactly yeah, so, but that's, that's good.
Speaker 2:
So, in in terms of and obviously those type of exercises, any type of exercises in terms of the runner woods is on on the form, where it is obviously quite good for run, for runners anyway, so if you get the opportunity, then you know you can pretty much do you know, yeah, any of those yeah, I think I've got a few friends and a few clients who come to the studios that I work at who are really keen runners and they find the running and reformer together reform pilates together is such a good combination because you get your cardio and then reformer, and any kind of pilates is strength as well. So it's, you know, really building that strength around the joints which then is going to support your running and, as we were saying before the podcast, anything we started recording that your core.
Speaker 2:
So, again, you're only using your core throughout reformer exercises and mat work, pilates exercises.
Speaker 1:
Going back to your business now is that have you, have you found popularity still there in terms of because I know you just said that, you know you, you've kind of been expanding the business with you know you've got more teachers and sort of. Are you able to keep pace with the demand or is it quite steady?
Speaker 2:
yeah, it's good. I think january always is a big time of the year where you know, everyone has. Everyone has their news, resolutions and things. So we were busy in January and it's kind of kept going like that since. So that's why we're looking to add on more classes, because we're getting pretty much full capacity at the in-person ones. Anyway, online is still quite steady, I think. Right, we don't get lots of online inquiries anymore, I think generally people want to be back doing it in person, which I completely understand. But yeah, in terms of in person, the classes are growing and, yeah, got a nice steady pace, so, which is really good really nice to see people bringing their friends and partners and things.
Speaker 1:
So that's always nice when it grows organically, like that. Excellent, excellent and it is obviously. You would have been quite popular in the pandemic anyway when online and you would have had that growth then.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
But you've kind of feel that's kind of leveled off.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, for me personally, I think some people have managed to keep it going post-COVID. But generally people tend to do more like an online platform offering, which we have as well at welcome parties. But some people will do that, do that as like their main class offering so more recordings and videos and do like a subscription service like that. So the kind of the live classes that we do online, which we still have three a week. They're full in terms of people we had before, but we haven't really got new clients from that right, all right, okay.
Speaker 1:
So before, like I said, before we get into the exercises, which I'm kind of don't be nervous, you'll be fine.
Speaker 2:
I noticed you're in jeans, though that might make it tricky.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I know, I know, I know I didn't have time to get.
Speaker 2:
Put your leggings on.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, exactly so, and I will take the trainers off. Okay, so yeah.
Speaker 2:
Good start.
Speaker 1:
And so what we're going to do, just to let listeners know, is that we are actually going to video this so you will be able to see.
Speaker 1:
Give links to it, because we have a youtube channel and you're welcome to see me trying to do this sort of thing and let's say, for people who are kind of a little bit hesitant, or what you found is there may be people who are a little bit hesitant, thinking that they don't have a strong core and maybe the back. Because I know, when I just recently joined another gym the other day and I had a session with a PT and then I thought I'd try out some of the exercises with the PT that he'd showed me and I pulled my back some of the exercises with the PT that he'd showed me and I pulled my back only because so maybe I don't know where there is because I was just a bit too ambitious doing a cleaning joke or something like that yeah but what, what kind of advice would you give to people who are just a little bit maybe okay, even though they are regularly runners and they're doing something quite new?
Speaker 1:
anything they, they, they need to think about first of all, obviously, you know, warming up yeah, definitely.
Speaker 2:
So what in terms of doing the exercises today yeah, I would say, if they've got the time, watch the exercises first, just so they know where they're going to be going with it. Right, because I think today and we're going to do a couple which we're going to show the basics and then progress them on- yeah you know, it's always helpful.
Speaker 2:
Even when someone new comes to a class, I'll often demonstrate the exercise first, just so they can see it and not everyone's a visual learner, but if you see it first then at least you, your brain, kind of knows okay, that's what we're going to be doing, yeah, and then it's a little bit more easy to execute it. I'll give cues as we go and kind of watch points.
Speaker 2:
Obviously, as you found, probably your pt would have been correcting you as you went and when you're by yourself yeah all that goes out the window, um, but I'll try and give prompts, things I know that tend to go wrong or that people want to look out for that. They can kind of just tune in with their body. But take it at your own pace. Obviously you're watching it.
Speaker 2:
You can pause the video, adjust yourself and then hit play again but yeah, if you all know your body in that kind of difference between something that's uncomfortable and then like a pain, that's not good yeah so if you obviously you have any pain that feels like a sharp shooting pain or something that's just oh no, you know that's not right yeah, I'd just say stop yeah and obviously you know medical clearance before doing any of the oh, yeah, yeah, obviously don't do this if you haven't had medical clearance but I mean if they're runners they're going to be exercising regularly.
Speaker 1:
so some of the exercises because you said some ahead of time which we'll also put on the YouTube channel, so the ones with the lunges.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
And then, if you remind me again, there was a stretching one.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, we did like a hip opener series.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, a hip opener, series. And the side lying series as well, and the side lying series, yeah.
Speaker 2:
So all of them. I would say generally should be fine, especially if you're running regularly. Yeah, the lunges can be a little bit. If you have any knee issues might be a bit tricky, yeah. So I'd say stand near a wall, only go to the range that feels okay for your knees.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
I mentioned in the videos about using cushions and blocks for assistance if you need them, especially if you're on quite a hard floor. It's not that comfortable sometimes people's knees, yeah to be in that kneeling position. So, yeah, just looking after your joints as you're going and only doing what feels right for your yeah, because I know I don't know if it's with me.
Speaker 2:
Sometimes, after I've been running, I get soreness in my hips yeah only because probably I do a job yeah where I'm sitting down most of the time so obviously there's some of those exercises are quite good to, yeah, really open up yeah, I found the same thing when I was doing some training last year my hips would really ache after running yeah, no, right, I'm the only one, yeah, no.
Speaker 2:
I mean, I think if you're running regularly, you know that's it's part of it, isn't it? You're going to get twinges and certain aches and pains, but the hip ones that I sent you the videos of so your listeners can watch that one I really found doing that in the lead up to big runs really, really helped. My hips didn't nearly as much or sometimes not good, but yeah, there's quite a big, strong hip opener so not the most fun at the time which you might find out really good if you can do. You can do this one before your runs.
Speaker 1:
Hopefully it'll make a difference okay, so it's not like padded, so around here you.
Speaker 2:
They can't hear the screaming.
Speaker 1:
We'll breathe through it Right, okay, well, that further will do. We'll start Now this part of the podcast. I tentatively got Lucy to teach me how to do a couple of the exercises she recommends. Now I'm not that flexible pretty much as flexible as Carl Stein Plus I was a bit on the tired side, so I probably didn't perform them that well. Anyhow, if you follow the exercises in the show description, you'll see my efforts. Plus, if you see in the chapter markers in whichever podcast app you use, you can click onto the videos.
Speaker 1:
Now don't forget to see how Lucy demonstrates the lunges and also the hip openers, not forgetting the side series of exercises. Lucy recommended that you look at the video first so they get an idea of how to do the exercise. Also, a small tip is to maybe do it in front of the mirror or, better still, video yourself. In conclusion, this podcast with Lucy serves as a comprehensive guide to Pilates, running and the evolution of fitness trends. It provides you with actionable insights and empowers them to take control of their health journey with confidence and knowledge. Whether you are planning to attend a Pilates retreat in Tuscany or simply looking to enhance your running routine, this episode is a valuable resource that should not be missed.
