Tip! If you are able to, try to fit in some aerobic activity to give you a well rounded health and fitness programme. Pilates is excellent for strength, mobility, flexibility and toning, however unless you are doing quite advanced exercises, you are unlikely to be working in an aerobic zone. A brisk walk, run, swim, bike ride or dance are all good aerobic forms of exercise.
Tip! Studies show that when you get a hunger pang, around 75% of the time this is simply due to dehydration. Avoid letting your body get to this stage, you could be feeding yourself unnecessarily, when all you need is a drink of water. Try and drink around 8 glasses of pure water spread out during each day and see if you notice any difference.
Tip! The body and mind needs time out, if you can find for yourself just 10 minutes a day to sit back, let go of the body and allow the mind to float away. Take the mind somewhere it feels calm and uninterrupted (for example, imagine it is floating above the clouds - you can feel the breeze on your face, the calmness around you, the clearness of the blue sky and the softness of the clouds - float up there for as long as you need then let your mind float back down to where you are sitting/lying when you are ready).
Tip! Pilates is MUCH more effective if you practice regularly. If you can fit in at least 3 sessions every week then you are going to see and feel the benefits of Pilates much quicker than sporadic practice. As well as attending a class, try and set yourself a 15 minute slot 3+ time per week when you find a quiet space and put your mind and body focus on just a few Pilates exercises. Why 15 minutes? It's a realistic length of time to set aside, and also allows sufficient time to fit in a selection of exercises. If you need some guidance on which exercises to do, ask your instructor.
Tip! When you do your Pilates aim to run through the full body set up with each exercise, this way you are ensuring you are getting the most out of the exercise, making your time spent much more effective!