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My name is Geraldine and I am a 28-year-old Marketing Manager. A native of France, my personal journey led me last week to the door of The Body Refinery in New Farm.

On Thursday 4th of May, I had my first appointment with one of the physiotherapists, Kelly. Walking to the studio, I had no idea what to expect as I am a newbie to Pilates.

The initial one-on-one consultation was for 45 minutes. I found this to be beneficial for someone like me, who has never done Pilates before, because it meant that the physiotherapist could gain an understanding of my background and my objectives, in order to define my specific needs and goals. It also allowed enough time for the physio to talk me through some of the complex-looking equipment that I would be using during Pilates.

During the first part of the appointment, I answered some questions and I was asked to demonstrate a series of simple movements to allow the physiotherapist assess my range of movement and identify any concerns so that my Pilates program could be personalised to suit my needs. For privacy, this part of the appointment was undertaken in a treatment room (rather than just behind a curtain).

The second part of the appointment took place in the studio where the fundamentals of Pilates and the basic movements on the equipment were explained.

 first pilates experience

Enchanted by this first experience, I enrolled for my first Studio Pilates class the next day. Classes are taken by Pilates instructors with a small number of participants. I really appreciated this configuration, which allows the instructors to look after each person closely. Their expertise and sense of detail are fantastic. During my Pilates class, my instructor, Sarah, took the time to explain every movement, correcting me, and pointing out the effect on my body and what I should be feeling.

As a marketing manager, I sit behind a desk for most of the day, and I had been feeling tightness in my back for two days, which my usual stretching exercises wouldn’t alleviate. What a lovely feeling it was to notice that the tightness in my back was relieved right after the first Pilates session. For the next two days, I could feel the invigorating sensation and positive “ache” that comes from a good workout.  

I have really enjoyed having a personal one-on-one meeting to start my first Pilates experience and the care that the physiotherapist and the instructor took to provide the best treatment/program for my needs.

 first pilates experience

The Body Refinery’s team certainly seems to know that everyone is different, and they develop a personalised program that each Instructor and Physiotherapist can update and adapt at any time in order to provide the best outcome.

For all these reasons I think I may be hooked on Pilates and strongly recommend that anyone of any age or fitness level come and give it a try with this great team.

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