“Change happens through movement and movement heals.”

Joseph Pilates

What is pilates?

Find balance of body, mind and spirit

Pilates is an exercise method that helps you to develop awareness of body movement, through thoughtful exercise. It engages the deep, postural muscles, producing a lean, toned look if practised regularly.

It can help you to release inappropriate tension and switch your mind off from the tasks of the day. You will learn to use your breath to aid your body’s movement and harness your core ability for centring – mobilising certain body parts, while stabilising others, for safer movement.

You can have fun engaging your brain to develop your skill to move your limbs in different ways, while building stamina. It is a perfect partner for running, team sports or horse-riding, for example.

Pilates exercises aim for graceful movement from the optimal alignment of your joints, rather than holding positions or bracing. It challenges your endurance and can transform the body back to its more natural posture.
Focus on you and your life balance for at least an hour… and change the way you move for life!

What can you expect from your first class?

With a maximum of 12 in a class, you can expect attention that is more individual and to feel progression in your skills of body movement, with particular focus on protecting your spine. There will be a friendly atmosphere, with chilled music and supportive fellow Pilates lovers!

Who is DayLiv Pilates?

Hi, I’m Karen Livingston, accredited Body Control Pilates Instructor and Back4Good Back Care Practitioner.

I am an accredited Body Control Pilates Level 3 Pilates Matwork Instructor, having qualified in October 2018 and a Back4Good Lower Back Care practitioner as of Sept 2021. .

My background: I have been teaching Modern Languages (mainly French) in secondary schools since 1995. I have been practising Pilates in one form or another and with trained physios since around 1997/8. I had a short break when I had my children and following my 2nd C-Section birth, in a bid to rediscover my deeper tummy muscles, I restarted.

In 2016, following the usual long commutes, I had some back and sciatica concerns. My then Pilates teacher and physio suggested I train to become an instructor and I am very excited to now be teaching Pilates to clients of all abilities, and to be growing the amount of classes I can offer.
With increasingly sedentary lives, we all have areas of the body that benefit from movement and Pilates can play a vital role in helping to keep us mobile for longer – as well as providing a really enjoyable way of exercising.

I trained with Body Control Pilates, widely seen today as a benchmark in Pilates for safe and effective teaching of the highest quality and Europe’s largest professional Pilates organisation. You can find their website at: bodycontrolpilates.com