About Claire Louise 

• STOTT PILATES FULLY CERTIFIED IN MAT

• BASI PILATES FULLY CERTIFIED IN MAT AND APPARATUS

• 20 YEARS OF PILATES TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• 32 YEARS OF TEACHING HEALTH AND FITNESS

• I am internationally qualified and insured to teach to the highest standard of Pilates using all of the Pilates Apparatus which are the Pilates Reformer , Wunda Chair, Cadillac Towers and Barrels. 

•  My Pilates Training took me 3 years to complete in London which included courses, exams and 1-1 study for exams.

My Story

Hello and thank you for stopping by . I hope you will enjoy reading my short story of how I moved away from pain, avoided back surgery and regained full health again.

It all started in 2003 with severe pain and spasms in my back on a daily basis which was due to an accident involving a cycle bike. Some days I would be in bed and could not move because of the nerve pain which travelled through my femoral nerve , my groin, my hip and leg. This is the opposite nerve to the sciatica nerve incase you are wondering. This cycle accident had left me with a torn vastus medialis muscle (near the knee) and this consequently cost me a 2 cm loss of muscle in my entire left leg. My weak leg then became the cause of my faulty alignment as there was now considerable nerve damage to the muscles of the leg which eventually created more issues in my back and hip. The pain in my back and hip was agonising and the only way I could get through my days was with my ongoing treatments from an osteopath. My clinical diagnosis at the time was arthritis in my L5 and L4, herniated disc and degenerative disease through my entire lower back and which at some point in the near future I would probably need surgery.

MY pILATES JOURNEY

Like yourself, I had heard so many good things about Pilates and I finally decided to join in a Mat Class at my local Leisure Centre and even though I had just started my treatments of osteopathy, I thought at the time that “surely any beginners class will be a good place to start “ . Sadly I could not of been so wrong as this so called beginners class had over 30 people in the class and we were all taught random exercises ranging from beginners to advanced exercises like the exercise below called the “Teaser “. This particular exercises requires strong abdominals to support the lower back against the weight of your legs. (SEE IMAGE BELOW )

So here I was, trying to follow a teacher at this leisure centre class with no idea of how to engage my core muscles or even breath. I sadly found myself leaving my first Pilates class in utter disappointment and a delicate back that felt much worse than before.

My Pilates journey was not love at first sight especially with these large classes teaching a posh version of bums and tums. I decided to take matters into my own hands by becoming a qualified teacher and at least now I could help myself and then others. After a few years of teaching Pilates Mat classes I then returned to London to complete my full training.

PILATES REFORMER, WUNDA CHAIR, CADILLAC AND BARRELS

The apparatus exercises had such a positive effect on my weak left leg. Within a few months I was able to walk much further and get back to hill walking without my lower back going into spasms or locking. The machines do look intimidating when you first see them , in fact many clients say that the machines look like some kind of torture machine or even something out of 50 shades of grey, but they are definitely not.

My TRUE PASSION

Is working with Postural problems that are restricting your sport, life or health as I have come to learn that through my own trials and tribulations throughout my own healing journey, the most important skill a human being can possess is to never give up on yourself no matter how many avenues you have exhausted or excuses you may hear yourself saying. This is my work and personal ethos that propels me forward in life. Sharing this message with my clients is what truly makes my heart beat and appreciate that blessings like these which have derived from my work are a wonderful way to start and give back to the world by sharing , supporting and understanding with compassion that your journey towards a better you , starts with you.