I had a member ask me about whether Reformer classes were dangerous on Sunday. I wonder if she'd read this. My response was that I think the Reformer is a terrific piece of equipment, along with the Cadillac, Barrel, Ladder etc. However, in my opinion it's best suited to 1:1 work or small groups of no more than 3 or 4 participants to a single instructor. It's essential that people are fully supervised when on equipment like a Reformer, as it's easy to lose control. Like most exercises, the Reformer can be used to assist / support a movement or add challenge. On the flip side, I've seen a trend towards matwork Pilates classes being made harder and harder. If it doesn't hurt, it can't be challenging you, increasingly seems to be the mindset in all areas of fitness nowadays, even mind-body.

I think when we stop fixating on symptoms and diagnosis, and start thinking about the human body in terms of how are the cells functioning it opens up a whole new paradigm for health and disease. Conventional medicine focuses on treating at the level of the system / organ / tissue eg. digestive / respiratory / musculoskeletal system; stomach / liver / lungs / muscles / bones. But all of these are made up of cells. Therefore if we start looking at health and the body in terms of what's going on with the cells and cellular metabolic pathways, we begin to see major flaws in how doctors and pharmaceutical companies tackle disease. Too many people aren't diagnosed quickly enough, then spend the rest of their lives being prescribed one drug to manage the original diagnosis / symptom, then a second drug to manage the side effects from the first drug, then a third drug to manage the side effects from the second drug etc! The more pharmaceuticals you take, you more you mess with the natural homeostasis of your body. I speak to a lot of people who have been diagnosed with a long-term health or autoimmune conditions, None of them are informed about their condition in terms of cell health and metabolic pathways, but all have been offered powerful drugs that can really mess with cell function and, whilst dampening current symptoms in the short-term, can cause more health issues further down the line. Unfortunately, the basics of health - circadian rhythm, sleep, movement, exposure to toxins (cleaning chemicals / mould / cosmetics / heavy metals etc), barrier integrity, inflammation - aren't sexy and don't make mega buck profits. Any article that generates discussion about the current reliance on keeping people on powerful pharmaceuticals long-term or for life without addressing the underlying reasons behind their symptoms is to be welcomed.