‘The Pilates Body’ by Brooke Siler

This book saved me in my thirties when my body changed after three kids and my hips seemed to have a mind of their own and kept expanding! I was working long hours, managing three kids and didn’t have the time to attend Pilates classes. If you are aiming for long lean muscles, a strong core and flexibility then there is nothing to beat Pilates 2-3 times per week for 30 – 60 minutes.

It includes a short bio of the founder of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, and the philosophy of his body conditioning which I love…visualise the body you want while you engage your mind and body.

Although the pictures of each pose are black and white, each one is very clearly displayed and you can see how to form all the positions.

It also includes beginners, intermediate and advance positions individually as well as together in short and longer programmes. I found this very useful, because you can go straight to that page on your mat, lean the book against the wall, and follow instructions in your own time. You do not need to be a Pilates expert to start.

Each position has some explanatory text, a photo of a real female and illustrations of visual images – which helps with getting the posture correct. Do a bit every week and you will start to see your body shape changing..consistency is key.

View Book