If you're looking for an exercise program that increases your strength and flexibility, whilst alleviating back and joint pain, and helping you to control your breathing and manage your stress levels, then pilates is probably for you.
However, there are many different pilates instructors in the region, so how do you go about choosing the best one for you? One of the easiest ways is to take advice from a friend, and in the absence of a friend, take a look at the Health & Wellbeing section of our Know-it-all passport guide, where you will find numerous practitioners not just for pilates but other disciplines such as yoga too.
0ne instructor who has recently been recommended to us, and who will feature in the new edition of the guidebook, is Johdi Woodford of Little Bird Pilates. Johdi provides a friendly, professional and dynamic approach to pilates training that provides results without pain and discomfort. Whether you're a top athlete, a busy new mum, or a stressed out office worker, Johdi will strive to help you to improve your performance and build your body from the inside out.
Having spent a number of years working as a freelance instructor, Johdi decided to set up her own pilates business in Gland, Switzerland, at the beginning of this year. A keen sportswoman, Johdi has been practising pilates for 15 years – ever since she suffered an injury training for a marathon event in the UK. Moving to Switzerland in 2004, Johdi completer her matwork training in 2010, shortly after the birth of her first child. Johdi explained to knowitall.ch,
“I would have loved to have had something like Little Bird Pilates when I was starting a family: many mothers like me just need a friendly, relaxed, professional environment where they can go and work safely and efficiently during their pregnancy, and again after their baby has been born, and then again once they’ve gone back to work. That’s why I decided to set up my own, small, caring center, where clients are helped to relieve their stress, improve awareness of their posture and learn to respond to their body's needs at different stages of their life.”
Asked what makes her organization special compared to other pilates businesses operating in the region, Johdi gave knowitall.ch 5 key reasons:
- Her classes are small – there are never more than 9 participants, which means clients benefit from constant correction and encouragement.
- Classes are specifically-designed for the participants – no matter what their fitness level, or specific injury, there’s a class or an exercise variation for everyone.
- Classes are bi-lingual, and are given in French and English.
- Classes are safe – Johdi is fully certified so all classes aim to work each of the major muscle groups in a sequence that allows clients to explore and develop their body from the inside out.
- Classes are friendly – clients are encouraged to interrupt and ask questions if they’re not sure what is going or don’t feel happy with a particular movement.
Johdi offers numerous group classes throughout the week, designed to reach the widest possible audience for pilates. Taking place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, her classes will energize you for the day ahead, calm you in the face of stress, tone your body following the birth of your child, or simply improve your posture. View the full schedule on the Little Bird Pilates facebook page for more information.
Prices are very reasonable and vary from as little as Fr. 25.- per group session for 10 lessons booked in advance, up to Fr. 100.- for a private lesson. Click here to view the full price list.
To encourage more new clients to give pilates a try, Johdi offers everyone a free trial class. But if you’re still not sure whether you want to give it a go, then read what Debbie Croft, a Little Bird Pilates client and one of our knowitall.ch guest bloggers, had to say about Johdi’s classes,
“I would be delighted to recommend Johdi and her business, Little Bird Pilates. Johdi is an excellent pilates teacher who provides a great range of classes, and does them in English and French so it also feels like you get a French lesson thrown in! She has a great manner with her clients. It's a testament to her professionalism, her energy and teaching style that so many of her clients, including me who was a complete stranger to pilates, have taken out "abonnements" and commit to her weekly sessions.”
A regular male client, "Sebastian Clifton-Welker, also had this to say about Little Bird Pilates, "As a guy, I have struggled for years to find something that helps me not only improve my flexibility but that is also fun. Being unbendy has numerous disadvantages and since joining Little Bird I have not only found that I have more mobility but also that my posture has improved. Mixed with some cardio, I have found the ideal exercise routine that I am motivated to continue. I look forward to Johdi's unique style of class. Roll on Wednesday night for a laugh and a buff body!"
To encourage more new clients to try out her pilates classes, Johdi is kindly offering knowitall.ch readers a 5% discount on her 5 class or 10 class card. The offer is valid for new customers only until 31 December, 2014. Just mention this article when you make your booking.
Johdi Woodford
Little Bird Pilates
Rue du Perron 2B
1196 Gland
078 708 39 38
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
https://www.facebook.com/littlebpilates
