Lynne Robinson has been credited with creating the boom in Pilates in the UK and has worked with A-list celebrities, from Liz Hurley to Sophie Dahl. She has even been brought in to help improve the core stability of the Chelsea Football team. Here, she talks about her revolutionary way of teaching Pilates – and how it could transform not only your shape but your way of life
You have been credited with creating the boom in Pilates in the UK. How did this come about?
I think I was just lucky, having the right approach at the right time. It was mix of fate and hard work. 25 years ago I was an overweight, unfit school teacher/mum who had been struggling with terrible sciatica and bad headaches for years. I had tried everything. Then fate intervened. We were living in Sydney, Australia, and I turned up to a yoga class at the wrong time… a ‘Pilates’ class was on. I’d never heard of it but thought I’d give it a try. I loved it and was soon hooked. My back improved, my headaches disappeared, and I rediscovered my waist! I was so addicted that I decided to change career and become a Pilates teacher. When I moved back to the UK, I found that Pilates was still only available to an elite few. Basically it was taught in a few smart London studios or in ballet schools. I completed my Pilates training and whilst doing so I had begun to modify the exercises.
Whilst I really enjoyed my Pilates practice, I found many of the exercises very difficult to do. I had poor body awareness and co-ordination and very little strength and flexibility, but what I did have was a school teacher’s way of thinking. I understood how to break down complicated things into manageable bite-size chunks. So I applied my teaching skills to the method and started to create the necessary building blocks to help people learn good movement skills. The result was a revolutionary way of teaching Pilates. Our approach made it accessible to everyone regardless of level of fitness, age or bank balance. At the same time, I had, like all good school teachers, written everything down. Together with my London teacher Gordon Thomson, we created the first book aimed at the general public, Body Control The Pilates Way. We finally found one publisher brave enough to print 5,000 copies (Boxtree). That book ended up a national best-seller, selling over 250,000 copies and being translated into 15 languages. The book was so successful that I got a chance to make a DVD (actually back then it was video!) and I appeared regularly on breakfast television. Clearly we had got something right.
Can you explain to us what Pilates is and the benefits of incorporating it into your lifestyle?
Pilates is a mind and body training programme which helps to keep you both mentally and physically in shape. Pilates teaches you to be aware of your body and your movements. As you learn the Fundamentals of Alignment, Breathing and Centring (Core Stability), you will immediately notice (or perhaps other will) an improvement in your posture, you will stand taller. Even after a few sessions you should find you are more flexible, your balance and co-ordination will improve and you’ll start to tone up all over, particularly around your middle as you streamline your body.
You have worked with some famous names, from Liz Hurley and Sophie Dahl to Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Hugh Grant. How so?
I’ve been very lucky to work with many fabulous A-list celebrities – some I met whilst teaching at Chiva Som in Thailand, others sought us out after hearing about the effectiveness of our approach. Celebrities have to look good 360 degrees, 24/7. Often they call when they a big new film or play coming up and need to get in shape. With Pilates you can quite literally ‘design’ the body you want which is very useful for actors and actresses who might want to look in shape but not have bulky muscles. My ‘celebrity work’ very much grew by word of mouth through recommendation.
What is the difference between yoga and Pilates?
Yoga and Pilates are two very different disciplines. My understanding of yoga (accepting that there are different schools of yoga) is that it is primarily a spiritual discipline that is about stillness and meditation, while Pilates does not have a spiritual background and is about movement. In yoga you have asanas or poses, in Pilates we have exercises. However, yoga and Pilates are not mutually exclusive, they complement each other as both work on mind and body and have deep, long lasting benefits.
Your book, Pilates Bible, is the world’s best-selling Pilates book. Can you tell us about it?
Even though I had written (or co-written) 13 books already on Pilates, we really wanted to create a text book for Pilates – a one-stop manual of everything you need to know for good Pilates practice. The Pilates Bible is perfect for complete beginners as it explains fully The Fundamentals, yet it is also great for veterans of Pilates as it has original exercises of The Full Mat (Joseph Pilates series of 34 choreographed exercises) and advice on studio equipment and small equipment such as inflatable balls and rollers. There’s even a section at the back on Pilates for different health problems.
You also work regularly with West Bromwich Albion FC and Chelsea Football Club on a weekly basis. How do footballers benefit from Pilates?
Yes, I have, for my sins, worked with Premier League footballers, although I must say that I have taken a short sabbatical this last year to help look after my new granddaughter. Footballers undergo rigorous training with their fitness coaches. I was brought in to Chelsea and West Brom to help improve players’ core stability and fine tune their movement skills, such as their coordination and balance. This can help to reduce injury and enhance their performance. It also keeps the ‘older’ players playing longer. My work in football actually started when I was asked by the Football Association’s medical director to offer workshops for physios working in football.
You work across the globe, making ‘practitioner visits’ everywhere from Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort in Oman to Chiva Som in Thailand. How important is this work to you?
I love to travel anyway and these are beautiful resorts and spas, but travelling is even more exciting when you have a purpose, in my case spreading the word about Pilates. When I started 20 years ago no one had heard about Pilates, so I felt like a Pilates pioneer or missionary. Now Pilates is taught all over the world but, sadly, it is not always taught well. I get to meet the most amazing people in these spas and it’s great to give the guests a personally tailored ’bespoke’ Pilates programme to take home. The trips also give me a change of scenery and a rare opportunity to relax in luxurious surroundings.
How does one go about joining sessions in your London studio?
Very easy, you can check us out online at www.bodycontrolpilates.com. We are based in Bloomsbury, just by the British Museum. You can book an appointment for a private session, a studio session, a group Reformer class or a mat work class by calling 0207 636 8900.
How necessary is it, do you think, to combine Pilates with healthy eating?
If you are going to train your mind and your body then it makes sense to look after your body both inside and out by eating a healthy balanced diet. I have a motto ‘Eat first what you should and then what you would’. That has worked for me for the last 30 years. I used to be overweight and a combination of regular Pilates and eating healthily really helped me change my shape for good.
And lastly, can we ask what is your everyday luxury?
Bearing in mind my motto above, in the evenings I like to indulge in really good chocolate. My favourite is Willie’s Cacao Madagascan Gold. It’s almost better than Pilates, but not quite…
For more information, visit www.bodycontrolpilates.com
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