Pilates and Sports Therapy: How Suneil helps himself and people move with confidence, durability and less pain

A great, meaningful conversation with Suneil “Professor Pilates,” who came on to unpack what Pilates really is and why it helps people move with confidence, durability and less pain. He also shared his own personal story that encouraged the changes he made in his own life.

We share practical ways to rebuild posture, core control and trust in your body through small, consistent actions that fit real life. 

• Suneil's story from being born with club feet, injury and chronic issues to sports therapy and Pilates 
• leaving a high-paid corporate career to do purposeful wellbeing work 
• Pilates origins, key principles and why it is not “just stretching” 
• back pain as deconditioning rather than being “broken” 
• fear of movement and how safe, guided progress restores confidence 
• small wins, consistency and realistic goals over motivation spikes 
• posture basics through ribcage and pelvis alignment 
• everyday triggers like driving, clutch use and footwear affecting hips and back 
• movement snacks, variety and simple wellness actions that build momentum 
• recovery for midwives and shift workers through mobility, strength, sleep and hydration 
• progress stories that show independence can return at any age 

To contact Professor Pilates:

Professor_Pilates (socials)

hello@professorpilates.com 

www.professorpilates.com

Follow us on socials: @kauraura_

Want to be a guest, ask questions, or get support?
Email the podcast: thekauraurapodcast@gmail.com

Support page:https://www.buzzsprout.com/2019463/support

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

Speaker 1 0:00

Hi guys, welcome. Welcome to another episode of the Kaur Aura Podcast. My name is Kaur, and I've created this podcast to share uplifting, positive narratives to help uplift, motivate, encourage, empower other people, guys, to make those changes in their lives. So whether that's working on your health, whether that's working on your well-being, your personal goals, your self-development, anything that's going to get you to be and embrace your true authentic self, right? Because that's what it's all about.

unknown 0:26

Woo!

Speaker 1 0:27

Um, so this episode, guys, I'm really excited to bring on my next guest. Um, he's all about helping people move with confidence and durability using Pilates and sports therapy. He's known as Professor Pilates. Please welcome Suneil

Speaker 0:42

Hello, thank you.

Speaker 1 0:43

When we connected, Suneil um, on social media after seeing an advert of yours, um, it made me want to kind of connect further because obviously, with all the information like that you provide with what you do, like Pilates is something I'm really new to. So when I learned more about yourself, what you do through communicating with you, and then kind of seeing all that your posts online, I just thought what you provide would be really good for anyone listening and watching right now, just to gain some knowledge, some guidance um and learn a bit about Pilates. So thank you for be willing, like willing to come and do that and speak on it.

Speaker 1:18

No, thank you. Thank you for the opportunity as well, because it's it's always great to speak to local, like-minded people, and wellness is is so massive.

Speaker 1 1:26

Letting people know of places, people nearby, local to them, that are all about that. So it's all about raising the awareness of all the amazing things that people like you do. Um, and but just thank you for coming together to share that message. Do you know what I mean? When it does come to wellness, and just trying to put it out there, some knowledge, guidance, just to help at least, hopefully inspire, motivate others. So, Sanil, just to start off, let's just give give me a quick background as to who you are, and then we'll just take it from there.

Speaker 1:56

Yeah,

Suneil's Journey From Pain To Pilates

Speaker 1:57

so um my name's Suneil

Speaker 1:59

and Professor Pilates is uh obviously my business name. Um Pilates is what I the principles of Pilates is something I use day to day, every single day of my life, and it's how I live my life. And my life, my journey basically started when I used to weigh 17 and a half stone, and I wanted to lose weight. First thing I did was I went and I took on my PT qualifications and learned how to lose weight essentially, did all of that, and one of the things that I started to do was run. But when I was born, I was born with club feet, uh, which means your feet were pointing inwards, and genetically that meant I had no calf muscles, but I have got calf muscles with very small ones. Uh, activity is great for me, but nobody ever told me that with lim with um small calf muscles, what would happen is that my back and my hips would take the brunt of everything. I started to run and eventually did my back in quite badly and severely. And again, with anything in my life, if I have to manage it within my body myself, I'll go and study and learn how to do it myself. So, and and the two things obviously helped me were sports therapy and Pilates. That's where I essentially got into it. I taught in gyms all the way through till COVID, and I also did my sports therapy qualifications back in 2014. And from there, essentially, I worked, I I used to teach nine classes a week, work full-time in corporate and also do sports therapy um clients, like see them and and assessments and things like that at the weekends. COVID hit and my contract was ending for my corporate job. And I thought I actually questioned what was the purpose of my life, and I essentially knew that my life had a calling of actually helping people, and that's where I was like, right, enough of the corporate, and now time to actually what I do is a bit of a hobby and some fun just to help people out. I'm actually going to go out there and actually probably help people. And there came Professor Pilates and the business was born.

Speaker 1 4:06

Uh, which is really interesting. Um, and going through that, and sometimes when you do go through a change like that, it makes you it pushes you then to want to help others because sometimes it's through those simple changes that you want to then kind of let people know because we overcomplicate it, don't we? That's quite a transition, then going from corporate to be working for yourself then in a completely different field.

Speaker 4:29

I used to be quite uh like on paper, everything looked perfect. It like the amount of money I would earn was like literally it was people's dream, even nowadays. Even nowadays, what six years on, my my my salary then is still something people would dream of having. It's like literally a rainfall of money. But the thing is, so having all that coming in and all that like that fine, you you think you've got financial freedom, but long hours at a desk dealing with the C-suites, um, that toxic environment. And people I worked with were absolutely lovely. But the thing is though, high stress brings in that toxic energy, and because everybody's really highly strong. But the highly strong, what for me personally, I felt they were highly strong for the wrong reasons, and I was essentially bringing in change and projects like multi-million pound projects, bringing them into organizations and making people go through change, but it was change that they didn't necessarily want. It's because some exec somewhere is saying, We need to do this for this reason. People on the ground are like, why am I doing that? And then you're seeing the stress and the anxiety they're going through and what it's actually doing through to their bodies. And I felt that energy, and I could I could I felt their their energy and I also felt it within myself. And I was like, I question myself, I thought, what am I actually doing? I want to help people, people need to go through change, but that change needs to be a wanted change and something people aspire for or aspire to rather than being forced into. And I I looked at my skill set and I thought, actually, do you know what? I have I have the opportunity to bring in change and actually improving people's lives rather than making them think that they've got to do something. And that's basically where that transition essentially started. And I always knew I wanted to help people, and then movement was one of the things because obviously you see it in your day-to-day lives, especially through COVID, people working through through from home, how limited their movement was and the pain they were going through, and the things that people would say in meetings, you pick up on that, saying, like hearing them say that oh, I've got back pain or I'm struggling with this, I'm struggling with that. And I was thinking, but I know how to help you with all of those

Corporate Burnout And A New Calling

Speaker 6:45

things.

Speaker 1 6:45

As well, that you wanted, of course, it was as well, you lack of like fulfillment in your job. Like you said, on paper, it's the ideal life. Do you know what I mean? Um, but for someone actually living it, um, it doesn't bring you that inner fulfillment. But like you said, but I love as well that you wanted that fulfillment for yourself, but it part of it was to help others. So I love that, and that in itself, by helping others, it brings you this inner fulfillment. Like I'm all about that as well. Um, and like I said, if we've got the knowledge to share that, to help improve someone's life, to help them make those changes, then why not? Like, and I love it. So,

Pilates Myths And Real Benefits

Speaker 1 7:21

Suneil, just to to in case people are completely new to Pilates, no, I am, I've heard of Pilates. You see it sliding about on the boards, that's what I know of it, but there's so much more to it. After I kind of looked on your page and read a bit more about it. So, for anybody that is new to Pilates, just give a quick description in a nutshell of what Pilates is.

Speaker 7:45

So, Pilates was basically it was set about by a guy called Joseph Pilates in World War One, and he used it that it there were there are there is previous history to it, but in a nutshell, essentially he used it to rehab soldiers um within the war. And within there, there's six principles that you use within Pilates, and all those six principles can be applied to your day-to-day life. People think, oh, it's just stretching, or it's if you talk to men, they they think it's often for their wives to do. But Pilates is something that we all need to use. Um, basically, it will help you through the rehabilitation, it will help you through movement, it will help you with strength, and basically it will help you move day to day and keep your muscles um active. And I don't when I use the word strength, I don't mean the word strength as in weight training strength. I'm on about inner strength and ability.

Speaker 1 8:41

I didn't know that history to it, and like you said, a lot of people do refer to it as a women's type of therapy. Do you know what I mean? But there is more to it and how it can help the most simplest of back pain. So this is what I want to kind of get into because people listening, watching, Sunil, I think what you provide, your knowledge, your awareness, like all that you do to do with sports therapy and Pilates, I think it will be really useful if you could just share some tips and advice. So I do have some questions to ask you uh going forward if you're all good with that.

Speaker 9:12

Yeah, no problem at all.

Speaker 1 9:13

So Pilates is for anybody, isn't it? Men, women, whatever kind of fitness level they're at, whatever age. And the whole point of Pilates, why would you advise people to add Pilates into their lifestyle?

Speaker 9:26

If

Back Pain, Fear And Confidence

Speaker 9:27

I talk about back pain, for example, so that's an area I specialise in. People think their back is broken, but what it normally means is it's become deconditioned, they've become stiff, they've become weak, they've become overloaded. Um, people think that sitting for hours on end is the problem, or sitting for 10 hours without moving is the problem. But the problem is though, that if I say to you, if your phone battery's flat, you don't throw the phone away, do you? You recharge it, and the body's very similar. And that's essentially where you kind of go with Pilates as well. And that's how you see the growth.

Speaker 1 10:04

Do you find as well people come in for the physical reasons uh but end up gaining more than what they expected with the body we're dealing with? It's like there's a somatic side to it. So as much as you're helping the physical, you're seeing the overall changes, yeah.

Speaker 10:20

Because confidence and well-being are absolutely massive on this, and it's one of the areas that it hits massively with me because the physical change is obviously one thing, and seeing people when you get somebody who's crawling in through the door who can't actually move, and then they're basically they'll spend if I if I could have the slogan and get away with it, spend an hour with me, and I'll and it will enable you to be an idiot for the rest of your day, like for the rest of your week. Literally, spend an hour a week with me, and you can be an idiot for the rest of the week. That's essentially it's how I live my life. And it's that confidence, it's that well-being, it's the way that people see. So don't forget, pain changes the way people see themselves, um, the way they obviously stop walking, the way they stop exercising, socializing, and and obviously the way they lose confidence. As soon as you can give the ability to someone, you basically re-enable them to be able to go and walk again or stand taller. I've got one guy, for example, I work with who's a tall chap and he's over six foot, but he didn't realize how much shorter he actually looked and felt until we started working together. And now he said, I feel like I'm the tallest person in the room. And he goes, but in a really positive way, not in a pompous way. And he goes, just the confidence to have the ability to go and talk to someone or to trust my body to say, actually, do you know what I can go and help another individual in a particular way, and I'm not going to be causing any damage to myself. And movement itself isn't physical, it's about giving that independence back to people.

Speaker 1 12:06

Who would you say are your cool clients? Like what type of symptoms do they present with when they come to you?

Speaker 12:12

Symptoms-wise, it varies. Um, back pain and neck pain are obviously very, very common, but I tend to work with people who are more over the age of 40, uh, 40, 50, 60s plus. And it's basically the people who tend to come to me are people who have given their life to their family or to their loved ones. And essentially they suddenly wake up and they realize that hold on a sec, I've done all of this for for the kids or my husband or my wife, and but what about me? And all of a sudden they they realize that hold on, they play a part within this as well, and and they recognize that they want to to almost reclaim that independence, their life, that freedom that they once had, but because they've deconditioned themselves or or that life is actually deconditioned them in such a way that they essentially don't know where to start. And it's about just taking them from the journey, like through a journey, and saying one of the key things that you get is people with their nervous systems and stress, stress is massive, and the impact stress has on the body is just phenomenal. People don't realize what it actually does to them.

Speaker 1 13:28

It's amazing that you um you work with over 40s because that is a definitely the needs change. Do you know what I mean? We see that change in our body. Like you said, a lot of us do, um me included, because you just described um my lifestyle. How you said you get to that point where you've kind of not really focused on yourself. Do you know what I mean? You get to that older age, you're not really in sync with your body. I know I was so it's almost like bringing people back to be in sync with that, be reconnected with who they actually are. Because, like you said, along the way we kind of lose that, we kind of really get disconnected. Life be life out here, but we have other responsibilities, that part of life. But we do often we don't get reminded enough to focus on our own self-care needs as well. Um, and part of that is really looking after your body, and it is more than physically. So I love as well that you're identifying and working with people that are going through that natural stage in life that we do go through as we get older.

Speaker 14:28

Yeah, because people often think that they need to be really fit before they start. Um, and when someone says they need to be fit before they start, that's almost like saying I need to be clean before I have a shower. It's exactly the same thing. But what they don't realize is whether it's polarity, sports therapy, or movement in general, well-being, wellness, no matter who the practitioner is, it's really important that the person is met for where they are and that we lose this judgment. We people go into fitness and they think they have to have this boot camp mentality, but they don't realize that the small wins are the ones that actually build the momentum. And someone doesn't stay motivation, motivation is tiny in anyone. Like literally, you we all we all have that that tiny bit of motivation, but motivation isn't the thing that then keeps us going week in, week out. Because once that motive it's like your fuel tank, once the motivation drops down, then what? But it's about getting those small wins and it's about building that momentum, it's that want that people need to have to recognise that hold on, this is this, I have these abilities, and to recognize, to have that confidence within themselves of what they can actually do and what they can achieve. And the disconnection between mind and body is almost always so significant because, like you said, you've you've been through the journey where you're quite disconnected between the mind and the body, and the two they're both operating, they're both functional, but yet they're in different lanes.

Speaker 1 16:00

How connected they are to one another. Do you know what I mean? So it's like, yeah, and this has took me a lot of kind of learning and figuring that out because I wasn't aware of that. I had such a disconnect. So I love as well that you're raising the awareness of that and working with clients more than just like you said, it's more than that boot camp mentality, it's more than just serving the Pilates and that's say off on your merry way. You're going that deeper level with them where you want to naturally, you want to help their overall well-being. Do you know what I mean? So you could, because you could easily just provide a Pilate session and that's it, like one in, one out. But I love that you're individually working with your client based on their needs. And like you said, whatever level they're at, we've all got to start from somewhere. It's not about doing all these kind of fancy moves, it's just what's going to work for your body at the right time, and then take it from there.

Speaker 16:52

Yeah.

Consistency And Small Wins

Speaker 16:53

And it's about making it prescriptive because people often come in and they're like, Oh, but I go to a Pilates class already. I do a pro I do Pilates every Thursday or every Friday. And I used to be the guy that used to go into gyms week in, week out, and uh teach those classes. And there's nothing wrong with those classes at all because they do serve a purpose and they do actually help. When people are scared of movement and that that they're scared that things are going to be made worse, or they've lived with pain for so long that they avoid absolutely everything they do. They're very sensitive to their body, and uh it's that confidence that needs like almost rebuilding, and you you kind of need to trust your body again. And what people don't often realize, and it's really difficult, especially in those group sessions, is to uh let people know that your body tells you absolutely everything. So whether it's nervous reset, whether it's stretching, because people often say to me, Oh, but Plate is just stretching. No, it's not, it's more. And whether it's stretching, whether it's mobility, whether it's strength, whatever type of movement, whatever your body requires, including rest, because rest is as important as work. And all those things, the body tells us everything. It's like when we're hungry, we know we need to eat, but do we necessarily eat the right foods? Because if we're hungry and we're tired, a lot of people, a high percentage of people, will reach for sugar. But is sugar actually going to be the right fuel for your body? And is that what it's going to actually need, or is it going to going to create more information, make you feel, give you a bit of a spike and then give you a massive crash afterwards, adds to your pain. And I'm not saying sugar's the devil here, but it's just an example of how we psychologically work. But if we actually listen to the body and say, I'm hungry and I'm tired, what is the right thing that I actually need? And do I eat first? Do I sleep first? The body will tell you everything, but it's just about knowing how to tune in to listen to it.

Speaker 1 18:51

That's what a lot of people are lacking, isn't it? That awareness and that acknowledgement about their body. So I love that you're teaching them all about that. Because it is, it's all about gaining those skills and tools to be in more in sync with their body and their unique individual needs as well. So it's not about the comparison game or anyone else's level of where it's at. Um, it's just taking it at your own pace. So I love this. Thank you.

Speaker 19:15

And also the cons also the consistency as well. That's really important.

Speaker 1 19:18

Because motivation that goes out the window. That's not always going to be there. So it is about being consistent with it to really reap the benefits of it. So that is where it's at, really, to remain consistent. And even with that, whatever like consistency is key, but even on the days you're not making much like effort, just do something each day towards it. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 19:41

One thing you always hear, and and you must hear this in social circles as well. People are like, uh, it's for New Year's, January is the best one. It's my favorite time of year because it always I just sit and smile the whole time. You go through social media and you can't help but smile. But people are like, I'm going to get up at 5:30 every morning and I will walk for 30 minutes a day or 30 minutes on the treadmill. That 30 or 60 minutes that they're talking about never actually happens. So instead of working or aiming for that 30 minutes and aiming for perfection, yeah, we know we want to try and get 10,000 steps a day and all of that. But what about just doing 10 minutes? Do 10 minutes consistency consistently rather than that hour that you want to do that you never do.

Speaker 1 20:25

Like, can you, are you really gonna commit? Because, like you said, we do kind of get over, what's the word, overzealous? Let me think. We're like really eager, aren't we, to set these goals. We kind of overwhelm ourselves and putting things in place that aren't really realistic. But you're better off putting in something more realistic, more aligned to your needs, and then you're gonna get more consistency and you're gonna want to do it. It's gonna put you off if you create such a goal that is not attainable for the stage that you're at. So

Posture Reset With Ribcage And Hips

Speaker 1 20:52

I just want to talk to Nila just to get some advice about posture, because this is something I'm working on. I must admit, I'm kind of more aware now of my posture. So it was great having a few discussions with you about it, but then also having a like look on your posts on your social media. It was really informative because, like I said, I find posture is something that is heavily neglected, it's quite common. We don't really think about positions that we're sat in. Because you kind of even you raised as well on one of your posts, Anil, about even sitting in your car can really impact bones, movement. What would you say?

Speaker 21:30

Yes, that's when you're using your clutch. Yes, a clutch using a clutch for go, I'll talk, I'll go back to posture in just a second, but using your clutch basically, if you think about it, 20 years ago there wasn't as much traffic on the roads, whereas now there's more. I yes, I know automatic cars can be boring, but if you're somebody who does loads of driving, I would always say get an automatic car. Um, especially with adaptive cruise control now, because you don't even have to touch the pedals, it will stop, start itself, and it just does its thing. But with a Clutch, what's happening is you're pressing that clutch, and you're essentially you're micro-twisting constantly through your hips and your pelvis. And if you're somebody who's got back pain or struggles with your back, every time you're pressing that clutch, you've got this minuscule micro movement that's going on, and essentially you're just making things worse. And then, yes, that then impacts your posture because you're not able to use both glutes equally. The way you're if your hip flexors are getting tighter, your core is obviously then having to try and work harder to the point that it actually gives up. Well, I don't want to use the word give up because the core will always still be there and working, but it's not as effectively working. And then that's obviously then causing you more pain because other muscles are having to step in to then support you more. The body will never say to you that I can't lift this up or I'm not going to pick this up. If you see something that needs picking up off the floor, the body's not going to be like, oh, let me um bend down, let me brace my abs, let me relax my shoulders and let me pick this up sensibly. So it needs to come off the floor. Uh uh, obviously the brain sends a nerve signal down to the limbs, and then essentially you pick up whatever needs picking up. With posture, you are right that we don't often think about it, but it's more the fact that we don't think about the core rather than posture because people think that they need to use their like they need to improve their posture. But one mistake parents make is that they over-emphasize. I don't know about nowadays, obviously because things are a bit different now, but when we were kids, we'd always be told to sit up straight at the dinner table or stand tall and things like that. I don't hear it so often now. If parents, if you do say it, please do say it, but say it correctly. When we were tall, we're always told to lift our chest up. But what that's essentially doing is when you're lifting your chest up, you're pushing your hips forward and you're essentially curving your lower back, opening your chest wider. One of the simplest things people can do is through your top ribcage. I don't know whether you can see or not, but if through your top ribcage here, for ladies, it's really easy. So your your bra line essentially, if you take a breath in, as you breathe out, just slide that top ribcage. So it's almost like your bra line's tucking in to your trousers and just take a long breath out, and you'll feel that your shoulders relax and that ribcage will close. And then when that ribcage closes, you'll feel your pelvic floor muscles through your front and back passage will actually lift and naturally engage rather than you having to grip them for dear life. So, this is a way that we should be that's the most natural way to be engaged, to engage your core and to set up your posture. Whereas we're all taught, sit up tall, yeah, yeah. And then we're straining the neck, straining the shoulders, straining the back, and then we're wandering while we have all these problems. Again, it comes down to relaxing more into it rather than because essentially your rib cage should be able to sit into your pelvis, which is the bit that people miss.

Speaker 1 24:51

And I could just tell people listening and watching are gonna be so like I feel like mind blown, like wow, like honestly, you wouldn't relate Pilates to such depth like this, like me personally. It was just it's like you have this different idea of what it is. So I love that you're on here and really going into detail because I'm learning so much towards it, it's so interesting. So thank you.

Speaker 25:14

No, not at all.

Speaker 1 25:15

So it's really good to gain some advice and tips for people listening, watching Senil.

Starting Safely When Movement Feels Scary

Speaker 1 25:20

So my next question would be so, what are some signs that people should look out for that would suggest that they need Pilates in their life?

Speaker 25:28

It's basically, I'd say the fear of movement is one of the key things. So I think I mentioned it earlier, it's about that fear of movement because you think things are going to be made worse, or you've been in pain for so long that you avoid everything, um, becoming hypersensitive to everything as well. If you notice your confidence is dropping because you're unable to move, it's that they're major key signs. And I don't want to go off on a tangent here, but I'm gonna get just give you a little bit of the personal insight here. Um, but basically, I I I said to you earlier that I was born with club feet and my feet were pointing inwards, and then from that, I've had so far up until now, my 43 years on this earth, I've had uh 10 lots of surgery on my legs, on my legs alone. I've I've been under the knife, general anesthetic 10 times, and I've still probably got another three surgeries that I know of that are upcoming in the next like two to five years. Um, one of the things that I am currently going through at the moment is uh my ankles are bone-on-bone, both my ankles. So I have three joints in one ankle that are um moderately arthritic, but obviously quite bad. And I've got one in the other ankle that's severely arthritic. But I'm way too young to have any form of surgery because the longer-term impact's obviously massive. But the thing that I can say, despite having all the stuff that's going on, the one thing I'm not scared of doing is moving. And I know that there are certain movements I can never do again, like run, I'll never be able to run again. But that doesn't mean that my confidence has to drop, or I have to stop going to the gym, or I should stop doing what I'm doing. Because I'm a key example of somebody who has got things genetically going on, stuff that can't be helped, stuff that you're born with. And then essentially, I see all the time people have cancer, is one of the biggest things, especially for women with breast cancer, and then that inability to be able to lift their arm up, for example, afterwards, because especially if they've been through massectomies or or like lymph node removal and things like that, their posture will change, the pain they'll deal with will change, their ability to raise their arm, even in a social situation, like even just to take a coat off a hook or something like that, you'll be surprised as to the confidence that it actually how much it impacts people. But this is where the body actually tells us what's going on, and like in my situation, knowing what I can and can't do, and then putting myself into situations where I actually can can test and push my body that little bit more, and that's what essentially I create for people and I say to people that so when you say, Well, how do I know I should be like starting or something like that? Find a way where you're in a safe environment, and this is where we step away from the boot camps and all of that and give yourself an environment that you're like, actually, do you know what I'm safe? Someone's there who's got my back. That could even be if you don't want to go to like a Pilates fast or something like that, that could even be join like join a gym and find a really good PT. And I don't mean just an average PT, I mean someone who is really highly qualified and knows what they're talking about, who's gonna give you prescriptive movement that will actually help you move in a way that you will flourish. And then once you do that, that then it opens up so many other doors to be able to, whether you want to go and do crazy hieroxes or London marathons and things like that, or or weight train at the age of 70. There is nothing wrong with that. But it's just about knowing to start in that safe environment, recognising hold on a second, my body's got limitations. Do I have to live with it? No. Do am I gonna put up with it? No, right, then let's go do something bad.

Speaker 1 29:12

Great advice. And you yourself, Saniel, that's really inspirational. What you just shared about your personal story. Um, and like you said, and not seeing them as limitations, it's working with it. Um, I think that's amazing because that's gonna resonate, hopefully, to other people that are seeing um the challenges that they're going through as limitations. But you're a perfect example here of pushing through that. Do you know what I mean? Of finding a way uh that works for you. So I love that. That's gonna inspire.

Speaker 29:42

Yeah, it's really important to recognise the things that actually enable us. So you might see somebody who's using a crutch and you might think, Oh, poor sod, so young, using using a crutch. But what you're not recognising about that person using using the crutch, that crutch is actually enabling them to be able to go and have some freedom, have some independence. So, and that there's many things like that that people see them as limiters, as disablers, and things like that, but that actually enablers if we just turn like flip the coin over.

Speaker 1 30:10

We

Sleep, Recovery And Movement Snacks

Speaker 1 30:11

don't realise how much movement can really play a part in alleviating pain, do we?

Speaker 30:17

It is quite important. Whether the type of movement is, it could just be that even if you walk every day, for some people, walking every day is going to be longer, some people it might only just be like a few hundred or a couple of thousand steps or something like that. But it is about incorporating those practical solutions that kind of fit into your day-to-day life. Some people, like if you get desk workers, for example, even if you just advise them to get up every 30 or 60 minutes and just to do something, or if someone wants to go to the gym and they're thinking, oh, what should I do at the gym? Just even if you use the resistance machines and some form of strength training twice a week, even if you can just do once or twice a week, is going to be better than nothing at all. People say, Oh, I need to stretch. When they say stretch, do that actually mean stretch or mobilize because mobility and stretching go hand in hand and they're both quite different. Um, that there's some overlap between the two. But again, these are all little snippets that people can obviously start to take from you in the list that I'm even giving, even if you just do one of them, you don't have to do all of them. And if you can't do anything else, one of the really big things, and and I think even with your background, you'd probably know about this, but is the importance of sleep and recovery. Because obviously you've worked in in different roles, and like you told me about your background and things like that, and you'll know that how the job can creep up on sleep and not recovering properly, and then how you you end up in that vicious cycle.

Speaker 1 31:50

Are there any simple things that listeners, anybody watching, that they can start doing today to support better posture um or even core, really, to remove any discomfort? What is something they can literally start? They've not kind of embarked on anything. Where can they start today?

Speaker 32:09

One of the simplest things that I'd recommend is when you sit down, try and sit equally across both hips. So rather than like people cross their legs over or they sit over one way or the other, if you don't start anywhere else, just start by sitting equally on your hips. Another really, really simple thing that I'd say about posture is if you are somebody who drives, every time you get in the car, make sure you check your seat and your mirrors. Because if you don't wear the same pair of shoes regularly and like you people wear different shoes to drive in, right? You don't realize how that adjusts the way you're sitting, and that is half the problem as well. So, really, really simple, two simple things. One, when you sit down, generally, just make sure you sat across both hips. Two, when you get in the car, always check your seat positioning and your mirrors and make sure that they are correctly angled because you never will sit in exactly the same position twice.

Speaker 1 33:08

Make people aware of that to raise their awareness of that, because you don't really think that, do you, when you sit, you step into your car, sit in your car each time of doing that. And then the value of you sharing that, the different types of shoes you wear is gonna impact overall like what would you say, posture, call?

Speaker 33:26

Yeah, because basically the thing is so when you wear different shoes, they've all got different soles. So how far away you are from the pedals as to how far how much you need to press the pedals is is also impacted by that as well. Because if you've got a thinner sole, you're reaching for the pedals that a little bit more. If you've got a thicker sole, your hips actually in more flexion, which and then if we're talking about back pain, where's that back pain stemming from?

Speaker 1 33:49

I'm gaining so much from this, and I'm hoping I'm sure anybody listening or watching will be learning so much as well. Like honestly, you've really opened up my eyes to Pilates and what it's all about, really, because you don't really kind of think of it like that. So thank you. So if someone has then 10 minutes available in the day, what should they kind of focus on?

Speaker 34:13

Um, in regards to movement, if they if they if they've got 10 minutes in the day, the one thing I'd recommend is varying it day to day because we've got uh we've got a tendency of being creatures of habit. So if we have that 10 minutes a day, we'd be like, ah, this is my 10 minutes of walking. Or but if you have only literally got 10 minutes a day and you've got nothing else that you can actually offer, then have like a few things written down, the like three or four things written down that you can actually change, like a menu. So one day you'll walk because one thing I actually do with my clients, a lot of people, is I'll do what are called movement snaps, and basically that could be today, my 10 minutes will be stretching, today my 10 minutes will be walking, today my 10 minutes will be just some deep breathing. It it or it could be just like a little bit of mobility work. Also, the other thing is really important, like if you've got a 10 minutes a day, if you don't want to move or or you know, like physically do something, just even going outside and sitting for 10 minutes and just get some vitamin D. Because these are all the because once you kind of start to break the barriers of those wellness cycle, like that wellness cycle and kind of you start to release those endorphins, you then find that actually 10 minutes you've got 20 minutes, and then you'll be able to do more. But if you've got the variety there where you can incorporate some form of movement, whatever that movement looks like, or you can do something for your wellness that is time for you personally, and that in itself will be absolutely massive. And you'll then the benefits you'll see, the the change within your muscles, the the way the pain starts to decrease, the tension in your muscles obviously starts to release will be phenomenal. But it's just about starting with that 10 minutes a day. If you feel you're somebody that, if you're if you you're somebody who needs that consistency and you need the same type of movement, do the same movement every day, but then get to a point where you can actually vary it up, get the variety in there, give yourself those movement snacks, keep it interesting because that motivation to do that 10 minutes of walking every day will soon dry up. Whereas if you keep it varied, that motivation we spoke about earlier on will continuously stay ignited.

Speaker 1 36:27

Yeah, I love that. Great advice, and it's true, and just start from there and gradually you will build on it. That's just kind of building the foundation. But variety is the spice of life, so it is like that. Kind of don't don't keep it rigid because, like, naturally, you'll just feel bored of it. So, yeah, I like it. Great advice.

Recovery For Midwives And Shift Workers

Speaker 1 36:44

This is what I had to say as well, Sonil, because obviously, my career, um, like my background is being a midwife, and as a midwife, we can get into those positions that can really uh affect your neck, affect your back, because the positions that we get when we're facilitating a woman uh giving birth, um, we kind of get into all sorts of positions, and that's kind of unavoidable, even when we're helping women with the breastfeeding, you can kind of get yourself into positions, and like I said, these are unavoidable at the time and will continue because of the nature of the job and what we do, the profession. So, is there anything like my fellow midwives out here, um myself included, post-recovery of being in those positions? Because you will find consistently being in those positions, a lot of are complaining of such pain like back pain, neck pain, and it is because of these positions. What can we do to kind of alleviate that?

Speaker 37:38

You've got to think about what the what the triggers are for that. So obviously, you've got long shifts that you guys obviously go through, um without sounding gruesome or anything like that. You've obviously got the awkward positions you have to get into as well. And obviously, you can't say that oh, I'm only going to be in this position for five minutes. It's like if baby then takes longer, you are in that awkward position until the T3 is done. And then that obviously goes with the bending and lifting and then the repetitive strain. And the only thing I could literally, the first thing that would spring to mind is to say, we and we've touched on it quite a few times today as well, is about how recovery is as important as the job. So it matters just as much as the job does. And if you can, after a shift, if you can get some form of mobility work in there, that is absolutely amazing. I actually have a nurse part of my group, and what she will do first thing in the morning, she will do uh one of my 20-minute stretch sessions, which also incorporates mobility as well. And then at the end of the day, she'll do a serenity flow class, which is basically meditative breathing um with some gentle movement just to kind of calm and reset the body. So it's a hybrid, and she will do that at the end of the session. So if you can get some sort of mobility work and relaxation at the end of the session, something like that serenity flow would actually combine the two and will do really, really well. Um, the other thing that I would actually recommend is some form of strength training, because obviously the stronger the muscles are, getting into those orcs positions and things like that, that if the muscles are strong, the joints are protected. And that that's one thing that people often miss. And they think this is where we were talking about what where you reach for the sugar when you're when you're hungry and tired because it's the easy fix. But the thing is though, if you put the foundations in place, when you get hungry and tired and you're listening to the body, sugar will then eventually it's not going to be the thing that you then reach out for because you'll be like, actually, do you know what my body needs this instead? Um, the key things are obviously around the shifts is about sleep, making sure you get the sleep there. That is so, so important. And even when you guys are on shift, one of the biggest things I say to anybody is hydration. Um hydration is really, really important. People think, oh, I've got to drink X amount of water a day. Water, the reason we say water as opposed to tea, coffee, things like that. Tea coffee is fine, obviously within limitations and moderation, but if you to stay hydrated, if you were to wash your hands after going to the toilet, if you just wash your hands with a cup of tea and then just shake your hands off, you will feel how sticky your hands feel after a little while. Whereas um if you if you put that if you put that same theory to the insides of your body, you'll you it's about washing out and flushing out. And that's why that hydration is really important. And yes, you will get it through water, you can have like warm water, that's absolutely fine. Put lemon in it, absolutely great thing. But something people always miss as well, when you guys are on shift, when you have your breaks, the food that you eat, if you can get some like leafy vegetables, like salads and spinach, kale, those sorts of things, they also aid high um hydration as well. And those things together, so the recovery, some form of mobility, some form of strength training, making sure you get enough sleep, and then when you're on shift and off-a-shift, keep your hydration high. Those are the things that are going to be obviously feeding those muscles, and then essentially help alleviate that pain, discomfort, and and um tiredness and stiffness that you guys are all feeling.

Speaker 1 41:21

Yeah. Oh, thank you for sharing that. Great advice. Honestly, so to my fellow healthcare practitioners, healthcare workers listening, watching. Um, I really hope that helps them when they take that on board because it is essential. That can be quite a struggle and quite a challenge when you're working in those types of roles. So, Senil, just to finish off the last few questions there.

Progress Stories And Purpose Over Money

Speaker 1 41:41

What do you enjoy most about what you do? What keeps you doing it?

Speaker 41:47

Um I have to think the thing I enjoy most is seeing people's progress. Uh, that is so important because you keep turning up. You turn up for the people. And when you've earned so much money and you've worked in corporate all your life, and you know, you've done the high-flying things, you soon realize that there's more to life uh than money. And essentially, when you see people having that freedom, and when you see that they can actually enjoy their lives and and actually get something from it, it's phenomenal. And it's a skill set that you can apply to absolutely anyone or anything. It's like I've got an auntie, uh, 80-year-old auntie, she's one of those typical Indian aunties who's not a real auntie but is a family auntie. If you know what I mean, yeah, we've got to be a good one. We've got hundreds of those, right? Um, she has two slip discs and she's in hospital and she's been in hospital for about four to six weeks. And having the skill set to be able to actually give auntie those comp that confidence to say, Hey, you're gonna go home, you're gonna walk again, because she was almost death store. Um, she's actually come back and she's like, Oh, my legs don't work. And then if I go back to just a week ago, a week ago, yesterday, she couldn't move her legs. And then we started when I talk about strength, I started to do some strength training with it, not with physical weights, but to to reignite the muscles, and then from there that I went in halfway through the week again. I was like, right, you need to now learn to sit yourself up. So a frail 80-year-old lady being able to get her to sit up on her own and then getting into almost like doing crunches, sitting up and back down again. And then when did I go back again? I went probably about four days ago, and I said, Right, are you ready to stand up? And she was like, I can't stand up. And she was like, the pain in my legs is is is crazy. And I was like, No, I said we're gonna get you to stand up, and just using my skill set to say, right, you're gonna try and stand, sit down, stand, sit down. And she couldn't physically stand, but she was pushing to stand up. And then eventually, about the fifth attempt, she actually stood up and she was like, Oh my god, I'm standing. And it when when you when you realize that there is more to life than then then you know like then then then money and and all the things that we chase if we look at like an animal's life and the simple things that they look for and if we put that into human form that's essentially what I do like literally you just enable people and you you allow them to to do things and have that independence and that that's what I enjoy and that's the reason I do what I do.

Speaker 1 44:22

Oh and I love that so inspiring like seriously and it is the progress you see in people the impact you're making and shout out to Auntie as well great progress there like seriously I've got my I'm I'm betting I'm betting um I I'm heading bets that we'll I think I can get home within about two to three weeks and I you're gonna laugh at this but I've actually said to her I said she has to cook me one of my favourite things I said and she goes I can't do it I was like right I'm betting you that you if you get home you've got to cook me this favorite thing and that's that's what she's now working towards she goes I'm gonna get home I'm gonna make that a thing for you cool thank you there you go then you have to keep us updated with that that's amazing I'm sure you'll be able to do that as well but incredible like one that's just one story to share do you I mean I'm sure there's plenty and it explains why you do what you do like amazing and I bet it gives you such fulfillment and just thank you Sunil thank you for your service as well for doing what you're doing helping others and going through your own personal change making those changes and then with that wanting to help others like truly inspiring and I hope that you help many out here listening watching I think they're really going to gain something from what you shared from your personal story and all the amazing advice and tips that you've given towards like mobility alertes back pain posture even core really useful so thank you so much.

Speaker 45:42

Just to finish off so if somebody's stuck they're feeling stuck they don't know where to start they feel kind of overwhelmed with things what advice would you kind of give them I'm and I'm talking about in life how you said you kind of we're in these careers aren't we we're kind of unfulfilled we're feeling stuck in the loop we don't know where to start we feel overwhelmed what advice would you give to these people that really want to make changes but they don't know where to start um I would start with something really simple something you enjoy um doesn't matter how big or small it is it doesn't have to be expensive doesn't have to be extravagant but just do something for yourself one thing for yourself every single day whether it's you sit outside for five minutes whether it's the fact that you you you you ring a loved one or a family friend and just that wellness journey starts from there. One thing that I'm going to share with you really really quickly um the through the corporate years one thing I never realized and it was it was a close friend of mine that actually reminded me of this is to what an angry person I used to be. And um but that flipped on its head one thing I do every single day with my family is there is not a day that goes past that we don't laugh. In our household there's not a day that goes by that we will not laugh. And to someone who wants to start and people think I don't know how to laugh I've got nothing to laugh about watch something on your phone watch something on TV if you've got a pet if you even if it's just a bird in the garden or something something that makes you start off with that smile then start off with a laugh and then start to do something for yourself because that will give you the joy and once you've got the joy to then do those things that joy is your motivation rather than trying to find motivation from from a blank canvas.

Speaker 1 47:29

Oh amazing amazing advice seriously and I I agree laughter is the best medicine so what a great place to start and just smile like seriously thank you for sharing that great advice um what do you want people to take away as well from this episode all that you've shared all that we've spoken great conversation by the way truly grateful what do you hope people take away from this one thing I would say is make a change to see a change that's really important.

Speaker 47:54

Very oh I love it and tell us some exciting plans with where you're going with all that you do with your business um any exciting plans uh going forward um there hey the type of person I am there's always something exciting exciting happening but the base work always stays there working with my one-to-one clients working with my online classes that will always be there and then the journeys I go on with these individuals um in regards to the things I have the aspirations I have and the things I want to achieve that list I think even if I live till 100 I don't think I'd I'd be able to achieve it. But we I think you can relate to that as well from our previous conversations but it's just a case of watch this space but the the the main thing I'd say to anyone is that even if you need any advice guidance even if you just want to have a chat a chat costs nothing reach out have that conversation because the thing is so we're all here to help each other and you know what it's like it doesn't have to be extravagant or massive or whatever it's like even to say for example we're talking about auntie there something like that is exciting within itself yeah oh great advice seriously and send you for people then to get in contact with you to work with you um to find out more how can they get in contact with you Instagram's the easiest place um so it's it's Professor underscore Pilates um and literally just drop me a DM on there and literally either that or hello at professorpilates.com uh just just drop me an email one of those two and yeah we can always have a chat and go from there.

How To Get In Touch

Speaker 1 49:27

Yeah lovely and we will have the details guys as well listening watching in the description box as well but Sonil thank you as well thank you for taking time out taking precious time out to do this to come together and to share your knowledge to share your personal story uh to inspire and influence other people to motivate them to make those changes as well all that you're sharing and all that you have done and to come together collectively to do that and the key is to help one another like I really appreciate it and all that you have going on I wish you nothing but the best going forward and I look forward to working with you again in the future like this isn't it likewise thank you so much for your time as well it's been absolutely amazing and yeah I've learned a lot too so thank you so much. Oh I appreciate it. So guys listening watching I hope you have gained something from it we truly have I truly have um and just until the next time guys you know as well to keep in touch the email address that me and Kiki have created if you want to get in touch with our previous guests if you want some advice and support or even be a guest on the podcast then please do get in touch the core aura podcast at gmail.com that has been created purely for this podcast so do get in touch um and we'll get back to you but until the meantime guys just take care out there you beautiful beautiful beings woo