Pilates can help you strengthen your body, with quick results, and also strengthen the mind and body connection. In this post I give you five reasons to start practicing Pilates.

Pilates – Tones Your Body and Provides Mental and Physical Benefits

I’ve worked and practiced Pilates for over a decade now. When I began my practice, I noticed the result almost immediately. With consistent practice Pilates has provided me with a strong body from the inside out that moves with ease. I’ve gained more confidence and a deeper interest in all activies that strengthen the mind and body connection!

Practicing Pilates offers a comprehensive workout that tones your body and provides mental and physical benefits. Here are five reasons why I think Pilates can make a significant difference to your workout routine:

5 Reasons Why You Should Do Pilates

• Core Strength: Pilates focuses on deep abdominal and core muscles, giving you a strong foundation for overall stability. Strengthening these muscles enhances balance and leaves you feeling more powerful.

• Flexibility: Pilates is a full-body workout that boosts flexibility and increases your range of motion. By stretching and lengthening muscles, it makes you more agile and less prone to injuries. Because of this I highly recommend incorporating Pilates with any other type of workout regimen!

• Mind-Body Connection: Beyond physical exercise, Pilates is a mindful practice. Controlled movements and conscious breathing create a connection between mind and body, reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

• All-Inclusive: Suitable for all fitness levels, Pilates can be adapted to individual needs. It's gentle on the joints yet challenging enough for both fitness enthusiasts and beginners. All you need is a mat, and you're good to go!

• Results: Consistency with Pilates brings results – expect improved posture, increased muscle tone, and enhanced overall strength. Pilates sculpts and defines your body without heavy weights or intense workouts.

Pilates is more than a workout; it's a fitness approach for your body and mind. Roll out that mat and start a journey towards a stronger, more flexible, and harmonious you. Your body will thank you!

Happy training,
Emma

Exercises Online – Pilates with Emma Cowan

Do you want to try out Pilates? Here you'll find selected classes and playlists. You will find all our Pilates classes, in both Swedish and English, in the audio and video library.

• Playlists:
  • Pilates Workout Series
  • Pilates Barre
  • Pilates Athlete Series

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Further reading

• With pilates as a passion – get inspired by our team member Emma Cowan
• How does the breath work & benefits of conscious breathing, by Ulrica Norberg
• Exercise for long-term wellbeing - here’s how you get started, by Tanja Djelevic

What exactly is endurance and what does it mean for your body? Endurance and cardio training are connected to different systems in the body, and we train them in different ways – keep up when I sort out the concepts!

The difference between cardio and endurance

Many people think that endurance and condition are the same but this is not true, you also train them in different ways. Endurance is tied to the nervous system and muscles, while cardio training is primarily tied to the heart. A combination of both of them is fantastic for the body – being enduring and having good condition makes you both fast and enduring/tough.

Endurance training is often specific, when for example a cyclist needs to train endurance, they must train close to the branch – ie cycling. So to be persistent in an area, you need to train in the area where the right muscles are trained.

Cardio training, on the other hand, can be trained in different ways and with different exercises, which train the heart and lungs.

Build strength and endurance

When I talk about being strong and enduring, I mainly mean being able to work for a long time without feeling that you run out of energy. When I do strength training or run intervals, I want to be able to perform the entire workout without feeling the need to take a break. For me, this is to be strong and enduring.

Benefits of exercise & movement

• You feel more alert and overall healthy. As the body becomes more relaxed through physical activity, your experience of stress decreases.

• Job, school, yes the whole everyday life usually works better as the ability to concentrate is improved during physical activity.

• Regular loads and shocks improve the skeleton and make it easier for you to stay injury-free, etc.

• The effectiveness of the immune system improves and you become less susceptible to infections.

• I experience that I feel happier and as a better version of myself when I move regularly. Try and find out what it means for you!

Finally, all the movement that is actually done is good. Movement should be fun because then it will be done. Becoming strong and enduring does not happen in one day – it requires continuity of training. Let the process take time and enjoy the journey. I hope you want to try my classes and give yourself a gift of movement!

Exercise online – for endurance in everyday life

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Interested in pilates that encourage and challenge you? With joy and strenght, Emma Cowan teaches all-levels practitioners. Learn more about Emma and her pilates classes on Yogobe here!

Fun and challenging pilates classes – from Arizona to Gothenburg

Emma Cowan a Pilates instructor originally from Arizona, USA, now living in Gothenburg with her Swedish partner and a gorgeous amstaff named Snoop.  Emma teaches both private and group classes and runs the Pilates Studio Pilates Complete in Gothenburg. We had a little chat with Emma:

How did you begin practicing pilates?

– I was 19 when my best friend found a pilates course at our community college. The course allowed us to take classes twice a week while studying for a Pilates Matwork certification. I never did anything with that certification, but the course lit a fire in me and led me to work in a high-end Pilates Studio in Manhattan and Redondo Beach, California, as a receptionist.

– When I moved to Sweden in 2014, I found Jasmin and Linda at Pilates Complete. I worked reception and admin for Pilates Complete until I was ready to move on to teaching. I started teaching in 2016. I have received my entire Pilates certification through Stott Pilates at the Stockholm Pilates Center.

What inspires you to continue practicing and teaching pilates?

– Passion! The more I learn about pilates, the body and movement – the more engaged I get with my clients and my own practice. I love learning and expanding my practice.

Is there any difference in how pilates is practiced in the US compared to Sweden?

– Pilates is world renowned and has a huge international community. The foundation is always the same. I think the magic and variations of pilates come from the instructors! The foundation is always the same, but every instructor is different.

– For example - one instructor may be more inclined to lead a more flowy practice while another can choose to have more strength and conditioning. Both classes can be very similar in form but if one instructor has more emphasis on strength and conditioning, while the other focuses on grace and flexibility - you will have two completely different classes.

What can we look forward to in your classes on Yogobe?

– You can look forward to having fun and getting a great workout. I like to lead fun and lighthearted classes. I like to challenge participants while also giving them the space to modify if an exercise is too hard. All levels are welcome, and all levels will be challenged!

See all classes with Emma Cowan here!

Pilates classes online with Emma Cowan

• Playlist: Pilates Barre
• Playlist: Pilates Workout Series
• Playlist: Pilates with a resistance band

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Further reading

• Find your inner motivation, by Satu Tuomela
• Exercise for long-term wellbeing - here’s how you get started, by Tanja Djelevic
• Design your life – create good habits with the help of yoga and meditation, by Emma Öberg

There is a fresh start over September. How do you create habits that makes you feel good - without being so strict that it steals your joy? Here we give you tips on sustainable, nourishing routines to look forward to this autumn!

Make room for what makes you feel good

September. The air is crispier and the beautiful and lazy days of summer are over. It's time to start finding your way back to routines or creating new ones to meet the autumn with new energy. Sure, it can be nice not to be so picky with routines, but without continuity it is easy to skip doing what we feel good about and end up in a vicious spiral of lack of sleep, stress, fatigue and headaches.

Do you also wonder how it's possible to have time to move, unwind, eat well, take care of your relationships and jobs or studies? And at the same time keep the enjoyable feeling that summer brings? This month we share inspiration and tips to give space and prioritize things that make you feel good - it doesn't have to be more than 15 minutes a day!

What's new at Yogobe in September?

We can't wait to reveal our two new members of Team Yogobe! One of them will offer mental training and give her best tips on how to deal with sleeping problems – and the other will hold Pilates classes in English! We also have new wonderful yoga classes with Johanna Hector to look forward to!

In the blog, you will find inspiring reading about everyday routines, exercise and yoga and much more from, among others, Frida Lindgren Karlsson, Johanna Hector, Julia Glutz and Cecilia Gustafsson in Team Yogobe.

During September, you will be able to take wonderful classes in real time with, among others, Anja Bergh, Ulrica Norberg and Milla Floryd. Read more about and book this month's Yogobe LIVE classes here!

We release new videos on a regular basis - in this playlist you will find examples of our latest launches. Maybe you find a new favorite for your weekly or daily routine?

8 tips for creating sustainable and nourishing routines

• What do you want and need? First and foremost, ask yourself what it is you want - your "why". What do you want to prioritize, how much and in which order? Find out what gives and takes energy and what you have too much of and too little of right now. What needs are most important for your priorities to be sustainable?

• Eat-and-sleep-clock. Research shows that we feel good about having a regularity and enough sleep, exercise, recovery and nutritious food. Plan your training, food and meditation time in advance.

• Be prepared! We often have our Achilles heels. Stress, fatigue or anxiety that makes us do other things than what we want. Can you locate what it is that usually puts you out of the game, look kindly on yourself (talking down on yourself rarely helps), and see what you need right now? Maybe a short meditation or walk?

• Make the routine enjoyable! We want to continue with something that we remember as nice and gives a good feeling. Can the morning or evening routine become a ritual? What does it contain? Maybe light a scented candle, shake it off, read something inspiring or just enjoy some quiet time?

• Set boundaries and ask for help. Studies show that about 70 percent of us who are burned out are women, often mothers, and part of that is that women still more often have double work, with greater practical and emotional responsibility for household and children.

• Serenity prayer. What can you change and what do you need to accept and relate to right now?  If something will take a lot of energy from you, if you are in the middle of big challenges, be nice, reduce your must do's and give yourself more safety and rest.

• Do you take breaks during your working day? Regular breaks are incredibly important for our well-being! Check out our Pausa Smart Challenge - a 4-week challenge to get started with short breaks at work.

• Pause and enjoy everyday life. When you get a cozy hug, when you feel a wonderful scent, when you see a beautiful sunset or eat something good. Research shows that the more we enjoy the little things, the happier we become.

This month's selected playlists

In September, we have selected playlists to help you create comfortable routines - whether you want to exercise, yoga, unwind after the day or get a good night's sleep:

• Slow it down – sleep prep: End your day in the best possible way and improve your sleep! Here you'll find a mix of yoga classes and meditations that will help you slow down in the evening.
• Everyday yoga: In this playlist you'll find a mix of yoga classes that you can practice everyday to release tension, work on your balance, calm down your mind etc.
• Pump it up – raise your heart rate: Get your heart pumping and energy flowing by intense workout. Explore a great mix of classes that will challenge you physically.
• Unwind body & mind: After a day filled with meetings, deadlines and to do-lists it can be hard to wind down. See this playlist as a whole class, or choose just one video, to help settle your mind in the evening.

This autumn's selected online courses in Swedish- 50% discount

Create continuity by participating in a course! During September and October, you can buy three of our most popular online courses at half price! Choose between:

• YOMI Yin: A course for you who experience stress and anxiety in everyday life. The yoga teachers and licensed psychologists Frida Hylander and Maria Johansson guide you through lectures, yoga and mindfulness exercises.

• Lär dig meditera: A 12-week course with Ulrica Norberg for you who want to learn to meditate or get started with a regular meditation practice.

• Migrän- och huvudvärksskolan online:  Through physical exercises, lectures and video guidance, Per Söder and Yogobe guide you for 22 weeks to a life without headache.

The offer is valid until 31/10 2021.

Don't miss our offer on annual subscription with a free yoga mat!

Take the opportunity to become an annual member or update your membership for only 1899 SEK and get Yogiraj's premium mat "Natural Studio mat" with your purchase (value 899 SEK). The autumn offer is valid until 11 October 2021. Read more here.

Read more about habits, meditation and training

• 15 minutes of meditation – like a vacation day, by Bianca Barck.
• Design your life – create good habits with the help of yoga and meditation, by Emma Öberg.
• Training with resistance band, by Julia Glutz.

Videos for new habits – yoga, meditation & training online

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Here are some tips to make the rest of your summer active and joyful. You also get a quick workout that you can do virtually anywhere. There are no pointers here – you should do what you want to do, what gives you energy. Think joy rather than achievement!

Focus on movement, play and joy instead of performance

Something very interesting is happening and, in my opinion, fantastic about us Swedes when the summer and the sun comes. We bloom, comes out of our nest after winter. We're happier and take every chance to catch every few rays of sunshine. During the holidays we do not want to miss any sunny opportunities or time with loved ones. This can make it difficult for some of us to keep our workout routine and that may lead to increased stress.

Would it be easier to keep on excersising during the vacation if we change our thoughts on how it "should" be? I think that's the case for a lot of people.

What if you choose to focus on movement, play and joy instead of performance? Reduce the amount of stress trying to manage everything you think you should, by changing your "I have to" to "I want" . See if you can find what you want to do and why you want to do it. If you find your "want" and "why", it is easier to stick to it.

Find natural moments of movement

Another way to keep training during the summer is to use the natural occasions for physical activity. Exercise together with friends or family on the beach or why not play beach football or something else while there. These interruptions from your ordinary routine can develop you physically when you challenge yourself in doing something you are not used to.

If you have children, play with them or spontaniously excersise together. But don't forget to include joy and playfulness. Most of us have a high level of stress in our daily lives and we don't have to bring that stress into the holidays as well.

Try outdoor yoga

Exercise comes in many different shapes and forms and can easily be adjusted to the outdoors. I think that outdoor yoga is amazing due to the opportunity to connect several senses, which enhances the experience. Feeling the wind and the rays of sun against your skin, hearing the summer breeze, the birds singing and maybe the cricket playing and the gentle scents of smell of grass, trees and flowers.

If you feel like you don't really know what to do, there is lots to choose from online. Yogobe offers a lot of inspiration and online yoga classes you can do any where, any time.

Think creatively – use what you have

What if I don't have access to the gym? Yes, I have been asked that question many times. And I answer the same here as I have in the past, you have a body and it goes very far and if you want to burden your body with more than body weight, you can find things to use everywhere. It can be pet bottles full of water, logs, old car tires and more, only the imagination sets the limits. You can also bring with you a rubber band, that take no major place in the bag but can challenge your workout.

When it comes to training, you can also find a lot of inspiration and workouts online here at Yogobe. At the end of this blog post, you get a workout where you only need your body weight.

Enjoy nature

Hiking and running in nature is fantastic for recovering. You reduce stress in the body just by staying in nature, by the water, in the forest or the mountains. Bring a friend and go out, hang out and have a walk and talk or run instead of having a coffee. Often the conversations are actually better when we move than when we sit still.

You can also take family or friends on a run or hike with a packed lunch in your backpack. Stop at some nice places and have a picnic, it will be a lovely experience for both the body and the mind.

Despite the uncertainty we still live in, try to make the rest of your summer stress-free, playful, physical and joyful!

Quick workout for the summer

Do 2-3 turns of the following:

• Squats 20 reps
• Lunges with rotation, 10 reps on each side
• Hip lift, 10 reps
• Push-ups, 10 reps
• Superman, 10 reps
• Alternate Jack Knife Crunch, 10 reps on each side

Read more about exercise and meditation

• 15 minutes of meditation – like a vacation day, by Bianca Barck
• Run, Flow, Let Go – a five minute workout that makes you feel REAL, by Neo Moreton
• Training with resistance band, by Julia Glutz

Strength and mobility training online

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Welcome June! Perhaps the most beautiful time of the year - but also a time that can be busy with  before the upcoming summer vacation. This month we are exploring how we can balance activity with moments of mindfulness and recovery so that we can face the summer with energy.

Gather strength for the summer - take time for recovery

Summer is here and it's soon time for vacation. We know that this time before the summer holidays can be intense. Therefore, during June we want to emphasize the importance of taking time for recovery and to check in, so we can soften a bit and transition slowly from work to holiday. To not go from 0 to 100 but to let this period be like a soft deceleration. We may not be able to influence our work situation or other commitments that has to be done before the summer, but what we can do is to give ourselves time to stop, breathe and listen in. 

We also want to give a friendly reminder to plan your summer, and try to create a nice balance between activity and recovery. It's easy to try to catch up with as much as possible during the holidays, perhaps especially now when we have been locked up for so long during the pandemic, but do not forget to take time for rest and lazy days ♡

What's coming on Yogobe in June?

The big news of the month is that we are starting to broadcast LIVE-streamed classes together with Team Yogobe! Sign up for the free week 7-13 June and read more here!

In the blog, you will be able to take part in inspiring reading about training, recovery and much more from Majja Lund, Hillevi Borga and Julia Glutz, among others! In the video library, there will soon be new training classes with Team Yobobe's latest profile - Jenny Ström! In addition, we release the new program Viva Vagina together with Emma Öberg.

We release new videos on a regular basis - in this playlist you will find a selection of our latest launches.

7 tips for more mindfulness in your everyday life

• Meditate in the shower. Focus on the scent of the soap and how the water feels against your skin.

• Do small services for your after-work self. Empty the dishwasher, take out the trash or turn on a diffuser in the morning before you go to work.

• Set checkpoints throughout the day to check in on how you feel. Name the feeling and acknowledge it: is it anxiety? Is it stress? Is it joy? No need to implement solutions; just recognize your feelings.

• Stop and smell the flowers. Touch a leaf or tree trunk. Experience the joy of running your hands or bare feet through grass and soil. Pamper your senses with the abundance of nature.

• Be direct about your needs. Tell your partner, friends or colleagues what you need. And ask others to be just as direct with you.

• Turn yourself upside down. Let the head come lower than the heart in a handstand, headstand or standing forward fold. Let it be a playful act and a reminder that you do not have to be so serious all the time.

• While brushing your teeth for the night - identify a success that you have achieved during the day.

Editor's picks: playlists of the month

This month we have selected playlists with a nice balance between recovery and activity. A lovely mix of meditation, yin and restorative yoga and exercise:

• Good morning!: Get going in the morning and wake up your body to lay the groundwork for a great day. Combine several of the sequences or select just one – the one you need today.
• Meditation for inner stillness:  In this playlist we have collected a mix of meditation practices for different occasion and needs.
• Relax & Restore: This playlist is created to help you activate your parasympathetic nervous system with calming yin, yoga nidra and meditation
• Strength & breathwork: Combine classes that focuses on strengthening your muscles and breathing exercises.

This summer's selected online courses - 50% discount

During the summer, you can buy three of our most popular online courses for half the price! Choose between:

• Föda utan rädsla online: This modern birth preparation prophylaxis course gives you, your partner and the baby in the womb the best conditions for childbirth.

• Lär dig meditera: A 12-week meditation course for you who want to learn how to meditate or for you who are ready to take the step to get a regular meditation practice in everyday life, guided by Ulrica Norberg.

• Yoga Philosophy: This is the course for you who want to learn more about yoga philosophy, and learn how to implement the Indian wisdom in a way that is directly linked to your life. The course content is in English and the course is guided by Simon Krohn.

The offer is valid until 31/8 2021.

Read more about mindfulness, restorative and yin yoga

• Restorative yoga – an antidote to stress, by Mona Anand
• Can mindfulness help the growing brain in children and adolescents?, by Yogobe
• Yin yoga – balancing the Yin and Yang of yoga, by Ulrica Norberg

Video recommendations – recovery

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Have you missed the opportunity to take online classes in real time with our skilled instructors in Team Yogobe? Now we are finally launching LIVE-streamed classes. Read more and sign up for the free week here!

LIVE - a bridge between digital and IRL

After this year, we have seen a clear need for community. We are many who miss being able to meet at the gym or yoga studio and share our energy, exchange a few words or smiles together. And our fantastic teachers miss to interact and share their knowledge human to human.

With the hope of creating a loving bridge between digital and IRL, which will make you feel both seen and inspired, we will expand our service with LIVE-streamed classes, workshops, lectures and online courses together with Team Yogobe.

All classes are free for all members June 7-13

You can already start registering for all upcoming LIVE classes that are available throughout the month of June and then WE GO LIVE with the first classes on Monday the 7th of June. Between June 7 and 13, all classes are free for our members! After that, you who are a paying member with us always get a 30% discount on all LIVE sessions.

Read more about LIVE and sign up for the free classes here!

Check out this month's LIVE calendar

Several classes every week - the same schedule for one month
We will run on one and the same weekly schedule for a whole month - so that you will have the chance to take part in different classes and teachers. We have several classes every week and the first month you can try classes like Good Morning Soul with Ulrica Norberg and SOMA MOVE with Linus Johansson. You can find the schedule here!

In order for more people to have the opportunity to participate, we have classes at different times, spread over morning, lunch and evening. We have also tried to take into account your different needs and therefore cover several different practices and forms of exercise such as SOMA MOVE, yin yoga, pilates, pregnancy yoga, Embodied Flow, mindfulness and more.

Do you want to influence the content of the LIVE calendar?

We are super grateful if you want to be involved and influence the content of the LIVE calendar by filling out this survey.

If you have any questions or concerns about our LIVE classes, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] ♡

A few minutes a day of activity can give you significant health benefits. Run, Flow, Let Go is a training format that strengthens your body and nourish your emotional being. Discover an experience in training and emotional intelligence – read more here!

What is Run, Flow, Let Go?

Run, Flow, Let Go is a new training format weaving together energizing movements designed to strengthen your body, improve your cardio health whilst nourishing your emotional being.

Each Run, Flow, Let Go video is 5 minutes and includes these three stages:

• RUN – cardio energising exercises based on the essentials of interval training & running.
• FLOW – yoga-inspired movements linked with the breath.
• LET GO – techniques to express & release pent up energy.

In each stage you will be fully ON for 20 seconds & then totally OFF for 10 seconds of rest.

In each video during the LET GO stage, there will be a focus on accessing and releasing one of the primary emotions – MAD, SAD, BAD or GLAD. The session ends with moving into the emotion of GLAD by celebration and wild free dance!

Can a 5 minute workout be effective?

When many of us think about health and getting fitter, we imagine the long, hard slog at the gym for hours or running for miles on a lonely road.

And yet a mountain of science is now accumulating around the merit of micro shifts or micro interventions, short bursts of activity we can do anywhere with next-to-no equipment. The latest science in exercise and health clearly shows that any activity is better than none, and that more is better than a little. The UK health guidelines in 2011 stated we should aim for 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week in bouts of at least 10 minutes with muscle-strengthening activities twice a week, in that order. That advice was changed in 2019 to “some is good; more is better”. The Run Flow Let Go videos are designed around this micro shift format, because we know that as little as five to six minutes a day of objectively measured increases in activity have been shown to deliver significant health benefits.

Let go – train your emotional intelligence

While surgical procedures date back as early as Christ, our exploration into mental health didn’t really start until the mid-18th century, and even then, it was only looking at dysfunction, not how to improve mental health. The consideration of emotional intelligence emerged in 1964, although it didn’t gain traction as a concept until science journalist Daniel Goleman popularised it through his book. Since then, studies have shown that people with higher levels of emotional intelligence tend to have better mental health as they’re able to take a constructive perspective of the ups and downs of their life, and because they’ve developed a level of emotional literacy and mastery over their emotional state.

We need the right vocabulary to articulate to ourselves what we’re feeling and why. If we want to improve how we feel, we need to begin by becoming more aware of what we’re thinking, then change our thoughts accordingly. A simple exercise is to pause and connect to the feeling you’re having — mad, sad, glad, or bad — and think about what might be causing you to feel that way. Emotions are signals, not invitations to take up residency. Run Flow Let Go trains your emotional intelligence by inviting you to move into and let go of the various emotions of mad, bad and sad and we always end in glad, letting go into celebration of life!

Real is where the gold is

I sense that, as a species, we’re at a crossroads. We’ve tried all these different extremes to attain some measure of peace or happiness: success, power, money, stuff, bigger houses, faster cars, nicer clothes, better holidays … but none of it works. We lurch to the other extreme: meditation, shrinking needs, simplicity, deep work, and a quest for enlightenment. It also doesn’t work. It may feel better and more authentic, and we may be able to manage the angst better, but even with glimpses of enlightenment, something is still missing.

And that’s where en-realment comes in. It’s the daily actions and effort to be real that give us the changed reality — not the glimpses of enlightenment, however profound they may feel at the time. I’m forever grateful for the experience, but it’s the daily mantra of being real that has truly changed my life. Life invites us to immerse ourselves in that chaos and wonder, using our real experiences to illuminate our path; to learn, grow, make mistakes, take risks, and seek to become more tomorrow than we were today. Real is where the gold is. It’s also where the heart is (and sometimes the heartache), but it’s worth it.

Further reading – Run, Flow, Let Go, yoga and wellbeing

• Read more about Run, Flow, Let Go
• Design your life – create good habits with the help of yoga and meditation, by Emma Öberg
• Exercise for long-term wellbeing - here’s how you get started, by Tanja Djelevic

Video recommendations – try Run, Flow, Let Go online

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