Remedial and Holistic Massage, Reflexology, Yoga classes and Chiropractic treatments. My background is Dance, from a young age I wanted to become a Ballerina, however when it came to Pointe work I soon realised I was not cut out for this! I continued with Ballet but also took classes in Tap and Contemporary Dance. I went on to study Contemporary Dance and Ballet at Trinity Laban in London where I gained my BA Hons in Dance Theatre. This was where I was first introduced to the world of Pilates. As part of our training we had Pilates classes to help with fitness, we were also lucky enough to have access to a fully equipped Pilates Studio with Reformers, Cadillacs etc, (looked like a form of torture equipment!) This studio formed an important part of our rehabilitation in case of any injuries...which there were a lot of and I was a frequent visitor! It not only helped me recover physically but also had a positive impact on me mentally. As I am sure most who train in any type of sport, or activity are aware, that to suddenly not be able to do the thing you love can be pretty traumatic. So Pilates was a way to continue training and using my body without impacting negatively on the injury, while maintaining strength and flexibility until I was fit enough to return to class. Once I graduated I worked on a few projects within the dance industry, but soon realised it was the training side of things that I loved and my drive to perform had disappeared. Keen on finding a profession within the rehabilitation industry I completed a Remedial and Sports Massage Course. Working as a Massage Therapist within clinics and on home visits, I learnt a lot about different injuries and conditions. After a few years I moved away from London back home to Wiltshire and was Iucky enough to find Amanda Marsh Physiotherapy in Marlborough. Here I continued working as a Sports Massage Therapist alongside some fantastic Physiotherapists. Realising how important it was for people to take ownership of their own bodies and seeing how Pilates had helped me as a dancer in injury prevention and recovery, I decided to train as a Pilates Instructor with Body Control Pilates. This took slightly longer than anticipated due to the arrival of my daughter, but I was soon teaching Pilates Matwork classes and people on a one to one basis within the clinic. Working with referrals from the Physiotherapists, patients who wanted to improve chronic, existing conditions, those recovering from surgery, women getting back to exercise after having a baby and those who wanted to start Pilates for the fitness benefits. I continued with my CPD training, taking courses in Pilates for Pre and Post Natal, Osteoporosis, Hypermobility and Scoliosis. After almost seven years I left the Physiotherapy Clinic to focus on my Pilates business. This is where I am today, with Claire Adams Pilates. As a Pilates teacher, I try and draw from my experiences as a dancer, massage therapist and from the people I have worked with and put that into how I teach. I focus on posture, alignment and movement quality that can then be used in normal day to day activities or to compliment another sport . Combining strength and flexibility, with an understanding of how the body moves and the reason behind the exercises. I feel very privileged and lucky to love what I do, I enjoy working with a variety of people from all walks of life and I am a firm believer that Pilates can benefit everyone in some way.
