Why the rest day is part of the training, not a break from it
January is the busiest month for training plans. People sign up for thirty days of classes, download a running programme and promise themselves they will not…
Javier Llorens
Javier coached amateur runners and climbers in Valencia for years before he started writing. He covers mobility, recovery, sleep and the slow, unglamorous work that keeps joints happy, and he reads the research before he repeats it.
Stories by Javier
How to learn Pilates from a book without picking up bad habits
A book is good at teaching Pilates order and set-up, but it cannot see you. How to learn at home with a written guide, a simple log and the occasional lesson.
Why five careful repetitions beat twenty quick ones
Pilates asks for three to five repetitions where a gym asks for fifteen. Why the method keeps the numbers low, and how to make each of those few count.
The three anchors of the pelvis and how to find neutral
Two hip bones and the pubic bone form the triangle Pilates teachers use to find neutral. How to feel it lying, sitting and standing, and when to let it go.
Building towards the Teaser, the mat exercise that tests everything
Why the Teaser is the signature Pilates mat exercise, which earlier exercises prepare you for it, a step by step progression and the faults that stall it.
Being in shape is about what you can do, not how you look
A practical definition of fitness built on strength, stamina, mobility and balance, with simple tests to try at home and a plan to train for capability.
A ten-minute hip mobility routine for long days at a desk
A ten-minute hip routine for desk days: eight simple moves with timings and easier options, why sitting leaves hips stiff, and how to fit it into work.
What the core really is, and why it matters more as you age
Your core is far more than your abs: diaphragm, pelvic floor, deep trunk and hip muscles. Why that matters as you age, and how Pilates trains all of it.