{"id":1439,"date":"2014-10-08T11:52:56","date_gmt":"2014-10-08T09:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/styleafrica.co.za\/?p=1439"},"modified":"2020-09-04T13:32:19","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T11:32:19","slug":"qa-pilates-instructor-leila-kirsten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/styleafrica.co.za\/?p=1439","title":{"rendered":"Q&A with Pilates Instructor Leilah Kirsten"},"content":{"rendered":"

28 year old Leilah Kirsten is a Pilates Teacher, Personal Trainer and Contemporary Dancer. Kyle Haffajee chats to her about her career and love for exercise.<\/p>\n

\u00a0When did you develop an interest in exercise and fitness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have always been an active person.\u00a0 My father was a professional sportsman, so I was always playing tennis, hockey, netball or swimming as a child.\u00a0 It was just part of my childhood.<\/p>\n

I developed a deep love for dance at a young age and would often rearrange the lounge furniture, fiddle through my dad\u2019s CD\u2019s and spend hours dancing around the house.\u00a0 My mom thought it was just a phase, but I ended up having a wonderful career in contemporary dance and have performed internationally and nationally.<\/p>\n

\"Pilates<\/a>
Pilates Instructor Leilah Kirsten<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What made you decide to become a trainer\/coach\/instructor?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I was 25, I burnt out completely and ended up having a panic attack due to extreme emotional and physical stress.\u00a0 It was a bit of a wakeup call and I realized I really wasn\u2019t as healthy as I thought I was.\u00a0 I decided to stop dancing professionally full time and focus on finding other ways to use what I\u2019d learned in the dance world and my skills as a teacher as well as improve my overall health.\u00a0 Personal Training and Pilates kind of happened to me.\u00a0 It was a natural progression from the dance studio to the gym floor\/Pilates studio.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your response to people who say they don\u2019t have time to work out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I honestly think there are no excuses for taking a walk around your neighbourhood or local park twice a week or for doing a few squats or push-ups while you wait for the kettle to boil or during advertisements on the TV.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need a gym membership to be active.\u00a0 Movement is free and your body needs to move.<\/p>\n

What do you think is the biggest mistake people make when it comes to sticking with an exercise routine?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0I sometimes feel people are afraid to ask for help, so they end up doing the same thing over and over again.\u00a0 This not only leads to boredom, but it doesn\u2019t challenge your body in any way. Change it up.\u00a0 Get creative.\u00a0 Ask for help.\u00a0 Try something new.<\/p>\n

\u00a0How do you stay motivated to keep training?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s very important to stay inspired as a teacher by trying new things and attending movement workshops whenever possible.\u00a0 For instance, my next attempt will be Pole Dancing.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never done it, but I\u2019m sure going to try!\u00a0 I need to mention that on most occasions, I am inspired and motivated by the attitudes of the people I teach.<\/p>\n

\"leilafitnes\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0How does the body benefit from variety in exercise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \u201cLeilah\u201d answer to this question is, \u201cThe body benefits from variety in exercise in that the body and mind are constantly being challenged and swept out of comfort zones.\u00a0 This allows for a shift in energy and prohibits stagnant energy.\u00a0 It\u2019s good to be removed from our comfort zones and expose ourselves to different stimuli.\u00a0 This keeps us alert and ready to respond i.e. you\u2019ve fallen off your highs heels but instead of face planting into the floor, you catch yourself with one arm in a deep rotated squat! Whoa!?\u00a0 Yup, that\u2019s what variety in exercise will allow you to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The more prescribed answer to this question is, \u201cThe body benefits from variety in exercise because of adaptations that will take place due to specific demands placed on it.\u00a0 I.e if you do weight training, your body will adapt and eventually be able to lift greater weight.\u00a0If you are constantly challenging the body, it will constantly try to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0How do you change your personal exercise routine up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0I love to mix things up!\u00a0 Sometimes I\u2019ll try to run (because I thoroughly dislike it, so I try to leave my comfort zone).\u00a0 Sometimes I\u2019ll do a quiet stretch session in a corner on my own and other times I\u2019ll attend a High Intensity Interval Training class.\u00a0 Sometimes I\u2019ll throw some weights around or do Pilates. Lastly, sometimes, when I\u2019m feeling emotionally strong I will take myself off to a ballet or contemporary dance class and remind myself of how much I have achieved with this incredible vessel (my body) I have been blessed with.<\/p>\n

For people who have never heard of your form of exercise how would you explain it to them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am a qualified Personal Trainer and Pilates teacher.\u00a0 I also have an extensive contemporary dance career behind me which has exposed me to many movement techniques and \u201cways of doing things\u201d.\u00a0 So, this question is a little tricky to answer.<\/p>\n

Put it this way, if you had to become one of my clients, I would expose you to the best of those three worlds.\u00a0 Breath and control from Pilates.\u00a0 Intensity and form from Personal Training.\u00a0 Creativity and flow from dance.<\/p>\n

How important is eating right?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve heard the saying \u201cAbs are made in the kitchen\u201d?\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m sorry, but it\u2019s true.\u00a0 Gymming for an hour twice a week without sorting out your eating habits isn\u2019t going to do diddly-squat if you want results!<\/p>\n

A lot of the time, new clients will ask me how to improve their daily eating habits, which is why I\u2019ve teamed up with Kelly Scholtz of www.ctdietician.co.za<\/a> to offer my clients a Complete Nutritional Cleanse Guide upon starting training with me.<\/p>\n

What is your favourite workout or exercise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love any exercise that puts my spine into rotation!<\/p>\n

So, anything from a Russian twist with a medicine ball or Pilates \u201cThread the Needle\u201d to a simple rotational spinal stretch lying on the floor.<\/p>\n

I also love to balance and jump!\u00a0 Grande allegro used to be my favourite part of a Ballet class as I could feel how much power my body had as I sprung off the floor into the air.\u00a0 Being airborne for just a few seconds, caused by the sheer power in one\u2019s muscles is quite thrilling.<\/p>\n

To finish, I also love being upside down.\u00a0 So cartwheels and handstands are \u201call the rage\u201d in my world.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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