Ever stumbled through a choreographed exercise session that’s harder to follow than advanced maths?
‘Everybody’s been in a class – it could be Pilates or step aerobics or dance – where you get a bit confused,’ says fitness instructor Gemma Folkard. ‘Don’t worry, it’s actually doing you good.’
Yes, the big bonus is that you’re working your brain as well as your body. It’s why Gemma, founder of Shape Pilates, teaches what she terms ‘Neuroblast Pilates’, ensuring her students strengthen their muscles and their minds.
‘Any mat-based movement, but particularly Pilates, where the choreography requires you to remember and execute complex sequences of movements, can significantly enhance your cognitive function,’ she says.
Gemma explains that her complicated Neuroblast Pilates sculpting biceps and bottom, is also challenging the brain. ‘You often need to interpret and adapt movements, and transitioning smoothly from one move to another [known as flows] requires quick thinking. Neuroblast Pilates is a really effective way to connect mind and body.’
Fitness instructor Gemma Folkard explains that her complicated Neuroblast Pilates sculpting biceps and bottom, is also challenging the brain
Meanwhile, the necessity of retaining complex information stimulates your brain’s memory centres, so if you practice it regularly, Neuroblast Pilates can help improve both short-term and long-term memory by strengthening neural connections and even creating new ones.
And of course, physical activity has innate benefits. ‘You’re getting increased blood flow into your brain,’ says Gemma, plus, you’re improving balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. And crucially, she says it’s not all work, no play. ‘It’s also fun.’
Gemma recommends placing your fingertips on the floor, getting more oxygen to the brain while improving balance, coordination, and spatial awareness
By practising these moves, you’re stimulating both sides of your brain, strengthening neural pathways between them, so you’re building resilience in mind as well as body
Mermaid side stretch: Sit on the ground with your right leg in front of you and your left leg out to one side. Bend your knees, with your right shin lying horizontally to your torso and your left shin extending behind you
One leg circles: Lie flat on your back and raise your right knee. Slowly circle your thigh bone four times as if you’re drawing circles on the ceiling with your right knee. Switch legs and repeat
Below, Gemma reveals two of her Neuroblast Pilates flows – a seamless transition between movements – that will benefit your back, buttocks, stomach, and your all-important brain cells.
The first flow
1. Supercharging your stability
Kneel on a mat, and rub your hands together, until you feel some heat. Doing this increases proprioception – your brain’s sense of the spatial position of your body’s various parts, crucial for good coordination.
Coordination and proprioception are crucial for daily life. What seem like simple things, such as avoiding obstacles while walking down the street, require spatial awareness and get harder as we age. Practising these skills can delay cognitive decline and keep us feeling capable and youthful.
Then move to all fours, knees under your hips and heels of your hands under your shoulders. No sagging torsos allowed. Extend the left arm and right leg – so your left hand is stretched out in front of you, touching the mat, and the right foot is pointed, toes touching the mat.
You’re already working the left and right sides of the brain. Slide both back to the starting position, then out, and in. Your right arm is working hard to stabilise you – keep the right elbow softened.
2. Boosting your balance
Start from an extended position as practised in the previous move, opposite leg and arm stretched out. Then lift the extended arm, and place the fingertips to the forehead – as if you’re saluting. Your shoulders should be square.
Then lift the opposite leg, and bend your knee, so your thigh is horizontal, in line with your torso, and your foot is pointing to the ceiling.
Then curl under, rounding the spine, pulling your head and elbow towards your knee – make a little ball – and extend both arm and leg back out. The knee stays bent. And repeat – on both sides. Loads of balance going on here! This is great for the brain as balance requires it to process sensory information quickly and efficiently.
Activities that challenge balance stimulate various brain regions, including those responsible for motor control, coordination, and sensory processing. This stimulation can enhance overall cognitive function by keeping these brain areas active and engaged.
3. Challenging your memory and coordination
If that’s not enough for your brain (it isn’t) we have more to add on. Extend your left arm and the right leg. From here, bring your left arm down by your hip, as the leg lowers too.
Then lift the leg up, sweep the arm back round so it’s stretched out in front of you, then bend your arm and bring your hand to your forehead as if in salute, as you bend your knee (at a right angle, so your calf and foot are perpendicular.)
Then curl under, drawing in elbow to knee, then lift, and extend. And go again, find your flow. You’re working your abs, and your concentration and focus is working your brain!
Then curl under, drawing in elbow to knee, then lift, and extend. And go again, find your flow. You’re working your abs, and your concentration and focus is working your brain!
If that’s not enough for your brain (it isn’t) we have more to add on. Extend your left arm and the right leg. From here, bring your left arm down by your hip, as the leg lowers too. Then lift the leg up, sweep the arm back round so it’s stretched out in front of you, then bend your arm and bring your hand to your forehead as if in salute, as you bend your knee (at a right angle, so your calf and foot are perpendicular.) Then curl under, drawing in elbow to knee, then lift, and extend.
And go again, find your flow. You’re working your abs, and your concentration and focus is working your brain!
Then lift the leg up, sweep the arm back round so it’s stretched out in front of you, then bend your arm and bring your hand to your forehead as if in salute, as you bend your knee (at a right angle, so your calf and foot are perpendicular.)
Then curl under, drawing in elbow to knee, then lift, and extend. And go again, find your flow. You’re working your abs, and your concentration and focus is working your brain!
The second flow
4. Head rush!
Getting more oxygen to the brain: we begin this flow by standing on the left side of your yoga mat, feet in line with your hips, hands clasped in front of you.
Lift your right heel, and then – move into a wide side lunge. As you bend, that knee should be above your middle toe. Hinge at the hip so your back is at a 45 degree angle. Do bend deeply so you stretch your inner thigh.
Then spring back to your starting position. Spring down, spring up! Your left leg is supporting you. Root it down like a nice solid tree trunk. Can you feel your blood pumping? Excellent! And repeat on the other side.
5. Time for a cross pattern flow to work both sides of the brain
This is beneficial because cross-pattern exercises involve movements where limbs cross the midline of the body. These types of exercises engage both hemispheres of the brain and have multiple benefits for brain health.
These include everything from stress reduction due to distraction (concentration aids this), processing speed and the ability to move smoothly in different directions.
Once you’ve perfected the side lunge, we’ll introduce a cross pattern flow. Step back to your starting position, and lift your right knee, so your thigh is horizontal, and tap that knee with your left hand.
Then we take that same leg behind us – point your right toes to your left buttock – and tap your right foot with your left hand. Then bring your right leg back in front to the starting position – and lunge to the side. Spring back up, lift your right knee – and tap with your left hand.
Is it getting easier? You’re working your hips, glutes, and quads. You’re also stimulating both sides of your brain, strengthening neural pathways between them, so you’re building resilience in mind as well as body.
Congratulations on completing your first Neuroblast Pilates workout – you get an A star!
* You can find more from Gemma Folkard at: and
