Few locations are more synonymous with healthy living than Bondi Beach. The picturesque stretch has long been a favourite for early-morning movement of every variety — ocean swims, seaside runs, Pilates on the sand — so it felt only fitting that Nike chose it as the backdrop to celebrate its new training direction, Just Do The Work.
For one weekend, that ethos took physical form in the Nike Training Worksite, a temporary, open-air space designed for movement led by Nike trainers from across the country.
It also marked the arrival of the Nike Free Metcon 7. Flexible through the forefoot, stable through the heel, and designed to handle everything from quick drills to heavier lifts, it’s a shoe that can genuinely move between disciplines without needing to be swapped out mid-session.
These ideas carried through conversations on the ground with Nike Trainer, physiotherapist, and Pilates educator Liv Suman. She sits at the intersection of strength and mindful movement, and is clear that the two aren’t in competition — Pilates builds stability and control, while strength training provides the load that makes that work meaningful.
Below, she breaks down the nuances of Pilates practice — from mat versus reformer, to the role of Pilates alongside strength training, and the most common misconceptions she still sees today.
Mat vs reformer Pilates — why do you think people tend to have such strong opinions about the two, and how do they actually differ in terms of benefits?
“I encourage my reformer class to get on the mat. Mat Pilates is harder, because there’s no assistance, there’s no springs to bring you home. Reformer is fun because it’s an apparatus, but it does assist you and it helps the movement patterns, which is really nice for a beginner mover. But then once you’ve got your basic skills, mat is hard. There’s no hiding.”
Can Pilates replace other forms of exercise like strength training or cardio, or is it best used in combination with them?
“I see the most benefits for both my clients and my athletes when Pilates is used as a secret weapon. You can’t not strength train, in my opinion — you need to load the tissues, and then Pilates works the stabilising muscles, like the hips and core. It’s setting the foundation to how we move our body under load. So if we can bring the two together, I always say they’re best friends.
In a perfect world, you might be doing strength training three times a week, and then Pilates is complimenting that twice a week.”
What are the most common things people get wrong when they start going to Pilates?
“Breath, and feeling the need to go 100 miles an hour and keep up with the class. It’s really beautiful to slow it down and to learn how to breathe, because that sets you up your entire practice.”
What are some of the biggest myths or misconceptions about Pilates that you still hear?
“Flexibility. People assume you have to be flexible to do Pilates, and you absolutely do not need to be. And the second misconception is that you have to be from a ballerina or dancer background. When actually, I think that the Pilates hits home the best for those who have never stepped into the dance space. They’ve never learned how to, like, stand on one foot and balance.”
How do you know when to push through fatigue in a session versus when your body actually needs rest?
“It’s about learning to tap back into your body. In a world that is hustling and bustling all the time, we don’t often check back and notice how we’re feeling. So there’s a difference in session between pushing to the last rep, and challenging the body to fatigue, and getting to the class completely tired and feeling like you’ve got nothing to pour from.
If you’re lugging your body to class, maybe that’s not appropriate. Maybe you need some mobility and a walk, and to decompress your nervous system rather than firing it back up.”
What does your post-Pilates recovery routine look like, and what actually makes the biggest difference between sessions?
I use Pilates personally as recovery in some capacity, but if we’re talking about recovery after movement and training more specifically it has to be food. I think the majority of the population is under-fueling, particularly women. So eating before you exercise and eating after as well — and a coffee doesn’t count, sorry!
I’m not a nutritionist or dietician but I’d suggest carbohydrates or something that you can digest easily before a workout, and then afterwards, something protein based that’s going to keep you full and fuel those muscles that you’ve just worked.
Do you use any tools or technology to support your training or recovery?
I do lots of travel for work, meaning I’m not often in the clinic or the studio, so I’m on the Nike Training App instead. There’s an array of different classes on there, which is great for when you’re traveling and don’t have access to equipment.
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