The Big Picture

By Em Worthington

Staying fit and healthy is so much more than just staying trim — and finding the people who look at the bigger picture can be life changing! For Cata Nadile and her team at Studio Pilates North Adelaide, the popular fitness studio has opened up a way of helping their community in more ways than one.

“The journey I’ve been on with Studio Pilates has been life changing. I have always been in community engagement working with vulnerable people. I loved it but I struggled to switch off at night and then I tried Studio Pilates and realised that my body was feeling good and my mind was able to settle so I could wake up to a new day without feeling drained,” Cata explains.

“It was a light bulb moment and I couldn’t wait to share the gifts I had been given through this practice with others… so I did the course and went on to open Studio Pilates in both North Adelaide and recently, Glenelg! While many good things have come from it, the connections I’ve made with clients is by far the most valuable. To see the smiles on their faces and to hear them acknowledging the changes in their own lives makes me so incredibly happy,” she says.

Cata and her team have proudly supported causes close to them through the studio, including the Jodi Lee Foundation and forming a community group for their elderly clients. “We’ve got a little group of seniors who are 90 and above. They do a class each week and then we all go for coffee and cake together, and it’s wonderful! We look forward to these days as much as they do, and it’s brought nothing but joy!” Cata says.

The team also proudly works with school students and helps to open conversations around mental health challenges faced by so many young people. “You’d be surprised by how many school kids, particularly boys, go under the radar. This is where I can use the skills I’ve gained in my career to recognise people who are struggling — and there’s been a need so I’ve responded to it,” Cata says

During November, Cata has offered a Movember class — a free session once a week on a Monday night for anyone who feels like they need it. “It’s been a way to give them a taste of how the program can help them mentally as well as physically — without any pressure to sign up — and there’s been a great response!

“Particularly young men come in operating at a fast pace and the class is a chance to get them to focus on breathing, slowing down, stretching and having body awareness. It helps them to switch off from everything and that time is purely theirs. For the final session, we arranged a paid partnership workshop with Nick Lee to share some of his award-winning wellbeing strategies from The Healthy Minds Program, which educates us on mental health and suicide prevention. He also provides the links with those who can offer professional support, well beyond what we can give them. 

It’s all about making these daunting topics ok to talk about and whether it’s parents, partners, husbands, children or friends they’re worried about, it helps to open the conversation. You just don’t know what someone could take away from it all and I’m so blessed to be able to play a small part in opening up these conversations or giving someone a place to process their stress,” Cata says.

Not only is it amazing to have such quality services like Studio Pilates on O’Connell Street, it’s so heart-warming to know that there are people like Cata and her team who are nurturing the bigger picture in our community.

Studio Pilates North Adelaide

Shop 36 North Adelaide Village

67 O'Connell Street

studiopilates.com/studios/north-adelaide

Instagram: @northadelaide_pilates