Meet 360° Pilates member Tina Lozej: she’s a cat lover and Pilates teacher working in her studio in Nova Gorica, a unique little town on the border between Slovenia and Italy. In 2008 her mother forced her to attend a Pilates group mat class and she immediately fell in love with the method. The aim of her first teacher-training was simply to do the work better at home. Later on, she found an excellent teacher trainer in Italy who inspired her to finish her comprehensive training. But for her, that was just the beginning of an endless journey…
She recently reached out to us with questions about the Spine Corrector because she was in the midst of making her own! We just HAD to inquire…
What inspired you to make your own barrels?
I saw a clip about exclusive footage of the original Pilates apparatus and from that got the idea of making a Small Barrel. My husband is a mechanical engineer, so after making the design for a Small Barrel he asked if there was anything else I wanted. “Let’s make a spine corrector!” said I. All of this was possible because we were in lockdown, had all the materials and tools at home, and most importantly plenty of time on our hands!
Did you make any material or engineering choices that are different from typical barrels?
I was a developer at a mattress company in my previous life, so I am quite familiar with the sort of materials that are used to make Pilates apparatus. One thing that might be interesting is that the material we used to cover the wooden parts was not standard foam, but EPE film, which actually makes the barrels lighter and firmer at the same time. My inspiration was Mr. Pilates himself, who covered the wood with vinyl and didn’t use foam at all. So you see, I went back to the roots.
How does it feel to work out on a piece of apparatus that you made yourself?
It is a nice feeling: the apparatus seems more alive. When I use it, it is not me against the barrel, it’s actually more like what my mind and the apparatus can do together for my body.
Will you make more pieces, and if so—which ones?
My first homemade apparatus was actually a Pedipole. We’ve now made 6 small barrels – in 4 sizes, based on my clients’ measurements – and 6 spine correctors in 3 sizes. We are putting the finishing touches on some High Mats and designing a Cadillac. My dream is to fill my studio with my own homemade apparatus. I am also working on how to incorporate Mr. Pilates’s “V bed” idea.
Thank you for sharing with us, Tina!
Find Tina online: