Classical Pilates

Overview

Pilates is a method of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates 90 years ago. Born in Germany in 1880, with a sunken chest and asthma, Joseph was obsessed with restoring his health and body condition. Over time he gained strength and became a good skier, diver, gymnast, yogi and boxer, and was able to maintain top physical form well into his seventies.

Pilates aims to uniformly develop and align the human body as an integrated whole, from the deepest & smallest postural muscles to the larger movement muscles of the limbs. In Pilates we concentrate to control the centre of the body 'the powerhouse' to produce precise movements which flow together with the rhythm of the breath. The result is a long, lean, toned and flexible body.

With systematic practice, Pilates has proven itself invaluable not only as a fitness endeavour itself, but also as an important adjunct to professional sports training and physical rehabilitation of all kinds. With the ageing of the population, the increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the trend toward mindful, moderate health practices, Pilates is growing in popularity.

"I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier."

- Joseph Hubertus Pilates, in 1965, age 86

Two ways to learn

Clients can choose between taking matwork group classes or exercising on specialist Pilates apparatus, or a combination of both. Pilates was designed originally to be taught individually using all pieces of equipment, including the mat to tailor the work to the client's individual needs.

Why work on Apparatus?

The apparatus uses springs for resistance and to act as an assist. If the client is not yet strong enough to perform some of the exercises, spring tension can be set to help the body safely undertake the program without injury due to over-straining. As strength develops, the spring tension is modified so that the client does more of the work. This makes the apparatus a useful and valuable tool to meet the needs of every client; from those needing rehabilitation right up to the top athletes.

As well as offering a more individual and therefore more effective program, the apparatus adds a wider variety of exercises to the client. With over 500 exercises in the full Pilates repertoire, the client will continually progress to more challenging exercises.

Benefits

Increased lung capacity and circulation through deep, healthy breathing. Strength and flexibility, particularly of the abdomen and back muscles 'the core' or 'powerhouse'

Improved co-ordination, both muscular and mental. Improved concentration and focus. Better posture, balance, and core strength. Improvements to bone density and joint health through joint decompression and increased range of motion.

Relief from and often the elimination of, lower back, shoulder, hip and knee problems. Less injury from other activities and sports.

Many experience positive body awareness for the first time. Pilates teaches balance and control of the body, and that capacity spills over into other areas of one's life.