“Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world, today I am wise so I am changing myself”
“The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life”
“Let your practice be a celebration of life”
Pilates
Pilates is a series of about 500 exercises inspired by calisthenics, yoga and ballet. Pilates lengthens and stretches all the major muscle groups in the body in a balanced fashion. It improves flexibility, strength, balance and body awareness.
Pilates can be an aerobic and non-aerobic form of exercise. It requires concentration and focus, because you move your body through precise ranges of motion. It requires concentration in finding a centre point to control your body through movement. Each exercise has a prescribed placement, rhythm and breathing pattern.
In Pilates, your muscles are never worked to exhaustion, so there is no sweating or straining, just intense concentration. The workout consists of a variety of exercise sequences that are performed in low repetitions, usually five to ten times, over a session of 45 to 60 minutes. Mat and specialised equipment for resistance are used.
The Pilates method is taught to suit each person and exercises are regularly re-evaluated to ensure they are appropriate for that person. Due to the individual attention, this method can suit everybody from elite athletes to people with limited mobility, pregnant women and people with low fitness levels.
Some of the health benefits of Pilates include:
- improved flexibility
- increased muscle strength and tone, particularly of your abs, lower back, hips and buttocks (the ‘core muscles’)
- balanced muscular strength on both sides of your body
- enhanced muscular control of your back and limbs
- improved stabilisation of your spine
- improved posture
- rehabilitation or prevention of injuries related to muscle imbalances
- improved physical coordination and balance
- relaxation of your shoulders, neck and upper back
- safe rehabilitation of joint & spinal injuries
- prevention of musculoskeletal injuries
- increased lung capacity and circulation
- improved concentration
- increased body awareness
- stress management and relaxation
Pilates caters for everyone, from beginner to advanced. You can perform exercises using your own body weight, or with the help of various pieces of equipment.
Focus is put on proper breathing techniques and abdominal muscle control. You may notice postural improvements after 10 to 20 sessions.
Pilates is partly inspired by yoga, but is different in one key respect – yoga is made up of a series of static postures, while Pilates is based on putting yourself into unstable postures and challenging your body by moving your limbs.
Pilates consists of moving through a slow, sustained series of exercises using abdominal control and proper breathing. The quality of each posture is more important than the number of repetitions or how energetically you can move.
Pilates can be performed on a mat, or on a reformer, cadillac or stability chair, or using various props and other equipment to offer resistance to muscles, feedback & support.
The Pilates that we teach at the studio is Stott Pilates, which is world renowned, and excellent for core stablisation, body rehabilitatin and strengthening. For more information, please go to the website:
General Precautions:
Although Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise, certain people should seek medical advice before embarking on a new program, including:
- people who have recently had surgery
- pregnant women
- the elderly
- people with a pre-existing medical condition
- people with pre-existing musculoskeletal injuries or disorders
- anyone who has not exercised for a long time
- people who are very overweight or obese
Always consult your doctor before embarking on any new fitness program, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition or have not exercised in a long time.