Pilates is for EVERYONE!

Anyone wishing to improve their overall fitness, enhance their appearance, improve their flexibility, suppleness & posture & live a healthier lifestyle would be a suitable candidate for Pilates.

Beginners – those who have never exercised before or anyone returning to exercise after a long break, will find Pilates a safe, non-impact way of improving total physical fitness without stress and strain on the body which some of the more vigorous forms of exercise cause. 

Professional Athletes can enhance performance.

Sports injuries, especially if they are caused by muscle imbalance. 

Back pain sufferers may find relief of pain especially pain related to poor posture.  Physiotherapists actually use Pilates techniques in the treatment of back pain, so under the supervision of a qualified physiotherapist, participation in a course of Pilates exercises would be a safe and effective way of exercising without putting undue stress on the spine. 

The elderly will find that this gentle yet effective form of exercise and conditioning will enable them to maintain their mobility and hence their independence for longer. Age is no barrier – anyone of any age can benefit.

Osteoporosis sufferers benefit through treatment and prevention.   

RSI and ME sufferers may find benefit through relief of symptoms.

Pregnancy. Pilates is a safe and effective form of exercise for both pre and post - natal women. The weakening of the pelvic floor, incontinence and weak abdominal muscles associated with pregnancy can be corrected using Pilates techniques.

Stress related illnesses. Stress can be reduced by engaging in Pilates exercises. Everyone suffers from stress at some time just from normal everyday life. What better way to reduce the harmful effects which stress can have on the body than the gentle, safe Pilates exercise techniques. 

Sufferers of eating disorders and weight disorders can be helped by the Pilates method.

The benefits of Pilates can be both physical and mental.

Pilates is the ultimate mind-body exercise, which uses a balanced approach to unite body and mind.

Pilates improves overall body tone through:

• Strengthening muscles in the back, hips and abdomen enabling better support of the spine
• Toning, lengthening and strengthening of the other muscles in your body.
• Flat abdominal muscles.
• Loss of inches on hips and thighs.
• A slimmer waist.
• A taller, leaner look.
• Improved posture and a more graceful way of standing and moving.
• Increased flexibility.
• Improved cardiovascular fitness.
• Redistribution of weight.

Other health benefits from following the Pilates program include:

• Increased strength, stamina, and bone density.
• Improved breathing techniques.
• Reduction of stress and fatigue
• Improved balance
• Enhanced sex life
• Better concentration
• Improved sleep patterns
• Improved sense of well-being
• Injury Prevention
• Improved bladder control and bowel movements

 Benefits for the Elderly

• Improved circulation
• improved range of movement
• Improved balance
• Improved overall strength
• An increase in bone density will guard against osteoporotic fractures. 

Benefits for Chronic Pain Sufferers

• mobilisation of the joints
• strengthening of the muscles 

Pilates is a gentle method of exercising and conditioning which is safe enough to do every day.  

We recommend 3 Pilates sessions a week is optimum.

Twice a week would be adequate but one session a week would not be enough for you to experience all the benefits that the program can offer. 

Consistency, especially in the beginning, is the key to seeing results. 

So ideally, we suggest that you commit yourself to 2 - 3 sessions a week, which will ensure that you start seeing results almost immediately.

In addition to your 2-3 sessions per week in the studio with our instructor, we strongly recommended that you follow a home program.  We can tailor a program to your needs and to your own pace and which will build on the work done in class. This will enable you to achieve your goal of a new, fitter you more quickly. This will not be a rigid program but will be one that will be adapted to your own needs and your level of fitness.

These 20 minutes or so a day spent at home practising the exercises shown to you during classes will be invaluable in helping you to reach your target of a new stream-lined, fitter, healthier body.

A series of the exercises designed by Joseph Pilates are non-weight bearing exercises performed on a floor mat. These exercises are the corner-stone of  the  Pilates body-conditioning system. 

Mat exercises help achieve total strength and correct posture by contributing to the development of the body’s “powerhouse”. No force is placed on joints or ligaments, but on the muscles that support them.

Each movement is carefully controlled, concentrating on aligning, lengthening and strengthening the muscles. 

Correct breathing patterns whilst doing these exercises are vital for channeling energy into the muscles being used, whilst relaxing the rest of the body.  Although the program is not considered to be ‘aerobic’, you will notice that as you become more proficient and able to perform each movement in succession, your body will begin to experience ‘aerobic benefits’ such as increased heart rate. 

In addition, these mat exercises relax your body and mind, allowing them to come together as one.

Mat classes are recommended as part of a complete program as this floor work utilizes the body’s resistance, helping to improve flexibility without the aid of equipment, whilst at the same time loosening and smoothing the action of the joints. 

The group matwork classes are a great introduction to the Pilates method of exercising and with small classes, our instructor is able to cater to your ability and level of fitness, individualizing the exercises if need be. 

Mat classes are recommended for beginners and advanced students alike.

An additional benefit of the mat series is that they can be practised at home and can also be done when traveling.
 

Our Pilates studio is fully equipped with equipment, designed by Joseph Pilates himself - the Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Spine Corrector, Ladder Barrel & Fitness Circles.  Under the watchful eye of our instructor, you may take equipment- based classes which involve the use of this specialized equipment either on a one-to-one basis or in a small group. These pieces of equipment have been designed to complement the actions of your own muscles. However, you do not play a passive role but rather use each of your muscle groups to move and control the equipment, stretching and massaging the muscles as you do.

The Reformer is a mobile horizontal platform with a sliding carriage controlled by springs and pulleys.The springs provide added resistance, which can promote additional strength and increased flexibility. The springs and pulleys are used to adjust the level of resistance. Exercises for this piece of equipment include ones which require you to stand, kneel, sit or recline on the apparatus. This piece of equipment allows you to stretch further than you could unassisted.  You will learn muscle control and balance whilst increasing muscular strength.

The Cadillac is a trapeze-like table which has a series of springs and pulleys suspended from a canopy. As this piece of equipment is raised off the ground it is ideal for anyone who has problems getting down on the floor.

In addition to these pieces of equipment, equipment classes may include the use of toning equipment such as Balance Balls and Thera-bands and the Magic Circle.

A combination of matwork and equipment classes forms the basis of the ideal Pilates program.

• comfortable, snug-fitting clothing which will not restrict movement or              affect circulation. Suitable clothing are leggings, shorts, bike pants & T-shirts.
• clean socks. You do not need any other type of footwear. 
  
• a towel
  
• bottle of water
  

 Please arrive 5 minutes early for your first session to complete an information sheet.

We will design a safe, effective program tailored to your specific needs and paced to suit your ability and level of fitness, taking into account any medical or physical problems you may have. Our instructor closely supervises your progress at all times ensuring that you use the proper techniques and patterns of breathing to gain maximum benefit from your workouts.

The program consists of over 500 low-impact, controlled movements which can be done on a floor-mat or on the specially designed Pilates equipment which you will find in our well-equipped studio.  These movements were designed by Joseph Pilates himself to enable the body to work as an integrated unit, moving with control grace and fluidity.  You will progress at your own pace through the basic techniques and exercises, gradually advancing to the full range of movements. 

All classes are kept small to allow for this personal supervision. 

Joseph Pilates’ promise was that in "10 sessions you would feel a difference, in 20 sessions you would see a difference and in 30 sessions you would have a new body."