What Is Pilates?
What is Pilates?
Often known for being favoured by celebrities, Pilates has become an incredibly popular way to work out in recent years. With that popularity however, it has often been misrepresented and misunderstood. So, with that in mind, we thought we would bust some myths on what Pilates is, what it’s for and who should be joining us in the Studio.
A brief history of Pilates
Pilates is much older than many people first realise, with Joseph Pilates developing his system of Contrology (what we now call Pilates) in World War I. Pilates worked as a nurse in an internment camp, and modified hospital beds to help patients regain some movement and strength while bedbound. Following this, Pilates moved to New York and opened his first Studio which is where his Method became popular with dancers.
Who is Pilates for?
It might be Pilates’ popularity among dancers that gives people the idea that the Method is for flexible and athletic people. However, it’s important to know that Pilates was designed for people of many backgrounds and abilities.
Pilates is great for people just discovering or returning to exercise, for pregnant and post-partum people needing some extra care and rehabilitation, elite athletes looking to gain stability and strength and everyone in between. The only thing to consider is if you’re comfortable in a group-class setting, or if you need a little more individualised care and attention in a private Studio session.
So what does Pilates actually involve?
That depends entirely on what you choose to do! We offer a range of classes using different Apparatus (the equipment we use). You can choose from Matwork, Reformer, Chair and Arc which all offer their own benefits and styles, or if you join us for a studio appointment, you’ll get to use all of these and more in a workout tailored to your needs.
To put it simply, Pilates is an effective, low-impact workout, that targets all areas of your body to help you gain strength, flexibility, and stability. You might be using your bodyweight or the addition of springs to create resistance and get your muscles working. Our Pilates classes are designed to work every area of the body and explore a range of movements whether you’re seated, standing, lying down, on your side, or even inverted!
Typically, Pilates involves really focusing on the way you’re moving and which muscles you’re engaging – it’s often a mental challenge as well as a physical one. You’ll do short series of moves with no breaks so it becomes a flowing movement, and repeat a few times. Then your instructor might change the movement slightly to target a different part of the body before moving onto something different.
You can always count on Pilates to be a workout that leaves you feeling strong, connected, aligned and more comfortable in your body.
Where to from here?
Now that we’ve established that Pilates absolutely is for you, it’s time to join us in the studio!
If you’re joining us for a group class, we always recommend you start out with a fundamentals class first up, so you can get comfortable with the moves and the Apparatus. Otherwise, book yourself in for an Advanced Assessment, which gives you 90 minutes to work 1:1 with one of our highly qualified Instructors to work on exactly what your body needs.
Pilates for every. Body.