Pilates

 Pilates is an exercise system created 75 years ago by Joseph Pilates. During his childhood, in Germany, he suffered with bouts of rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever, prompting him to take up physical fitness to improve his health and body image. He devised an exercise programme whilst interned in England during the First World War and became strong enough to be an accomplished bodybuilder, diver, skier and gymnast.   Joseph Pilates realised that when there was a weak or misaligned area in the body, the person tended to overdevelop or over-compensate in another area. Therefore it was essential not only to correct the misalignment, but to re-educate the body so the problem did not re-occur.  

 Eight Principles of Pilates  

 Concentration - The art of being able to concentrate and block out all other thoughts, focusing on each movement, bringing mind and body together.  

 Breath - During Pilates we engage the deep abdominal muscles, so we cannot breathe out ‘through the stomach’, which is the way most people breathe. We breathe into the rib area in Pilates, called Lateral Thoracic Breathing. This can be difficult to grasp at first, but comes with practice.  

 Centring - In Pilates all movement originates in a strong centre or ‘core’.  

 Relaxation - By recognising areas of tension in the body, you can focus on releasing this tension during your session. Relaxing the body and allowing it to move in a natural flowing way helps to release physical and mental stress.  

 Quality - In Pilates we focus on correct alignment and position of the body, so we are re-educating your postural muscles.  

 Flowing Movement - Pilates exercises are performed in a flowing way aiming to achieve slow controlled and precise movement.  

Awareness - Everybody is unique and each exercise will challenge a person in a different way. Learning our own body’s strengths and weaknesses means we can work towards correcting any imbalances and improving the function of the body.  

 Stamina - As with all exercises, repetition and frequency will increase skill level and improve the strength and flexibility of the body.