What is Pilates?

Pilates is a system of movement developed by Joseph H. Pilates in the early 1900’s consisting of a series of approximately 500 precisely designed movements performed on a mat or specially designed equipment. It is a balanced blend of strength and flexibility training that improves posture, reduces stress and creates long, lean muscles without bulking up. Pilates is functional, working several muscle groups simultaneously through smooth, continuous motion, with a particular concentration on strengthening and stabilizing the core (the abdomen, back and pelvic girdle region, sometimes referred to as the “powerhouse”).

Pilates takes a balanced approach so that no muscle group is overworked and the body works as an efficient, holistic system in sport and daily activity. The focus is on quality of movement rather than quantity, which makes one feel invigorated rather than exhausted after a session.

The Pilates Method is a holistic discipline that integrates the mind, body and spirit.

• Mind ….. When Joseph wrote his ground-breaking book Return to Life through Contrology his first piece of text stated “Physical fitness is the first requisite to happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.” When we are feeling good mentally we ultimate look and move better too.
• Body ….. The Pilates repertoire coupled with its key principles allows for instructional sessions to be designed to address specific needs creating balance in the body. As Joseph stated in his writings, “Contrology (Pilates) is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, the way you play and the way you work.”
• Spirit ….. When the mind is engaged and focused and the body strong, flexible and coordinated the spirit is naturally elevated. The studio offers a quiet and tranquil atmosphere to support this mind, body, spirit experience with Pilates.