What is Pilates?
Pilates was created by over Joseph Pilates 70 years ago. He originally named his method "Contrology" because he believed in the power of our minds to control our bodies.
He is quoted as saying:
"one of the major results of Contrology is gaining the mastery of your mind over the complete control of your body. After 10 sessions you'll notice the difference, after 20 sessions others will notice, after 30 sessions you'll have a whole new body!"
Joseph Pilates
Pilates is an art
Like martial arts and dance, pilates requires regular practice and patience to achieve perfection.
Pilates is movement
It utilises the core to initiate a wide range of movements in a controlled and flowing manner.
Pilates is exercise
It develops the body's strength and flexibility through a series of exercises that target individual muscle groups. The goals are superior core muscles - abdominal, buttocks, back and integration of the spine and limbs.
Each exercise is executed with a limited number of repetitions. The aim is to perform the exercises with deep concentration, complete control and body awareness.
Pilates is not purely physical
It focuses both on the mind and muscular system to achieve mental and physical harmony.
People often ask if they can de-stress by doing pilates. However, pilates requires mental focus, which means your mind stays sharp throughout the workout and so a good pilates workout should leave you feeling energised and alert!
Benefits of Pilates
As pilates is a whole body workout that is challenging on muscles, yet gentle on joints, it can benefit all individuals, ranging from the elderly and those who suffer from lower back discomfort, to fitness enthusiasts.
The increased strength, flexibility, alignment and physical awareness from a specific pilates programme is also great for athletes, such as golfers, tennis players, tri-athletes and even dancers to improve their performance and prevent future risk of injury.
Key benefits include:
- Relief from aches & pains
- Aids post-injury rehabilitation
- Improved muscle flexibility
- Better posture
- Mind-body connection for greater body confidence
- Increased joint mobility
- Superior abdominal strength
- Enhances sports performance
- Maintains muscle tone for expectant mums
- Long, lean defined muscles
- Eases neck pain and headaches
