Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. - Joseph Pilates

Benefits of Pilates

Pilates will ultimately lead to your better health. Pilates is a mind-body workout that emphasizes proper breathing, alignment, and concentration on integrated, flowing movement. Pilates will help you feel better and more confident in your body and its ability to perform. 

Pilates appeals to so many because the principals are applicable to people of all fitness levels. At the heart of the Pilates method is a strong core, the core being deep abdominals and the muscles that are closest to the spine. Pilates will condition your whole body, even your ankles and feet. Your entire musculature will be conditioned evenly making your body more efficient and less prone to injury. Pilates will create longer, leaner muscles, to improve your strength and flexibility. Pilates will stretch your tight muscles and strengthen the opposing muscles to correct postural imbalances resulting in better posture. Pilates training can retrain faulty movement patterns to make your body move more efficiently and with better power and control. 

what is Pilates?

Pilates is a form of exercise that aims to create a balance of strength and flexibility in the body through a series of exercises on the mat and equipment. At The Pilates Studio your workout can be vigorous and challenging or gentle and therapeutic. Each session will be tailored to your body and your needs. Every session will address your whole body with a series of exercises that focus on control, precision, range of motion, breath, centering, opposition, flowing movement, and stability. All these concepts lead to a level of body awareness that helps students integrate their workout achievements into their daily lives. You will look better, but more importantly, you will feel better!

what is it like to learn pilates?

Pilates is intelligent exercise. It challenges your mind and strengthens you from the inside out, enabling you to perform complex movements safely, with power and grace. The repertoire builds from simple exercises on the mat and equipment that help you to learn the underlying concepts and movement principles. You will learn things like how to do a proper upper abdominal curl without straining your neck, and how to stabilize your pelvis so that you can protect your back while working out. As you progress, the exercises become more complex, challenging you to use your accumulated knowledge to advance safely through the levels.

what is the difference between mat and equipment?

The mat exercises are among the most challenging, and the equipment was developed to help students progress beyond their body's current limitations of flexibility and/or strength. At The Pilates Studio we have top-quality Pilates equipment. The equipment is all spring-based, which encourages the development of long, lean muscles. The springs can be used to assist movements (helping a student with a tight back to perform a proper spinal flexion exercise, for example), or to challenge movement with resistance.

Thank you to Lisa Graham of Agile Monkey Pilates Studio for her clear and concise writing in the three paragraphs above!