about pilates

pilates is breath.
it is bending your spine.
it is taking control of yourself through flexibility and strength,
through precision and control,
through movement.

Originally known as "Contrology", the method now known as Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates from the early 1900s until his death in 1967. His fascination and devotion to human health began because Joseph was born small and quite ill. He suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever.
Through ongoing education, discipline, and imagination he cured himself of all his ailments. By his early teens he had become an anatomical model. He grew to become a pugilist, a gymnast, trainer of many athletes such as prize fighter Max Schmelling and the Hamburg Police.
The Pilates method is designed to uniformly develop supple and pliant muscles that are equally as strong as they are flexible. He believed that a long and strong muscle is much better equipped to function properly than the short, bulbous ones often sought by weight-lifters.
In order to create a uniformly developed body, attention must first be paid to the breath. Deep and full breath is essential for nourishing muscles with oxygen rich blood and for proper muscle response.
And rather than developing just the muscles right under our skin, the Pilates method focuses on strong and responsive "core" muscles as well as the smaller stabilizer muscles that hold our bodies together and help create fluid movement just as much as we develop the superficial muscles we can see under our skin.
Consistent Pilates training can restore proper posture, increase your energy level, combat nervous tension, osteoporosis, back pain, and many other ailments that plague so many of us. In the simplest of terms, Pilates works to restore you to your original state of health, before modern society got in the way.
Joseph Pilates developed highly specialized apparatus to isolate core muscles by magnifying or decreasing the effects of gravity, and to elicit proper muscle firing by the use of springs for resistance. Pilates exercises are performed both on the mat (with no props required) and on the equipment. None of the exercises should work the muscles to failure or pain, but should rather train you to move with control, efficiency, and grace.
For rehabilitation of injury, Pilates has proven extremely safe and effective. One can perform closed-chain movements on the machines, which allow for muscle workout while properly compressing the involved joints and controlling the amount of stress placed on them. These movements, when repeated can train a person how to move properly, which can prevent re-injury.
what is a regular session like?
It is ideal to have a private for your first session. First sessions are designed to discover your unique goals, strengths and limitations and familiarize you with the studio how our future sessions will unfold.
If you are interested in duets, you and your partner must first gain approval prior to attending a duet in order to make sure you understand the fundamentals of the Pilates method, the equipment and to properly and safely enjoy the shared time. This approval is gained through practice at our studio so we can see how each of you move and learn, and assure that a duet would be beneficial to you both.
homework?
"Only through discipline can you attain freedom" I was once told. So, yes, I believe in giving "Pilates homework". Change doesn't happen overnight, nor does it happen quickly by practicing once a week. Incorporating basic Pilates principles into your everyday life is crucial to achieving lasting change. Discipline doesn't have to be arduous…. It can be fun. Don't be shy. If you have a question… PLEASE ask!
should I do just pilates?
Absolutely not. Variety is so very important, so keep running, cycling, surfing, playing tennis, or lifting weights…. Whatever it is you enjoy, keep doing it. Pilates will deepen your ability to perform in all other forms of exercise you already do, even if that is simply walking. Our bodies and our minds