PILATES
Pilates caters for people of all ages and from all walks of life. Pilates is literally for everybody whether you’re young or old, sit a desk, play sport or recovering from surgery. Pilates is much more than a form of exercise. It educates you on how to move properly and where to move your body from. Once you achieve the proper movements you will learn how to get desirable results in terms of fitness and muscle tone, sports performance, reduced pain and functional daily activities.
Pilates aims to strengthen the body with particular emphasis on core strength to improve general fitness and wellbeing. Pilates lengthens and stretches all the major muscle groups in the body in a balanced fashion to help build muscle tone and increase body awareness.
PILATES CLASSES
Pilates is offered on a personal one on one basis, a group or class based setting and also through an online medium via Zoom. All classes are performed by a qualified PPI instructor with 5 years experience in the industry working within a class/studio setting with groups, individual clients and sports teams.
There are six main principles on which pilates is based. They are as follows: control, breath, flow of movement, precision, centring and stability. One of the great things about pilates is that you can achieve spectacular results with very little investment in gym membership and equipment. Exercises can be performed using your own body weight and with the help of various pieces of equipment. Protecting the spine is key so it is essential to work out on a mat that is thick enough to cushion and support the vertebrae.
A typical class includes a number of exercises and stretches.
Each exercise is performed with proper attention to breathing techniques and abdominal muscle control. All classes are planned so that you can set yourself goals and keep track of how you’re working and monitor progress. Classes are mat based with a series of exercises performed on the floor using gravity and your own body weight to provide resistance. The aim is to condition the deeper, supporting muscles of your body to improve posture, balance and coordination.
HEALTH BENEFITS
- Improved flexibility – your muscles are free from tension and are no longer restricted with movement.
- Proper alignment balances your skeleton so that the incidence of muscle strain or injury is reduced significantly.
- Increased muscle strength & tone, particularly the abdominals, lower back, hips and buttocks which help to reduce tension and strain in the body.
- Improved posture through correct body alignment.
- Enhanced muscular control of back and limbs so that you are less likely to suffer from muscle/ joint aches and pains.
- Develop better body shape and muscle tone by sculpting your waist and toning your abdominals, buttocks, thighs and arms.
- Muscle endurance builds through individual exercises and within workouts. Pilates helps to build stamina both physically and mentally by completing each repetition, exercise and sequence
- Stress management and relaxation– stress is one of the biggest negative factors of modern life affecting both our physical and mental wellbeing. Pilates promotes the release of endorphins which help to energise and invigorate your body whilst also providing a sense of calm and relaxation.