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What is Pilates?
Pilates is a holistic exercise system designed to elongate, strengthen and restore the body to balance; so much more than just building a 'strong core' or 'perfect posture'.
Exercises involve the whole body and are performed on spring-assisted apparatus or a mat, sometimes utilising small equipment.
Pilates is effective as it addresses underlying structural imbalances in the body which can create on-going pain and difficulty with movement. The whole body is considered. Lengthened and strengthened muscles improve posture and overall fitness and retrain dysfunctional movement patterns, restoring optimum physical function.
Regardless of age, ability or fitness level, Pilates is beneficial for everyone.
Regular practitioners of Pilates feel a heightened sense of awareness and ease in their bodies, experiencing less pain and increased mobility. This freedom ultimately leads to increased satisfaction in life!
"The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning develops the body uniformly, corrects posture, restores vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit." - Joseph Pilates
It is this holistic approach that sets Pilates apart from many other forms of exercise. Osteopaths, Physiotherapists and General Practitioners recommend Pilates as one of the most effective forms of exercise today.
Why reformer?
Reformer Pilates is not a new concept, it is about 100 years old... But recently it has taken the world by storm and this could be because people want more for themselves, mentally, physically and emotionally…
When you incorporate activities that you genuinely look forward to, like Pilates, you’re not just exercising your body; you’re nurturing your mind and spirit.
Above all else, a beautiful routine fosters a sense of community. While anyone can work out at home, stepping out of the house to smile, laugh, and connect with like-minded individuals is truly special. It’s about challenging your body together while nurturing your minds in a supportive environment.
Benefits
Potential health benefits to reformer Pilates:
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Tones muscles: Reformer Pilates provides a full-body workout that can help develop a strong core and tone a variety of major muscle groups.
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Builds strength: By adding springs to certain movements on the Pilates reformer, you can increase the exercise resistance and intensity to build strength.
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Increases flexibility: Reformer Pilates is known to improve not only muscle strength but also flexibility and joint mobility. That's because most of the exercises incorporate dynamic stretching.
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Improves posture: Reformer Pilates can support a strong core, promote flexibility and realign the body and spine, which can result in tremendous improvements in postural alignment.
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Corrects muscle imbalances... Reformer Pilates starts by building a balanced core and then strengthening all sides of the body evenly to fix muscle imbalances.
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Prevents injury: By focusing on posture, form and fixing muscle imbalances, the Pilates reformer can create greater balance and efficiency to help prevent injury in the future.
Which Class?
We have several class options to suit all needs:
Fundamentals
Aimed at beginners, your instructor will take you through more classical movements to get you used to the carriage and in tune with your spinal alignment
Classical
Based on the true principles of Pilates
Total Reformer
Hybrid of classical and contemporary Pilates with some functional movement thrown in to create a full body challenging work out
Tower
A vertical frame with springs, straps, and bars attached to it. It's a versatile apparatus that can be used to enhance various Pilates exercises, offering a full-body workout that focuses on strength, flexibility, and control.
Unlike the Reformer, which uses a moving carriage, the Tower provides a stable platform, making it suitable for beginners and those with mobility issues
Pregnancy Pilates
Specially trained instructors to guide you through a safe and effective class tailored especially for those in any stage of pregnancy
Muma and Buba
Bring your baby along and enjoy some special time bonding while you move your body in a safe way after birth (must be signed off by your Dr to attend)
The Tower
The Pilates tower is also known as the half trapeze. The trapeze tower was a direct adaptation by Joseph Pilates of a bed with a frame with springs attached to support or challenge traditional Pilates mat work. The tower (or half trapeze) is an adaptation that can be used in group classes and almost all the trapeze repertoire can be performed using the half trapeze.
Tower classes allow your body to move in a completely different way – and they feel very different. As the angle of pull on the springs is quite different to the reformer the same exercises – i.e. feet in straps can feel very different and emphasise different muscles. The tower is great for getting an amazing stretch and certainly the feedback from our classes is that the stretch you get in tower classes is amazing (don’t worry – you’re still working hard with that resistance!). The tower also lends itself well to working on spinal mobility and can assist mastering moves like the roll-up and teaser by assisting you through the movement.
A Pilates tower class will work all the major muscles groups, muscular endurance, spinal mobility and flexibility. As we said the tower also provides an amazing stretch and also provides great opportunities to challenge your balance. Many of the exercises we do in Pilates reformer classes can also be done in Pilates tower classes – exercises like short spine, bridging, feet in straps, swam, teaser…… but they will feel different on each piece of equipment.
