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The Benefits of Pilates

Body Awareness

Pilates gives you a new sense of awareness about your own body; how it moves, where it holds tension and where your ideal postural alignment should be. It is this awareness that brings about the first step to change. 

Better Posture

By strengthening weak muscles and lengthening tight muscles we can open joints and realign the body for a better posture.  Poor posture can result in a catalogue of problems such as headaches, neck, shoulder and back pain, to name just a few.

A Stronger Core and Flatter Abs

Pilates is well known for its effect on the abdominal muscles. Learning to integrate the trunk with the limbs through Pilates exercises will help to give you greater stability, range of movement and reduce the risk of injury. By restoring this natural use of the trunk muscles, we can benefit from the added bonus of a stronger flatter tummy. 

Longer Leaner Muscles

The focus on correct body alignment ensures you are utilising the right muscles and develops balanced strength and flexibility throughout your entire body, resulting in longer leaner muscles. 

Rehabilitation

Pilates is recommended by osteopaths, physiotherapists, chiropractors and doctors as a way of rehabilitating patients with neck, back, shoulder and joint pain, as well as muscle imbalances from poor posture or injury. 

Reduction of Stress and Anxiety

Through concentration and focus on breath and alignment through movement, Pilates falls into the category of mindful exercise.  It can allow the mind to become calm and the body to release tension.  You can feel challenged, relaxed and rejuvenated all in one class. 

Adaptable for Age and Fitness Levels

Pilates exercises are low impact and easily modified.  They can be modified to offer suitable alternatives, whether it be to make it more achievable or more challenging.

Efficient Movement and Better Performance

By restoring balance and reducing tension in the body we can move more efficiently.  By patterning movements slowly in good alignment, we reinforce neural pathways, so that we can reproduce these movements efficiently at speed.  Not only will this put less strain on the body for daily activities but it is proven to enhance performance in sport.

The Joy of Movement

And then there is simply feeling joy of movement, opening the body, stretching, lengthening and strengthening. Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.

Joseph Pilates once wrote: "The mind, when housed within a healthful body, possesses a glorious sense of power"