Pilates

A Pilates work-out consists of seven principles:

Alignment: Pilates corrects muscle imbalance and develops awareness of the correct pelvis alignment, the shoulder girdle and neck area and the spine

Breathing: Pilates focuses on lateral breathing, which means that we breathe into the sides and back of our ribcage whilst we keep the deep abdominals and pelvic floor muscles engaged. Good breathing is essential.

Centring: Joseph Pilates called the muscle group in the centre of the body that consist of the abdominals, buttocks, and hips and lower back, the “powerhouse”, now called the core. All movements come from here and flow outwards to the limbs.

Concentration: Pilates exercises demand focus to move correctly. Due to our concentration we develop good technique.

Control: From concentration comes increased body awareness and we are more able to control our movements.

Precision: From Precision comes correct execution and economy of movement. It is important to do the first movement as precise as the last movement, less is more.

Flow: All the exercises in a Pilates class flow smoothly from within, and into each other, to help build stamina and strength. Movements are continuous so that a dance like flow can develop.

Pilates can be done on a level that suits you – even simple movements can make a difference, it can be dynamic and challenging or you can move more gently and slowly.