What is Pilates?
Pilates is a body conditioning method that works in a different way to other fitness techniques. Targeting your deep postural muscles, Pilates works by building strength from the inside out, rebalancing your body and bringing it into correct alignment. It helps to reshape your body, which will become longer, leaner and more toned. It will also improve your posture, achieving the perfect balance between strength and flexibility, and it is a great way to relieve unwanted stress and tension. It's slow and controlled approach means that it gives much longer term results - and it is especially recommended by medical specialists for those with back problems.
Background of Pilates
The Pilates method was developed by the late Joseph Pilates, born in 1880 in Germany. He was a keen sportsman who developed talents in sports as varied as diving, gymnastics and boxing. He studied many different disciplines and, drawing from each of them, formulated a system that worked for his own body - this became known as the Pilates method. After moving to New York in the 1920's his studio soon attracted the city's elite with actors, dancers and athletes finding that his exercises perfected and complemented their traditional programme and catered for their individual needs - building strength without adding bulk, balancing that strength with flexibility and achieving the perfect harmony between mind and body.
Why Body Control Pilates?
Body Control Pilates exercises are adapted from the ‘classical’ exercises developed by Joseph Pilates. Many of the classical exercises are often not suitable for the average person and the average body. In order for someone to work safely and effectively and to gain the full benefits of Pilates, the classical exercises are broken down to establish good movement skills, building the best possible foundation to progress towards the classical, more advanced work. This is the essence of the Body Control Pilates Method.
If you have not done Pilates before you will need to attend a 1-1 session with myself to give you the opportunity to learn the basic techniques and principles of Pilates before joining a group session. I believe that you will benefit more from your classes by having an introduction session, it also enables me to understand how your body moves bringing awareness to any particular needs or modifications that may be needed in a class.
A word from our practioner Hazel Mills
“I have been teaching within the fitness industry for over 20 years, originally as a freelance aerobics instructor teaching a wide variety of classes including bodypump, bodybalance, step, spinning and a range of bodyconditioning classes. I first took an interest in Pilates after an injury I incurred whilst teaching a high impact aerobics class. I fell in love with Pilates and the whole concept of it. My interest in Pilates grew and still continues to do so.
I took a further interest into rehabilitation and wanted to help people with specific problems and injuries. I was fortunate to be offered work in a rehabilitation clinic where I had the opportunity to work with neck and back patients and sports related injuries, all of which worked so well together with my previous training and my Pilates teaching.
I believe Pilates is a great form of exercise for everybody, seeing the benefits in individuals from seniors to sportspeople to anti/postnatal woman to rehabilitation”.
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