What is Pilates?
Pilates is a form of exercise that works all the muscles of the body, with special attention to the deep, supporting muscles of the core. A well-balanced musculature promotes a balanced posture and gives a pleasing appearance. Pilates exercises move your spine in all directions to help it maintain or regain its flexibility.
If you spend your entire day in the same position, or if you struggle with back or waist pain, Pilates is the perfect exercise for you! It is also an excellent complement to dance or other sports.
Benefits of the Pilates Method in a Nutshell:
- Shapes your body, keeps you fit, and rejuvenates you
- Effectively relieves and prevents back and waist pain
- The best exercise for people with sedentary jobs
- Builds lean muscles and shapes a slim figure
- Improves posture
- Increases spinal flexibility
- Helps prevent injuries (from everyday life to sports-related)
- Improves performance (in professional sports, dance, or recreational activities)
- Enhances body awareness, concentration, and both mental and physical endurance
Who is Pilates recommended for?
Suitable for anyone, regardless of fitness level:
- Those who want to feel strong and toned
- Those suffering from back or lower back pain
- Those who want to relieve stress and muscle tension
- Those who want to prevent injuries, back and lower back pain, or posture problems
- Professional athletes
- Professional dancers
- Individuals requiring post-injury or post-surgery rehabilitation
More about the Pilates Method:
Due to our lifestyle, daily activities, and habits (sedentary work, one-sided physical strain, carrying a shoulder bag on one side, dominant hand use, professional athlete routines, etc.), some muscles are overused while others are barely engaged. This imbalance causes poor posture, which leads to tension, pain, and injuries.
Pilates is about change. Our body is constantly evolving, giving us the opportunity to rebuild ourselves and enhance body awareness. Practicing Pilates allows our body to regenerate and stay youthful. Regardless of age or physical ability, Pilates gently optimize posture, promotes effective breathing, strengthens muscles, builds stamina and improves concentration.
"Change happens through movement and movement heals."
— Joseph H. Pilates
The Exercises and equipment:
Pilates exercises are primarily performed on the mat and the Pilates equipment (Reformer, Trapeze table, Spine corrector, Ladder Barrel, Chair), suitable for working the entire body. I always modify the exercises to your needs. The Pilates equipment helps adapt exercises to individual abilities and strength, making them easier or harder. With the resistance provided by the equipment, muscles can be engaged harmoniously without sudden movements, preventing unnecessary muscle bulk and joint strain. Its gentle nature makes Pilates excellent for rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation.
Controlled execution of exercises allows balanced muscle development, strengthening or stretching only where needed. Pilates not only shapes the body and improves posture but also promotes muscular balance, minimizing joint strain. Movements are always started from the most optimal body position, supporting a better, harmonious posture that is at ease.
During practice, the body is placed in positions where core stabilizing muscles can develop most effectively. You may have heard terms like Core muscles, Centering, or Powerhouse. My technique focuses primarily on the four core muscles and as they can work harmoniously together (the diaphragm, the multifidus muscles of the lower back, the transverse abdominal muscles, and the pelvic floor muscles). Plus the biotensegrity model of our body through our fascia system. The transverse abdominal muscles act like a natural belt, supporting the waist and spine. When your powerhouse muscles function properly, they stabilize the lower back and pelvis and relieve any back pain, often caused by a sedentary lifestyle, regardless of age. These layers of muscles work spontaneously, hence we’ll find the most optimal exercises and load for your body on any given session. This way your body can figure it all out naturally, and you'll use tensions only as little as possible, as much as necessary. That is the way to have efficiency in movement :-)
The benefits of Pilates can be felt physically, mentally, and emotionally. Practicing Pilates can also change your relationship with your body and even the way you view the world. It helps you become more conscious.
Based on my experience, practicing twice a week can bring noticeable changes in a short time. After just a few sessions, you may feel lighter, taller, more energetic, calmer, more confident, and balanced, and experience the joy of moving freely, happily, and without pain.
Important:
If you have a serious injury, pain (especially spinal problems such as herniated discs), or are pregnant and did not exercise before pregnancy, consult a specialist before starting Pilates with me.
Whether it’s an injury, surgery, pregnancy, or planning for pregnancy, please inform me of your condition when booking. Thank you.
Give Pilates a try and experience its benefits for yourself.
See which class type suits you best and Book in.
