What is Pilates?
“Pilates is the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.”
-Joseph Pilates
Pilates is a mind-body form of training that consists of low impact exercises to improve your mental and physical well-being. Pilates creates balance in the body by emphasizing muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, coordination, control, awareness, & alignment.
Balanced
Functional
Full Body
FAQs
Where did Pilates Come from?
Pilates is named after its creator Joseph Pilates, who was born in Germany in 1883. Although he had many ailments as a child, his dedication to fitness led him to become a bodybuilder, gymnast, boxer, and diver. Joseph Pilates created over 600 exercises throughout his career using both the mat and apparatus he designed. He used to call his exercises Contrology. His goal went beyond a series of exercises as he thought of Pilates as a way of life.
Who can do Pilates? What if I am new?
Anyone! All are welcome. We recommend starting with private sessions if you are a beginner in order to learn the principles of Pilates.
What should I wear?
Please wear comfortable clothes that you can move in. Avoid zippers, belt buckles, or jewelry as these can cause discomfort while moving and can also damage the equipment. We require socks to be worn for in person sessions. We recommend grip sticky socks.
What is a pilates reformer?
The Pilates Reformer is one piece of equipment that Joseph Pilates invented in the early 20th century. During WWI Joseph Pilates was interned in a camp on the Isle of Man. While there he aided in the rehabilitation of the sick and injured. This was the origin of his apparatus as he began to use springs so that patients could exercise with resistance while still in their hospital beds.
The Pilates Reformer, along with the other Pilates apparatus, is designed to work the entire body. Springs and pulleys are used and adjusted to create resistance and encourage stability. We love the Pilates Reformer as it is versatile, functional, and effective. Schedule a private session to learn more!
Is Pilates a cardio workout?
While Pilates can consist of cardio movement when we add the Jumpboard to our Reformer, it is typically not a cardio workout. You may or may not sweat in a Pilates class. Don’t be discouraged if you are not sweating right away, this does not mean you are not working hard. We purposefully choose to bring our attention inwards and focus on small stabilizing muscles and body awareness.