This is a question I ask myself regularly. Teaching approximately 90 clients each week over many years, I like to be clear in my mind as to what we are all trying to achieve.
At Pilates By Physiotherapy our training was based on the Traditional Principles of Joseph Pilates blended with an understanding of recent research in spinal strength, movement and back pain. That brings us to the term Modern Pilates being defined as
a mind-body exercise approach requiring core stability, strength and flexibility, with attention to muscle control, posture and breathing .
The huge variety of clients we see at the studio is testament to the benefits Pilates brings to a huge range of people from healthy adults to athletes to aging adults to those with Back pain and Neuromuscular conditions.
Over the past 10 years there have been many small studies showing the benefits of regular Pilates and feedback from clients supports many of these claims.
Archie is having trouble choosing which ball to play with !!
For me, the main benefits of Pilates are Improved Core Strength, Balance, Body awareness and a feeling of wellbeing .
Improving core strength leads to improvements in balance and flexibility. It is now well understood that using a whole body workout like Pilates can be more beneficial than isolated stretching exercises.
Making sure that clients find good postural alignment while doing the exercises is an important part of our teaching. Good postural alignment has been shown to lead to improved posture, more efficient movement and less pain.
Joseph Pilates reminded students to concentrate when performing the method, emphasizing that concentrating would help them to achieve correct movements and to build a sound mind. Preliminary evidence suggests there are brain fitness benefits from practicing Pilates. A small study in 2013 found an increase in the brain’s neural network activity, memory performance and other cognitive functions in people participating in Pilates.
One paper claims an improvement in waist circumference over an 8 week period !
As Pilates By Physiotherapy continues to grow our knowledge and understanding of Pilates grows too. Working with clients over a prolonged period of time, observing the changes in their posture, flexibility, strength, co-ordination and balance gives us all a fantastic opportunity to learn more and more about the effects of practicing Pilates. It is a real pleasure to see clients develop the strength and alignment Pilates brings and see their enjoyment in mastering the challenges Pilates presents.
As the New Year begins I encourage everyone to continue with their efforts at Pilates. Working either on line or in the studio hopefully means you can find a class that suits you. Do make the most of your plan and fit in a second session using the videos (you will feel the benefit of doing a second session each week even of just 15 / 30 mins)
The new class on a Thursday morning is filling up quickly. There is space in the Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evening sessions and the Saturday morning classes. Traffic seems much better now that the ‘Browney road’ is open so do consider the Live Studio classes to get the best out of your Physiotherapist !!
Thank you all for your continued commitment to Pilates By Physiotherapy and your great ability to spread the word about our classes. ..please keep it up !! We hope 2023 will see us back to our pre covid level of activity.
We are all looking forwards to continuing to share your Pilates Experience
Anne