What is Pilates?

Pilates exercise is a body conditioning routine designed by Joseph Pilates, that helps to build flexibility, strength, endurance and coordination in the legs, abdominals, arms and back. Pilates exercises are designed to align the body's bony structures thereby creating correct and balanced musculature function. Great focus is on the body's centre and maintaining alignment.

With our Pilates instructors fully trained, to the highest standards, in matwork exercises and equipment, a group or private Pilates class can be created according to the requirement of the individual or number of individuals.

Contact us now to find out we can help you or your team.

Why Practice Pilates

The Pilates method is well reputed for toning abdominals and the exquisite results one can achieve from this. Pilates focuses on initiating all movement from the core, in particular the deep abdominals. This toning of the abs and pelvic floor muscles offers stability and the freedom of supported motion throughout the body resulting in reduced work-load to the back and consequent reduced back pain.

"You must always do it slowly and smoothly. Then your whole body is in it." - Joseph Pilates

Pilates instruction is well-known for toning abdominals and the results one can achieve from this. The reason that Pilates focuses on working from the core, especially the deeper abdominal muscles, is that toning the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles provides stability and freedom of motion throughout the body. This is one of the reasons that Pilates courses have been so successful for people with back pain.

Who Founded Pilates?

pilatesThe Pilates method, initially termed “Contrology”, incorporating the mind to control the body’s muscles, was developed in the early 20th century by German-born Joseph Pilates who was born in 1883.

Joseph Pilates was a weak and unwell child who dedicated his life to improving his own physical strength. He skied, studied body-building, qi-gong and gymnastics. At fourteen years of age, in great shape, he posed for anatomical charts and determined that contemporary living, poor posture, and shallow breathing were the main cause of substandard health. He ultimately devised a system of exercises and engineered the equipment out of hospital beds and springs. The Pilates Reformer and Cadillac (required to teach Josephs’ method properly) were born. Today these machines still hold the same principles and do not look unlike those devised over 100 years ago.

Rehabilitating Detainees with Pilates

Pilates moved to England in 1912, working as a professional boxer, circus-performer and self-defence training instructor for the Police force and Scotland Yard. The British authorities however interned him during World War I and it was at this time that Joseph Pilates began to work with rehabilitating soldiers who were brought in with diseases and injury.

It was invention born of necessity that inspired him to utilise bed-springs to create resistance; reformer Pilates exercise equipment that helped to rehabilitate the soldiers. With his study of yoga and the movement of animals he trained his fellow inmates to an outstanding physical shape that, it is said, helped them to survive the great pandemic of 1918.


Losing Weight with Pilates

losing weight with pilatesIf weight loss is the issue, then a practice involving a dynamic Pilates sequence can be created for private one to one or group training.

These exercise programmes are designed to reduce weight, lose inches and sculpt bodies.

The Pilates 6-Pack

Many people come to Pilates in order to gain stronger abdominal muscles and this is ultimately very achievable. However, the work does not stop at one's core.

Structural integration and learning to create a flexible, strong body that can move freely and efficiently are important goals of Pilates fitness. To this end, Pilates works all body parts in a very balanced way.

How can Pilates Support Corporations and Individuals?

Back problems are one of the biggest causes of absenteeism from work. Pilates exercises incorporated into a corporate health and fitness programme can help staff to maintain a supportive posture, teach individuals to be body conscious and aware of faulty movement patterns and encourage them to integrate healthy habits into their lives.


Pilates and the Growing Issue of back Pain

pilates and back painThe principles of Pilates are in alignment with exercises that support back care. Awareness of the neutral spine and strengthening of the core postural muscles that support this alignment is vital knowledge for any patient with back pain.

Patients with pain caused by excessive movement and degeneration of the inter-vertebral discs and joints are particularly likely to benefit from the Pilates method. In addition, postural imbalances and irregularities can be improved upon resulting in less wear and tear on the inter-vertebral discs and joints.

Pilates improves mobility, flexibility, strength and suppleness of the bodies largest joints such as the hip, shoulder and knees. Controlled movement through these joints helps maintain an evenness of the muscular structure preventing unnecessary ‘pulling’ of the vertebral column, out of alignment. Pilates brings about body awareness of one’s movement patterns that may stress the spine, and an understanding of how to change the patterns to ones that maintain neutral alignment. Concentration and awareness of excessive tension in the body help to bring about a more positive outcome.


Increased Productivity at the Office

increased productivityWhat is fitness? What is health and fitness?

For men fitness is often more of a priority than health. With Sublime that is a good place to start as like peeling the layers of an onion, the health benefits will unravel.

What kind of fitness training might your employees be interested in? What would fitness classes, even a commitment to fitness courses have on the productivity of your team? What does life fitness mean to your team?

We encourage you to ask your heads of department if they believe fighting off the 'afternoon sluggishness' might make deadlines and targets easier to attain. We are more than happy to come in and talk to you, offer a sample Pilates class, yoga class, fusion class, meditation class, bespoke class to your requirements.

Fitness for women and mens fitness classes can be created if it is your belief that your staff would feel more comfortable in unisex classes. As a result of getting the team moving, you as an employer will reap the benefits of a happier, healthier, more positive staff!


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