What is Pilates

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What is Pilates – InnerFit Style

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“Pilates with Kate has increased my mental clarity, self esteem, physical strength and flexibility, previously impeded by an accident. My body is turning into a youthful, more flexible, more functional body.”  – Lois

InnerFit’s Pilates classes involve a fluid continuum of movements that stretch and tone the entire body. The beauty of InnerFit Pilates is that any body shape or size can do it – any person with any level of flexibility is a perfect candidate! Pilates induces a feeling of euphoria, while grace and freedom in your body emerges! Through the fluid movements, great momentum and power is also cultivated –  you may even feel like you are flying!

An InnferFit private Pilates session is a dynamic experience that starts with deep breathing, transitioning into warm up stretching, finally building into resistance strength training. The emphasis on this fitness style is on creating more wellness and functional movement, enhancing your quality of life.

Private Pilates classes are fun and engaging, because they challenge and teach you to do things you did not know your body could do – such as 100 push ups, or to hold a Plank stance for five minutes! Our  instructor is passionate to help you move in ways that are effective, efficient, and stable. Most importantly this class emphasizes functional movement that helps prevents injury and mobility, while creating flexible muscles and joints.

Our Pilates classes are a fusion of a contemporary Stott Pilates Method, focusing on rehabilitation, (branching off from Pilates Founder Joseph Pilates, inspired by principals similar to Alexander Technique, which is about mindful movement that identifies and corrects debilitating movement habits in the body. While the Pilates Reformer is a staple of this class, the emphasis is on using your body’s own weight to build strength. In each of our classes the following equipment is used:

  • Pilates Reformer
  • Stability Pilates Ball (large and small)
  • Hand weights & Body’s own resistance
  • Body weight training (ex plank, squat, push ups, you can do those thinks when you think you can’t)

Pilates Benefits

A regular Pilates practice will increase functional mobility, agility, and coordination. While it may not seem like a big work out in the beginning, the focus on stretching movements for each muscle, make this class both accessible and challenging! Here are some of the great benefits and results of regular practice:

  • Self Awareness – Somatic (body/mind) awareness and ease in your own body
  • Increased range of motion – increases motion in the body itself – utilizing the shoulders, knees, and other challenged joints
  • Elongation of the muscles
  • Creates endorphins and more energy
  • Teaches you to find your own body’s strength
  • Injury rehabilitation
  • reduce pain from repetitive strain injury or carpal tunnel syndrome
  • improves relaxation from back pain and or aching neck and shoulder muscles
  • increase body awareness when sitting at a computer for extended periods of time

History

While Pilates has traditionally been associated as a woman’s fitness form, it was Mr. Joseph Pilates who incepted and pioneered his own self study of fitness –  transforming the Western World’s perception of “core work.”

During WW1, Mr. Pilates taught fellow internment camp members dynamic exercises he created from more than 20 years of study and research. Zen, yoga, and “Atwork,” ancient Greek and Roman floor exercises inspired the movements.

Around 2016, Mr. Pilates was transferred to another camp on the isla of Man, where he cared for injured and sick internees. He implemented a primitive system of springs and straps to hold the feet, hands and back. These springs were rigged to the bed to create resistance and use the body to strengthen weak muscles surrounding injured ones, ultimately rehabilitating the bed-ridden. Mr. Pilate’s system has of course been refined today by sleek studio equipment, such as the Cadillac and Reformer, yet rigging and principals of movement are the same.

The 8 principals of Pilates are breath, control, centering, alignment, precision, concentration, flow, and integration. These foundational principals increase agility and strength, while imbibing one with a sense of self-esteem. Mr. Pilates believed his form of fitness, “Contrology,” the science of control, was superior in empowering people to strengthen and unify all the muscles of the body in perfect balance.

Complimentary Techniques

Movement complements movement! The more you move the more you are going to want to move. When engaging in a Pilates practice it’s great to cross train cardiovascular and supplementary strength training with the PowerPlate and InfrafitX machines. Here are the InnerFit modalities we recommend to get a holistic fitness experience – the InnerFit way:

  • Massage
  • Cranial Sacral
  • InfrafitX
  • Pilates Plate

To book a Pilates Session with Kate, contact us today!