Pilates is coming to Village Physio!

Over the last month, Maddie has been studying hard for her certification in Matwork Pilates. Starting in February, Maddie will be running both individual and small group classes (max 5) within the clinic. If you are keen to join, please contact the clinic to register your interest.

What is Pilates?

Developed in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates where he devised a sequence of movements that worked the mind and muscles in harmony. During WWI, Joseph Pilates whilst working at an infirmary engineered a way to rig springs on hospital beds to offer light resistance exercises to bedridden patients. This later became known as reformer Pilates.

Pilates focuses around specific activation of stabilising muscles, balancing out muscle systems and developing a long, lean body. There are multiple forms including matwork, reformer, bands/blocks/circles and wunda chair.

How does it work?

Pilates leads to:

• Increased core stability
  • When referring to the “core” we are not only talking about the deep abdominal muscles but also the stabilisers of the shoulders, neck, pelvis, hips and knees
• Total body conditioning
  • Targets all the muscles of the body in one session thus is the most effective way of changing overall body shape
• Correction of muscle imbalances
  • From side to side and front to back, muscles may be weak or tight. Pilates will strengthen weak muscles and lengthen those that are tight through identification of these imbalances.
• Improved posture
  • This is achieved through strengthening the postural muscles and correcting any imbalances.

Pilates vs Weights program

You may be wondering what the difference between Pilates and a weights program is. In a traditional weights program, it is common for individuals to focus on one muscle group per exercise (ie Biceps). This will lead to gains in bicep strength, however far too often we see people who have overworked one muscle group (generally the larger groups) and forgotten about others (generally the stabilisers/core).

Correct muscle activation and control of movement is essential in Pilates. Pilates focuses around the movements flowing and has a greater emphasis on correct posture through movements. Rather than focusing on one muscle group, Pilates will incorporate toning of both the larger and smaller muscle groups together. Quality of movement over quantity (or level of resistance) is a major focus point in Pilates.

What if I have an injury?

Pilates is focused around being a workout based class rather than rehabilitation. However, it is highly beneficial for anyone with an injury. Once we have any pain or injury, our body learns to move differently to compensate for the injury/pain. Once we have healed, these compensations may be ongoing. Pilates is a great way to re-balance the muscles systems out and learn how to diminishes your learnt compensations.

Prior to attending a group class, we encourage everyone to book in for a one on one session. In this session, we will learn about any injuries, conditions, pain you have, assess your posture and also your ability to activate your stabilising muscles. By attending this one on one session, you will gain more from the group classes as your problem areas will have been identified.

Whats next?

So are you keen to learn the art of Pilates??? Why not contact our lovely staff members to register your interest for our Pilates classes. Book your pre-scan now!

“The mind when housed within a healthful body, possesses a glorious sense of power” by Joseph Pilates.