What is Pilates?

Pilates is an exercise system developed by the late Joseph Hubertus Pilates. A man of vision, he was constantly exploring and discovering new ways to train the whole body. Mr. Pilates saw his training system as a type of body/mind/spirit pursuit, working toward full body awareness and new potentials and possibilities. The system focuses on core strengthening, breath, balance and body alignment.

“Core support” is necessary and desirable to be fully supported in all movement, from sports, to physical labor, to daily activities. You will look better, feel better, and move better when you are moving from a sense of core strength. Breathing supports all movement and a full use and awareness of the breath creates better circulation and health. Strengthening work must be balanced with stretching, for supple, long, lean muscles and injury prevention. Proper body alignment facilitates efficient movement.

In addition, Pilates is designed so that you can always learn new and more challenging exercises and continue to build on your body of knowledge both in terms of your intellectual knowledge of exercises, and in terms of your own body’s internal “knowledge” – your kinesthetic awareness and neuromuscular patterning. So, your training never stops – from the simple to the complex, the Pilates system provides methods for general maintenance and care of the body in addition to long-term development.