Powerful Pilates
Participants will safely learn the first seven exercises of the traditional Pilates Mat series. Focus is on form, centering and control to increase strength and flexibility. Pre-requisite for Beginner II, Intermediate and Advanced level Pilates.

Please select an area of interest:

What is the “Pilates Method”?
Pilates: A brief history
How Can Pilates Benefit You?
¿Para qué sirve el Pilates?
Avec Pilates vous pouvez obtenir le corps que vous avez toujours voulu avoir
Pilates For Athletic Performance
Pilates for the Back and the Spine
Pilates for Pregnancy and Post-Pregnancy


What is the “Pilates Method”?
The Pilates Method focuses on strengthening the “powerhouse” – all of the abdominal muscles, lower back, hips, and buttocks, as well as actively correcting spinal alignment. By strengthening the muscles around the centre of gravity and retraining the muscles to support the vertebrae in proper alignment, the body has a strong and stable core from which to perform all tasks and activities. Another result of this focus is improved reflex coordination through increased nervous system efficiency. It is a means for improving posture and spinal alignment, increasing strength and flexibility, preventing back pain and injury, promoting rehabilitation, and fostering excellence in a range of athletic activities.

Joseph Pilates believed that every individual has the power to change their lives for the better, and that the real strength needed to initiate change begins in the mind. In his total body conditioning system, Joseph Pilates challenges you to focus, breath deeply, and work your body consciously. The effect is a complete makeover that will oxygenate, rejuvenate and re-vitalize your body and your self.


Pilates: A brief history
Pilates was invented by Joseph H. Pilates. He originally called his method “Contrology” or the Art of Control, which means “discipline; control of the body, mind, breath, and spirit”. Joseph emigrated to the United States in 1926 and established his workout studio in New York City where he continued to teach until his death in 1967.

Joseph trained boxers, gymnasts, skiers, executives, dancers, and anyone else who could withstand his strict performance standards. If Joseph had only three words to describe his method, they would be:
Strength, Stretch, Control. Every Pilates exercise incorporates all three.

East meets West in the Pilates method as Joseph blended yoga(concentration, mind/body connection, stretching) and martial arts(discipline and precision) with Western practices of strength training.

How Can Pilates Benefit You?
Whether you are swinging at a golf ball or just walking your dog, your Powerhouse is at the centre of every movement you make. It is this concentration on your Powerhouse that makes Pilates so unique and effective. Thousands of athletes, dancers and people in their daily life have discovered the benefits of developing their Powerhouse.

All movement originates in the centre of your body, your Powerhouse. Every time you stand up, sit down, turn, twist or roll, you engage your torso, abs, lower back, hips inner thighs, and glutes. Pilates will affect your posture and your stamina. Since it strengthens the muscles along your spine it may even make you taller. Pilates is a definite confidence builer!

Pilates best trains seven physical performance factors: posture, balance, mobility/flexibility, stability, coordination, functional strength and endurance. For elite athletes, these skills are essential; but people of ages will benefit from these essential skills.

Women have gravitated towards Pilates because intuitively they know that they are prone to spinal instability, weak pelvic muscles and knock-knees due to the inherent issues in a body designed for childbearing.

Men have limited flexibility, weak pelvic floor musculature and lack of postural muscles, which eventually could lead to injury.  There is a growing trend of men doing Pilates. Many professional football, basketball and alpine ski teams are practicing Pilates. Tiger Wood, for example has incorporated Pilates into his training program.

Most people who exercise regularly are strong but tight. They have built the body from the “outside” and not from the “inside” as is done in Pilates. Many have tight hamstring muscles and cannot sit straight with their legs outstretched. Though strength training is important, lengthening the muscles through stretching is equally as important.

Pilates benefits your emotional health as well. The smooth, steady movements quiet your mind and soothe your nervous system. As you lengthen and strengthen your muscles, you will improve your circulation and whisk tension away. Each workout will leave you feeling calm, balanced, and rejuvenated. Focus on letting the tension go, and you will be on the road to a healthier body inside and out.


¿Para qué sirve el Pilates?
Lo que toda la familia puede lograr haciendo Pilates:
• Fortalecer y dar forma a su musculatura de pies a cabeza
• Agilidad y suavidad para todo el cuerpo
• Deshacerse del estrés y relajarse espiritualmente durante la pràctica
• Lograr una postura saludable y erguida
• Fortalecer la espalda y prevenir los dolores
• Estilizar las zonas problemàticas del vientre, las piernas y el trasero
• Ganar autoestima y carisma

El Pilates es un método muy efectivo, con el que podrà sentirse ràpidamente en forma, màs fuerte y màs equilibrado. El Pilates combina el entrenamiento de los musculos con agradables ejercicios de movilización para la columna vertebral y con una respiración relajante. De esta forma, la espalda, el vientre, las piernas y los gluteos se endurecen y se vuelven màs flexibles, mientras desconecta y puede dejar atràs los problemas del día a día.

Avec Pilates vous pouvez obtenir le corps que vous avez toujours voulu avoir
La majorité des sports et des programmes d’exercices se concentrent sur les muscles plus gros et plus forts. Au fur et à mesure que ceux-ci deviennent plus forts et plus gros, les muscles plus petits et plus faibles sont oubliés. Dans la technique Pilates cependant, les muscles plus faibles-généralement ceux que nous méconnaissons-sont renforcés, alors que les muscles plus gros se tonifient et s’allongent progressivement, développant un corps équilibré, souple et harmonieux.


Pilates For Athletic Performance
Pilates’ focus on core strength and stability is necessary not only for good posture and general flexibility, but also for most sport and recreational activities. Pilates-based exercises have been shown to improve performance, reduce injury, and relieve stress. Golf, skiing, cycling, running and tennis, for example, all benefit from a Pilates workout that strengthens core muscles and improves overall flexibility. Improved balance and increased range of motion are particularly beneficial for both the golf and tennis swing.  With increased flexibility and much stronger core muscles to support the back one’s game improves at a much faster pace.

Golf is an example of a sport wherein the repeated action of the golf swing results in the same muscles being over-used, and the delicate balance of these muscles being undone. When injury occurs to muscles, ligaments or spinal disks, the body tries to protect the area and may compensate resulting in further strain in a different area. The damage continues and can lead to significant long-term health problems. The shoulders, neck, hips and feet are all vulnerable areas, but it is the lumbar spine where the golfer feels the greatest pain. Pilates exercises are effective because they restore natural balance, re-align the body and encourage natural, normal movement by targeting the deep postural muscles that support the back.  Pilates builds one’s strength from the inside out.

Through Pilates exercises one learns to engage the stabilizing muscles to create a strong centre from which to move and to provide support to the spine-especially the vulnerable lumbar area.  With Pilates, one gains greater body awareness and learns how to focus on making the right muscles do the work, taking the strain off the other muscles. In addition, one learns how to align the body correctly, to breathe effectively, and to be aware of unwanted tension arising in the body. This form of relaxed concentration is essential in understanding how to create a consistently effective golf swing.

By improving the Powerhouse, one’s performance will be greatly enhanced. People who have incorporated Pilates into their lifestyle have experienced greater flexibility in all their joints, heightened range of motion and improved accuracy and pliancy in every motion their sport requires.

Pilates for the Back and the Spine
Pilates is excellent for building a strong, flexible back. The Pilates Method is a body conditioning system that focuses on the core muscles that help keep the body balanced and are essential to providing support for the spine. Pilates exercises teach awareness of the neutral alignment of the spine and strengthening the deep postural muscles that support this alignment that helps to alleviate and prevent back pain. The support to the spine creates space between each vertebra.  This extra space not only makes one appear taller, it also creates more mobility, transforming the spine from a stiff rod into a supple string of pearls. This new suppleness prevents degenerative spinal problems such as slipped disks and enables one to move with more grace and ease.

Pilates improves strength, flexibility and suppleness of the muscles of the hip and shoulder girdle. Fluid and supported movement through these joints helps prevent unnecessary strain on the vertebral column.

Pilates exercises are gentle, progressive and performed slowly with good postural alignment at all times. These controlled movements are unlikely to lead to re-injury.  No stress is placed on the joints and there is no wear and tear on the ligaments and cartilage around the joints, especially the knee and shoulder joints. 

With osteoarthritis pain, lengthening the body through Pilates helps soothe the soreness.  Appropriate exercise is essential to managing arthritis because it increases flexibility for stretches and reduces pain and fatigue. Stretching helps pump vital

Nutrients to the muscles and tendons which help keep them healthy and reduce the risk of injury. It also stimulates the production of joint lubricants called synovial fluid and prevents adhesions. As circulation increases, the legs, back, neck and shoulders loosen up, relieving aches and stiffness.

It is important to be patient and stay committed to the Pilates practice. As with any program, it may take a while for the full benefits of the Pilates system to be fully realized. Just as the problems that create most back pain can happen gradually over time, learning to use one’s muscles in a way that support, rather than stress, the spine takes time and commitment.

Please note: For individuals with back pain:

Before starting any new exercise system, it is advisable to check with a physician or other health care provider. Before starting a Pilates exercise program, it is important to check that the potential instructor is trained in the Pilates exercise system, and that he or she understands your specific back problems. If one starts Pilates after physical therapy, the physical therapist should outline the exercise principles identified as particularly important for your rehabilitation.

Individuals with significant back problems may benefit from several one-on-one Pilates sessions with a qualified Pilates instructor. While more expensive than a group class, the time, money and effort devoted to learning the exercises correctly can be well worth the investment, since exercises performed incorrectly can make a back problem worse. Initially, three times a week sessions tend to be helpful to learn the program more quickly. After that, twice a week Pilates exercise sessions may be sufficient.

Pilates for Pregnancy and Post-Pregnancy
The principles of Pilates include concentration and controlled movements. Pilates positions and sequences are easy to modify to suit the specific changes women experience through the stages of pregnancy.

The basic Pilates mat exercises are an ideal level to practice throughout the pregnancy. It allows the pregnant woman the time to enjoy being active and closely in touch with her own body and her baby.

Pilates is an excellent exercise program to practice in the months leading up to the baby’s birth. The calm, focused practice of Pilates can help work on the important muscles for labor and delivery, particularly the abs, pelvic muscles and back and ease the transition through the first trimester when it can be an especially difficult period to exercise if there is morning nausea and increased fatigue. 

By the second trimester, the body will exhibit improved flexibility, muscle strength and balance as a result of the Pilates practice. Heightened body awareness from having concentrated on breathing and movements will keep the woman in tune with her body as her pregnancy advances.

The Pilates breathing also eases the aches and pains related with pregnancy. Proper oxygenation of muscles enables muscles to perform their functions with less stress and strain, reducing the sensation of pain. Learning how to control the abdominal muscles during breathing will also benefit the labor when the time arrives to do the hard work of delivery. Nearly every Pilates exercise begins by drawing the navel to the spine. This strengthens the transverse abdominal muscles so that it will be easier to regain a flatter stomach after delivery and protect the back against undue stress during the exercises. The warm-up exercises at the beginning of the workout along with the relaxation movements at the end will help reduce any tension in the body, calm the mind and re-energize the body.

Please note: It is essential to consult the physician/obstetrician to confirm Pilates is suitable for each individual pregnancy and always verify that the instructor is well-trained in Pilates for pregnant women.