Pilates is a whole-body exercise method focused on building lean strength, especially in the core abdominal area. And improving flexibility, alignment, posture, balance and mobility of muscles and joints, as well as achieving an ideal working together of mind and body.
The mind-body connection is a key aspect of Pilates. It ensures the right muscles are engaged at all times and participants are working with their breath to create co-ordinated, precise but fluid movements throughout the class.
In traditional mat Pilates, exercises rely completely on bodyweight only, whilst in Reformer Pilates, students will use a range of apparatuses to perform exercises.
At London Dance Academy we offer traditional mat Pilates. Check out the times in the timetable.
Why do it?
There are several important benefits to practising Pilates on a regular basis.
Pilates builds all-over body strength – whilst it focuses a lot on the core muscles as they are the body’s main stabilisers, it is a whole body workout, as anyone who has attended even just one class will be able to confirm!
This full-body conditioning also requires high levels of concentration, whilst promoting relaxation and stress relief through the strong mind-body connection needed to perform the exercises.
The Benefits of Pilates
- Building strength – particularly in the core abdominal area. Pilates activates muscles in a controlled manner across different areas of the body, targeting key muscle groups, especially those often neglected in other forms of training or not engaged often in daily life.
- Improving Awareness of Body & Mind
- Improving Flexibility & Mobility – Pilates includes a series of specific mobilisation, stretching and strengthening exercises for joints and muscles. All of the techniques taught are meant to actively assist everyday activities and can be “taken home” easily to improve all aspects of students’ life.
- Improving Posture / Alignment – Pilates focuses on strengthening muscles (eg core abdominals, back extensors) that contribute to a healthy spine and good posture and improves alignment by teaching participants how to use the right muscle groups at the right time in the right way.
- Improving Concentration, Coordination – Exercises involve multiple muscle engagements at all times, which requires high levels of concentration in order to perform exercises in a precise and accurate manner.
- Improving Balance – Pilates challenges our proprioception sensors, meaning it develops students’ ability to know and feel where all parts of their body are at any time during any given movement, not just those parts of the body that are predominantly involved in a specific exercise.
- Relaxation & Breath focus – Correct breathing is one of the key principles of the Pilates method. Learning how to tune into your breath and breathing laterally through the ribs, rather than at chest level or into the abdomen, not only allows you to engage your core muscles properly, but also promotes relaxation through a deep sense of being present in the moment.
Pilates can even be especially supportive of anyone involved in dance-based or aerial activities. If you want to improve your fitness, flexibility and mobility. Or even if you need help with your progress in pole, aerial or dance. Give this gentle but challenging all-rounder a go!
You can sign up for Pilates in our central London studio or online through our Timetable.
Can anyone do it?
Yes, absolutely!
Pilates is a great form of exercise at any age, and any fitness level, even in case of previous issues. It is often recommended by GPs and Osteopaths as part of rehabilitation and recovery, especially for back problems or post-surgery.
Pilates is a progressive method, meaning that every exercise can be performed at varying levels of intensity and complexity. If you’e a complete beginner or highly advanced, even the “basic” level of each exercise, when done correctly and with accuracy, will be challenging and building muscle strength whilst improving, mobility, flexibility and alignment.
Pilates vs Yoga, what’s the difference?
Pilates and yoga are both low-impact workouts focusing on the whole body and using bodyweight resistance. Yoga focuses on the holistic connection between mind, body and spirit. Whilst in Pilates you focus more on exercises to build core strength and improve balance, alignment, mobility, flexibility and posture.
There are a wide range of styles and schools for both. We vary all our classes in the intensity, and speed that movements are performed at, and level of fluidity vs strict adherence to traditional teaching methods.
Every teacher have developed their own teaching style and continue to learn throughout their career. You can always try different classes to find the one most suitable for your body, goals and learning style.
We have several both Yoga, Stretch, Flexibility Aerial and Conditioning classes to chose from.
Where does it come from?
Joseph Pilates, a German national, developed The Pilates Method, or ‘Contrology’, in the early 20th century. After a number of health problems as a child, Pilates turned to exercise to improve his body image and strength. He tried gymnastics, boxing, body-building and martial arts.
In WWI, he developed a fitness programme for fellow internees, to aid recovery and maintain health and fitness levels. He used hospital beds and accessories as the exercise aids.
After the war, Pilates worked with dancers, as well as instructing the Hamburg police force in self-defence techniques.
He emigrated to America in the 1920s setting up his first fitness studio in New York with his wife. He worked mainly with the New York City Ballet, and his method quickly became popular as complementary to dancers’ and actors’ training programmes.
Nowadays, as Pilates never laid down a formal training programme, there are several different schools and systems developed. Each has a different focus and added elements, giving students a variety of styles to suit their learning. But we always remember the core Pilates principles:
Breathing, Core Engagement (Centring), Concentration, Control, Precision, & Flow of movement.
