Learn About Pilates

Small Pilates Classes Dublin

Pilates exercises help both men and women develop optimal strength, flexibility, endurance and posture, without building bulk or stressing joints. The perfect complement to cardiovascular exercise, athletic training or rehabilitation, Pilates helps you tone your body, feel revitalised, and move with ease.

Pilates was pioneered by the late Joseph Pilates, and is a mind-body exercise system designed to strengthen the weak and challenge the strong. The Pilates method focuses attention on core postural muscles that help keep the human body balanced and provide support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, and strengthens the deep torso and abdominal muscles.

Benefits of Pilates

The benefits of Pilates include:

  • longer, leaner muscles (less bulk, more freedom of movement)
  • improves postural problems
  • increases core strength, stability and peripheral mobility
  • helps prevent injury
  • enhances functional fitness, ease of movement
  • balances strength & flexibility
  • heightens body awareness
  • no-impact, easy on the joints
  • can be customized to suit everyone from rehab patients to elite athletes
  • complements other methods of exercise
  • improves performance in sports (golf, running, triathlon, skiing, skating etc.)
  • improves balance, coordination & circulation
  • helps you feel great

Read our testimonials page too to find out how Pilates has helped our clients – over 55s, pre and postnatal and men and women alike!

Pilates for Back Pain

When your core is strong, posture improves, relieving stress on the joints and muscles. This is one of the reasons Pilates is often recommended for back pain issues. Increased flexibility, muscle tone, and balance also improve with regular practice. If you have back pain, it is important to start with an Initial Assessment prior to joining group classes.

With regular Pilates practice you can expect an increase in strength, flexibility, mobility, balance and body awareness, as well as a decrease in back pain or other general pains. It’s recommended that you practice at least two to three times per week.

Pilates for Rehab and Recovery

Pilates is a method of exercise and movement that can be modified to accommodate many injuries, ailments and conditions. Well taught Pilates can be beneficial post rehab as movement is key to recovery from injury. We recommend an Initial Assessment and one to one sessions if you are coming back from an injury or if you have an underlying condition. As instructors one of the most rewarding aspects of our work is helping clients out of pain and improving their day to day activities. We work with clients who may have ongoing chronic pain or other conditions such as back or neck pain, scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, MS, osteopenia / osteoporosis and arthritis and also those recovering from breast cancer.  Read more

Pilates for Sports

Pilates will also help you with your other sports activities – it will help you ski better, enhance your golf swing, run faster and bike longer – or do any activity better. It is an ideal form of conditioning for other sports and helps you to stay injury free and strong.

Whether you’re an elite athlete or a complete beginner, you can benefit from the Pilates Method. As Pilates is a non-impact resistance workout, it enables you to exercise whilst minimising stress on your joints so Pilates is a safe, versatile and effective method for a range of fitness goals.

Basic Principles of Pilates

Awareness
Balance
Breath
Concentration
Centring
Control
Co-ordination
Efficiency
Flow
Precision
Harmony