Pilates
Pilates started as one to one exercise and this continues to be the most effective way of learning if you’re serious about changing your body. It's ideal if you have a busy lifestyle, or if you have health issues/injuries and are concerned about the lack of individual attention in a group class situation.
Practised faithfully Pilates can give you
- A longer, leaner shape
- Flatter abdomen and stronger back
- Ease and grace of movement
- Increased lung capacity and circulation through deep, healthy breathing
- Strength and flexibility
- Co-ordination - both muscular and mental
- Better posture and core strength
- Improved bone density and joint health
- Balance and control of the body
- A feeling of lightness and freedom of movement
- Reduced tension throughout the body
In fact if you don’t feel, see and measure the results from your Pilates sessions in 3 months we’ll GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK!
As most people are now familiar with mat work exercises you may imagine Joseph Pilates' New York studio to be an empty hall, however it was quite different. He only ever worked one to one using a series of machines that help the body strengthen, lengthen and rebalance.
My studio is Leeds City Centre's first fully equipped machine studio and in it I go back to Joseph Pilates' original method of teaching one to one, using mat and machine exercises. You will achieve fantastic results with the machines and see changes in shape and posture after just a few sessions. As Joseph Pilates said "in one session you'll feel the difference - in 30 sessions you'll have a new body"!
Machine work makes available hundreds more Pilates exercises than you can achieve in a mat based class and you’ll feel every part of the body working and probably some parts you didn’t know you had!
Our mat work classes are limited in number to 9 people per session. This ensures the highest standard of tuition and hands on correction. It also gives you the chance to get to know your teacher and allows for adaptions specific to the individual rather than a generalised class.
Health concerns such as back pain, arthritis, muscular sclerosis, joint and postural pain, muscular tension, tension headaches, stress incontinence and many others can be helped through Pilates. Hands on tuition ensures that the exercises are appropriate for our individual medical history so that problems are not aggravated. Relaxation is an integral part of Pilates and techniques are also included for you if you need to bring a sense balance into a busy live.
I started Pilates with Claire in 2004, after suffering with back problems for some time. It proved to be a great form of exercise for me, and I soon noticed a big improvement.I became pregnant in January 2005 and continued with my weekly classes until the week before I gave birth. Claire promised me a short labour thanks to Pilates! I was sceptical having had a 30 hour labour with my first son! Claire was right! I had a 4 hour labour with no pain relief - just lots of relaxing Pilates breathing. I really think that the classes were paramount in helping me relax, and giving me the strength to progress through the labour.Needless to say, I am back in class and back in my jeans!
Julie Barker-Smith, Leeds.
Better than physiotherapy!
Steve Doyle - Leeds
