Why should I practice Pilates?

Aside from the fact that Pilates is fun, here are some of its many benefits:

• encourages and brings awareness to proper breathing, which in turn can help release muscular tension and reduce back pain
• focuses on and develops core strength, which also plays a significant part in reducing back pain
• increases muscular endurance, which will provide the strength to do activities repeatedly, such as picking up a child, pushing the vacuum cleaner, and driving
• betterment of posture
• tones the body
• improves proprioception, coordination and balance
• reduces stress
• improves joint mobility and joint range of motion

How often should I do Pilates?

Ideally, you should practice Pilates two to three times weekly to get the most benefit.

How long will it take to see the results?

Any exercise program takes time, commitment, and consistency. If you apply all of these to your Pilates practice you should see results on average between six to eight weeks.

What is the difference between Yoga and Pilates?

Breathing: Yoga encourages breathing into the abdomen, while Pilates encourages breathing into the rib cage three dimensionally with an emphasis on expanding the sides and lower back part of the rib cage.

Dynamic vs. Static Movement: In general, Yoga consists of assuming an "asana" (pose or posture) and holding it for a certain length of time. Pilates generally consists of dynamic movement where the focus is on stabilization of certain parts of the body while the extremities (arms/legs) go through full range of motion.

Joint Range of Motion: Pilates emphasizes joint stabilization and mobility, meaning learning the proper position for joints during the exercises and taking them through a safe range of motion. Yoga focuses on muscular and soft tissue flexibility, which will also help improve joint range of motion because flexible tissue will enable joints to be more mobile. A good Pilates practice can help a person stabilize her joints while practicing Yoga, which will help prevent pushing the joints to extreme end ranges of motion and prevent injury.

Why is Pilates so expensive?

The high cost is due to the quality training that produces dedicated and knowledgeable instructors.

Training to become a fully certified instructor is very involved, and can take anywhere from one to four years. A Pilates education incorporates anatomy, kinesiology, learning about special populations (pregnancy, injuries, seniors, etc.), several hundred apprentice teaching and self-practice hours, and learning 500 plus exercises and all of the modifications for each exercise. Instructors must also stay current on their certifications, knowledge and experience through continuing education.

Taking Pilates from a trained and certified instructor is an investment in your health!