Pilates is an exercise discipline that efficiently unites strength and flexibility training. The result is a body that is leaner, stronger, more flexible, balanced, highly functional and injury resistant. Pilates focuses on moving the body from the “powerhouse” (all of the muscles between the hips and shoulders); movement starts in the powerhouse and moves outward. Pilates unites the mind and body; Pilates teaches people to move their bodies correctly, keeping alignment and joints happy.

Joseph Pilates began teaching what he termed contrology in the 1920’s. He created machines to aid in the development of the powerhouse muscles. The machines utilize springs allowing people to feel muscles engaging, muscles that people typically have trouble finding without the machinery. The machines also enable people to find proper alignment. Ultimately, once the muscles are located, people can maintain their Pilates’ body by keeping up their mat practice. Mat work can be done at home with no equipment, other then the mat.  

There are over 600 Pilates exercises. Having such a large number of exercises allows people to exercise even when they are experiencing pain in different parts of the body.

Pilates has six foundation principles: centering, concentration, control, precision, breath, and flow. While learning the Pilates exercises is relatively simple, mastery of the exercises with the complete integration of the foundation principles makes the discipline challenging. The exercises that you learn during your first lesson will be the same exercises that you perform on your 50^th lesson, but the intensity increases as your mastery of the principles increases. I tell everyone that Pilates and every single exercise is a journey, not a destination.