Pilates MAT

The Pilates Method is a physical conditioning technique that was originated by Joseph H. Pilates in the 1920s. Pilates was a performer, boxer and inventor living in England at the outbreak of WWI. Placed under forced internment with other German nationals in Lancaster, he began using the bedsprings of the infirmary beds and various ingenious solutions to help internees recover from sickness and injury. Following some 20 years of experimentation, Pilates' devotion to exercise and health eventually led to a system of exercise involving self-designed exercise machines that he called Contrology, known now as The Pilates Method.

The Pilates Method is an approach to fitness that develops deep core strength, balanced flexibility and endurance. Each Pilates exercise is designed to strengthen and stretch complementary muscle groups simultaneously in order to enhance the articulation and muscular support of the spine, increase the range of motion of joints, and optimize a balanced relationship between joint mobility and stability for proper movement function. Essential components of The Pilates Method include: enhanced body awareness, the development of an efficient and leaner muscular tone, integration of the fundamental role of breath support for all movement expression, conscious awareness and physical control. Students learn to minimize unnecessary strain on the neck, spine, and lower back developing skills that encourage us to work with our body, not against it.