When practised regularly, a Pilates workout out will help to improve joint mobility and flexibility, giving you better posture to walk taller. Pilates will improve strength, stamina and muscle tone giving you a strong and supple spine, flatter abs and a long lean streamlined body. This exercise system will help respiratory, lymphatic & circulation problems. It will make you less prone to injury when playing sports or other physical activities. After each class you will feel mentally and physically relaxed and energized.

Pilates is different from most exercise systems because it works the whole body evenly and symmetrocally each session, is a no impact workout and is safe to do every single day.

It all depends on your goals. Joseph Pilates said, “After 10 sessions you’ll notice a difference, after 20 sessions other people will notice a difference, and after 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body”. Pilates is a system that can be practiced every day and ideally should be practiced everyday even for 10 minutes. Once you learn the repetoire 2-3 times per week would be great. Consistent practice will help you master Pilates exercises and principles.

You should always start at the beginning because you need to learn the discipine, its principles and understand why you are doing things in a certain way. Be consistent, especially in the beginning. Don’t just try it once. Give it a few shots and do it in succession. You need to “arrive” for Pilates – you have to be there mentally as well as physically. To get the most out of Pilates, you have to be very present and you will enjoy it so much more as a result.

Pilates is practiced in socks or bare feet. If you choose to wear socks, please make sure that the sole has a grip. Wear comfortable exercise clothing such as close fit t-shirts or tank tops & shorts or workout pants. Avoid wearing extremely baggy clothes because they will get in the way, especially pants with flaired ends (when your leg is in the air they fall down).

Heavy meals before class is not advisable, remember you will be using your abdominals a lot. If you are hungry a banana or something small would be fine. Please make sure you are well hydrated before class and bring some water with you.

All mat classes are 50 minutes in length. We encourage you to arrive on 5-10 minutes early to your Pilates session to ensure you get in the right frame of mind for your practice. Unless specified the studio will provide a mat necessary for your workout.

Please bring a small towel and water with you to your practice. To concentrate and work effectively you need to be well nourished for exercise but for your own comfort, we recommend you do not eat heavily 2 hours before your workout and if you are, eat something light up to an hour before your class. The same goes with water, it is not recommended to do Pilates with a full bladder and of course feel free to use the restroom at any time.

This all depends on your fitness level, how hot it is outside and the tempo of the class.

You should not think of pilates in levels but in challneges and even at beginners level there is always somewhere that can be challenged more by focusing more on form and engagement. However, the general guidelines are that you should engage with the beginners repetoire for 6-12 weeks, intermediate level for 6 months- 1 year before you consider advanced level Pilates. Its not about finishig the race but learning it well, prcaticing it a lot and refining it so that you get the best results out of your body.

Yes, Pilates is a great exercise system to practice while pregnant but with modifciations for each trimester. That is why it is important to get instruction from someone with prenatal training. While the OBGYN guidelines state that you should not take up new exercise while pregnant, Pilates does not fall into this category and is the sytem most recommended by health professionals. Learning the principles of Pilates will

If you are injured you should make the instructor aware of all conditions and limitations where movement is concerned. You may need to be referred to a specialist Pilates class in some cases.

What you must remember is every body I different, has had different life experience and carries different issues. It is all relative to your lifestyle and fitness level but if you’re really conscious and make an effort to make every movement count, you’ll most likely feel something the following day. Feeling sore is a very individual thing. Some people don’t feel sore. Pilates is what you put into it.

It is important you know the differences between good discomfort and accute or bad pain. Essentially, good discomfort is a moderate to strong burning sensation in the muscles you are working or painless “creaking’ noises in the joints. With good discomfort you may experience muscular soreness or discomfort the day after a challenging workout, which decreases as you keep moving, or after taking a hot epsom salt’s bath. Accute or bad pain tends to be a sharp, shooting and electric feeling in the muscles or a deep, throbbing or aching sensation in the joints. You may experience sensations of pins and needles or numbness. The muscle will have a burning sensation that hurts when touched, have a limited range of motion, or painful ‘creaking’ noises in the joints. It is deep, persistent aching in the muscles or joints, which may have swelling. Bad pain indicates that rest and possible attention from a healthcare professional is needed. The most important thing is to listen to your body. Stop if you feel any sharp pain, or straining in the neck or back. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If you experience discomfort during your Pilates session and you think it is more than exertion of the muscles you are targeting, speak up a slight adjustment in form may solve the problem. If you are worried about a certain pain please consult your doctor before you continue with your Pilates practice.

While both disciplines have many siilarities, i.e. a mind-body focus approach to body conditioning, in yoga you often breath in through your nose and out through your nose, in Pilates we breath in through the nose and out through the mouth, through a soft open jaw so as to engage the transverse abdomnius. While yoga is known for advancing flexibility, Pilates is known for building strength from within. It works the supporting muscles and stabilising muscles to improve posture and over all alignment.

1. Concentration. This is the most important principle in Pilates. You must be very mentally present as you do the exercises, aware of every aspect of your body’s movement, alignment, sensations, muscle flexes ….
2. Control. Every movement is to be done with control, so you aren’t just throwing your body around.
3. Centering, so that you are evenly using your body. Think of a plumb line down the middle of the body working both sides evenly.
4. Fluidity. A smooth transition from one exercise to the next important because once you’ve learned the routine, it should look something like a dance, where every movement flows into the next.
5. Precision. You try to make each movement as precise as possible; alignment, placement of your limbs, postion of each part of your body is paramount and a central aspect of how and why Joseph Pilates designed this system of exercise.
6. Breath. How you breathe is very important in Pilates exercises. You don’t want to hold your breath at all. Deep, steady breaths will help you maintain concentration and precision, too.

• All group courses and workshops MUST be paid for in advance to hold your place. Please click here to pay online…..
• Course fees are non transferable.
• Prepayed 6 week courses that are cancelled outside of 5 days prior to the start date will be given a full refund. Cancellations within 5 days wil be subject to 50% of the course fee.
• A strict 24 hour cancellation policy is opperated for private or semi-private sessions. Full fees are payable for any missed or cancelled within 24 hours. If you cancel outside this 24 hour period you can rebook a different time or date or we can provide a refund. Refunds will be issued within 4-7 days.
• All appointments, classes and courses are subject to availability and scheduling.
• I reserve the right to cancel any class or course where there are fewer than five people registered. If this should happen, clients will be given reasonable advance notice and no charges will apply.
• For pre natal classes clients must be 12 weeks or further along to join and must have clearance from a health care professional to partake in classes.
• For postnatal classes you must be 6 weeks post delivery for natural births and 10-12 weeks for C-section. HOWEVER, you must have clearance from your doctor or midwife. In some cases this may be required in writing.