One of the merits of Pilates is the attention paid to body alignment. I get many referrals from physiotherapists of clients whose posture has become so poor that it results in chronic, long-term pain. This is due to many reasons - stress, shoulder-bags, slouching are common factors, as is just plain lack of awareness. After a few sessions nagging pains disappear from shoulders, low backs, necks.......... It's not just the Pilates sessions, but how they apply the Pilates principles to their daily life - good head/neck/shoulder alignment, how they hold their pelvis, how they stand, sit and walk. Many people comment that they have been told they look taller!
Most Pilates exercises challenge co-ordination and body-awareness to a degree, and to begin with the sessions are often as taxing to the brain as to the body. The pattern of movement will often change from the left to the right side, which is sometimes hard - but which satisfyingly changes to flowing movement as the exercises are mastered . If you start to add up the benefits of that regular Pilates sessions can give you - better co-ordination and body awareness, improved posture and body alignment, better movement patterns, improved breathing, with all the benefits that brings, relaxation, and a strong and supportive centre, you will realise how useful Pilates could be to you. Add to that improved strength, and, stamina, (especially in the harder classes - but recent studies have shown how breathing exercises alone help make gains in this aspect of fitness). For myself, and many of my clients, it has changed our lives - I don't think you realise how much pain you are in until it goes away! And the exercises are so enjoyable.
But Pilates isn't just for the injured - I have got some healthy people in my classes!- and they enjoy the exercises just as much. That's the great thing about Pilates - there is always a new challenge as the exercises increase in difficulty, and we can use pieces of equipment such as toning circles, and stretch bands, (and the Swiss Ball on the Thursday classes) to ring the changes. I aim to make my classes fun, worthwhile, slightly different every week, and to progress my clients. Because the classes are small - a maximum of 12 - we get to know each other quite well, and if necessary I can suggest adjustments to exercises where appropriate. There are different levels of class available to progress to when the time is right. Because an unseemly number of my clients were getting pregnant, (about 10% and some of them quite unexpectedly after they'd given up all hope - congratulations John and Helen by the way) I took the Pregnancy module, so now I'm qualified to look after them.