THE METHOD
Pilates is a form of physical and mental training that treats the body and mind as a single entity. Pilates offers you a smart form of exercise to achieve a stronger, more balanced and healthier body. The goal is to gain awareness of your physical fitness to help you improve your quality of life. The unique aspect of Pilates is that it strengthens muscles and increases flexibility while providing a sense of well-being and relaxation.
Pilates was created almost 100 years ago, first as a rehabilitation method and then developed as a technique for getting the body back into shape as a whole. However, it is only since the 90s that Pilates has been known to the general public in the United States and since the millennium by the French. This is mainly due to the fact that there was very little complete Pilates training in France. Since the opening of training centers and since the media coverage of the method thanks to Hollywood stars, the method is offered all over the world and in the United States and more than 9 million Americans practice it at least once a week.
Today, we are more and more stressed with less and less time for ourselves. Our sedentary lives increase the risk of diseases and muscular imbalances. We simply forget how to move properly! We are looking for a way to stay in shape but without hurting ourselves and while relaxing. Pilates allows us to give ourselves time, clear our heads and recharge our batteries. Unlike other forms of exercise, it is based on both strengthening and lengthening muscles, as well as improving posture, flexibility and balance, which makes it a unique method. Through regular breathing, Pilates teaches the muscles to work in harmony from a strong center. This center includes work on the abdominals, lower back muscles, glutes and inner thighs.
Through a series of varied and non-repetitive exercises, we learn to activate weak muscles and release overly tense muscles in order to balance the musculature. The body quickly becomes thinner, stronger and better profiled. The method includes more than 500 exercises that are done on the ground or on specialized equipment (reformer, cadillac, chair, barrel).
The machines provide both resistance and support during the exercises while the floor work requires you to use your core to find the same sensations with your own body weight. Thanks to the gentle work, the exercises are suitable for everyone, including pregnant women, seniors and those with back problems.
Pilates can therefore be practiced as a sport in its own right, as a complement to another physical activity or to accompany rehabilitation. Group classes take place in small groups to ensure quality teaching and to give the teacher time to correct you. The precision of the movement and the positioning of the body make all the difference.