Back Pain
Our Pilates-based Back Care program is designed to strengthen and stabilize the neutral spine and pelvis, which is the most shock-absorbing and efficient position. Sessions will focus on gaining awareness of neutral alignment of the spine and strengthening the deep postural muscles that support this alignment. Creating more support and balance in the spine eases back pain and tension. Improving alignment in the spine also reduces additional wear and tear that is a result of postural asymmetries from uneven stresses on the discs and joints. Through fluid and supported movements, Pilates improves strength, flexibility, and suppleness of the muscles, which helps prevent unnecessary torque on the vertebral column. You will also learn exercises that you can do at home to help manage your back injury or pain.
Athletic Conditioning
With all sports, there are common repetitive stresses and uneven development of musculature, which can reduce your performance and lead to injury. Pilates, Gyrotonic, and TRX are systems of exercises that strengthen the whole body and counter these imbalances. They emphasize core strength and target underused yet intrinsic muscle groups. Balancing work of the large and smaller muscle groups will balance your joints, preventing wear and tear and allowing your body to work more effectively. Our instructors have trained and rehabilitated many professional athletes, dancers, and special-needs clients.
The creator of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, was a man whose sickly childhood led to a determination to find a way to live a long and healthy life- and he did just that. Joseph named his system “Contrology” to describe the method of training the mind to take greater control of the body and it later became known as “Pilates.” Today’s top athletes around the world have integrated it into their training. If it works for Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Lance Armstrong, and Roger Federer, it can work for you- whether you are a weekend cyclist or Olympic hopeful.
Juliu Horvath, founder of Gyrotonic, had many injuries due to dance and developed his system based on deep study of the body’s inner workings and the mind-body connection. His Gyrotonic Expansion system helped him to rehabilitate himself from these injuries and led him to create this dynamic exercise system.
Pregnancy and Postpartum
Training with Pilates specialists to gently build strength will prepare you and your body for this special time in your life. You can work privately or in a small group with one of our certified Pre & Post-Natal Specialists. We don’t just modify our normal exercises, but instead teach exercises designed for the specific needs of pregnant or postpartum women. These specially designed exercises will help you maintain a healthy weight, tone arms and legs, and maintain core strength and stability in order to give you the body you deserve.
Benefits During Pregnancy
A More Comfortable Pregnancy—Pregnant women who practice Pilates notice that they carry their pregnancy more comfortably. They found that Pilates exercises helped them develop good breath control and kept them fit during their pregnancy. The practice of efficient breathing also improves the oxygen supply to mother and baby, reduces shortness of breath during pregnancy, and aids breathing during labor.
Address Alignment Issues—Pilates exercises differ from other fitness techniques by targeting the deep postural muscles, building strength from the inside out. By developing core stability, you can re-balance your body and bring it into correct postural alignment. As your baby grows inside you, your entire center of gravity shifts. To compensate for all of these changes, your body has to adjust. We take into consideration how your pregnant body changes during each stage of pregnancy and offer modifications to suit the varying levels of fitness at every stage.
Postpartum Benefits
Rediscover Your Pelvic and Abdominal Floor—After you’ve given birth, your pelvic muscles have become weakened. You can begin to renovate your body significantly, especially your pregnancy midsection, practically within weeks of giving birth. Reestablishing a connection with your pelvic floor, then strengthening it, will help zero-in on back pain and poor posture habits. Pilates exercises work to strengthen and tighten your pelvic floor and core muscles so we can reconnect your abdominals, increasing support for the back, significantly alleviating back pain, and getting you back to looking great.
Realign Your Body—Pilates addresses postural alignment and stability, which pregnant women compromise by the shifting center of gravity during the prenatal period. Your alignment does not automatically reverse to its pre-pregnancy state after childbirth. Pilates focuses intensively on correcting your alignment, so each exercise trains your body to move within the natural limits of your own skeletal frame.
