Is Pilates just the latest fitness craze? Or is it here for the long term? What are its benefits and can it be the right fit for me? Time to answer your questions! Pilates is now a well-established fitness and rehabilitation option that many people enjoy and benefit from.
As physiotherapists we have long used Pilates principles as a base for exercise therapy when treating our patients, especially in regards to injury prevention. The style of Pilates we offer at Ponsonby Physio is referred to as Clinical Pilates. It is a key component of our wellness pathway in helping patients get back to performing at their best, then maintaining strength and mobility ongoing.
When you join a Pilates session with us we start out one-on-one; it’s you and your physiotherapist. Individualised exercises are prescribed and these focus on correct alignment, muscle activation, balance, strength and stability particularly around the pelvis and spine; and overall movement. So no matter what your starting point, you’re in the ideal environment to gain the best results for you.
Tell me more about Pilates!
Back in the early 1900s, Joseph Pilates developed 34 traditional Pilates exercises designed for fit and healthy athletes, originally ballerinas. They required good baseline strength, flexibility and balance. However, Joseph’s passion for movement, strength and stability started well before this, with himself. As a child he suffered from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. He used yoga, meditation and exercise regimes based on the Greeks to become physically stronger to help heal himself.
Later in life, working as an orderly in an English hospital through WW1, he was appalled to see patients wasting away in bed. He created a gentle exercise programme for them to counter this. When it became apparent that Joseph’s patients were healing faster than others, doctors gave him permission to incorporate the use of resistance using springs from old hospital beds to further these exercise regimes.
Fast forward to the 21st century, there have been many changes and modifications to Pilates over the years but the core principles remain the same. Clinical Pilates works by retraining local muscle groups, strengthening global muscles throughout the body, and then incorporating synergy between both these muscle systems.
Passionate about results
Our team of physio’s are certified with the Australian Physiotherapy & Pilates Institute (APPI). Exercises are based on a combination of traditional Pilates and the latest research findings for training lumbopelvic stability specific to the rehabilitation population. The APPI method has been designed by physiotherapists, breaking down the traditional exercises into levels and modifying them to be suitable for our clinical population.
We are passionate about using Pilates as one of our main exercise therapy rehab tools. We believe it’s effective and appropriate as the exercises can be easily modified to tailor and suit almost every person in the rehabilitation of all injuries. And ongoing benefits in maintaining your fitness and muscle strength are clear. That gets us pretty excited and we’d love to share this with you!
We have Pilates sessions, led by our physiotherapists, offered in Mat and Reformer as one-on-one sessions, or in a small group class.
If you are interested in preventing injury and staying strong. If you’re struggling with ongoing neck & back pain. Or you simply want to stay on top of your game supporting your mobility and flexibility. Then we recommend giving our Clinical Pilates programme a try. Contact us at the clinic to start.
