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What is Pilates?

Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise that focuses on core strength, posture, flexibility, and body awareness. It combines controlled movements with mindful breathing to build stability from the inside out. Suitable for all fitness levels, Pilates helps improve balance, coordination, and alignment, supporting both physical strength and mental focus for overall well-being.

The Benefits of Pilates

Pilates can help with your general fitness, specific health conditions, and overall well-being, including:

  • Relief from back pain

  • Improved alignment and posture

  • A toned abdomen and body

  • Greater pelvic and shoulder stability

  • Enhanced mobility in joints and spine

  • Injury prevention and post-rehabilitation support

  • Improved balance, strength, and coordination

  • Reduced aches, stress, and tension

  • More efficient digestion

  • Better circulation and respiratory function

  • Maintained or increased bone density

  • A stronger immune system

How Pilates Supports Weight Loss

Pilates and body conditioning are excellent complements to other forms of exercise, helping you achieve full-body balance and avoid overusing one muscle group. When practiced regularly and at higher intensity, Pilates can contribute to weight loss and calorie burning — with an hour-long session burning around 300–400 calories, depending on intensity.

Key benefits of Pilates for weight management include:

  • Strengthening all major muscles, improving muscular endurance and performance in other workouts.

  • Building internal strength from the inside out, creating smoother, more controlled movement.

  • Developing longer, leaner muscles, which boost your metabolism and increase calorie-burning potential.

  • Enhancing blood flow and oxygen circulation, aiding toxin removal and muscle recovery.

  • Promoting deep, efficient breathing, essential for calorie burning and tissue regeneration.

  • Building strength, flexibility, and balance, especially effective when combined with cardiovascular exercise.

Understanding the Core Muscles

Your core muscles are a small but powerful group that includes the Transversus Abdominis, pelvic floor, and Multifidus (a deep back muscle). Together, they form your deep core, providing strength and stability from within.

  • The Transversus Abdominis wraps horizontally around your torso between the lower ribs and pelvis, creating a supportive “girdle of strength” that stabilises the lumbar spine and pelvis.

  • The pelvic floor forms a muscular hammock between the coccyx and pubic bone, supporting the torso, pelvis, and internal organs.

  • The Multifidus runs deep along the spine, supporting posture and movement.

Strengthening your deep core is essential for stabilising your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen during movement. A strong core not only enhances exercise performance but also reduces pain, prevents injury, and promotes better overall body alignment.

What are the Benefits of Pilates in a group or 1-2-1 available