What is Pilates ?

The Pilates method is a mind-body centring technique which emphasises the importance of
movement of the body from a central core of stability.
It was developed by Joseph Pilates over the course of his life with the goal of improving overall
health and fitness.
Today many elite sports people use Pilates as part of their regular training plan.

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What is Clinical Pilates ? How is it different to traditional Pilates?

The traditional Pilates repertoire can be strenuous and cause pain if you are suffering from an injury
or have spinal pain or are new to exercise. Even if you are fit and strong it is possible to have
postural habits in your daily life which affect the length and strength of your muscles. This increases
the risk of injury to the joints and other structures in the body because they are unsupported or
compressed which leads to pain .
Clinical Pilates is typically taught by clinicians like physiotherapists or allied health professionals. The
original Pilates exercises are broken down into levels making it possible to avoid overloading any
weak, injured or healing tissues . This enables the exercises to be applied specifically to various
tissues at the correct loading level whilst allowing the tissue to adapt positively . This results in
longer and stronger muscles in the limbs and core and ultimately to better painfree movement
quality and precision.

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What is the core ?

The term core stability has adopted many meanings which can be evidenced by a Google search. For
the purposes of Pilates and based on clinical research evidence the core refers to a deep group of
muscles in the trunk which directly stabilise the spine and pelvis. This stable base acts as an optimal
anchor from which the limbs can move.

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Who can benefit from Clinical Pilates ?

Most people know of Pilates for rehabilitation of spinal pain but is can be used effectively for any
musculoskeletal injury. The human body is an interconnected structure so working on it holistically
often produces beneficial results.
Clinical Pilates is also very helpful for making you mindful of your postural habits as the
physiotherapist is able to integrate their knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, tissue strain and
Pilates to give you meaningful cues which allow a change in aberrant habits.
For optimal results we recommend six one to one sessions where the physiotherapist focusses
entirely on your needs and teaches you the technique with cues which are meaningful to your body
and mind.

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What would a Clinical Pilates one to one course involve :

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1. Initial assessment: this is typically 60 minutes long. It is very much like a normal initial
appointment with a physiotherapist where you will be asked about your past/ current injuries,
general health, exercise levels and goals. You will then be asked to go through a series of movement
and muscle ability tests.

2. At the end of the assessment the issues which could be contributing to poor posture or injury will
be discussed with you . The physiotherapist will then design a specific plan with you.

3. The first class will go through the basic principles of Pilates teaching you alignment and how to
activate your primary core muscles.

4. Thereafter each session will allow progression and introduction of different exercises

5. At the end of each session you will be given one recommended exercise to work on but you are
free to opt out of this ‘homework’.