Getting started with a Pilates class: Everything you need to know
Are you feeling sluggish, tired and disconnected from your body? If so, this could be the catalyst for you to make some changes, start re-connecting with your body and optimising your health.
One of the most powerful ways to make change is to envision how you want to feel. Change happens through the body and Pilates is a great tool to create that change.
Starting a Pilates class can help you feel more energised, easeful and rejuvenated, plus there are loads of other benefits in store.
For the month of March 2024, take advantage of our Beginner Pilates Kick Start where you get three private Pilates sessions at a special rate. It’s perfect if you’re just getting started or want to try Pilates for the first time.
Offer ends 31 March 2024.
What you need to know if you’re trying Pilates for the first time
Pilates is a method of movement created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s for rehab purposes. It is influenced by yoga, gymnastics and martial arts. It is a series of exercises that work to improve your flexibility, strength, coordination, balance and awareness.
Pilates has expanded since the 1920s and now is taught all around the world. And it’s no longer just for rehabilitation. Pilates can help anyone who is seeking to improve strength and flexibility, balance, core stability and posture.
Breathing, abdominal activation and alignment are at the ‘core’ of Pilates, helping you create a foundation of strength internally. This can help rehabilitation or injury prevention and can assist in the management of chronic pain.[1]
There are different types of Pilates classes which can be performed on a mat or on specialised equipment. One of the most well-known pieces of Pilates equipment is the reformer, a flat cushioned platform with springs and a sliding carriage that allows for a broad range of movement and focused muscle strengthening exercises.
Who is Pilates for?
Pilates is for everyone, it can be tailored to you and your body so that every exercise is accessible to you and your capabilities.
Over time, you will get stronger and be able to move through the repertoire into more intermediate and advanced positions.
Pilates can help with:
Pain such as back, neck or shoulder pain
Rehabilitating injuries such as a knee or hip injury
Improving pelvic floor strength or tightness
Correction of a rounding spine
Reducing the progression of scoliosis by correcting poor posture, strengthening the muscles necessary for postural correction, and maintaining body balance[2]
Decreasing pain and improving quality of life for people with osteoporosis or osteoarthritis.[3]
And finally, as you rehabilitate any injuries and ailments, Pilates shines as it can help prevent injury by building a strong foundation of strength and improving spinal flexibility.
What to expect from a Pilates class?
Everyone who starts Pilates with Embody Movement completes an assessment with one of our qualified instructors first. This is to ensure our practitioners understand your needs and can check Pilates is suitable for you.
Assessment: When you come in for your Pilates assessment, we’ll talk to you about your medical and physical history so we can get to know you better. We’ll also explore your goals and visions for your body. The teacher will look at how you are moving and your movement patterns.
Private sessions: We then recommend 2 - 5 private sessions so you can become familiar with the Pilates equipment and exercises. The exercises are one on one with an instructor and taught to you with specific cues for you. Together we identify your target areas for strength and flexibility so you start feeling the difference sooner.
Clinical Pilates: After the private sessions, you are welcome to join an Embody Movement Clinical Pilates class. These are 50 minutes duration and are specific to you, your body and your goals. Check out our timetables for Currimundi and Forest Glen for more details.
If you stay with Pilates, you may start to see changes in how you feel after 10 sessions, and it’s common to see a difference in your body within 20 sessions. Many people who begin Pilates incorporate it into their regular lifestyle activities to maintain well-being for body, mind and spirit.
Setting goals for Pilates
Goals are helpful to set as they help guide you to your ‘why’. Why do you want to do Pilates is a powerful question to ask yourself. When you know your ‘why’ you will be able to stay more committed and more likely to overcome any obstacles you encounter.
Your why could be:
I want to be able to get on and off the floor with ease
I want to be able to play tennis again
I want to improve my golf swing
I want to be able to walk further with no pain
I want to be able to sit in the car for a long drive and not have pain
I want to sleep better
Think about 2-3 goals you would like to achieve and we can discuss these with you.
Join a Pilates class at Embody Movement
Are you ready to feel better in your body? Are you ready to feel more energy? Are you ready to feel strong and confident in your body?
Pilates can help you achieve these and so much more. Please contact us if you would like to take the first step and book a Pilates assessment with one of our qualified Physiotherapists and Pilates teachers.
References
[1] National Library Of Medicine, Medicine (Baltimore), Effects of Pilates exercise programs in people with chronic low back pain, January 2015.
[2] National Library Of Medicine, Medicine (Baltimore), The effects of Pilates exercise training for scoliosis on improving spinal deformity and quality of life, October 2021.
[3] Roxy Menzies, Healthline, Pilates for Osteoporosis: Safety, Benefits and Risks, August 2022.
Originally published 15 February 2023, revised and updated 13 March 2024.