New Pilates Equipment studio at the Riverside Club.

What is Pilates?

Pilates was created by over Joseph Pilates 70 years ago. He originally named his method "Contrology" because he believed in the power of our minds to control our bodies.

He is quoted as saying
"one of the major results of Contrology is gaining the mastery of your mind over the complete control of your body. After 10 sessions you'll notice the difference, after 20 sessions others will notice, after 30 sessions you'll have a whole new body!" - Joseph Pilates

Pilates Is An Art
Like martial arts and dance, pilates requires regular practice and patience to achieve perfection.

Pilates is movement
It utilises the core to initiate a wide range of movements in a controlled and flowing manner.

Pilates Is Exercise
It develops the body's strength and flexibility through a series of exercises that target individual muscle groups. The goals are superior core muscles - abdominal, buttocks, back and integration of the spine and limbs.

Each exercise is executed with a limited number of repetitions. The aim is to perform the exercises with deep concentration, complete control and body awareness.

Pilates Is Not Purely Physical
It focuses both on the mind and muscular system to achieve mental and physical harmony. People often ask if they can de-stress by doing pilates. However, pilates requires mental focus, which means your mind stays sharp throughout the workout and so a good pilates workout should leave you feeling energised and alert!

Benefits of Pilates
As pilates is a whole body workout that is challenging on muscles, yet gentle on joints, it can benefit all individuals, ranging from the elderly and those who suffer from lower back discomfort,tofitness enthusiasts.

The increased strength, flexibility, alignment and physical awareness from a specific pilates programme is also great for athletes, such as golfers, tennis players, tri-athletes and even dancers to improve their performance and prevent future risk of injury.

Key benefits include:

• Relief from aches & pains
• Aids post-injury rehabilitation
• Improved muscle flexibility
• Better posture
• Mind-body connection for greater body confidence
• Increased joint mobility
• Superior abdominal strength
• Enhances sports performance
• Maintains muscle tone for expectant mums
• Long, lean defined muscles
• Eases neck pain and headaches

What makes Bodies Under Construction different?
"a quality pilates service, with instructors committed to personal growth and development in an environment that is professional yet relaxed"

Our spacious and relaxed studio provides the perfect environment for you to work closely with a professional and experienced instructor. Private and equipment sessions are comparable to a personal training session where the whole body is worked on. It adds both support for beginners and additional strength training for the more advanced pilates participant.

Group sessions are kept small (maximum of 4 people) to allow the instructor to be more hands on, to ensure each exercise is performed correctly to obtain optimum results and to make recommendations for those with more specific injuries or health problems.

Mat sessions are perfect for developing core strength, flexibility and co-ordination, while using your own body weight as resistance. Many pilates props or other pieces of small equipment will be used.

Pilates on equipment, like the reformer, teaches you how to do pilates exercises in a more controlled way. The carriage, straps, foot-bar, shoulder rests and spring-loaded resistance help position the body in the correct alignment and support your efforts while training to execute the exercises effectively and safely.

Pilates is highly recommended by the medical profession. Here at Bodies Under Construction Pilates we have a number of Physiotherapists with a special interest in pilates who have experience assessing dysfunction and dealing with client rehabilitation post injury and surgery.

So whether your interest in pilates is to increase your fitness level, or whether you have a specific injury or dysfunction, we are here to help!

What to expect during a pilates session
If you are new to pilates, then you must start with the basics, regardless of your fitness level.

During a pilates session, you will be taught an ordered series of exercises either on the Mat or using specially designed equipment such as the Reformer, Cadillac, Barrels and Chairs.

Depending on your needs, a session may be gentle or highly challenging but with no impact on the joints. Modifications to the exercises are possible to suit each individual. These exercises will be taught with limited repetitions with an aim towards perfecting every detail.

Your first few sessions will be focused on posture corrections and establishing proper forms. At this stage, you are unlikely to perspire as if you have done a gym workout. Be patient - the benefits of pilates will stay with you for a lifetime, so it's important to instill good habits. After a few sessions, you can expect to stand straighter, feel more energized and be stronger and more flexible.

Once you understand the philosophy of pilates, it can be translated into any format to enhance other sports activities or simply the way you perform every day tasks.

Getting started with pilates
If you have never done pilates in the form of matwork or on equipment before, why not come along to the studio for a free introductory demonstration? Please contact us for further details.

Alternatively, if you have had a previous pilates experience, you should schedule an initial one-to-one session. During this session, the instructor will assess your posture, movement patterns and work with you to build a tailor made programme specific to your needs. If you have some physical limitations, your instructor can give you an estimation of how pilates can benefit you. We will discuss our various packages we have to offer and how you can best structure a plan to reach your goals.

Ideally, pilates should be practiced 2-3 times per week in approximately 1-hour long sessions. Pilates may be practiced on the mat or equipment in a group, duet, or private setting.

Contact
For further information about rates and session information, please contact us on 0208 1235 786 or email: info@bodiesunderconstructionpilates.com or visit our website www.bodiesunderconstructionpilates.com