What is Pilates?
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"The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning develops the body uniformly, corrects posture, restores vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit.” ~Joseph H. Pilates
Pilates is a method of exercise and physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. With systematic practice of specific exercises, Pilates has proven itself invaluable not only as a fitness endeavor itself, but also as an important adjunct to professional sports training and physical rehabilitation of all kinds.
Practiced faithfully, Pilates yields numerous benefits. Increased lung capacity and circulation through deep, healthy breathing is a primary focus. Strength and flexibility, particularly of the abdomen and back muscles, coordination-both muscular and mental, are key components in an effective Pilates program. Posture, balance, and core strength are all heartily increased. Bone density and joint health improve, and many experience positive body awareness for the first time. Pilates teaches balance and control of the body, and that capacity spills over into other areas of one's life.
“The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning is complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.” ~ Joseph H. Pilates
A little History of Joseph Pilates - the creater - an incredible man
Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in 1880 near Düsseldorf, Germany. His father, a native of Greece, had been a prize-winning gymnast, while his German-born mother was a naturopath who believed in the principle of stimulating the body to heal itself without artificial drugs. No doubt his mother's healing philosophy and father's physical achievements greatly influenced Pilates' later ideas on therapeutic exercise.
Small and sickly as a child, he was afflicted with asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, and was continually taunted by the bigger children. He quickly became determined to overcome his physical disadvantages. Thereupon young Joseph began to self-educate himself in anatomy, bodybuilding, wrestling, yoga, gymnastics, and martial arts. He soon achieved an almost Adonis-like "anatomical ideal," to the extent that at the age of 14 he was posing as a model for anatomy charts. He was also an accomplished boxer, skier, and diver.
His answer to his problems & those of others was to design a unique series of vigorous physical exercises that help to correct muscular imbalances and improve posture, coordination, balance, strength, and flexibility, as well as to increase breathing capacity and organ function. He also invented a variety of machines, based on spring-resistance, that could be used to perform these exercises.
There is a famous story about Pilates' inspiration for his unique apparatus. Before World War I he was touring England as a circus performer and professional boxer, and even teaching self-defense to the Scotland Yard police force. But when war broke out, he found himself interned in England as an enemy alien on the Isle of Man.
The health conditions in the internment camps were not great, but Pilates insisted that everyone in his cell block participate in daily exercise routines to help maintain both their physical and mental well-being. However, some of the injured German soldiers were too weak to get out of bed. Not content to leave his comrades lying idle, Pilates took springs from the beds and attached them to the headboards and footboards of the iron bed frames, turning them into equipment that provided a type of resistance exercise for his bedridden "patients."
These mechanized beds were the forerunners of the spring-based exercise machines, such as the Cadillac and the Universal Reformer for which the Pilates method is known today. Pilates legend has it that during the great flu epidemic of 1918, not a single one of the soldiers under his care died. He credited his technique (which he called "Contrology") for the prisoners' strength and fitness — remarkable under the less than optimum living conditions of internment camps, which were hit especially hard by this deadly flu.
Pilates returned to Germany after the war, and his achievements with the German soldiers in the prison camp did not go unnoticed. In 1926, the Kaiser invited him to begin training the German secret police.At this point Pilates decided to emigrate to the United States. He met his future wife and dedicated teaching partner, Clara, on the boat to New York City. Together they opened the first Body Contrology Studio on Eighth Avenue at 56th Street in Manhattan, in the same building as a number of dance studios.
For the rest of his life, he continued to develop his exercise system and to create new pieces of equipment for it. In this task he was evidently not only inventive, but also resourceful. It is said that his first Barrel was constructed from a beer keg, and he used the metal hoops from the keg to make his first Magic Circle.
“If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old. If it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.” ~ Joseph Pilates
"I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier." - Joseph Hubertus Pilates, in 1965, age 86
Joseph Pilates 1880-1967
What class do I start with?
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It really depends why you are coming to the Studio & what you are wanting to achieve/need help with. If you have been referred to us by a Practitioner, be it an Osteopath, Physio, Chiro, Doctor or Myo then they would usually be recommending you do the Clinical Pilates/Studio Equipment Classes.
If you are someone who wants to work with the larger Pilates Equipment/Machines or you are injured, pregnant or unsure then booking in an Initial Consultation would be the best thing to do. We can then talk to you at this Assessment & go from there/find what would be your best fit.
If you have done Pilates Classes before & can get yourself onto & up off the ground &/or prefer group classes where you are doing the same as everyone else in the class but are not injured or heavily pregnant, then you are welcome to give a matclass or similar a go.
You can always ask us our opinion if you are unsure before booking in yourself online. If I can't get to you straight away, I will be sure to get in touch at my earliest convenience, preferably when I'm either in the Studio & not teaching or without my daughters in the background!:-)
How do I book a class?
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We use the "Bookings Essential" online booking system. You can logon to this with your smart phone/device via the website on the homepage or on your desktop. If you ever have trouble with this, please contact the Studio for more information or text (preferably) Danni to book you into a preferred class time. Your Initial Consultations & Pre-Pointe Assessments have to be booked in via Danni either by text, phone or emailing if there is not a free space online. A text message with the link to fill out the appropriate form before joining will then be sent to you. The same applies for Private Sessions if any available ones are taken or you can't find anything that suits. For all other classes, they can be booked in online. Clients usually have a permanent ongoing weekly booking or bookings.
What do I need to know/bring to class?
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Just wear comfortable clothes that you can move in but not too baggy inhibiting us to see your body moving. You must also have some socks (grippy ones prefered) to wear in your classes. These are essential for safety & hygiene reasons. They can be purchased in the Studio - we sell MoveActive ones ($17.50 for a pair or $45 for 3) - otherwise I always make sure I have spare ones there for you to borrow if you forget yours. Please make sure they remain in the Studio - dirty ones in the bowl behind the clean ones, so I can wash them & they don't go missing. Bringing a hand towel to your classes would be appreciated. Please arrive on time. Water bottles are for sale ($1) in the Studio but there is also a tap so if you doing your own drink bottle you can always fill it up if need be. We provide all mats & small apparatus at the Studio thoroughly cleaning everything but if you feel you would like to use your own mat or theraband for example, please feel free to being them along to your classes.
Cancellation policy;
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There is a strict 12 hour late cancellation policy to be fair to our Instructors & so someone on the waitlist can take your spot if you can not attend but of course if an emergency occurs, as unforeseen circumstances do arise, we understand, so this will of course be waivered. Please let us know if you are a No Show to your class as we worry if we don't hear from when we are expecting you to be at your normal session.
What if my class is cancelled?
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If an Instructor gets sick & I can not find cover - I always try my best to help in these scenarios - I will suggest another time for you to join apologising for any inconvenience caused or in some circumstances at VERY late notice, offer you a free matclass with me, to apologise. Understand though that we need a minimum of 2 to run a Studio Equipment class so may have to find you an alternative spot if your class suddenly becomes below minimum or cancel a matclass, finding you once again an alternative, if there are less that 3 clients booked in. You will always be notified if a class is cancelled via text or a phone call.
What if I'm on a waitlist?
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Always join a waitlist as you may be lucky to get in every time, you never know! You will be automatically notified via email if you score a spot in the class you are waiting to get into but by no means are expected to come to this or charged if it's last minute & you had since made other plans/cannot attend. We will endeavour to do our best to keep on top of this & notify you via text message as well if we get to it in time but do check your emails in case. You can also respond to the email if you can not attend the class you got into.
I am pregnant so can I attend classes at on-Core?
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You sure can! The most beneficial classes pre & postnatally are the personalised Studio Equipment ones but if you have been a regular client of ours, the mat classes & POP classes can be modified to suit your needs. All of on-Core's instructors are qualified to work with prenatal clients. We love this!
How old do I have to be to attend?
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There is no minimum age requirement to attend our Studio. We cater for all age groups. So far the youngest client we have had join the Studio Equipment Classes has been 10 & the eldest to attend the Studio has been 98:-)
What if I have an Injury or a Neurological deficit?
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At our Studio you definitely can but only the Studio Equipment Classes, not matwork.
Do men do Pilates?
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"Who says Pilates is only for women?!
It was a man himself who created it...
If you're a tradie suffering from back pain, a footballer with hamstring issues, a cyclist needing that core strengthened or a golfer wanting to improve their swing, then look no further!! We have plenty of males getting a lot of benefit from doing their regular Pilates Sessions at the Studio.
What facilities do you offer?
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We have a toilet inside the Studio, spare socks to borrow if you forget yours & spare towels out the back if you ever need one. We also provide masks if you forget yours & if we ever need to wear these again. We don't have showering facilities. We have a fridge with water bottles inside that you can purchase.