WHAT IS PILATES?

Pilates is designed to stretch, strengthen and uniformly develop the body in order to prevent future injury and reduce or alleviate chronic pain.

 
 
 
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History of Classical Pilates

Pilates is a system of exercise designed by German born Joseph Pilates. His method gained popularity when he moved to New York in the 1920's and started teaching with his wife Clara.

Initially, Joe designed only a set of exercises on the mat and on a piece of equipment called a reformer. His classical order is still taught today in some strictly classical studios around the world. Over time, as he gained more clients, he developed more exercises and made more pieces of equipment to suit his client's particular needs - a piece called the ped-o-pul which is now often found in studios worldwide was originally designed for an opera singing client of his who required more projection and power for her voice!

Today, there are MANY different styles of Pilates that have developed and the traditional style Joe originally designed has been heavily influenced. There are many classical teachers sticking closely to the original order and style Joe designed, there are many rehab and physio influenced teachers as well as many personal training influenced teachers. However, no matter what the influence of the teacher, the method and its original tenets of breath, alignment and whole body integration are still true for a well trained teacher.

 
 
 
 
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Post natal healing and rehabilitation

This is a cause close to my heart.

Having had children myself and going through the demands of pregnancy, labour and the post natal process my eyes have been opened to the missing rehabilitative and nurturing support women need during this time.

Many post partum issues are common but most definitely not normal - especially in the long term. There is no need to suffer in silence and think that your current situation is your new normal.

If you are suffering from incontinence, have prolapse concerns, have been diagnosed with SPD, a diastasis, haemorrhoids, niggling unresolved hip/lower back pain or just want support in learning how to transition back in to your old fitness program please reach out. I am more than happy to confer with your women health physio or any other specialist you have received treatment from.

There is definitely light at the end of the tunnel for a supported, pain free and leak free exercising future for you.

I understand the financial demands on mothers who are on maternity leave. I am open to payment plans, providing Zoom sessions or have you bring your baby to your sessions.

I am happy to talk about any way I can best support you to reach your goals. Please contact me to discuss any concerns and the best way to support you going forwards.

 
 
 

“I came to see Andy a year after the birth of my third child. I had developed an umbilical hernia during pregnancy which caused me discomfort on a daily basis (I had previously been discharged by the physio at the hospital saying it was “as good as it was going to get”). Andy got right to the root of the problem and helped me to learn how to manage the abdominal pressure that caused the hernia in the first place and to realign and strengthen my muscles post-pregnancy. Andy carefully and thoughtfully helped me through surgery to repair the hernia and to build up my core strength so I could perform basic activities like lifting my young children and pushing buggies again..” 

Thea - De Beauvoir Town

 
 
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functional anatomy and Pilates Rehabilitation

We all have imbalances in our bodies.

They accrue over our lifetime through old injuries hanging around and habitual patterns (like carrying a baby on one hip) becoming our “new normal”.

Sometime Pilates isn’t the answer - putting more load on top of an already imbalanced system only adds stress to a situation. We need to take a deeper dive into where your compensation patterns are to resolve to resolve any pain, discomfort or tightness you may be experiencing.

Through studying functional anatomy I can evaluate the strength or weakness of each muscle, revealing the sources of injury and retraining your body to remove the compensation patterns - reprogramming the body at the neural level.

Utilising functional anatomy is helpful within the Pilates context because sometimes we hit plateaus and cannot see what is getting in the way of our improvement. Or sometimes we attempt a more advanced exercise and we know we're cheating through it - our body is compensating to perform the movement rather than drawing on the necessary muscle organisation to build the skill.

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