Pilates

Why Beginner Pilates May Seem “Easy”, But Having a Pilates Instructor is Essential

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Pilates Instructor, in her studio, assisting one of her students on the Reformer.

Why Beginner Pilates May Seem “Easy”, But Having a Pilates Instructor is Essential

By Dominic Pereira

If you’re new to Pilates, you might think it’s a straightforward exercise routine you can learn and practice on your own. While it’s true that beginner Pilates is easy to pick up, having a qualified instructor can make all the difference. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why having an instructor for beginner Pilates is essential and the benefits they can provide.

Benefits of a Pilates Instructor

According to Brooke Siler, author of “The Pilates Body”:
“As a beginner, it’s important to learn the basics of Pilates from a qualified instructor. They can help you understand the foundational principles of the exercise, and set you up for success in your practice.”

With that in mind, here are just a few of the many benefits a Pilates Instructor can bring to your routine:

Customized Workout Routine

A qualified Pilates instructor can create a workout routine tailored to your fitness level, goals, and physical limitations. They can also modify exercises to suit your needs, so you don’t risk injury. This means that you’ll be able to progress at a pace that suits you and get the most out of your practice.

Pilates Instructor, in her studio, assisting one of her students on an exercise ball.

Feedback on Technique

Pilates is all about proper form and technique. A qualified instructor can provide feedback on your form, ensuring you’re using the correct muscles and movements. This can help you avoid injury and get the most out of your workout.

“In Pilates, there are many small movements and adjustments that are difficult to pick up on your own. A qualified instructor can help you develop the mind-body connection necessary for Pilates and ensure that you’re engaging the correct muscles.” – Alycea Ungaro, founder of Real Pilates

Your instructor will help you to improve your proprioception, which is your body awareness and sense of where you are in space.  This is a wonderful skill to have not just during class but in life.

Motivation and Accountability

It can be challenging to stay motivated when working out alone. However, having a scheduled class with an instructor can help keep you accountable and consistent in your practice. Additionally, a Pilates instructor can provide motivation when you’re feeling discouraged, pushing you to your limits safely.

Group classes are also a good motivator to remain consistent and a great way to meet new people from all walks of life.

Knowledge of the Exercise and Variations

A Pilates instructor has extensive knowledge of movement and can answer any questions you may have. They can also provide modifications and variations to keep your workouts exciting and challenging. This can help you progress in your practice and avoid hitting a plateau.

In conclusion, while beginner Pilates may seem easy to pick up on your own, having a qualified instructor is essential. From customized workouts to feedback on technique and motivation, a Pilates instructor can provide many benefits to help you achieve your fitness goals. So if you’re new to Pilates, consider working with an instructor to get the most out of your practice. With the right instructor, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a strong, flexible, and healthy body through Pilates.

Glossary

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Join our Pilates classes at our studio in Gardens, Cape Town, to improve your overall strength, mobility, flexibility and posture. At moveOn 89, we also offer a wide range of wellness classes, including  HIIT and Fascial Fitness.

To join our classes, simply visit our class schedule to choose a time that works for you and book!

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Yoga & Pilates Connecting Consciousness & Whole-Body Commitment

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Young woman unrolling a Yoga/Pilates mat before a class.

Yoga & Pilates Connecting Consciousness & Whole-Body Commitment

By Dominic Pereira

Yoga and Pilates are both excellent forms of exercise, offering a variety of health benefits to people of all ages. While the two may have many similarities, they are two very different disciplines with vastly different origins, purposes and techniques.

To the casual observer, Yoga and Pilates can look very similar. Both practices are often done in a group or class and make use of a mat and small props. They both focus on breathing techniques and controlled, repetitive movements to improve overall health and fitness.

For someone looking to take up Yoga or Pilates, it can be tricky to decide which will be a good fit for them. Or even figure out how to incorporate them into existing workout schedules. To make things easier, we’re going to break down the similarities and differences so that you can make the right decision for yourself.

Yoga: Connecting Human Consciousness with The Universal Consciousness

Young woman in workout clothing, meditating on the beach with the ocean and sky in the background.

Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice (around 5000 years old) that aims to connect human consciousness with universal consciousness.

The Asana, or physical practices of Yoga that we are all familiar with today, came about much later, around the 19th century. Since then, Yoga Asanas have blossomed into a wide array of different systems; beginner-friendly Hatha Yoga, dance-like Vinyasa Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga for the perfectionists among us, and many more.

Yoga often incorporates meditation and deep breathing into its routines. As a result, it can help to improve not only your physical health but also your emotional and spiritual well-being.

“Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice that aims to connect human consciousness with universal consciousness.”

The Benefits of Yoga

Among many other benefits, regular Yoga practice can:

  • Improve the flexibility of your body and joints.
  • Help manage stress, depression and anxiety.
  • Ease back pain and arthritis.
  • Aid with rest and digestion through an increase in vagal tone.
  • Decrease inflammation.
  • Protect brain function.
  • Lower the risk of Cardiovascular related problems.

Pilates: Breath, Whole-Body Health and Whole-Body Commitment

Originally called Contrology, Pilates was developed in 1920s in New York by Joseph Pilates and his wife, Clara. They built on techniques Joseph had developed as an orderly to assist in the physical rehabilitation of wounded soldiers during World War One.

Pilates aims to create balance in the body by strengthening and lengthening specific muscle groups through controlled breathing, precise and flowing movements and deep concentration.

There are two main variations of Pilates to choose from. Classical Pilates entails doing the same 34 poses in the same order every session. Contemporary Pilates can incorporate other physical movements like choreography, HIIT training, the use of small props and equipment and more.

“Pilates aims to create balance in the body by strengthening and lengthening specific muscle groups.”

The Benefits of Pilates

Among many other benefits, which are similar to Yoga in most respects, regular Pilates practice can:

  • Increase strength, flexibility, and lean muscle tone.
  • Improve posture.
  • Help manage stress.
  • Increase energy levels.
  • Eliminate toxins.
  • Aid with digestion and metabolism.
  • Help boost the immune system.

Choosing an Option

The choice between Pilates and Yoga is often purely personal taste but usually people choose Pilates to address specific issues, imbalances, or injuries in their bodies and often on the recommendation of their Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Doctor, or Specialist.

Since Yoga has a basis in spiritual practices some people feel more comfortable with Pilates as there is no religious connotation or influence in the practice and classes.

Glossary

  • Asana is a Sanskrit word meaning “posture,” “seat,” or “place.” Asanas are the physical positions we assume during a hatha yoga.     yogabasics.com
  • Vagal Tone – Vagal tone tells us how well the vagus nerve is functioning. drruscio.com
  • HIIT Training – HIIT training stands for High Intensity Interval Training – a form of cardiovascular exercise. moveon89.com

References

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The Importance of Clothing for Movement During Pilates

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Young woman athlete doing a god of war yoga pose in a stretching exercise

The Importance of Clothing for Movement During Pilates

By Dominic Pereira

Pilates is all about form and intentional movement, so when it comes to having a successful session, anything that can restrict or limit your motion is best avoided. Keep this in mind when choosing an outfit for your next session.

The Importance of Movement and Form in Pilates

Pilates is a series of low-impact exercises to help strengthen your stabilising and mobilising muscles to improve movement, posture and flexibility.

Pilates is about creating body awareness and in so doing it helps you to understand where you are in space (proprioception), to control your movements, and hence move better.

For you to get the most out of your Pilates session, your instructor must be able to observe your form and posture, helping you make minor adjustments as needed. With this in mind, the ideal Pilates outfit must be form-fitting, as very baggy clothing makes it more difficult for your instructor to see your movement and also for you to move well. However, it’s equally important that you are comfortable physically and psychologically in what you are wearing. So skin-tight clothing is not necessary! If you’re not comfortable about how you look then you won’t move with ease either.

“It’s equally important that you are comfortable physically and psychologically in what you are wearing.”

Ideal Pilates clothing

Footwear

According to Jessica Schatz, certified master Pilates instructor and integrative wellness coach:

“Kinetic energy starts from the ground up, and wearing sneakers will restrict some of the movements. Barefoot activities like Pilates can be more beneficial for balance and posture, as well as help prevent injuries such as shin splints and plantar fasciitis.”

Pilates is best done barefoot or wearing non-slip Pilates socks, depending on your session type. For example, your reformer session will benefit significantly from the extra grip you get from socks. Many studios will insist on socks for the sake of hygiene and safety.

Comfort is Key

Another essential aspect to keep in mind is your comfort. Pilates involves a lot of different movements and positions, which ill-fitting clothing can hinder. Imagine squatting in pants that are too tight or having your legs up in the air when your loose, flowing pants legs come tumbling down.
A woman performing a difficult Pilates pose.

Another aspect of comfort is breathable fabric for when sessions get sweaty or during summer. In winter it’s a great idea to layer up and then peel off as you warm up 🙂

While there are plenty of things to consider when it comes to Pilates, if you manage to strike a balance between form, flexibility and comfort, you’re well on your way to a great session.

“Our activewear should enhance our movement sessions, not hinder mind or body!”

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At moveOn 89, we offer both group and individual Pilates classes with skilled instructors, ready to help you with your form and posture to have the best session. Book a class today!

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References

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The 6 Principles of Pilates

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6 Principles of Pilates

The 6 Principles of Pilates

By Dominic Pereira

Joseph H. Pilates once said, “Concentrate on the correct movements each time you exercise, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all vital benefits of their value.”

After such wisdom from the Pilates Guru himself, take a moment to re-evaluate how you approach your health and fitness regime. Do you mostly skip your workouts because you’re too tired or too busy or do you try to fit in a “quick session” to keep up with your busy schedule? Or do you make enough time in your day to take care of your body and mind? And by “time” I don’t mean hours, even just 20 minutes of mindful movement daily can be beneficial.

We get it; life is not always willing to take a break with you; it is constantly on the move, so you might feel like you need to go with the flow or in this case the gushing rush. And in so doing don’t we often choose quantity over quality? How many reps can we get in under a minute instead of how the quality of the movements to ensure intelligent movement resulting in mind-body improvements and not just aesthetics?

6 Principles of Pilates

Apart from being known for its ability to strengthen your “core” or as we prefer to say, “structural integrity”, Pilates also focuses on six principles, including concentration, control, centre, flow, precision, and breath. Although these principles might sound completely unrelated, they are all infused into every movement.

At moveOn 89, these principles are essential to our philosophy, especially BREATH. Let’s look at each principle below:

1. Concentration

We know the mind often wanders to all the to-dos from your daily tasks at work that are up, what supplies the kids might need for school, if your pup has enough treats and walkies, etc. It can all so easily consume our thoughts, no matter what we are busy with!

Which makes the first principle we would like to focus on rather challenging! Concentration. An essential element of Pilates is focusing or concentrating your mind AND body during each movement. This can be HARD. You will be focusing on the burn one moment; then, your thoughts take you elsewhere when that gets too much, perhaps resulting in you losing just that bit of focus needed to ensure your form is optimal and you complete the set. We often give up just before the end because we lose focus.

Bringing your full attention to each exercise and committing will ensure you maximise the value it brings your body. PLUS, as a bonus, by practising concentration and bringing awareness to your movement you will also practising mindfulness which has many de-stressing benefits.

Capturing that elusive concentration and focus can be hard, yes, but by listening to and following your breath, focusing your attention to where the movement is happening and what you want to achieve with the movement, can all help to keep you “in the moment”.

2. Control

Being in control of your body (and mind) is another essential element of Pilates. As we learnt from concentration, focusing on the movement creates awareness and this will give you the ability to control how you move.

Every exercise performed during your Pilates class needs to be done with complete muscular control. Each movement must be a conscious, purposeful movement for you to reap the benefit. And this is only possible if you focus in order to control what your body is doing. Hence, moving with intention.

“Contrology (Joseph’s name for his method) is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.”
Joseph H. Pilates

Control - The 6 Principles of Pilates

3. Centre

The third principle is centering. Some might say that centering and control go hand in hand. Actually, it is 2 concepts in one word. Centering implies focus and concentration in order to gain control but also one needs to start at your centre to fully control your body.

Often referred to as the “powerhouse”, the space between your lower ribs and pubic bone, was always the traditional “core” and centre of your body from where one would center and move. But now we know that the “core” is much more than just our abdominals. Structural integrity is the ability to control translation of movements through our joints in a structural chain. For example, walking or running requires good ankle joint movement so that the knee and hip can move sequentially within that chain without compensatory movement. So rather than just focusing on bracing the core or abs we focus on creating stability and mobility through functional movement patterns. So, you will centre (focus) your mind and then your body within the (old) “powerhouse” which we prefer to call the flexible framework (“true centre”), which includes your abdominals, upper and lower back pelvis, glutes, inner thighs and shoulder girdle.

4. Flow

If you have ever joined a Pilates class, it will often feel like an intense Yoga session, where you will bend and stretch while also contracting muscles (eccentric contraction), but typically each movement flows into the next.

With Pilates, this flow helps you build strength and increase stamina. It also teaches your body to transition from one movement and position to the next and creates new neural pathways which is what intelligent movement really is. And in so doing we pattern functional movement which we can take from the mat into life. To get a great indication of your flow, try using a reformer or other Pilates equipment. It will become “machine-like” once you lose your flow and control.

“That each muscle may cooperatively and loyally aid in the uniform development of all our muscles.”
Joseph H. Pilates

5. Precision

In Pilates, precision also plays a significant role. This goes hand in hand with Concentration and Control. It is crucial to practice awareness throughout each bend, contraction and lift. It is never about how many repetitions you can do.

Focusing on how you do each movement, and performing each move correctly, can later translate into your day-to-day activities like walking or bending to pick something up. You will start focusing on the movement as you do it to ensure its precise and with good form, thus preventing injuries.

Each action must be deliberate to ensure your focus stays and your technique is optimal to ensure you break harmful movement patterns.

6. Breath

Lastly, our most significant focus in Pilates is breath.

Knowing how to breathe correctly is key in Pilates. You might think, “Why do I need to focus on breathing? I do it every day.” That’s true! But have you ever considered if you are breathing optimally during your workouts, whether it is Pilates, running, or any other type of workout? Have you ever considered if you are ever breathing correctly? Most people breathe small, short, tight and shallow breaths – apical breathing. This drains one of energy and creates anxious tension in the body. Diaphragmatic, nasal breathing is the optimal way to breathe.

Joseph H. Pilates emphasised using a full breath during his practices. He told his students to think of their lungs as bellows—”a device with an airbag that emits a stream of air when squeezed together with two handles.” A bellow is used to blow air into a fire, but in this analogy, think of using your lungs to pump air fully into your body.

Coordinating your breathing with your movements is integral to Pilates and life. You will often hear your Pilates instructor remind you to breathe.

We usually start to hold our breath when we concentrate on a movement, thinking it will aid us when it becomes painful or difficult. But it is the opposite. Breathing helps our body during challenging exercises. It is also why we are often told to breathe when we are in pain or take a breath before doing something that makes us scared.

Each exercise in Pilates should start with breath and then translate from there through this “centre” and then flow through your limbs. That is why we often begin with the Pilates starting position, also known as Constructive Rest, where we initiate diaphragmatic breathing and allow our fascia to start to find fluidity (glide and slide) as we let the breath create an arch on the inhale and a tilt on the exhale, completing a FULL exhale to start to engage our true stability.

Focusing your breath will help you engage the elements of your “true centre” and always moving from breath will create fluidity, power, mental clarity, ease and control.

This blog doesn’t have enough space to truly fully explain the incredible thing that our God given ability to breath is and how we should harness it every moment of the day to live better.

“Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.”
Joseph H. Pilates

Join a Pilates Class at moveOn 89

Join our Pilates classes at our studio in Gardens, Cape Town, to improve your overall strength, mobility, flexibility and posture. At moveOn 89, we also offer a wide range of wellness classes including Yoga, HIIT, and Fascial Fitness.

To join our classes, simply visit our class schedule to choose a time that works for you and book!

Book a Class

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