The Top 10 Benefits of Pilates!

Pilates is a series of over 500 exercises, both mat and equipment based, inspired by calisthenics, yoga and ballet. It was initially introduced into America in the 1920s by Joseph Pilates to assist athletes and dancers to safely exercise and maintain their fitness when rehabilitating injuries.

It is a system that enables tailoring and adaptation to individual requirements, both mental and physical, to ensure that the body is working in harmony: the specific focus is on abdominal strength and muscular activation, and coordination of breathing with movement.

A common question I hear is: what’s better for me, yoga or pilates? And the answer is, both are fantastic, in different ways. It will depend on what you need from your practice right now. If you are rehabilitating an injury or really in need of building abdominal strength and stabilisation through the core, commit to a regular pilates practice. There is no reason you cannot also do yoga – the body loves variety in movement and thought!


Top Ten Reasons to Commit to Pilates

♥ 1. Improved stabilisation of the spine: consider how much impact you put on your spine through poor posture, twisting, bending, lifting heavy objects (this includes children!), poor running technique…to name but a few sins against the spine

♥ 2. Improved flexibility

♥ 3. Relaxation of the muscles through the neck, back and shoulders through improved postural awareness

♥ 4. Improved physical coordination and balance

♥ 5. Lengthens and stretches the muscles – through body weight and light weight resistance, there is an increase in muscular and bone strength

♥ 6. Time to focus on breath, movement and how the body feels

♥ 7. Improved proprioception (awareness of your body in space)

♥ 8. Released tension in the body equals a less tense and anxious mind!

♥ 9. Engages the mind throughout practice – no time to dwell on the outside world or get restless!

♥ 10. Learning to breathe in the pilates style (inhaling through the nose to fill the back and sides of the ribcage and exhaling through the mouth while bracing the abdominals) oxygenates the blood and increases energy and alertness

ED: Hopefully this has inspired you to get into some Pilates! Check out RENZ Pilates, PFIWA, Perth Pilates Studio & Sense of Space Pilates for some Perth Pilates options! x


Article by Cat Woods (http://catcore.blogspot.com; http://pinterest.com/catcore), Melbourne Pilates teacher (so check her out if you ever go for a holiday!)

Event Review: Earth Hour Free Pilates Event with Renee Kendall!

The evening of Saturday 31st of March saw about 20 health and wellness lovers get together at Performance Pilates and Physiotherapy Centre in West Perth to celebrate Earth hour by swapping lights for hundreds of gorgeous candles (some from Peachy Clean), and getting stuck into an hour long pilates class instructed by Renee from RENZ Pilates. I’ll admit this is not the usual way I spend my Saturday evenings, but it was such a special night and it’s made me realise that I do love exercising when the sun has gone down. There’s just something special about it!

Renee had us stretching, toning, breathing and relaxing in varied and flowing pilates sequences. She is a great teacher, providing individual assistance to all participants and it was an incredibly enjoyable experience, I just knew my bum, legs, tum and arms were going to be sore the next day 🙂 Sure enough, for 2 days after the class I felt the sweet ache of exercise done well.

♥ A nice hip opener

Audrey (owner of Performance Pilates & Physiotherapy) & our lovely instructor Renee of RENZ Pilates!

Fancy pants advanced pilates moves after the class!

Hope you enjoyed reading about this fun and worthwhile event!

Wellness WA has plans to bring some reader events to you in the near future… would anyone be keen?

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Earth Hour 2012 Event: Free Pilates by Candlelight!


Hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year by turning out the lights for one hour in support of the largest environmental event in history – Earth Hour.

Miranda Kerr is one the of the global ambassadors for Earth Hour and will be hosting her own yoga session in Sydney, whilst here in Perth you can join this amazing initiative while also cherishing your body and mind.

♥ Renee

Local Pilates Instructor and fitness specialist Renee Kendall, who writes a weekly blog for Miranda’s KORA Organics website, will be hosting a Perth Earth Hour event to raise awareness and support for Earth Hour 2012.

Together with studio director and Physiotherapist Audrey Ng, a free Pilates class will take place under candle light at Performance Pilates & Physiotherapy in West Perth on Saturday 31 March at 8:30pm.

“The studio has an amazing view of Perth’s city skyline. It will be really special to see Perth’s entire city lights turn off for the hour in support of Earth Hour while we will be hosting Pilates by candlelight.” says Audrey Ng.

There will also be prizes and goodies with thanks to KORA Organics! Free pilates, candles, organic skincare and wonderful company. What more could you want! 🙂

Register online at Renz Pilates or call Performance Pilates & Physiotherapy on 9228 2778 to be part of this magical initiative. Spaces are limited.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Exercise Review: Pure Moves Pilates, Cottesloe, Perth.

After a pretty mundane day at work, I was looking forward to nothing more than my Monday evening Pilates class at Pure Moves Cottesloe. I jumped online in the morning to book and pay for the 5.30pm Pilates Mat class with Chantelle. It was super easy and quick and I was emailed a receipt straight away. I pay for casual classes, $22 per visit, but there are packages available too.

I arrived early to the light, bright and fresh studio and had a quick chat to the instructors before setting myself up for the intense core workout to follow.

Pilates is nothing like Yoga. I’ve been a Yogi for about 3 years and love it for a good stretch and to relax and calm my mind. Pilates is more focused on core strength and developing lean muscle tone. But both hark back to the importance of breathing and its place within the exercises.

Chantelle led us through some breathing and neck roll downs to start before we moved on to work our glutes, abdominals, triceps and quadriceps. We worked these major muscle groups with a series of ab curls, squats, leg raises etc. We used toning balls to add resistance to most of the exercises, in other classes we’ve used resistance bands (rubber bands that help with strengthening exercises).

What I love about these Pilates classes is the fluidity, the only rest we have is to stretch between tough exercises – into my favourite position, child’s pose 🙂 It really is a great workout as we keep our heart rate up with the continuous movement.

Pure Moves check your health and injury history and are able to tailor any exercises to your needs – a lady had sore knees in one of my classes and the instructor showed her alternative exercises for when we were doing squats etc.

I walk out of Pilates every week feeling lighter than air and totally refreshed and re-energised. If you haven’t tried it yet, you must!

Have you tried Pilates before? Share your experience below in the comments section!

Review by Lucy, pilates enthusiast!

Be well,

xoxo