What is Pilates and Who is it Suited to?
My name is Sinead Greenan (MISCP) and I am Chartered Physiotherapist here at PhysioCare, based in the Blanchardstown and Castleknock clinics. I teach Pilates classes in Blanchardstown every Monday at both 6-7pm and 7-8pm, so I wanted to write this blog to explain as to just what is Pilates and who it is suited to.
Joseph Pilates was a sickly child who used physical exercise to turn himself into a fit adult. During World War I, as an intern at a prison camp for German nationals, he developed a series of exercises using minimal equipment (including using springs attached to hospital beds for injured soldiers) to improve the fitness and physical strength of members at the camp. This was the beginning of Pilates as it is today. Since the early 1900’s, Pilates has grown massively and is now an internationally recognised form of exercise as a result of the positive effects it has on both healthy and injured bodies.
Pilates is suitable for everyone whether you are a new mother, an athlete, a weekend warrior, a desk worker, a manual labourer or a retiree. Pilates focuses on breathing, core control, body awareness and coordination patterns to help improve your strength, endurance, balance and flexibility to assist you in your everyday life. Whether you have an injury or whether you are simply looking to improve in a certain area, we can tailor a personalised Pilates program for you. Pilates is taught by highly skilled Chartered Physiotherapists which is what sets us apart from other Pilates providers. We can modify exercises to reduce risk of injury while encouraging your body to perform at the highest level.
We offer individual and group sessions to fit around your schedule. Classes are held in our Blanchardstown, Carrickmines and Rathfarnham clinics. The classes are suitable for those of any age and any experience level and even for pregnant women up to 20 weeks. However for anything over 20 weeks, you can avail of private one-to-one Pilates sessions with one of our Chartered Physiotherapists to have the exercises and pace tailored to your needs and abilities.