Pilates is a body-conditioning method that works in a different way to other fitness techniques. Targeting the deep postural muscles, it works by building strength from the inside out, rebalancing the body and bringing it into correct alignment. It helps to reshape your body which will become longer, leaner and more toned. It will also improve your posture, achieving the perfect balance between strength and flexibility, and is a great way to relieve unwanted stress and tension. Ideal for athletes looking to enhance their performance and avoid the risk of injury, it is equally suitable for first time exercisers. Its slow, controlled approach means that it gives longer-term results – and it is especially recommended by medical specialists for those with back problems.

Pilates offers both mental and physical training, literally teaching you to be in control of your body. By improving body awareness and focus, tension is released from the body and correct postural alignment is taught.

Pilates involves deep lateral breathing into the lower ribcage whilst maintaining a 'girdle of strength' in the abdomen.  This ‘girdle of strength’ is one of the primary aims of the Method and is achieved by strengthening the core postural muscles that stabilise the torso. By correcting imbalances, sound muscle recruitment patterns are encouraged and the body is realigned. Precise, controlled, flowing movements mean that the muscle and ligament damage, sometimes associated with other fitness regimes, is avoided. Pilates, in fact, plays a key role in many injury rehabilitation programmes in dance, sport and general practice.

The core of the Method is ‘awareness of your own body’ and each and every exercise is built around its eight key principles:

Relaxation; Breathing; Concentration; Flowing Movements; Alignment; Co-ordination; Centring; Stamina

Body Control Pilates® can be followed in instructor led group matwork classes (12 maximum), "one-to-one" matwork private sessions, small group matwork sessions or on pilates machines (reformers, cadillacs etc) in studio sessions (small numbers of people) or "one-to-one" sessions. Books, videos and home equipment can be purchased (www.bodycontrol.co.uk) to accompany supervised learning or to follow self tuition. Working unsupervised has the very significant drawback of practising incorrectly without feedback. Incorrect aligment will involve the use of incorrect muscles which are invariably overused and incorrectly used in daily life which could aggravate an existing condition.

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