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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pilates?
What Happens During the Initial Consultation
Series at Pendleton Pilates?
Why Do I Need To Do the Initial Consultation
Series?
What Should I Wear?
How Many Times Per Week Should I Do Pilates?
What is the Difference Between Mat &
Reformer Work?
How Quickly Will I See Results?
What is the Difference Between Pilates and
Weight Training?
What If I Am Overweight?
Do Men Benefit From Pilates?
Why Come to A Pilates Studio?
Where Should I Park?
How Can I Pay?
What is Pilates?
According to Joseph Pilates in his 1945 book "Pilates' Return to Life through
Contrology", it is "complete coordination of body, mind and spirit." He
continues to explain that Pilates (the method is named for the man), "develops
the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality,
invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit. In childhood, with rare
exceptions, we all enjoy the benefits of natural and normal physical
development. However, as we mature, we find ourselves living in bodies not
always complimentary to our ego. Our bodies are slumped, our shoulders are
stooped, our eyes are hollow, our muscles are flabby, and our vitality is
extremely lowered, if not vanished. This is but the natural result of not
having uniformly developed all the muscles of our spine, trunk, arms and legs
in the course of pursuing our daily labors and office activities." In short,
Pilates focuses on building a healthy, injury-free body by encouraging
controlled and concentrated movement. It centers the body with breathing
awareness while maintaining dynamic spiral stabilization. Pilates is a full
body-conditioning program comprised of a series of approximately 500 designed
movements preformed on a mat and with specific apparatus. Pilates utilizes
equipment with spring resistance that simulated normal muscle physiology,
integrating muscle synergies. Pilates improves strength, flexibility, balance,
control and muscular symmetry. The rhythmic exercises promote elongated and
toned muscles, and are noted for developing abdomen, lower back and buttocks
strength, promoting a strong body core.
For further information about the history of Pilates, see
www.pilates.com.
What Happens During the Initial Consultation Series at Pendleton Pilates?
Group Reformer Classes, you will see faster results and be able to more
thoroughly enjoy your sessions. During your four private initial sessions, you
will learn the fundamental movement principles of Pilates and the breathing
technique we use at Pendleton Pilates. The goal is for you to experience a wide
variety of exercises on the Reformer and for you to be familiar with the
Pilates vocabulary, both in your mind and your body. That way, if you choose to
enter into Group Reformer Classes, you will see faster results and be able to
more thoroughly enjoy your sessions.
Why Do I Need To Do the Initial Consultation Series?
Even if you have taken mat or Reformer classes elsewhere, it is a valuable
experience to re-examine your strengths and weaknesses and learn your body's
habits in alignment in movement. Further, by working privately with an
instructor, you will learn how to get the most out of your Pilates Group
sessions. If you have extensive Pilates experience, we recommend you sign up
for your Initial Consultation Series. If the instructor feels you are competent
enough to go into groups within a session or two, we will shorten your series
and credit your account.
What Should I Wear?
It is helpful for our instructors if you wear comfortable yet form-fitting
exercise clothes. That way we can make sure you are performing the exercises in
the proper alignment. However, we don't advise you wear loose or "short" shorts
as many of the exercises are done with your legs open and elevated. You may
exercise in either your bare feet or stocking feet.
How Many Times Per Week Should I Do Pilates?
Pilates can be quite effective over time even if you only can do one session a
week, but most of our clients come twice a week. However, you can do Pilates
every single day. There is no "day on, day off" schedule. So if you are
training for a special event or have a flexible schedule, you can do Pilates
three, four even five times a week. But we advise that you begin a reasonable
program of exercise and stick to it over time. Often, taking on more than is
reasonable for your schedule or budget is a sure fire way to lose in the long
run.
You can also combine mat and Reformer work. So you may wish to take two
Reformer classes a week and one Mat class.
What is the Difference Between Mat & Reformer Work?
When you work out on the Reformer (a piece of equipment designed by Joseph
Pilates in the early 1900s and updated and improved by Balanced Body, the
leading manufacturer of Pilates equipment), your movements and the weight of
your body are supported by the smooth movement of the machine along the
carriage as well as by a system of straps for the arms and legs. When you do
Pilates on the Mat, you must support your body weight through the movements,
which makes the work more difficult. However, the Mat work is a great way to
make sure you really understand your body and the principles of Pilates.
How Quickly Will I See Results?
Joseph Pilates said that "you'll feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20
and have a whole new body in 30 sessions." Most of our clients have found this
to be true and many start seeing results right away. Perhaps more important,
our clients feel better almost instantly which keeps them coming back for more.
Pilates helps to relieve chronic back pain, knee and joint pain.
What is the Difference Between Pilates and Weight Training?
The difference is that you strengthen AND stretch various muscles during
Pilates exercises. For instance, you may be doing an exercise for the back,
lying on the stomach pulling the ropes down and back. But that's not all that's
going on. You must point the toes and stretch the knees to elongate the leg
muscles, tighten the glutes, which firms the buttocks, and lift the upper body,
which strengthens the low back. As you reach forward between repetitions, you
stretch the back and shoulders. Or you may be kneeling facing forward to
perform an exercise similar to a chest flye. Because you are kneeling, you must
contract the abdominals, glutes and quadriceps for stabilization. You have a
greater range of motion on the return than you would on a flye machine, which
increases chest and shoulder flexibility.
The bottom line is Pilates typically incorporates more muscles utilized in one
exercise in comparison to a weight training machine. Further, Pilates creates
better functional movement and performance than weight training because of the
coordinated exercises and concentration on the core muscles.
What If I Am Overweight?
Pilates is a wonderful program for those who are starting or already engaged in
a weight loss program. You will learn to activate and move your body safely
utilizing your muscles rather than your joints and will be better able to
engage in other physical fitness activities. And Pendleton Pilates works to
create a warm and welcoming environment that can be far less intimidating than
some gyms.
For further insight, read how Pendleton client Myra Calder used Pilates as she
was working to lose weight,
Pendleton Pilates News.
Do Men Benefit From Pilates?
Remember: Pilates was created by a man and was later
adapted for women! Men generally have less flexibility and a greater degree of
upper body strength than women so Pilates helps to create longer, more agile
muscles as well as to counter-strengthen in the core and lower body. At
Pendleton Pilates, our male clientele is fast growing. From CEO's and
semi-professional athletes to men recovering from injuries or punishing
exercise habits, Pilates helps both men and women retrain and re-strengthen the
body for optimum performance. According to USA Today, male athletes are using
Pilates to increase performance. Read
USA Today.
Why Come to A Pilates Studio?
Pilates is the fastest growing segment of the fitness industry. And that means
that there are a lot of new teachers working in the field, some of them having
received only a few hours of training. At a Pilates studio, you can be sure
that the focus is on Pilates and the quality of instruction.
If you are taking Pilates where the instruction is more about counting out
repetitions than explaining what you should be feeling in your body and how you
can help engage specific muscles, then you aren't receiving good instruction in
Pilates. If you are doing more than 10-12 repetitions of any one exercise, you
are most likely not doing Pilates but rather some altered form of it. If you
are not concentrating on your breathing, you are not doing Pilates. If you are
not focusing on the quality of your movements, you are not doing Pilates. This
is not to say you can't benefit from the work you are doing; it just isn't
Pilates.
Pendleton Pilates conducts a four-month Teacher Training program that is
recognized by the Pilates Method Alliance and Balanced Body, the leading
manufactured of Pilates equipment.
Where Should I Park?
Downtown: We have a small, private lot in front of our building at 500 Reading
Rd., at the corner of Pendleton and Reading. If the lot is filled, there are
approximately 16 metered spaces adjoining the lot on both Pendleton and
Reading. We do not have permission to use the Verdin lot across the street. The
most likely time for the lot to be filled is in the evening when the metered
spaces are empty and free!
Oakley: The studio is located on the second floor at 4404 Brazee, on the corner
of Brazee and Madison in Oakley, across Madison from Voltage and across Brazee
from Nest. There is a small parking lot behind the building. Try there first.
There is a street behind the parking lot with about 10 unmetered spaces as well
as a large lot at the right end of the side street. If those options are
unavailable, there is metered parking on both Brazee and Madison.
How Can I Pay?
Pendleton Pilates accepts MasterCard, Visa, checks and cash. Clients are
welcome to purchase packages at class or by calling Studio Manager, Shannon
Faith at 513.478.3232, and using a credit card.
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