Blog | Pilates Near Me

A new body in 30 days? Enter the world of Joseph Pilates, the Greek ‘Father of Discipline’

by DESPINA KARPATHIOU Whether you’re 28 or 58, chances are you’ve heard of Pilates. Even if you’ve never attended a class, this actual quote from the original creator of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, promising you a whole new body in just 30 sessions, will get you Googling ‘Pilates’ in no time: “In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 you’ll see the difference, and in 30 you’ll have a new body.” Fitness fads and the hype that surrounds them have been around as long as your Yiayia has been forcing you to eat Lamb Liver Soup. ‘Lose 5 kilos in 7 days!’ ‘Get rid of that flab using this fab ab abductor’, we’ve heard it all. The majority of these fitness claims have little substance and no research behind them, making them seemingly harmful to your health. However, people – especially women – are sucked into them all too frequently. Endless fad diets and hours of cardio will eventually put a strain in your health. Is Pilates any different you may ask? Or i…

Pilates vs. Yoga: What’s the Difference & Which Workout Has More Benefits?

Health and Wellness Writer By Colette Coleman Expert review by Sarah Kostyukovsky, PT, DPT, OCS Quiz time: Do you consider yourself team Pilates or yoga? OK, you don't really need to choose sides, but it often seems like fitness fans fall into one category or the other. Yogis may gush over the mind, body, and soul trifecta experience of the practice, whereas Pilates aficionados swear by their intensely focused workout mode. But the reality is, yoga and Pilates share many qualities and benefits. In fact, many people see these as complementary practices—and choose to do both yoga and Pilates for optimal mental and physical fitness. Which raises the question: What's the real difference between Pilates and yoga? And why choose one, or both, as part of your well-being routine? Pilates While yoga's roots stretch back thousands of years, Pilates is relatively new. Joseph Pilates created this system in the 1920s as a way to rehabilitate b…

Why Men Should Start Taking Pilates

Experts Reveal How Pilates Can Benefit Your Bod and Your Other Workouts Mackenzie Shand Promoting greater core strength and stability, improved muscle tone and definition, and advanced joint elasticity and flexibility, Pilates does a lot of good for the body. Yet for some reason, men don’t seem to be partaking. According to a 2013 Sports Marketing Survey, an estimated 16 percent of pilates participants in the U.S. are male. While that number has likely gone up a bit in the past few years, a lot of guys are still missing out on the benefits Pilates has to offer. Dr. Lisa M. Webb, Pilates instructor and licensed clinical psychologist at Body-Mind Consulting, thinks this could be due to the false “perception that if there is not some major weight lifting or long-distance cardio involved, then the activity isn’t ‘really' exercising, it isn’t ‘hard’ enough, or they won’t sweat when they do it,” she says. In reality, pilates, like many forms of exercise, can kick your ass …

Why Pilates Is One Of The Best Anti-Aging Exercises

By Gisèle Wertheim Aymes The founder of Pilates, Joseph Herbertus Pilates was an extraordinary innovator of his time. He created something truly remarkable that could be shared with the entire human race indefinitely. But has Pilates been underrated and overlooked? Absolutely. I’ve been in the Pilates industry for 22 years. I am no spring chicken to it either. It also means that I have considerable experience of what changes Pilates can bring to any individual. It should be your go-to exercise for strength, tone, and the mind-body connection. All great for anti-aging and your longevity. Mind-body connection I’m always fascinated to see how so many articles in magazines are focused on boot camp, weight training, running, yoga or group fitness. Not to mention the fact that we see the same exercises that constantly feature in all the health magazines, labelled as the ‘go to’ exercises: The plank, ball workouts, the same ab workouts, the usual stretches and don’t forget the b…

Everything You Want to Know About Pilates

A great workout that positively affects your whole body If you’ve been looking for a new workout routine that can give you a good balance of flexibility, strength, muscle tone and help for a few aches and pains, there may be an answer that’s easier to get into than you think. While Pilates has been around for nearly 100 years, it’s still gaining traction among new converts, picking up new devotees all the time. And there’s a good reason why it continues to be a popular mode of exercise: it works. According to lead yoga therapist Judi Bar, there are a number of other benefits, including increased flexibility, muscle tone and strength. We talked to Bar about these benefits and other aspects of Pilates that make it a worthwhile endeavor. What is Pilates? PIlates is a form of exercise and body conditioning developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, mostly as a method of injury recovery for dancers. Bar, who has a distinguished background as a dancer herself, …

The Benefits Of Pilates For Runners, Gym-Goers And Office Workers

Pretty much everyone can benefit from adding Pilates to their weekly routine by NICK HARRIS-FRY Whoever you are and whatever you like to do, there really are no downsides to improving your posture and core strength, which are just two of the many benefits Pilates brings to the table. However, there are lots of things you can be doing to improve your health and fitness, and limited time in which to do them. So to convince you of the benefits of the practice, whether you’re a runner, office worker or gym-goer, we’re handing over to Pilates teacher Jess Ellmer – who has also provided one top exercise to try for each group. The Benefits Of Pilates For Office Workers Your lower back can suffer from sitting at your desk for too long. Pilates has been shown to help alleviate pain with small precise movements which help support your spine. If tension and tightness in your neck and shoulders are creeping in when spending hours at your computer, taking regular breaks …

Yoga vs. Pilates: Which One Is Better for You and What Are the Benefits?

Both of these workouts are great for your health, but one favours the mind while the other targets the body. By Lisa Bain

Ready to try a new workout, and wondering whether you should take the advice of your friend who swears by her yoga class or the one who never misses a Pilates session? If so, you probably have some questions, including: What's the difference between yoga and Pilates, anyway? And would either of them help you slim down, if that's your goal? Here, answers to your biggest questions about Pilates and yoga.

What is Pilates?

Pilates has a rep for being kind of intimidating—but it’s actually a low-impact way to build strength in your core muscles. Developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s, it’s an energetic and mindful total body exercise method that emphasizes strength, muscle control, and stability. The exercises are either done on the floor with a mat, or on special equipment, including a machine called a …

13 Best Pilates Moves for Beginners to Get Rock-Solid Abs

Anyone can work their core and achieve muscle definition with these easy positions. By Adele Jackson-Gibson A strong core is the beginning of a strong body. That's because the muscles in your core are the stabilizers that help you move through life safely and with minimal joint pain. And when we say “core,” we are not just talking about your abs. We’re talking about all the muscles in the midsection of your body—front and back. Besides the rectus abdominis (the abs), there are the external and internal obliques along your sides, the transverse abdominis (the deepest of your ab muscles), the erector spinae (the muscles that connect from the top of your spine to your hips), and the lower lats that sit right below your shoulder blades. We can even include the diaphragm (the muscles that help you breathe) and the pelvic floor. Both the diaphragm and the pelvic area work in tandem with the rest of your core. All together, these muscl…

What Is Pilates? Everything to Know Before Trying This Full-Body Toning Workout

This low-impact form of exercise will boost your strength, balance, and mobility.

Pilates can help you stay strong, healthy, and happy—and it’s never too late to learn. But is pilates right for you? Whether you’re curious about or cautious of this popular way to exercise, we've got answers to everything you want to know:

What kind of workout is pilates?

Pilates is a low-impact form of exercise that combines deep breathing with gentle stretching to boost strength, balance, and mobility. Workouts target your "powerhouse" (your abs, lower back, pelvic floor, hips, and glutes), but you’ll hit other areas too.

Founder Joseph H. Pilates and his wife Clara developed it to help World War I soldiers restore their inner strength (both literally and figuratively), and millions of practitioners worldwide swear by its mind-body benefits to this day.

What's the difference between pilates and yoga?

What Is Hot Pilates and Is It Good for Losing Weight?

This workout combines the furnace-like temps of hot yoga with the body-toning moves of Pilates. But is it worth the sweat? By Marisa Cohen

If you prefer the A/C blasting on high when you do your squats and planks, hot Pilates may not be the class for you. But for thousands of people taking hot Pilates classes across the country, the buckets of sweat rolling down your back as you work your muscles are the whole point of this sizzling new workout.

“Hot Pilates is a low-impact, high-intensity workout performed in a room heated to 95 degrees,” explains Gabriella Walters, the founder of Inferno Hot Pilates in Las Vegas. Walters first created her class back in 2008, when she was recovering from a knee injury. “I was doing a lot of zero-impact exercises like yoga and Pilates, but I got frustrated because I wasn’t getting the cardio I wanted.” Walters held her first classes outdoors, where the desert temps could reach 105 degrees, whic…