Pilates is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, founded on the philosophy that our greatest health comes with a balanced body, mind and spirit.  It emphasizes spinal and pelvic alignment, breathing, and developing a strong core or center consisting of the pelvic floor muscles, the transversus abdominus, the multifidus, the diaphragm, the muscles of the inner thigh, and the muscles encircling the sitting bone area.  Pilates' system allows for different exercises to be modified in range of difficulty from beginning to advanced. Intensity can be increased over time as the body conditions and adapts to the exercises.  The principles of Pilates include breath, awareness, strength, fluidity, control, grace, balance, precision, efficiency and flexibility.  The exercises focus on the core muscles to support better posture and skeletal alignment, stabilization, organ function and ease of movement. 

The Pilates method, combined with the fundamentals of functional movement (moving in the way our joints are designed to move), is a powerful tool for injury rehabilitation, poor posture, chronic pain, SI (sacro-illiac) joint issues, pelvic floor dysfunction, auto-immune disorders, arthritis, pre-post natal, spinal column issues, disc herniation/fusions, and more.  Basically, if you have a body, and you want to feel better in it, this is a great way to go!  It differs from yoga in that the movements start small, focusing on refining HOW you move, stretch, strengthen and condition your joints and muscles.  It also teaches you how to move from your center so that you save your peripheral joints from too much wear-and-tear.  It progresses to more challenging, vigorous exercises and sequencing to increase your strength, balance and fun.

Overall, Pilates will help you to breathe deeper, sit and stand taller and move with ease.   Joseph Pilates consider his method, which he originally called “Contrology”, the true Fountain of Youth.