It is very common to have questions regarding Pilates. I have attempted to answer the questions I get most often. If I have missed one please do not hesitate to ask me in an email. I will reply privately to your message and then add the question/answer here so others may benefit. Thank you.
Will I lose weight by doing Pilates?
While some people do experience weight loss with Pilates that is not its purpose. Pilates is strength and flexibility training focused on detailed movements and using the body’s smaller, stabilizer muscles. In order to lose weight a caloric deficit is needed. If weightloss is your goal, I can help develop an individualized program involving Pilates, other activites you participate in, and a nutrition game plan.
What equipment is involved with Pilates?
There are various types of Pilates apparatus that are beneficial. My studio is fully-equipped and has equipment you may not see at some of the Pilates chains. Eventually with experience it is possible to maintain your Pilates fitness with simply a mat at home and occasional visits to a professional.
Are there any pre-requisites to taking Pilates?
There are no pre-requisites for taking Pilates privates or duets with someone at the same level. If you are interested in Pilates semi-privates you will need to take some privates first so you can be independent in the small group format and not hold other’s behind and/or monopolize my attention.
For Pilates mat classes there are no requirements, but if you have any major, medical issues a private lesson is strongly encouraged so you do not injure yourself in the larger mat classes.
What if I have a bad back?
Joseph Pilates developed his first pieces of apparatus while working as a nurse in a veteran’s hospital during WWI. Many of the soldiers were bed-ridden but Pilates believed they should still get some movement and work their muscles.
The Pilates Method has often been used as rehabilitative exercise either pre- or post-surgery. That is why many doctors, orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals recommend Pilates.
Please be aware that with such issues privates are encouraged. Modifications will always be given that fit your needs and if necessary exercises will be eliminated either permanently or temporarily.
What are the advantages of Pilates Mat vs. Pilates Reformer?
Pilates matwork is just you and the mat. The resistance is your body. The Pilates reformer uses springs for resistance. The same exercise, i.e. The Hundred, will feel different on these two pieces of apparatus. Sometimes an exercise is more challenging on the mat because you’re fighting your own body weight; but sometimes it is harder on the reformer because it is a moving apparatus.
What are some results I can expect from taking Pilates?
I believe both the mat and the reformer are important as are all the other pieces of this Method. Joseph Pilates developed the various apparatus to work in unison with one another, drawing from one’s strengths and/or weaknesses to balance the body.