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Pilates FAQ’s

WHAT IS PILATES?

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates at the end of World War I. It was primarily used as rehabilitation for wounded soldiers. Joseph brought his method to the United States in 1923 and spent years refining his approach.

Pilates focuses on small movements that require the use of important stabilising muscles of the core. There is a strong emphasis on starting each exercise with a controlled breath that initiates a contraction of the core muscles. Pilates is based around a series of foundation exercises which once mastered are built upon with a series of modifications up to an advanced level. 

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Evidence suggests that Pilates may be beneficial for those with the following conditions:

• arthritis

• urinary incontinence/ weak pelvic floor

• respiratory conditions

• joint injuries

• back pain

• stress

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WHO IS PILATES FOR?

Pilates is for literally EVERY body! Anyone of any age and any fitness level can benefit from practising pilates. Once you start you will wonder why you didn’t do it earlier! Pilates Instructors are trained to work with clients of every level, from beginner to advanced. Classes are designed so that no matter who is attending a class, every exercise has many modifications to make it more challenging or to reduce the range of movement if you need to take it down a notch.

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The most important aspect of pilates is good form, so an instructor will never leave you to struggle with a movement that is beyond your current abilities. In saying that though, your instructor will get to know you over time and will encourage you to hold for an extra few seconds or push yourself to the next level if they know you are ready. Its your journey and we are here to guide and motivate you along the way!

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If you are new to pilates or it has been a while since your last class, you would benefit greatly from attending a once only Foundation Pilates Class or our Learn Pilates 4 Week Course that will have you correctly practicing the foundation exercises so that you can safely and more efficiently advance to the next level. 

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HOW IS PILATES DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE?

Pilates is different from all types of exercise for so many reasons. Pilates improves flexibility, endurance, core control and muscle strength, all whilst being low impact, gentle on joints and improving posture, which reduces the chance of injury. Pilates involves a strong mind-body connection, as well as improving breathing and it can be practiced throughout all stages of life! Imagine all the best benefits every form of exercise has to offer; put all of these benefits together and you get Pilates!

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WILL PILATES HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

Pilates can be a cardiovascular workout if you have no injuries or are pregnant or have recently given birth. You can definitely work up a sweat in our circuit classes! Pilates is great for low-impact strengthening of the muscles, development of core stability, toning, and increasing flexibility. However if you have an injury, the focus should be on rehabilitation instead of calorie-burning. Our Learn Pilates 4 Week Course is a perfect place to start with the focus being on learning the correct alignment, breathing and all of the foundation exercises. Once you are confident you can perform the exercises correctly, then you can start to increase your reps, add small equipment and weights and you’ll see a much greater improvement in your fitness levels and markers of good health such as weight.

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HOW LONG DO I NEED TO DO PILATES BEFORE I START SEEING RESULTS?

To quote Joseph Pilates: “In 10 sessions you will feel better, in 20 you will look better, and in 30 you will have a whole new body.” If you are doing 2-3 classes a week, you should start to see results in 10-12 weeks. If you attend one class a week, you will still see results but it might take a little longer. One of the greatest benefits of Pilates is body awareness and after your very first class you will be holding yourself better and be more aware of any negative movement patterns you may have developed through injury or repetitive movements, from a job for example.

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WILL MY MUSCLES BE SORE AFTER PILATES?

Muscle soreness after Pilates depends on your current fitness level and muscle memory. You will get out of Pilates what you put in. Meaning, if you make a conscious effort to recruit muscles correctly and focus on proper form, you should feel sore afterwards because your muscles are getting stronger. You should find, with regular classes muscle soreness will reduce over time. Pilates is designed to be a workout so you will feel your muscles working, however you should never feel any pain in the neck, back or joints. If this happens, please stop immediately and tell your instructor who can safely modify the exercise for you. 

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CAN I DO PILATES IF I HAVE AN INJURY?

This can be a complex and highly personalised question but the short answer in most cases is - yes you can. BUT, depending on the injury and its severity/ stage of recovery, it’s important to have medical clearance from a doctor or medical professional before you attend Pilates classes. Pilates is designed to be gentle on the joints and great for improving joint pain, such as lower back, knee, neck, etc.
Our instructors are excellent at modifying exercises for injuries. Its important to complete our New Client Health Assessment Form with as much detail as possible before your first class but its also important to inform your instructor of any injuries before a class starts, in case there have been any changes and this will help them to be prepared with any modifications for you. 

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I’M A NEW MUM, WHEN CAN I SAFELY START DOING PILATES?

You can start doing Pilates as soon as you are cleared by your medical practitioner. This is usually not until six weeks postnatal, if not longer. If you have never done Pilates before or if it has been a while between sessions, we highly recommend you attend our 4 Week Pilates Foundations Course once you have your doctors clearance. 

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Classes And Payments FAQ’s

WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?

To promote fairness and ensure all members have the chance to attend their desired class, we have a cancellation policy of a minimum of 10 hours before your class commences. If you are unable to attend a class, we kindly ask that you cancel or reschedule online outside the 10-hour cancellation window, via our website or booking App, to avoid fees and allow our waitlisted guests the opportunity to attend a class.
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Please do not use social media to cancel your booking as these messages may be missed. Cancelling via our booking system is much faster and again allows a client on the waitlist to be allocated a space in the class.

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Cancelling within the 10 hour window will result in the full cost of the class being charged (or a class being taken from your pass). Clients who hold weekly subscriptions are allowed 2 late cancels per month before a $5 fee is payable per booking canceled or failure to attend without notice.

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WHAT IF A CLASS IS CANCELLED BY YOU?

From time to time classes may be canceled by us if we don't have the minimum number of bookings for the class to run. Life happens and sometimes people need to cancel their booking last minute. In most situations we charge late cancellation fees to try to minimise these interruptions to our classes but usually this is out of our control. We will always endeavour to provide at least 1 hour notice if we have to cancel a class and ensure that you are given the preference of rebooking your preferred time.