Classes: Pilates

Instructed by Michelle Walling

Pilates

(60 minute class)
mugshot of michelle walling, scott fitness personal trainer "Welcome to Pilates! I have been teaching Pilates for over five years. I have been practicing Pilates for more than a decade. Pilates is often misunderstood and often misinterpreted. Pilates has been around since War World I, when Joseph Pilates was using his method of exercise to rehabilitate wounded solders. When Mr. Pilates found himself in his first official studio in America, ballet dancers began to swarm to his studio in search of relief from injuries that otherwise would have put them in immediate retirement. His practice exploded. And so his once coined "contrology" rapidly morphed into his last name with due respect.

Now we know a little of the history, but what is Pilates? The most often recited answer is this: Pilates is a series of exercises based upon specific principles such as centering, control, concentration, precision, breath and flow. It can be deemed difficult to try to explain Pilates through a seemly vague and randomly ordered focus on principles. Yet when these principles are integrated, our bodies seem to 'WAKE UP.' So Pilates is practiced as a classical/specific routine where the exercises and poses flow from one movement to the next. We want to first learn the technique of the exercises then we can begin to learn to do them well. There are modifications for almost every exercise. So the beginner can lay down his/her mat next to the advanced attendee.

michelle walling, scott fitness pilates instructor We will be working hard for the entire 60 minutes. The result? Well the other day a student said she felt a half-inch taller. We use no weights, just our body. We will develop lean, long muscle. Since this is a full-body workout, not only will our midsections become flatter, but our arms, legs and backside will slenderize. We will increase circulation and thus occasionally a spring may be added to our step. Pilates exercises teach us grace and poise. Every body part has a role, has a place. We tend to carry that notion with us in our daily lives. We won't be slouching in line for coffee. We won't hunch over our computers all day. We ladies will not need heels (joke!) because we feel so lifted. Pilates is another word for Spanx. You can achieve all of this and not do one single typical crunch! I hope that if you come to a class, you will work hard in order to achieve such a joyous outcome."
~ Michelle Walling



* Bring a mat. We have some to
loan but you'll want your own.