Physio4life clients and athletes deserve customized, adaptable solutions when injury occurs or chronic pain impairs movement and performance. Pilates is the perfect way to help recover, rehabilitate, and achieve full body integration by having a whole-body approach to fitness. Ideal for reaching goals and healing joints and muscle issues.
There’s a big difference between teaching Pilates as a form of exercise and using it as form of rehabilitation.
What is Pilates for rehabilitation? – It is home of powerful and flexible Pilates equipment: Cadillac, Reformer, Wunda Chair & Spine Corrector that we can provide for P4L clients.
“In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see a difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body.” – Joseph Pilates
All machines work on the ability to manipulate gravity by using different length & strength springs to assist the movement that might normally be too fatiguing to execute. Pilates is a low-impact exercise and can be easily modified through use of springs and various apparatus. – It is also the combined Pilates principles of breathing, core strengthening, alignment, integration and spine articulation that offer an opportunity to re–align the body and mind.
Lots of injuries are caused by muscular imbalances within our bodies, many things cause these imbalances in our posture by the way we are moving and shallow breathing, the way we walk, sit, lie down, bend over, work out in the gym or by doing other activities. Many of us move incorrectly in some way or another, which puts too much pressure on some muscles and weakens others, easily causing an imbalance for example in the hip, knee, ankle or shoulder and neck leading to pain.
“Change happens through movement and movement heals.” – Joseph Pilates
Exercising with Pilates promotes an even musculature throughout the body by strengthening the core. The core is considered by Joseph Pilates “the power house” of the body and consists of the deep abdominal muscles along with the muscles closest to the spine. Pilates focuses on full body alignment, which is critical in getting us to move the way we are supposed to move to avoid injury.
SIX Polestar Principles of Pilates are a mind–body workout based on:
- Breathing
- Axial Elongation and core control
- Spinal Articulation
- Organisation of head, neck and shoulders
- Alignment and weight bearing of extremities
- Movement integration
“If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young” – Joseph Pilates
For example: Let’s look at the way we sit on the chair or a sofa can put too much pressure on the spine, easily weakening the pelvic muscles, which means the body is much more significant to creating a muscle imbalance, pulls, strains or even tears.
Sit in a chair. JUST notice what your belly feels like, how your spine feels, where are your shoulders and what is happening to your neck, does your head feels heavy? – Now.. Notice how all the muscles feel? … START: Begin reaching your head towards the ceiling, growing like a tree, become aware that your ears and your ribs are centered over your pelvis. Imagine your pelvis like a bowl filled with water. Keep the bowl afloat on your chair. Without moving notice what you feel in the abdomen. How do you feel now in your posture? – You may feel some additional tone and guess what by simply finding your longest axis you are increasing your core strength and endurance. – Notice that I didn’t have to say; contract (tighten) your belly, sit straight even once. 😉
“Good posture can be successfully acquired only when the entire mechanism of the body is under perfect control. Graceful carriage follows as a matter of course.” – Joseph Pilates
Therefore, within the system of the Polestar Pilates Training, I have the principles which guide me as a practitioner to creative exercises tailored individually to each client, and critical thinking to design the very best program for you at Physio4Life to get back to your sport or move sufficiently better with more body awareness.
Adriana Gotowiecka
Polestar Pilates Instructor: Studio, Mat & Rehab
Sports Massage Therapist: Injury & Rehab
CHEK GOLF Performance and Conditioning Coach
Fitness Instructor – WAKO GB Blue Belt Kickboxer