Choosing the Best Pilates class?

Would you book into an intermediate tango class if you have never danced tango before? Of course your worn not. Similarly, when choosing a Pilates class, the same example applies. Pilates exercise was created by Joseph Pilates who was influenced by professional dancers, gymnasts and athletes. Thus, the repertoire is complex and requires mastering. In fact, very few people actually get to master the advanced repertoire. (more…)

 Pilates classes High Street Kensington

 

Why add Pilates core stability exercises to your training programme?

Pilates exercises are very core-centric. This means that the focus is on initiating movement by activating the deep abdominal muscles, and preventing delayed onset. Early abdominal activation should happen in anticipation of any movement in Pilates and hopefully this training should translate into any type of exercise or fitness activity. By combining Pilates into your existing exercise regime you will  be cross-training.

How is this different from other exercises?
Often times we train only our superficial muscles and this can lead to muscular imbalances with our deep and intermediate stabiliser muscle groups. This may lead to dysfunction or injury. Pilates core stability training has been proven to be beneficial for enhanced health, rehabilitation and athletic performance, and has gained increased attention in fitness and sports conditioning programmes. Numerous studies have suggested that greater trunk stability may benefit sports performance by providing a foundation for greater force production in the upper and lower extremities. We offer Pilates classes in High Street Kensington. Start now and see the difference in your performance.
Can I do Pilates if I suffer from low back pain?
Yes. In fact, it is often recommended. Heres why: Retraining!
Retraining ‘core control’ involves relearning basic motor skills. Most Pilates exercises target to train your deep layers of abdominals, and retrain your motor skills whilst increasing your joint mobility.
Typically, in pain and dysfunction, our deep abdominal stabilisers tend to switch off. Yes, they either come in at the wrong time or with the wrong amount of force, and this often leads for further dysfunction. This leaves your spine unsupported when transfering loads (picking up things from the ground, running, sprinting, etc)
By targeting only your superficial abdominal muscles (crunches), as in many forms of exercise, you are likely to be creating further dysfunction, as these muscles will try to stabilise your spine unsuccessfully. “Low back pain (LBP) may affect motor control of trunk muscles that regulates spinal movements and stability. One indicator of motor control for the low back is timing or onset of abdominal muscle activation when spinal stability is threatened by destabilising forces” (Vasseljen et al, 2012)
Pilates classes High Street Kensington

Pilates classes High Street Kensington

How does this work?
Trunk muscles function in transferring torques and angular momentum during performance of integrated kinetic chain activities, such as throwing and kicking.
The deepest layers of your abdominal muscles, (Transversus abdominis and obliquus internus) have been found to involuntarily activate prior to various loading tasks, in order to increase trunk support prior to movement. The way in which you activate these muscles is central to the stability theme.These muscles work on lower loads, closed kinetic chains and slower movements. Core dynamic stability is the accurate interplay of many muscles working in synergies to produce complex patterns of control and movement rather than the strength of individual muscles (Hodges, 2003). No muscle works alone. Activating single muscles is impossible – trying to, creates dysfunctional spines (McGill, 2004).
What can I achieve?
There are countless reasons why your should consider incorporating this type of training into your regime; anything from improving your spinal stability and mobility, better posture, increased joint strength, improved awareness, proprioception, coordination and injury prevention.
Mr. Joseph Pilates simply meant:  Physical
fitness and the complete coordination of body mind and
spirit e good posture, flexibility and vitality”
If you live near Kensington, we offer Pilates classes High Street Kensington in a beautiful exclusive studio.
Join us at CORE KENSINGTON for a %50 percent off intro group class or private session.
Book Now!
www.corekensington.com
Call us now on: 02078541934
References:
Vasseljen, O., et al. Effect of Core Stability Exercises on Feed-Forward Activation of Deep Abdominal Muscles in Chronic Low Back Pain. SPINE Volume 37, Number 13, pp 1101–1108

Why Pilates for Hip Osteoarthritis?

Pilates can be very beneficial for you if you experience osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. This is because Pilates is a low-impact strengthening exercise that strengthens the hip stabilising muscles in various functional positions.  The common programming goals for hip OA in rehabilitation, are to achieve segmental control of the hip and regional/global lumbo-pelvic region control. Expert Pilates exercise can help you achieve this by targeting the local and global stabilizers of the hip and lumbo-pelvic region.

Many people think of Pilates as a mat based exercise only, but the Pilates equipment (reformer, stability chair, Cadillac and barrels), add many dimensions to this exercise.

The Benefit of Pilates Exercise

Pilates exercises are fantastic to gently and progressively load the joints to build strength, and increase mobility even if the muscles around your hip are very weak initially. Furthermore, the equipment allows you to also add traction to your hip join with the use of the reformer and the Cadillac. As a result, this can be extremely beneficial to increase joint space and fluid dynamics within the joint capsule.

If your goal is to try a conservative approach in order to avoid surgery, Pilates exercises may help your joints not only putting off surgical interventions, but to prepare and recover faster from them.

The cornerstone of Pilates exercise is to improve joint stability and increase joint mobility, therefore, your overall body joint health will also greatly benefit from this form of exercise. E.g. knees, wrists, shoulders, spine.

Why Pilates for Hip Osteoarthritis?

Adequate joint motion and elasticity of periarticular tissues are necessary for cartilage nutrition and health. In addition, strength and adequate joint motion provide protection of joint structures from damaging impact loads, function, and comfort in daily activities. Pilates exercises may help with the above benefits.

Current recommendations of non-pharmacologic osteoarthritis therapy interventions include the following:

  • Patient education
  • Heat and cold
  • Weight loss
  • Exercise
  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Unloading in certain joints (eg, knee and hip)
    http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/330487-overview

Other factors to consider include diet and natural supplementation, as advocated in naturopathic medicine. This factors may also be beneficial for the treatment of arthritis. “Turmeric, a dried powder derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has been used for centuries in certain parts of the world and has been linked to numerous biological activities including arthritis, for instance. One component of turmeric is curcumin, which has been extensively studied, as indicated by more than 5600 citations, most of which have appeared within the past decade” Aggarwal et al, 2013.

For more easy-to read information about the benefits of turmeric, we strongly recommend that you read  the very informative following article: https://www.cognitune.com/turmeric-curcumin-benefits/

If you suffer from hip osteoarthritis, don’t wait. Book yourself for a rehabilitation assessment at CORE Kensington and be on your way a better quality of life.

Blog written by Carlo Yanez for Core Kensington LTD.

BOOK NOW online www.corekensington.com
or contact us on 02078541934

 

References

Aggarwal, B. B., Yuan, W. , Li, S. and Gupta, S. C. (2013), Curcumin‐free turmeric exhibits anti‐inflammatory and anticancer activities: Identification of novel components of turmeric. Mol. Nutr. Food Res., 57: 1529-1542. doi:10.1002/mnfr.201200838

Pilates Classes in High Street Kensington London

We are just 10 minutes away from High Street Kensington London (ok 5 mins if you walk fast paced 🙂

Pilates Classes just 10 min from High Street Kensington London

Pilates Classes just 10 min from High Street Kensington London

Discover the secret to a flat stomach!

Get stronger, lean long muscles. Improve your core strength, coordination, flexibility, endurance. All this in our Pilates Classes in High Street Kensington London.

How can Pilates help?

We know what muscles do what because we have an understanding of anatomy and applied physiology. Our exercise programmes are aimed to target your deep muscles and help you get strong from the inside out.
Pilates exercises not only targets your superficial muscles,  but preferentially targets deeper muscle groups that are responsible for that “corset effect”, making it possible for you to see results in your waistline.

Explained further:
“When choosing an abdominal exercise, it is important to consider that the different abdominal muscles play different roles in stabilising the spine, the transversus being a local stabiliser, the obliques being global stabilisers and the rectus being a global mobiliser”  G.B. Silva et al (2015).

We offer a wide variety of Pilates classes. Pilates Essential repertoire, Intermediate, Advanced, Cardio Tramp, Pilates for the older adult, Pilates for pregnancy, Dynamic Reformer and more.

We are open:
Mondays-Thursdays: 6:30am-9:00pm
Fridays: 6:30am-5:00pm
Saturdays: 9:00am-3:00pm
Sundays: 9:00am -2:30pm
For after-hour trainings we will strive to accommodate any request.
See our weekly Pilates classes timetable

Please note that Personal Training sessions and group classes cancelled or rescheduled within 24 hours of the time booked will still be charged.

All classes are held at:
CORE KENSINGTON
110 Kensington Church Street
Kensington
London W8 4BH

FIND US INSIDE CHAMPIONS ESTATE AGENTS

References:

G.B. Silva et al (2015) . Electromyographic activity of rectus abdominis muscles during dynamic Pilates abdominal exercises. Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies 19, 629e635

 

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