About Pilates

“In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body”.

About Pilates

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a form of exercise that helps mobilise, tone, lengthen and strengthen the whole body. Key to this is the control of the core muscles, found in your abdominal, back, and pelvic areas. Pilates can improve co-ordination, posture, and balance as well as easing pain and stiffness. By helping to correct muscle imbalances, the body is realigned and can move more efficiently.

Developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920’s, Pilates was originally used to rehabilitate prisoners of war. Since then, Pilates has evolved and gained in popularity, initially being adopted by dancers and athletes to enhance their training and performance. It is now well recognised by medical professionals and rehabilitation specialists as a safe and effective way to improve how the body moves.

Whether you want to get fit, de-stress, need help with back pain, specific injuries, or medical problems, or push your sporting performance, Pilates can benefit everyone, regardless of age or fitness level.

Take what you learn in the Studio into your everyday life and improve the way your body looks, feels, and performs.

Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates

Who was Joseph Pilates?

Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1883. Small and sickly as a child, he was afflicted with asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, and was continually taunted by the bigger children. He became determined to overcome his physical disadvantages and began to self-educate himself in anatomy, bodybuilding, wrestling, yoga, gymnastics, and martial arts. He soon achieved an almost Adonis-like “anatomical ideal,” to the extent that at the age of 14 he was posing as a model for anatomy charts. Joseph designed a unique series of vigorous physical exercises that helped to correct muscular imbalances and improve posture, coordination, balance, strength, and flexibility, as well as to increase breathing capacity and organ function. He also invented a variety of machines, based on spring-resistance, that could be used to perform these exercises.

Through the years the Pilates Method has gradually evolved and integrated current bio-mechanical thinking, including utilising modern pieces of equipment. However, the roots of the technique are steeped in the philosophy and movement patterns designed by Joseph Pilates over 90 years ago.

The popularity of the Pilates Method has spread steadily since the day when Pilates first opened his studio. Pilates has now become a worldwide phenomenon with over 12 million people practicing, and the numbers continue to grow due to its effectiveness and adaptability.

“Pilates develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong posture, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit”

View Class timetable

Please go to the timetable for our current class schedule and follow the link to our booking system to reserve your space today.

Testimonials

Julie is an exceptional teacher. Her depth of knowledge enables Julie to meet people’s idiosyncratic needs. Pilates with Julie makes a real difference to us!

John and Angela Seddon

Julie's enthusiasm and commitment to Pilates instruction is inspiring. Through the work I do with her in mat-based classes and one-to-one sessions, I have learnt huge amounts about my own body and how to keep it healthy. She knows exactly what level to take me to and I always feels that I have achieved something. She is patient, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and the qualities she brings to a session make Pilates a joy to do. Classes have become an essential part of my life. She accepts all the difficulties people present with calm confidence, altering exercises for individuals as appropriate. Sessions are varied and fun often using a variety of small equipment. Over a three year period I had both my hips replaced and her preparation and rehab exercises made it possible for me to have a smooth and speedy recovery. No one is left to struggle and most importantly I feel safe in her hands.

Linda Hodgkinson

As an Osteopath, I frequently see patients who have been in pain and recovered and would benefit from high quality Pilates instruction with an instructor who understands how to tailor their exercises to their needs. Julie is a thorough and knowledgeable Pilates instructor, who goes above and beyond industry requirements in training and continuous education to provide the very best for her participants. I would recommend anyone thinking of trying Pilates to contact Julie to see how she may be able to help them.

Susie Burgess - Osteopath

A Pilates class or workshop with Julie is never dull and is always effective. Julie delivers a packed session of education, movement, posture, body therapy and lots of fun using her natural gift as a teacher to small groups where she is able to give individual and personalised support within the group.

Paula Jenkins

There's never a feeling of "one size fits all" in Julie's group classes. Not only does Julie quickly learn and remember everyone's name she knows all our individual bodies to the tiniest detail, what we need to work on, how we might cheat(!), when we could push ourselves a little harder but also when we need to adapt or just be kind to ourselves. And if that isn't enough it's always worth coming to class for Julie's extraordinary imagery: dipping toes into puddles, wearing tiaras, manoeuvring arms into and out of tight sleeping bags (??)........ I could go on!!......but they're fun and they work!! Bottom line: I always feel better going out than coming into class. I have been attending Julie's classes for the last 5 years!

Annabel Edwards

I went to Julie for help after struggling with back issues for years. After some one to one sessions Julie gave me some great exercises to get back on track and soon gave me the confidence to join her classes. With her care, patience and expertise I feel like a different person. Every class brings a new challenge for me and there are always plenty of laughs to help us along! Pilates with Julie is now part of my way of life - together with the addition of the occasional Body Rolling class - brilliant!

Karen Sheehy

I’ve always enjoyed Pilates and had numerous teachers over the year. Julie, however, is by far the best. Her passion is infectious and her desire to understand how the body works impressive. My respect for her abilities and knowledge has grown tenfold in the past 8 weeks. I started suffering with severe back and leg pain around February. Following an MRI and diagnosis of a slipped disc I was signed off work and unable to move, much less exercise. Julie encouraged me to come for some sessions and gave me some simple exercises after assessing me. I followed them and was able to join the gentle class after three weeks. I’m now back in my regular class where Julie successfully adapts every exercise for every client in her class. I have no idea how she remembers everybody's individual needs but she does. She is an absolute professional and always striving to learn more and more. I would highly recommend Julie to anyone who wants to improve their posture and strengthen their core.

Nicola Elliott

…just wanted to say a huge thanks for the functional Feet workshop. I loved it, found it so informative and so much of it very relevant for me at the moment. Your advice has made me so much more aware of things now, lots of work to be done.

Sally Jameson

Free the head, neck and shoulder workshop – …I really enjoyed the Workshop. The whole afternoon was interesting and the exercises were very helpful. I felt much less tense afterwards. It was interesting to discover just how much tension I carry and where! I am planning to make a big effort to practise. The exercises and the illustrations of muscles were interesting and seeing the 'pictures' helped to relate the practical to the body and understand how it all works(or not!). Thank you. Looking forward to more workshops in the future.

Gail McLean

Thank you so much for a very interesting and enlightening workshop yesterday. I don’t really know how you could improve on such a well thought out, action packed 2 hours! My feet have never worked so hard!...

Jacky Pugh

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