Through the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning this unique trinity of a balanced body, mind and spirit can ever be attained. Self-confidence follows.
JOSEPH PILATES
“Cath is a fabulous pilates teacher. She communicates very clearly and gives amazing guidance on getting into the right positions to really maximise each stretch and exercise. She has a… lovely calm presence and makes you feel at ease. In the time Cath has been teaching me pilates 1-2-1 I’ve seen such vast improvements in my strength and posture. I started doing pilates with her having experienced bulging discs in my spine and the classes have massively improved my mobility and reduced the pain I was feeling. Thank you Cath!” Show more “Joss”
“I have no hesitation in saying how much I love Cath’s pilates classes. I have been a student of Cath’s for almost 3 years and the transition to the Zoom… classes has been great. Levels of difficulty are adjusted and supervised with care to the individual. Fabulous exercise with clear guidance for deep core muscle routines, strength and flexibility for overall body and mind fitness. I love her graceful movements which have improved my own body self-awareness also. I always finish class feeling calm, relaxed and positive.” Show more “Liz”
“If you are looking for a great pilates teacher I can highly recommend Cath. She is so patient and understanding particularly if you have a health issue and need an… alternative way of doing an exercise. Her classes are always different too so you are never bored. Highly recommended all round.” Show more “Alison”
“Cath is a fabulous pilates teacher; she always inspires and encourages me to push myself that little bit further. She is always mindful of any injuries or niggles and offers… alternative exercises. There is also enough variety to keep participants of all levels engaged and enthused. I would recommend Cath very highly both to beginners and those who have done pilates before.” Show more “Toria”
Direct benefits of pilates:
What we now call pilates is the ‘Contrology' method developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s. This precise way of exercising focuses on improving core strength, balance, posture, flexibility and body awareness to support efficient and graceful movement in daily life.
Whilst some of the larger pieces of pilates equipment can look intimidating, mat pilates exercises only use limited, small, inexpensive equipment (if any) such as small balls and therabands. This means that the exercises are accessible to all and can be done anywhere.
Pilates classes
- Tuesdays 9–10am
- Online via Zoom
- £10 drop-in
- Thursdays 9–10am
- Online via Zoom
- £10 drop-in
- 1 hour
- Online via Zoom
- 1:1 £40
- Duets £22 per person
- Trios £15 per person
Contrology
Joseph Pilates developed his exercise programme (which he named ‘Contrology‘) in the 1920s to help him overcome his poor childhood health and eventually becoming strong enough to establish himself as a bodybuilder, gymnast and professional boxer.
His approach followed 6 main principles of concentration (increasing body awareness & mind-body connection), breathing (movement coordinated with the breath and deep core engagement enabling breathing into the rib areas), centring (through strengthening the ‘core‘ or ‘pilates powerhouse’), precision (there is purpose to every movement), flowing movements (smooth and graceful, continuous controlled movement) and control (quality over quantity).
Whilst pilates was once perceived to be accessible to only athletes and dancers, it is now practised widely. It is frequently recommended by physiotherapists and other health professionals who value how it builds core strength, alignment and body awareness.
