Pilates (pronounced pi-lah-tees) was created by Joseph Pilates (1880 - 1967). He was born in Mönchengladbach, Germany, a small town near Dusseldorf. His father was born in Greece, a prize-winning gymnast and his mother was born in German, a naturopath.

What can Pilates do for you?

Pilates works from the centre of our body outwards, instead of from the mind inwards, and it forces us to increase body awareness in a way many people haven’t experienced before.

• It’s designed to rehabilitate as well as work on health and fitness.

• It teaches balance and control of the body without going for the burn and injury.

• It uses small, concentrated movements that come from the brain – you’ll discover, use and feel parts of your body that you didn’t know you could before.

• It engages and moves practically the whole body over the time from the brain outwards.

• It doesn’t just go through the motions of exercise as with gyms etc., or aim to get into meditative state as with yoga. Yoga releases the mind, pilates fills the mind up.

• It shows concentrated movement is just as relaxing as meditation– it works with our bodies and minds in a completely different way.