YOGA stretches and tones your muscles and joints, and has a positive effect on your entire body. Many of the yoga postures enhance and develop your core strength, while at the same time relaxing your inner soul through slow controlled movements. PILATES is a physical training technique that teaches your muscles to move your bones in the most efficient way possible. It is extremely effective for fitness, posture and rehabilitation.
There are three equally important stages in PILATES and YOGA Training:
- Stabilize, mobilize and increase the mind-body connection
- Increase endurance, flexibility, and balance in static positions
- Increase strength, coordination, and develop balance in motion
STAGE 1: STABILIZE, MOBILIZE AND INCREASE THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION
This stage lays the groundwork for all work to come. It provides a safe and solid foundation upon which we build a strong and healthy body. If you are unable to mobilize a certain body part through its full range of motion (ROM), you cannot increase its strength. Just as if you are unable to stabilize an area, it will remain weak. During this initial stage, you will work on mobilizing the joints through their full ROM while stabilizing their supporting counterparts. In doing so, you will increase your mind-body connection which in turn will re-educate yourself about your body. Specific stabilization exercises are integrated early in the program and may progress for approximately 4 to 6 weeks before general strengthening and conditioning can begin. Pilates may play an important role at this stage.
STAGE 2: INCREASE ENDURANCE, FLEXIBILITY AND DEVELOP BALANCE IN STATIC POSITIONS
Once the foundation is solid, we build. Intensity will increase in all aspects of your exercise program. Your workouts will be designed to re-balance your posture and correct faulty movement patterns. This stage will include multi-directional exercises to maximally challenge your core strength and balance. Yoga may play an increasingly greater role in the workouts at this stage.
STAGE 3: INCREASE STRENGTH, CO-ORDINATION AND DEVELOP BALANCE IN MOTION
At this stage we incorporate multi-directional, multi-joint, multi-function movements. A medium to high pace will be maintained without rest to maximize the benefits of your sessions. You will be performing movements and exercises that challenge your strength, cardiovascular fitness, balance and stability. When you reach this stage, the world you live in and the world around you becomes very different from six months prior.
