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Pilates Frequently Asked Questions

-Pilates is a unique form of exercise that focuses on strengthening the core muscles first, then the joints and postural muscles, then the limbs, improving flexibility, and enhancing overall body alignment and posture. All this using resistance from within and supported by springs, spring resistance.Find out more about Pilates here ...

What to expect from a Good Reformer Pilates Group Class

·      You will feel calm and mindful, present and focussed, aware and aligned.·      Your teacher will explain how to engage your core, strengthen your core and use your core during the class.·      Your Teacher will set you up for each exercise with a clear idea how to position yourself on the Reformer safely and in correct alignment....

Co-ordination in life and Pilates practice

Pilates, the exercise method developed by Joe Pilates, has a set of principles that guide practitioners towards a healthy, balanced body and mind, and describe how Pilates differs from other excercise forms. One principle is co-ordination, which underpins efficient movement, complex movement and managing changing alignment of limbs and torso in tempo. Let's explore the significance of coordination in our everyday lives and in our Pilates practice, highlighting its benefits and ability to enhance...

Atomic Pilates. How to build an unstoppable Pilates Habit

In the quest to look after ourselves and others, for a strong and flexible body, also for health and well being, Pilates is a powerful choice for those of us who want to transform their physicality and energy levels. Establishing a consistent Pilates practice can be challenging though. Especially so, for busy people like working Mums, who find it hard to prioritise their own needs...

Flow with Pilates

Pilates is a widely recognized exercise method well known for its focus on core strength, flexibility, and body awareness. One of the less known key principles of Pilates is flow, which refers to smooth, continuous movement performed with control and precision. While flow is an aspiration within the Pilates studio, its benefits extend far beyond the Pilates mat or Pilates reformer, making it a valuable idea to incorporate into our everyday lives....

Men and Pilates

Pilates has long been associated with women, often thought of as a workout primarily designed for them. However, this is a misunderstanding it would be good to correct. Pilates was invented by a man, Joe Pilates, and he focussed mostly on men, and working with men, but did not exclude women. The reasons that Pilates was mainly co-opted by women is multifaceted and I’ll talk about that story in another blog. Pilates is a suitable and effective exercise regime for men as well, offering numerous ...

Centering, a Pilates Principle

Pilates is not just a workout; it's a whole-body approach to fitness and well-being. One of the 6 fundamental principles of Pilates is centering, which refers mainly to the cultivation of core strength and mental focus. Centering also refers to a felt sense of where we need to move from. A sense of balance and equilibrium. In Pilates, movement is intiated from the core, the centre of the torso, from what Joe Pilates called our power house. The core is is made up of a group of muscles located in ...

Pilates Principles ! Balance it out !

When the two Pilates teachers, Philip Friedman and Gail Eisen, decided to write the first Pilates book (excepting those written by Joe Pilates himself) they wanted a way to describe and explain how Pilates is different from other ways of exercising. What you might call ‘the Pilates difference’. Philip and Gail wanted to give their readers points of focus to increase their understanding of the thinking part (the mind of mind, body, spirit) embedded in the Pilates method and so increase the ef...

Easy Tips to live longer and stronger

Our bodies haven’t changed much over many thousands of years. We are still built to move in all the ways our hunter gatherer ancestors needed to. With today’s transport systems, effort saving white goods, power tools and gadgets, plus our use of screens that glue us to our chairs, what is the outcome ? Aching hips and backs, stiff necks, sore knees, and a big down curve for many indicators of good health.It is better to think about pain and discomfort in the body not as damage or trauma...

Who's got your Back ?

Whose got your back?We’ve got your back!Pilates is well known for helping people cope with and recover from lots of back problems. From low back pain to sciatica, and many more painful and debilitating back conditions, Pilates can be a positive part of your recovery.Do you know that Joe Pilates said,“If your spine is stiff at 30, you are old.If your spine is flexible at 60, you are young.” ...

How many steps is enough ? The 10,000 step question.

Walking is great for our health, both mental and physical. But how much walking is enough ? People believe that we ‘should’ walk 10,000 steps a day for health, but did you know The 10,000 steps protocol originated back in 1965 when a Japanese company made a device called Manpo-kei. This translated to ’10,000 steps meter’ and it was intended as a marketing tool for their pedometer. So that’s what started the idea of needing to achieve 10,000 steps a day. Marketing, Not Science ! ...

Pilates Powers for rehab and pushing away the Winter blues

Pilates Power for rehab and to push back the Winter blues and look to the Spring If you have been injured or if an old injury has flared up because you have been ill and off Pilates and your normal routine, it can feel natural to stay home and “protect” your shoulder or hip etc.. . Thing is, did you know that one of the reasons Joe Pilates and his Pilates method got so famous was because of rehab successes. ...

Is Pilates your Answer to stress incontinence

Do you live in fear of a cough, a laugh, a sneeze, or even the once-simple act of doing a star jump? Maybe you have stopped running around with the kids or grandkids for fear of what might happen? If so, you are far from alone. It is estimated that 1 in 3 women will experience stress incontinence. While this issue can be embarrassing and distressing, it doesn’t always have to be a life sentence. There are various ways to work on strengthening your bladder control, and Pilat...

Recovery from C19 Breathing issues

Pilates has a unique approach to breathing that can help us to recover from C19 and improve outcomes for other respiratory diseases. Here at Turning Tide Pilates we teach two main approaches to breathing. Belly breathing and lateral breathing. There are some key points with both types of breathing. We slow the breath down We breath in through the nose We lengthen our exhales We consciously activate the accessory breathing muscles or core muscles Slowing the breath and Especially slowing the out ...

Can Pilates Reformer and Pilates Mat make me stronger ?

The simple answer is, Yes ! Pilates is great for strength building. The kinds of strength building that Pilates is especially good at are core strength, tensegrity or integrated strength, and bone strength. These kinds of Pilates given strengths serve to underpin the more familiar strength building of the arms, legs and shoulder muscles. ...

Can Pilates help my headache?

Headaches have many different causes and different symptoms. There are two main categories of headache identified by doctors, Primary and Secondary headaches. What are called primary headaches can be very debilitating and distressing but are not a serious health threat. Secondary headaches can be an indicator of a serious health condition. ...

What are our Pilates super powers at Turning Tide Pilates ?

We specialise in teaching Pilates Reformer and Pilates studio equipment classes in Titirangi West Auckland. That means teaching Intelligent exercise, personally tailored to the individual client. Looking at where they are now and where they want to get to, we design an approach that really sees each person with their unique situation, wants and needs.  ...

Pilates and Bone Health

There are many components to good bone health and exercise is a key ingredient. Pilates has been shown to be particularly good at helping to strengthen the spine and protect it against bone and muscle loss because of the Pilates emphasis on the core. When we work to strengthen the core in Pilates, we are strengthening the whole trunk area including the lumbar spine.  ...

Pilates and Brain Health

Pilates can help your brain health because research shows our levels of physical activity in mid-life are strongly related to our levels of brain health as we age. The equation is simple, the more fitness you maintain the lower your chances of developing dementia and other signs of poor brain health. Exercise is more powerfully linked to good brain health than all the other life-style choices and habits researched for optimal brain health. The link between exercise and a healthy brain persists e...

Reformer Pilates

Reformer Pilates is “having a moment”. Suddenly specialised studios are popping up all around, teaching and promoting “Reformer Pilates” and the Reformer is being mentioned in write ups about current go to fitness and wellness methods.  Pilates on the Reformer has actually been around for about 100 years and the equipment is, in all important aspects, the same as it was back at the start, just more polished, more engineered and available in new materials and colours. ...

Pilates pandemic story

Joe Pilates and the 1918 Flu pandemic. Joe is the one standing centre, not in a white coat in this photograph taken in the internment camp. Here’s the story. Joe Pilates was in an internment camp for the duration of WW1 and was imprisoned there during the flu pandemic that arrived world wide and into Joe’s camp in 1918....

Pilates for your bad back.

The main reason Pilates is so helpful for bad backs is because Pilates strengthens the muscles that support the back. We call those muscles “the core”, “the powerhouse” or your “centre”.  And the reason Pilates Reformer and Pilates studio equipment are extra super helpful for bad backs is that the Pilates Reformer supports the back while strengthening the core. ...

Pilates Mastery Workshops 2021

What’s to love about this Pilates immersion experience over and above your regular class ? Let’s just say our Pilates Mastery workshops will revitalise your Pilates Practice. The Turning Tide Mastery experience will take you further and deeper into Pilates by changing up your individual understanding. ...

Can Pilates help your painful feet ?

Can Pilates help your Foot pain ? Yes, Pilates can help your painful feet by improving the mechanics of the feet. Our feet can become painful for a variety of reasons. Shoes that don’t fit right can be a cause, also wearing shoes that are not fit for purpose.  Sports that impact the feet heavily like football, tennis, running, sprinting etc can cause the feet to become less elastic. The tightness in the feet and lower legs then creates even less elasticity and conditions like plantafascit...

What is the difference between Pilates and Yoga

Although they have vastly different histories, Pilates and Yoga do have many similarities.  Both practices are undeniably good for your health, utilise the breath, and strengthen the entire body in a low-impact way.  Pilates and Yoga are hugely popular around the globe. There are even hybrid classes such as Yoga-lates found in some studios!  However, despite the similarities, there are some distinct differences separating the two.  Read on to discover what makes each practice...