Hearts and Bones' approach to Pilates

Hearts and Bones follow Pilates’ 8 exercise principles. Our functional training programmes use the latest research in exercise science to help you rehabilitate or improve your performance.

Pilates exercise philosophy

Joseph Pilates devised his exercise method from research and instinct and developed different programmes for clients based on their individual needs. As a result, many of his early students, who later became the first generation of Pilates teachers (the Pilates 'elders'), used different approaches to the method.
However, the principles guiding the teaching stayed the same, and its more flexible approach allows Pilates today to include new ideas in physiotherapy and movement therapies.

Joseph Pilates' 8 exercise principles

​Pilates teaching follows Joseph's 8 guiding principles. These principles are (with quotes from Joseph Pilates' books: Return to Life through Contrology or Your Health):

• Breathing — breathe fully and deeply as you move.
  Before any real benefit can be derived from physical exercise, one must first learn how to breathe properly. This all important function requires individual instruction, not only by precept but also by example.
  
  
• Coordination — align and centre your body, and breathe correctly each time you move.
  Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind and spirit.
  
  
• Concentration — concentrate as you move.
  Always keep your mind wholly concentrated on the purpose of the exercises as you perform them.
  
  
• Centring — focus on your deep core muscles.
  What is balance of body and mind? It is the conscious control of all muscular movements of the body. It is the correct utilization and application of the leverage principles afforded by the bones comprising the skeletal framework of the body… 
  
  
•  Control — move slowly with control.
  One of the major results of Contrology is gaining the mastery of your mind over the complete control of your body. 
  
  
• Precision -- move exactly as prescribed.
  Concentrate on the correct movements EACH TIME YOU EXERCISE, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all the vital benefits of their value. 
  
  
• Flowing movement — move smoothly and continuously.
  Contrology is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, and skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, and in the way you work. 
  
  
•  Routine -- practise regularly to get the most benefits.
  Practice your exercises diligently with the fixed and unalterable determination that you will permit nothing else to sway you from keeping faith with yourself.

More about Joseph Pilates

Hearts and Bones Pilates' approach

At Hearts and Bones, our Pilates exercise method is constantly evolving along with advances in exercise science. Our Pilates programmes use functional training to help you return to doing your activities or reach your goals for performance. 

Functional training uses exercises that mimic and develop the way your body moves in your activity so that you can perform actions more easily.
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For example, if you need to repeatedly lift heavy objects, your training will use exercises that develop your body for heavy lifting. If you are a marathon runner, our training will focus on building endurance and balancing and stabilising your muscles and joints.