The Carl Todd Clinic : Take care of your long-term wellbeing

Pilates Home › Take care of your body › Take care of your long-term wellbeing

Back pain is one of the most common and persistent of physical complaints. You can help to prevent it, lessen the frequency of its occurrence and reduce the degree of pain you experience by taking part in a Pilates-based programme of exercise.

Pilates exercises strengthen the muscles that support and stabilise the core of your body. Learning more about your posture and practising neutral Pilates positions often will also help to relieve the discomfort of any general back pain. Pilates can lead to many benefits, including:

• Better posture
• Fewer incidences of back pain
• Greater strength and muscle tone
• Improved flexibility
• Increased joint mobility
• Lower stress levels
• A flatter stomach and trimmer waist
• More efficient respiratory and circulatory systems
• Fewer headaches resulting from postural problems

We offer Pilates courses on a one-to-one basis at both of our clinics. At our Box clinic we offer a variety of Pilates courses in group classes too. To learn more, read on or just get in touch.

Different people want different things from their Pilates programme. Whether these goals involve relieving back pain and stiffness through strength building, or totally redefining your body shape, one of the first steps is positive thinking and a commitment to Pilates as a regular form of exercise.

Our Pilates classes are available in two formats:

• Matwork classes where all the exercises are performed on a mat
• Fitball classes where a core stability ball is used when performing the exercises,
to add increased resistance and make it a little more challenging!

Classes last between 45 and 60 minutes depending on the size of the group. In order that everyone enjoys individual attention and gains assistance in performing the exercises correctly, there will never be more than 12 people in the class.

Most people take about a month to master the basic exercises. After this period, the exercises are made progressively more challenging and different, with more intense exercises being incorporated and adapted according to your ability.

The speed of your progression will depend on several factors including your physical condition at the start of the programme, and how often and for how long you practise. To ensure safe, healthy progress – and to sustain your commitment and enjoyment – we encourage you to do the classes at the pace that feels right for you.

Within three to six months you will see – and be able to maintain – results in your tone and shape. This may seem like quite a long time, but when you do start noticing the changes taking place you will be delighted and very glad you persevered. And remember that as well as enabling such changes and improvements in the short term, Pilates is also about enjoying long-term wellbeing and a permanently enhanced level of physical health.

To enquire about our Pilates classes, or if you have any questions, simply get in touch. Please note that if you have a known medical condition, if you're pregnant or have chronic joint problems, you should consult your doctor before embarking on this type of programme.