Pilates and the Athlete: Can Pilates be too safe and effective?

What sounds like a ridiculous question stems from the fact that Pilates has been misunderstood by people looking for a physically challenging form of exercise. Pilates is as close to a perfect form of exercise as any because it benefits any age or condition. The value rests on your instructors ability to give you the appropriate prescription. It is true that Pilates offers extraordinary rehabilitative and restorative effects however, that is not the end of the story. In fact, Pilates in it's original form, provided vigorous exercise and conditioning to public service and military personnel. Joe Pilates himself was said to be disappointed with overly "feminizing" Contrology (the original name given to Pilates by Joseph Pilates) when it became popular in the professional dance community.

Many of the Pilates programs found around the West Coast lean heavily towards restorative therapy. The benefits are countless, but programs that challenge the athletically minded set are few. At Equilibrio, an athlete will find that after building a strong foundation of movement, body awareness and balanced musculature, the new movement harmony achieved bumps performance up a couple notches. We believe that we should not limit people prematurely. We pull our expertise from a variety of sources of modern exercise science. The result is a mix of tried and true and the most progressive techniques available. Even people with previous injuries should be challenged and continue to grow. This is when the workouts get fun!

I am a big fan of intense, sweaty workouts. Although this may not be for you right away (or ever), you may be amazed at the kinds of things you end up accomplishing at Equilibrio Pilates. And the best part is, you'll look forward to it!