Pilates

Originally called “Contrology” , Pilates is movement that works the entire body. It is just not an exercise. It is a series of controlled movements engaging your body and mind. The method encompasses more than 500 exercises, without counting modifications and variations, performed on specifically designed various exercise apparatus -or none at all. Pilates is based on the principle that before working the peripheral parts of the body, the “ powerhouse” needs to be strong and stable. The "powerhouse" is the deepest muscles in the abdomen, inner thighs, buttocks and lower back. It works by re-balancing the body through the use of movements, altering the way in which you use your muscles to produce them. It changes the way you use your body, the way you move ... through stretching , strengthening and control. With Pilates, there is emphasis on quality over quantity, and you will find that, unlike many systems of exercise, Pilates exercises do not include a lot of repetitions for each move. Instead, doing each exercise fully, with precision, yields significant results in a shorter time than one would ever imagine.

We are good. No other studio consists of a partnership combining over 30 years of expertise.  We stand by our claim that "you will be better than before" even after your first workout.  Pilates is our passion, it is what we do, and we do it well.  Our instruction is superb, definite, and precise.  It is enjoyable, evolving, and will continuously challenge you.  You will see physical and psychological results immediately and will continuously ask more of yourself.  You will notice a change after just one session at our studio.

Just about everybody can benefit from Pilates.  It is for the young, the elderly, the unfit, athletes, dancers, any one requiring top form or who just want to alleviate pain.   The work is tailored to the individual, so it can be as gentle as needed or as challenging as desired.  Pilates is ideal for men as it will lengthen the muscles and increase overall flexibility.  Pilates is well-suited for women.  Among the deep muscles strengthened is the tranversus abdominis, which crosses the abdomen, and those of the pelvic floor. 

• Increases mental concentration and enhances body awareness
• Develops a strong optimal core
• Tones and build long lean muscles without bulk
• Improves posture
• Improves strength, flexibility and balance
• Increases circulation and endurance
• Creates an evenly conditioned body and prevents sports injuries.
• Provides a challenging yet great low impact workout that is gentle to the body.

• Flatter Abs
• Stronger Lower Back
• Toned Body
• Clearer Mind

Pilates is designed to transform every aspect of your life.  It improves your state of physical and mental health, building strength, endurance, flexibility, and suppleness of muscles.  You'll breath better.  Your everyday life activities will seem more effortless, and your overall outlook will improve. Simply said, your life will be better.  Pilates is power.  It is having complete ownership of your body.

Most of Falls Church Pilates clients attend classes at least 2x a week, some more, some less. Your frequency of attendance is directly related to your ability to improve and advance through the Pilates system. Done 2-3x/week is adequate to see effective results. Consistency is crucial for internalizing the Method and progressing to the next level. A combination of group mat classes and private apparatus sessions within a week would maximize the benefits with the reasonable amount of cost.

Whether you are new to Pilates, or new to our studio, our instructors will guide you through an Introduction to Pilates workout. We recognize that each student is unique and comes with his own abilities and special needs. We recommend the Intro-Package which includes 3 private sessions where you will work one-on-one with an instructor on our apparatus as well as mat work. We also offer Beginner Mat I Classes where you can exercise in a group type setting. The Beginner student should allow at least 10 sessions before truly getting to know his or her "powerhouse" (core muscles consisting of abs, lower back, buttocks).

Joseph H. Pilates was born in 1880 in Germany. He was a sickly child and suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, and he dedicated his entire life to improving his physical strength. At a young age, he began studying body-building, yoga, zen, and gymnastics. Pilates came to believe that the "modern" life-style, bad posture, and inefficient breathing lay at the roots of poor health. He ultimately devised a series of exercises and training-techniques and engineered all the equipment, specifications, and tuning required to teach his methods properly. Pilates was originally a gymnast, diver, and bodybuilder, but when he moved to England in 1912, he earned a living as a professional boxer, circus-performer, and self-defense trainer. During World War I , he was interned along with other German citizens in a camp on the Isle of Man. During this involuntary break, he began to intensively develop his concept of an integrated, comprehensive system of physical exercise, which he himself called "Contrology". He studied yoga and the movements of animals and trained his fellow inmates in fitness and exercises. In 1925 Pilates and his wife Clara founded a studio in New York City and directly taught and supervised their students well into the 1960s. His method, which he and Clara originally called "Contrology", related to encouraging the use of the mind to control muscles. It focuses attention on core postural muscles that help keep the human body balanced and provide support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso and abdominal muscles. Joseph Pilates wrote several books, including Return to Life through Contrology and Your Health. Pilates died in 1967 at the age of 87 in New York.

Joseph Pilates created Pilates movements performed on the floor (mat work) where there is no stress on the joints, but rather on the muscles that support them. Generally, the Pilates exercises can be done on a Pilates Mat or on special Apparatus. While on the Mat, the body supplies its own resistance to movement, by way of gravity.  The Apparatus work offers a different kind of challenge that places resistance against motion yet offers support as you stretch farther and into different positions.