About (Puh-la-teez) Pilates

Bridget Kolshak Owner and Certified Instructor for Pilates Mat, Reformer, Tower, Cadillac, Pilates on the Ball, Power Flex Yoga & Prenatal Pilates.

I began my Pilates practice in 2006 in West Palm Beach, FL. It was my mother that introduced me to Pilates. After taking my first Pilates mat class I immediately felt the benefits and the need to continue practicing to maintain a healthy and strong body. It was my mother that again encouraged me further to obtain my Pilates training. Over the years I have completed certification in Pilates Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Tower & Power Flex Yoga through Pilates Institute of America. The most recent addition to my training is Prenatal Pilates through The Center for Women's Fitness. I strive to make Pilates available for everyone at any level of fitness. (Puh-la-teez) Pilates studio continues to grow each year. In November of 2009 I moved the studio into a new location off College Parkway. This expansion made it possible to now teach larger Pilates Mat and Tower classes.

My Pilates practice has completely changed the way I view my life. The energy received from Pilates is what drives me each day. It has become a way of life for me. I hope to make everyone who comes into my studio love Pilates as much as I do.

-Bridget

What are the Benefits of Pilates?

Improve strength, flexibility and balance.
Tone and build long, lean muscles without bulk.
Challenge deep abdominal muscles to support the core.
Engage the mind and enhance body awareness.
Condition efficient patterns of movement making the body less prone to injury.
Reduce stress, relieve tension, and boost energy through deep stretching.
Restore postural alignment.
Create a stronger, more flexible spine.
Promote recovery from strain or injury.
Increase joint range of motion.
Improve circulation.
Heighten neuromuscular coordination.
Offer relief from back pain and joint stress.
Correct over-training of muscle groups which can lead to stress and injury.
Enhance mobility, agility and stamina.
Compliment sports training and develop functional fitness for daily life activity.
Improve the way your body looks and feels.

What is Pilates?
Concentration - Controll - Center - Fluidity - Precision - Breath

Pilates is a form of resistance exercise that is focused on improving flexibility, core strength, and body awareness. Concentration on your body's alignment and muscle groups during your Pilates routine help achieve the full benefits from each exercise. Controll of your muscles helps prevent injury and is imperative during the entire flow of exercises. Your Center, comprising of your abdomen, lower back, hips and buttocks, are the main focus while executing each exercise. Fluidity is necessary for flow and grace while keeping your body in alignment to help build perfect posture. Precision of each exercise is to ensure proper performance and to help prevent injury. Breath must be constant to help oxygenate and energize the body.

Building long, lean muscles without building bulk is one of the benefits of this type of exercise. The Pilates Reformer is a specially designed exercise apparatus. It’s springs and sliding carriage give resistance and add a beneficial challenge to each exercise that is performed. Pilates also consists of a series of Mat work exercises that are done on the floor solely using your own body to build strength. Each session is supervised by a specially trained instructor.

During a Pilates session, whether it's on the machines or the floor, your instructor will continuously prompt you to concentrate deeply on your core muscles, on your breath, the contraction of your muscles, and the quality (not quantity) of your movements. These are also key elements of Pilates, and your instructor will emphasize them at every session. The objective is a coordination of mind, body, and spirit, something Joseph Pilates called "contrology." In his first book published in 1945, Pilates' Return to Life Through Contrology, the 34 original exercises that Pilates taught to his students are described along with the guiding principles of contrology.