Pilates (pronounced puh-lah-teez) is a method of exercise and physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. It has been said that the Pilates Method has its greatest influence on the spine. With systematic practice of specific exercises coupled with focused breathing patterns, Pilates has proven itself invaluable not only as a fitness endeavor, but also as an important adjunct to professional sports training and physical rehabilitation of all kinds.

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NOTE:  Pilates is available at our Atlanta (Druid Hills) and Denver (Cherry Creek) locations only.

The Pilates Method is named after its inventor, Joseph H. Pilates, a fitness and conditioning enthusiast from the early to mid 20th century. He emphasized proper training habits along with the ability of the person to perform desired movements in a strong, efficient, and safe manner as essential components for optimal health and pain-free performance.

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Pilates classes are most commonly delivered as group mat classes, group reformer classes, and private or small group studio classes where the client works on the full range of apparatus Pilates invented, such as the Reformer, Tower, Trapeze Table (also known as the Cadillac), Ladder Barrel, Wunda Chair, Spine Corrector and Arc Barrels.

Pilates is Neuromuscular

The concept of neuromuscular control refers to your brain's capacity to turn on the right muscles, at the right time, and with the right amount of muscle strength and stability in order to produce a desired movement. The more complex or intense the movement performed, the higher degree of neuromuscular control required.

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Many physical events (injury, surgery, pregnancy, etc.) can disrupt your brain's capacity to execute this program, a process known as neuromuscular de-activation. As a result, there is a tendency for your body to compensate (with less efficient movement patterns) to maintain the same current level of physical activity. Eventually, neuromuscular de-activation can lead to a vicious cycle of pain, muscle imbalance, and abnormal joint stress. You will often see a decline in fitness and performance until adequate neuromuscular control is restored.

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Your body learns to move with its limitations. Our jobs and lifestyles dictate the length-tension relationship of our muscles. When those same muscles that are accustomed to moving in a shortened range are given increased demand to move during a yoga class, the brain is unprepared to meet the demand of the physical posture. This can result in excessive strain placed on soft tissue structures, compensatory movements and subsequent joint stress that eventually become an injury. Your body is an intelligent computer but often gets stuck in one way of thinking and moving. However, in movement we do not benefit from rigidity, but malleability. Rigidity manifests in neuromuscular deactivation, a loss of muscle control that impairs your ability to effectively stabilize joints through their ranges of motion.

How can Activcore help?

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Activcore Performance Specialists are highly skilled in the instruction of the Pilates method. They work alongside our physical therapists to create a plan of action to restore health and vitality to our clients, so that they may return to living their best lives.  

The performance specialist will assess how you move as it relates to your sport and daily life. This is a holistic approach to identify the true source of any weakness, imbalance and dysfunction. Addressing the underlying cause is absolutely essential for healing an injury, preventing recurrence, and keeping you healthy and at a peak level of performance. The progression of your fitness routine should be a reflection of the type of activity you are trying to get back to doing.

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You will feel the Activcore difference from your first visit. It is a highly personalized experience delivered by a passionate movement expert fully dedicated to getting you back and keeping you in the sport or training activity that you love.