Stretch with Strength and Control

Romana Kryzanowska defined the Pilates method of exercise using these three words:  Stretch, strength and control. The late Kryzanowska was one of Joseph Pilates' most distinguished students who went on to become a highly respected and influential instructor in her own right. 

Benefits of Pilates include:

Pilates is a total body workout that emphasizes the principles of alignment, the engagement of the core muscles and the coordination of the breath.

• Strengthens your core and firms your abs
• Decompresses your spine and improves your posture
• Coordinates your breath with mindful movement
• Optimizes your flexibility and builds long, lean muscles
• Prevents and helps to heal injuries
• Improves your sports performance
• Maximizes your potential in almost everything you do!

Under the guidance of a skilled and certified instructor, Pilates can transform your mind as well as your body.

Therapeutic Pilates

Pilates is a superior tool for encouraging the body to use its innate ability to heal itself through movement. This is why it is used in so many rehabilitation hospitals and physical  therapy clinics across the country. Its emphasis on spinal and joint stabilization, optimal biomechanics and recruitment of specific muscles leads to ease of movement and a reduction in pain. 

A highly specialized Pilates program is designed for the appropriate chronic condition or ailment in a supportive and safe environment. Pilates helps all back,neck and shoulder issues, arthritis, osteoporosis and can help rehab from cancer treatment.

Lucy Garcia discovered her passion for Pilates after a traumatic back injury. She completed extensive back therapy courses that incorporated the latest research and studied with experts such as Linda Joy Lee. She  then became certified in Core Conditioning and the Inner Unit in 2006, which makes her skills as a therapeutic exercise specialist unparalleled.

Pilates for Athletes

There are many components of Pilates that give athletes an edge in their specific sports. Pilates can enhance your athletic performance whether you are a basketball player, rugby or football player or a weekend warrior. It is not surprising that Joseph Pilates was an athlete himself and participated in skiing, boxing, diving and gymnastics.

"Pilates is controlled movement, which enables athletes to become more attuned with their bodies. It heightens awareness to successfully execute more complex motor patterns," says Lucy.

3 Ways Pilates Improves Sports Performance

1. Implements the Pilates breath pattern, which involves breathing into the lower lobes of the lungs, thus improving lung capacity.

2. Activates core muscles. Pilates emphasizes the strengthening of core muscles in all body positions while moving in all planes of motion. Therefore it becomes innate to activate your core as you perform your sport, which takes stress away from other joints and decompresses the spine. This is also known as dynamic stabilization of the spine, pelvis and peripheral  joints, which is vital  to preventing injuries and maintaining a long lasting career as an athlete. 

3. Balances range of motion with strength. Pilates enables an athlete to obtain the ideal range of motion at each joint while balancing it with strength. This is one  reason why Pilates is used to help athletes to recover from injuries. Alignment is compromised in many athletic activities. Lucy works with athletes to develop a specific conditioning program to help them realign their bodies.  Pilates also trains athlete to activate specific muscles in the right firing pattern and at the right time. This increases speed, force and power or grace and agility.

Lucy Garcia has been working with athletes for many years including professional golfers, soccer players, swimmers and cyclists. She received an athletic specialist certification through Stott Pilates, and is also certified in golf instruction from Hole in One Pilates.