Busting Pilates Myths

You know how it is when you want to try something new; everybody you tell has a preformed opinion based on what they’ve been told, or maybe read in a magazine. At Newcastle Pilates we hear the same things from our clients who’ve been previously put off Pilates, by misconceptions. But not to worry, as Newcastle’s number one Pilates studio we’re here to set the record straight.

Pilates Is Just for Women

One of the most common things we hear from our male clients is that Pilates is a women’s activity. But nothing could be further from the truth, and seeing as Pilates was invented by a man, you should find it easy to agree. We know that strengthening the pelvic and lower abdominals is important in childbirth and reproductive health, but men and women alike require strength in this part of the body, for a multitude of reasons. Simply staying upright engages this muscle group, and it becomes even more vital when the body is under tension. So whether you’re running around a track or lifting heavy weights, you can improve overall fitness by increasing lower abdominal strength.

Pilates Is Only Good For Ab Workouts

People are often confused because they’ve heard that Pilates focuses on the core. The first problem with this statement is that the core is a group of muscles that goes far beyond the abs, it includes your oblique, hips, ribs and back muscles too. Secondly, although engaging your core is a very important aspect of Pilates, there are a variety of movements that incorporate your quads, calves, glutes, triceps, biceps - you name it. There are even some moves that use every muscle in the body all at once, so you’ll certainly get a full body workout!

Pilates Is Expensive

When you see Pilates in the media, it’s usually because it has been endorsed by celebrities like Hugh Grant or Madonna, so it’s easy to think that you must need an A-list bank balance to partake in a class. Wrong! Classes at Newcastle Pilate’s start from just £7.50 and the more you book, the bigger the discount. What’s more, because you don’t need any fancy equipment to do Pilates, you can practice what you learn at home, so you’ll be refining your fitness for free.

Pilates Is Too Easy

Pilates is only easy if you’re not doing it properly. If you’re going through the motions without applying principles of control, breathing, centring and concentration then you’re not really doing Pilates. When properly performed the exercises should be challenging and rejuvenating for all fitness levels. Because the exercises engage the deepest muscles in the body, it’s important that you understand how to complete them properly, so taking a class with one of our qualified instructors means we can watch and correct your form as needed.

Now you know the facts, there’s only one way to find out for yourself and that’s by booking onto a class at Newcastle Pilates. We run classes everyday at all levels, just visit our website to see our timetable and call us on 0191 284 9111 to book.