So what are Pilates Apparatus?
Exquisitely adaptable and fiendishly clever
Joseph began developing various studio Apparatus ( 26 in total ) to fill in the gaps in the Repertoire as no single piece of Pilates equipment could give each individual client what their body needed. All his Apparatus are exquisitely adaptable, and fiendishly clever. They reward the curious with movements that feel amazing!
Learn about them here and how each one can benefit you. And not to worry: The full expression of many Pilates exercises can seem daunting and challenging, but with my cunning encouragement and tailored progressions chosen for you, your Pilates practice will develop confidently over time.
For some clients with injuries, some of the exercises may be contraindicated. Appropriate modifications that I teach will allow clients to explore and develop the essence of exercises in pieces and parts.
About Pilates
Pilates is a system of exercises created by Joseph Pilates, which were based on his extensive studies in anatomy and training in the martial arts, boxing, fencing, and acrobatics. The Pilates Method connects the “Mind and Body” leaving you feeling renewed and energised.
Following the “system” is important. This is why the Firefly Pilates Studio uses a comprehensive offering of various Pilates apparatus in the studio to help you get the most out of your Practice in each lesson. Doing only a Mat group class or regular Reformer group class is great, but that will leave gaps in your Practice needs. Imagine making chicken soup and only ever adding chicken broth? You need all the other tasty ingredients to make the soup hearty.
What is Pilates?
The history of pilates
Pialtes Apparatus
The apparatus i use in my studio
BENEFITS
It focuses on low-impact, bodyweight exercises performed on a special mat on the floor. It builds good posture, core strength, balance and flexibility, while creating a mind body awareness. It includes spine and joint mobility exercises which are a good way of easing ailments like back pain. In the Firefly Pilates studio I have a raised clinical bed which allows those with mobility issues to also enjoy the Mat repertoire without having to get up and down off the floor. Mat work ( modified ) is what I use to teach clients as young as 5 when the big apparatus is not yet appropriate for them.
All Pilates classes in the Firefly Pilates Studio is always started with a few minutes of “Mat Pre-Pilates exercises”. These are basic fundamental movements, which help to calm the mind and prepare the body for the start of the Mat Sequence. These exercises are often used to do a whole hour lesson, for complete beginners, or those rehabilitating from injuries or surgery, to help them understand and learn fundamental movements patterns, and common Pilates terminology.
HISTORY
The Mat Repertoire is a system of 34 exercises in sequence, developed by Joseph Pilates, at the time of World War 1. Each exercises has a name, which I will teach you, alongside its benefits. Over the course of his career, Joseph Pilates developed more than 600 exercises for the Mat!
BENEFITS
It is extremely versatile: the repertoire is performed lying down, both prone and supine, seated, kneeling, and standing. The Tower unit is essentially a scaled-down Cadillac with fewer bells and whistles. The Tower is ideal for beginner students as well as those who are recovering from injuries. There’s very little pressure on the joints because the body weight is supported by the Mat portion of the apparatus and the exercise range of movement is moderate to protect the joints from over-stretching. Many of the exercises are performed in a seated or lying down face up, which is comforting for those who get dizzy or have a fear of heights. Enjoy the Roll Back to banish back tension after a long day of sitting, or try the Push Through exercise to bring those naughty shoulders out of the ears! Relish in strengthening and lengthening the muscles to soothe your body and mind.
HISTORY
During WW1 when Joseph Pilates’ was interned at Knockaloe Camp on the Isla of Man, he apparently used bungee cords and springs attached to the metal frames of the hospital beds, to help patients to rehab. This may have been the birth of his Cadillac idea. The Cadillac is now the largest of the Pilates apparatuses. It resembles a four-poster twin bed, raised off the floor and fitted with a variety springs and bars. Like the Mat Work there is a sequence of exercises which Joseph created. Each exercise has a name, which I will teach you, alongside its benefits.
BENEFITS
In a class setting, without proper supervision, a Reformer can be a very dangerous piece of equipment. But having me help set up the equipment for you, and observe your body on the equipment, you will be safe, and soon you will be able to develop your own autonomy to manage the equipment and how your body moves on it. The springs on the Reformer, simultaneously stretch and strengthen the body. Instead of “old school” workouts which train one muscle group at a time, the Reformer works muscles in concert with one another, resulting in a balanced physique and leaving no muscle over or under-trained. The springs can add challenge, or add support. It’s a dance of physics. It’s a great way for me to spot imbalances in your body especially when you lie down to do the “Footwork Series”. Those clues will lead me on to choose exercises to create better balance and harmony in your muscles and joints. Reformer Pilates is beneficial for beginners, those who want improve their current sport or exercise regime, and clients with scoliosis or spine concerns. It’s especially beneficial for the active ager 65+ to aid mobility and ease joint stiffness, and those with bone density concerns ( menopause and osteoporosis ).
HISTORY
Probably Perhaps the best known piece of Pilates equipment. The Reformer was fully developed, when Joseph Pilates opened his studio in New York in the late 1920s. The Firefly Pilates Studio has a contemporary version of Joe’s original design. It is such a versatile piece of Apparatus, hence why it’s so popular. Like the Mat Work there is a sequence of exercises which Joseph created. Each exercise has a name, which I will teach you, alongside its benefits.
BENEFITS
HISTORY
BENEFITS
HISTORY
BENEFITS
A Jumpboard is a padded, board-like attachment that replaces the foot bar on the Reformer. Where appropriate, I may choose to elevate your practice by adding a Jumpboard to your workouts. It can add a fresh, fun and dynamic twist to spice up your workouts. But there are many more surprising benefits for you:
The Jumpboard can turn up the intensity a notch, potentially making you get a sweat on. The repetitive jumping action elevates your heart rate, turning your workout into an effective calorie burner which raises the pulse. It is not a cardiovascular workout!
It can certainly improve endurance without putting undue pressure on your joints. In fact it will help achy joints because gentle jumping will increase the production of synovial fluid, which nourishes and lubricates the joints, reducing stiffness and discomfort. If you've been avoiding high-impact activities because of joint pain, try the Jumpboard! It offers a safe and enjoyable alternative.
It's great for rehabbing the lower limb to bring partial introduce partial load, before returning to full weight bearing jumps on the ground. It’s a rehabilitation technique used by physiotherapists.
The jump sequences ( either with hands or feet ), will improve your coordination. Your brain will also get a sweat on as it will have to work in sync with your body to perform each jump with control and accuracy. This makes it especially important for clients who are at risk of falling, to improve the nervous system connections to the feet. For those clients older than 80, sadly a fall which results in a broken hip can reduce life expectancy… so looking after your coordination, and leg strength is vital.
As we age and our bone density naturally begins to decline. Women going through menopause are especially susceptible to osteoporosis developing. The gentle yet repetitive impact of the Jumpboard promotes bone-loading - a process that helps stimulate bone growth and increase bone density.
HISTORY
Everyone agrees that Joseph Pilates did not invent it, and his original Reformers did not include it. Some of Joseph’s students ( now known as the Pilates Elders ) all worked in a close community of the Pilates world “back then”. So let’s just say it could have been Eve Gentry, Ken Endelman or Romana Kryzanowska who developed it. Generally it arrived into the Pilates studios in the 1970’s. That many of the Pilates Elders were professional ballet dancers, presumably it was invented as an add on to the Reformer to provide a more ergonomically appropriate surface for the feet and to assist with jump training for dancers.
BENEFITS
The Magic Circle is one of the most recognizable and versatile Pilates props. I have an unlimited imagination when it comes to creating fun and challenging ways to use it in workouts. The Magic Circle can improve body awareness, increase resistance, and add challenge by creating instability. It’s an effective way to work the inner and outer thigh muscles, but it can be used for so much more. For athletes, or sports men and women who have a one side dominant sport, the Magic Circle helps to bring the body back into balance. Mainly it helps you to get a true connection to your core muscles.
HISTORY
It’s believed that Joseph Pilates created the first Magic Circle from the metal rings that encircle wooden beer barrels, which would have been easy to find and repurpose in early 20th Century Germany.
BENEFITS
I offer a variety of large and small balls in Pilates sessions. I love the versatility they offer to many Traditional Pilates exercises. A basic bridge done with feet on the floor can be made more challenging for you by instead placing the feet up on the big Stability ball, to add balance and coordination challenge! I have quite a few clients with painful arthritic toes and as a result they cannot do a full plank on the Mat. However propping the legs up on the Stability ball offers them the same exercise but lifts the feet off the floor. The small “Over Ball” can be squeezed between knees during a bridging exercise to strengthen the inner thighs – and, as a result, the pelvic floor will too.
BENEFITS
I see so many benefits including these props, especially at the start and end of Pilates sessions. Using a foam roller can assist in breaking up knots and adhesions in your muscles which cause stuck stress in your body. I offer special techniques of gliding, rinsing, and friction with these props to stimulate normal blood flow and function to your tissues, resulting in reduction of returning injuries which caused you pain. Small balls I offer to clients to help release specific areas where a tissue might be tight. Like the piriformis, or the fascia under the foot.
BENEFITS
History