Clinical Pilates (Physio Pilates)

1. What is Clinical Pilates?

Clinical Pilates is also commonly referred to as Pilates physiotherapy, Pilates for rehabilitation, or Pilates for physical therapy. At North Shore Physio & Pilates, we have integrated gym-based rehabilitative exercises with principles from the Pilates Method to enable you improve your body awareness and movement control when exercising to increase your strength and flexibility. Absolute precision allows you to exercise your joints through a pain-free range and maintain stability as you work to strengthen the weak muscles in your body, either in isolation or as a whole with other muscles in functional or sports-related tasks.

2. Who runs the classes?

Our Clinical Pilates is run by a musculoskeletal physiotherapist with accredited 2-years of training in the Pilates Method. Their comprehensive knowledge in human anatomy and movement biomechanics allows them to identify the areas of weakness and instability in your body that affects your joint inflexibility and physical performance in all aspects of life. They are able to construct an individually tailored exercise programme to address these underlying issues, modify exercises according to your injury history or chronic condition (e.g. osteoporosis) and provide you with specific instructions during your workout to ensure that you are exercising the right muscles.

3. What does Clinical Pilates involve?

Clinical Pilates is taught under close supervision in a small group environment of up to 3 participants. We are fully equipped with state of the art Pilates equipment such as the reformer and trapeze table, which are tension adjustable and mechanically designed to assist with your movement control and muscle coordination in positions of minimal load to your joints during the initial periods. Once you are well connected to the new biomechanical changes, we will challenge you with functional and/or sports related activities which are more dynamic and require greater muscle coordination. You will also receive ongoing home exercises throughout the programme to continually improve your movement control and maintain the progress in flexibility and strength achieved from the classes.

4. How is it beneficial?

Clinical Pilates is ideal for correcting your muscle imbalances and improving your body awareness in posture and movement. This allows you to move efficiently with less strain to your joints and fatigue to your surrounding muscles. As the programmes are individualised, Clinical Pilates is suitable for people of any age or fitness level. Rehabilitation Pilates is beneficial for:

• Fast tracking the rehabilitation of current injuries
• Preventing injuries by correcting the areas of weakness and instability in your body
• Enhancing your physical performance in recreational and sports-related tasks
• Strengthening the base of your arthritic joints and slowing the rate of degeneration
• Improving your balance and coordination to reduce the risk of falls

Most importantly, Clinical Pilates is a fun, new and effective approach to exercise therapy.

5. How do I get started?

All participants of Clinical Pilates (also known as Pilates Physiotherapy) are required to attend an initial consultation before they book to join a class. This ensures that you receive a structured exercise programme specific to your health and fitness goals (e.g. increasing your lower abdominal strength to improve trunk stabilisation and leg muscle coordination for a more efficient running technique) and modified to your injury history/chronic condition for a safe and effective workout. You will require the one on one attention initially to ensure correct activation of muscles and to feel confident with using our Pilates and gym equipment on site.

Pilates Class timetable (1hr duration)

Physiotherapy Pilates Clinic

Our pilates physio consultations are available at our clinic in Castlecrag. We also have a home visit physiotherapy that services the neighbouring suburbs, incuding: Castle Cove, Chatswood, Roseville Chase, Willoughby, Cammeray, Naremburn and Northbridge.