Fitness Inside & Out has opened a dedicated space for Pilates instruction and has several expert Pilates instructors to customize a program for you.
Pilates is a method of exercise that elongates and strengthens muscles, improving joint mobility and muscle elasticity. Pilates conditions the whole body with balanced strength and flexibility to help reduce the chance of injury. Certain Pilates-style techniques are frequently used by physical therapists and exercise physiologists in physical therapy settings to rehabilitate injuries. Fitness Inside & Out has an extensive background in helping clients post-rehab and the team emphasizes injury-free work-outs.
Many Pilates exercises are performed in a reclining or sitting position and are low impact and partially weight bearing. Certain exercises target deep abdominal muscles along with muscles close to the spine. Clinical studies show Pilates can help reduce low back pain, improve posture, and also decrease the chance of falls among seniors.
Because it conditions muscles in a way that helps reduce sports injuries, Pilates has long been a secret weapon among elite athletes, ballerinas, and top dancers. Originally developed by Joseph Pilates, a German national who immigrated to the U.S. after World War I, Pilates caught on with ballerinas at the New York City Ballet where Joseph Pilates had an adjacent fitness studio.
George Balanchine, considered the father of American Ballet and the 20th century’s most prominent choreographer, studied at “Joe’s” Pilates studio in New York City, according to Pilates equipment maker Balanced Body. The New York Herald Tribune noted in a 1964 article that in dance classes around the country young dance students limbered up with a move called a “Pilates” without knowing that the exercise was named for a living man.
Today, Pilates is used by athletes in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and Olympians. Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady and NBA legend Lebron James both tout the benefits of Pilates to their games.
Likewise, Kate Kerwin, who has 35 years of fitness training experience and has joined Fitness Inside & Out, says she sees major benefits for her older clients. “Pilates helps my older clients stay healthy and enjoy their Naples lifestyle,” Kerwin says. Kerwin is certified as a Pilates instructor for mat, ball, and Pilates equipment including Reformer, Tower, and Chair.
Kerwin is also certified in the MELT Method, a system of training that’s sweeping the country that, like Pilates, emphasizes ideal body alignment, core stability, balance, strength, and flexibility.
“Injury prevention, and improving flexibility, balance, and strength have long been a focus at Fitness Inside & Out. We’re pleased to add these expert Pilates instructors to our team and look forward to them assisting clients to meet their individual needs,” says Mike Edwards, M.S. EXPHYS and Fitness Inside & Out owner.
For more information, contact Fitness Inside & Out at 239-649-7181 or email naplesfitness@comcast.net