Eden Lee

Dip. Dance (Aust Ballet School)
Dip Health Sc
BASI Pilates Certification (USA)

Your First Time

The first session that you do at Pilates Central will be you initial consultation, this will still be a workout but it will be a little more basic than usual and we will run over some fundamental principles of the Pilates method. This session will still be tailored to you needs.

A separate assessment is not required (although clearance from you health care provider, GP etc is recommended) as the exercises you will be given are also used as an assessment tool to gauge any special needs you might have.

It is important that you always feel comfortable and at ease with what you are doing, especially in the first session.

Often the muscles we are trying to work are smaller stabilising muscles and these can sometimes be easily overlooked when the larger muscle groups take over.

How long is the Initial Consultation?

Generally all sessions are about an hour we try to give you at least the first half of the initial session as a private so that we are not distracted by other clients; but this is dependant on our and your schedules. We try our best to keep everyone happy but this is not always possible.

What do I wear?

Loose comfortable clothing, or gym gear is the go, anything too revealing is not recommended as you will often have your legs in the air and possibly have your body upside down so it is better if you are not distracted by your clothing.

Fundamental Concepts in Pilates evolved training

Neutral Spine

This is the anatomically correct  positioning of the spine at rest and provides a reference point for all movement. Generally it is most easily felt in the supine position (lying on the back), with the knees bent to approximately 90 degrees feet flat  and 5 to 10 centimeters apart.

The curves of the spine are maintained i.e. the sacrum/ pelvis (buttocks) should gently rest ‘sinking’ into the floor, the lumbar spine (lower back) should be gently arched off the floor, the thoracic spine (upper back) again gently curves back to the floor with the ribs relaxed, the cervical spine (neck) again makes a long arc off the floor and the cranium (head) should be placed securely on the floor with the chin neither lifted or pulled in to the chest.

Neutral spine can be discussed at length but the above is a fair introduction.

Pilates Breathing

Pilates breathing is highly recommended for all forms of dynamic movement. Essentially we look at the abdominal's as postural and movement related muscles. Again this is most easily felt in the supine (lying on the back) position.

1. The spine remains in the neutral position while establishing your breathing pattern
2. Place you hands on your abdominal's between the belly button and the pubic bone, gently such or scoop the abdominal's away from your hands; it's the same sensation as doing up a tight pair of pants! Repeat this a few times to make sure you have that feeling without moving you spine/back.
3. Gently pull in/up your pelvic floor (a similar sensation to stopping the flow of urine); again repeat this a few times to make it a familiar feeling.
4. Once you can comfortably maintain the simultaneous squeeze of low abdominal's and pelvic floor you're ready to begin breathing, generally we aim to breathe this way throughout the session and beyond but don't worry you will get frequent reminders to ensure optimal benefits.

Why do we breath like this? These deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles have been shown to support the spine and related structures, which is especially important when we are exercising. Also this method of breathing encourages the lateral (sideways) expansion of the rig cage allowing us to take full deep breaths. So were supporting the spine and getting more oxygen, a win win.