Home > Frequently Asked Questions What is Pilates? F.A.Q. What Others Say Classes & Prices Schedule At Your Service Contact Us Privacy F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions   What is Pilates and how will it help me? Have a look at this page, where we describe the method and discuss its benefits. Do I have to be fit to start Pilates? Absolutely not. Because your Pilates program is tailored to your body, you can start Pilates at a level that is achievable for your current condition, then advance as your flexibility and strength improves. Can I benefit from Pilates if I've been injured? Almost certainly. Pilates was originally developed to help rehabilitate those with injuries, so the development of tailored programs to help you overcome an injury is central to the whole regime. If you've been injured in an accident or through sports, ask your doctor or physiotherapist about Pilates. Do I have to start with Pilates matwork? No. The tailored program we'll recommend will take into consideration your current condition, abilities and goals. It may include either matwork or equipment work or both. If you've suffered any recent injuries or have back aches or joint problems, we'll likely start you off with a one-on-one equipment-based program. Am I suited to equipment work? Clients on equipment-based programs tend to fall into three groups: those with rehabilitative needs; performance-oriented athletes and dancers; and those seeking general exercise to improve muscle tone and balance. One of the skills you'll learn as you progress through an equipment-based program is an increased body-awareness. Equipment-based programs are particularly good at teaching you how to feel and train specific muscles and muscle groups. Feeling the intricacies of how one's musculature is working is as important in overcoming a motor vehicle injury as it is to improving your golf swing or helping you pick up your grandchildren. How often should I do Pilates? There is no one answer to this question since it depends on your condition and the other physical activities that you participate in. We've structured our programs to allow you to pick the frequency that suits your needs and your budget: three sessions per week; two sessions per week; or one session per week. Generally, clients train more frequently at the beginning of their Pilates "careers", where the learning curve is steeper, then reduce the frequency once they're comfortable with the techniques and their level of body awareness. Will Pilates exercises increase my muscle bulk? No. Muscles increase in size when the exercises they perform shorten their length. Watch what happens to your biceps when you lift a weight: it contracts in length and increases in size. The goal of Pilates exercises is entirely the reverse: they gently stretch and lengthen muscle fibre. Longer muscles mean no increase in bulk and overtime, may actually reduce it. Why is Pilates more expensive than other forms of exercise? Other exercise regimes may be less expensive because they recover the cost of delivery through a higher number of participants. Because of the tailored nature of the Pilates method and the more detailed attention you get, the number of participants in a given session is necessarily smaller (no more than eight for matwork or four for equipment work). Because Pilates is as much about rehabilitation and retraining your body, a better comparison would be with rehabilitative regimes such as physiotherapy or massage. Here, you'll find Pilates prices are comparable.  © 2007 V.I. Pilates Page Last Updated: 2007-01-01