Pilates requires intentional movement: finding alignment & elongation through your spine, or moving your vertebra one at a time from top to bottom or bottom to top; purposefully moving your head, neck, shoulders, or pelvis when necessary or purposefully finding stability in them when their movement is not necessary. Achieving this kind of awareness of your body in space can increase your balance, coordination, flexibility, & strength. Pilates will teach you how to engage your core in conjunction with using your breath, pelvic floor, and protect your back from injury. Pilates will teach you how to release those muscles you’re overusing! Proper form & function require you to engage the necessary muscles and release the muscles that are not necessary for an exercise. Over time you will learn to not over-engage your shoulders when you’re tense or to release your tight hip flexors. Weight-bearing exercise aids in maintaining bone density and decreasing your risk of osteoporosis. At I.C. Pilates we will incorporate upper body weight bearing as well as lower body weight bearing in our programs. Exercise creates a positive feedback loop between multiple biological functions. Learning how to lengthen your breath and control your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, expand your rib cage and improve lung function are just a few of its positive effects. Thus you walk out of I.C. Pilates feeling better than when you walked in.