Fitness has to be fun and entertaining. Our goal at Club Pilates is to have as much fun as possible while maintaining the quality of the Pilates technique. The first sentence in Joseph Pilates' book "Return to life through Contrology" states: "Physical Fitness is the first requisite of happiness." Good heath and happiness are priceless.
Club Pilates has brand new state of the art Balanced Body equipment, cardio equipment and functional weight training equipment. Club Pilates is conveniently located off of interstate 5 and the 52. We are literally 5 minutes from La Jolla, UTC, Pacific Beach, Clairemont and Mission bay. We are 10 minutes from Downtown, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Misson Hills, Mission Valley, Kearney Mesa, Point Loma, Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe and surrounding areas. There is also ample parking so don't worry about meters or walking a quarter of a mile and rushing to your lesson or big parking structures. We are a ground floor store front so there are no confusing business buildings with elevators. For detailed driving directions click on our contact link.
We offer cost effective reformer classes as well as highly personalized private lessons to meet your physical fitness needs. Pilates apparatus classes allow most people to take multiple lessons a week with a more budget friendly approach. Group classes also provide a nice community atmosphere which promotes fluidity and learning of the Pilates technique.
The Pilates approach focuses on the trunk or core of your body where over 60% of your bodies’ musculature is located. Your arms and legs are of course working however they are focused on secondary to the torso.
Pilates’ exercises develop strong abdominals, back muscles, glutes, pelvic floor and deep postural muscles to support the spine and central nervous system. Regular practice of the Pilates method strengthens the core, improves flexibility, lengthens the spine, improves posture, builds muscle tone and increases body awareness. It also leaves you feeling so good in your body rather than achey and exhausted like many traditional exercise routines. Pilates is also ideal for people with chronic and acute injuries and excellent for rehabilitation of the shoulder, back hips, knees and ankles. It is also great for elite athletes since it promotes muscular balance, flexibility and injury prevention. Whether you are new to fitness or a veteran athlete Pilates is beneficial, it promotes and maintains the integrity of our muscular skeletal structure rather than abuse it and deteriorate it like so many harsh abusive forms of exercise do.
The Pilates approach reduces stress and fatigue while undoing the physical and mental stresses we place on our body each day. Prolonged sitting is detrimental for our health and creates a laundry list of physicals imbalances and weakness. Pilates helps to restore neutral posture by stretching muscles that become tight in our daily lives and strengthen those that become weak.
The Pilates technique emphasizes control of movement. As you progress with your Pilates practice you will notice precision of movement and stability of your pelvis and torso. This may sound foreign now but it does become natural and movements do begin to flow as you connect the breath and movement or mind and body. The most amazing aspect is when your Pilates fundamentals carry over into everyday life. I used to drive around San Diego with my shoulders at my ears in a tense manner. Since Pilates I apply the fundamental into my everyday life like driving, cooking, typing and everything else. Now when I drive I lengthen my spine, draw my abdominals in and allow my shoulders to relax down my back. It is a much better way to live!
The Pilates philosophy focuses on training the mind and body to work together toward the goal of overall fitness. Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. He was a sickly child who suffered from asthma, rickets and a sunken chest. Joseph Pilates was determined to attain fitness, health and happiness despite his poor health. He developed an exercise method called “the art of Contrology” or muscle control. His approach consisted of using the mind to master ones muscles, and can be described as a hybrid of yoga and strength training.
Joe originally developed mat exercises designed to build core abdominal and back strength and promote flexibility and body control. He then designed and built an array of machines to expand his repertoire of core exercises.
During WWI Joseph Pilates rigged springs above hospital beds, allowing wounded soldiers and patients the ability to rehab while on their backs. He then developed many more medieval looking torture devices with springs, wood, pulleys and boxes which later became more refined into the Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda chair and many other fun pieces of exercise equipment.
Joe was a pioneer for his time. His ideas, concepts and exercises are timeless. Yet ideas can always be improved upon, and with modern technology and advances in exercise physiology many original Pilates’ techniques have evolved and changed for the better. At club Pilates we treat the body as an integrated whole and teach a modern evolved version of the Pilates technique. The Ford Model T was a great start for the automobile industry, yet with increased technology and trial and error we have more reliable and efficient transportation. Classic Pilates is like the Model T, it was a great start but we must evolve with knowledge and Club Pilates has.