Pilates

Pilates in Ashburn, VA 

Movement Heals.  
Accelerate Physical Therapy & Pilates combines the science of Physical Therapy with the art of movement through exercises emphasizing core muscle strength, neutral alignment and proper body mechanics to alleviate pain and improve mobility. 
A woman is squatting on a matl in a black and white photo.
Movement Heals.
Accelerate Pilates combines the science of Physical Therapy with the art of movement through exercises emphasizing core muscle strength, neutral alignment and proper body mechanics to alleviate pain and improve mobility. 

Experience the Difference with a Physical Therapist as your Pilates Coach

Therapeutic Pilates 
Dedicated one-on-one session with a customized, evidence-based curriculum to ensure enough coverage of all focus areas. We are equipped with top of the line Balanced Body Pilates Apparatus to include the Reformer, Tower, EXO Chair, and Spine Corrector. Whether you are looking to improve your performance in a sport, improve alignment within the body or recover from an injury, Accelerate Pilates will help you accelerate your program utilizing Pilates and Physical Therapy principles.

What makes Accelerate Physical Therapy and Pilates Stand Out 
Yes!  Pilates is great at building core strength but it is SO MUCH more than that at Accelerate Physical Therapy and Pilates.  The exercise that I offer is evidence based in that there is science behind the exercises I choose.  It is individualized in that there is a whole lot of exercise preparation specific to each client.  It is a nervous system class in that we integrate physical therapy techniques to improve our core activation.  It is a core strength class in which I teach you how to ISOLATE and FEEL the muscles that support our body, not just perform the exercise.  It is a performance based class in that we use the pilates machines as a vehicle to train us to walk better, run faster, stand taller, strike a ball better, swing a golf club with precision and generally move more efficiently in life.  Finally, its a preventative health class in that we improve posture, decompress the joints and reduce the daily wear and tear throughout the day.  

What is the origin of the Pilates Method?  
Pilates is a type of strength training designed by Joseph Pilates in the 1900's as a fitness regimen for the elite.  He trained many including wounded soldiers and helped them recover from injuries by rigging their hospital beds with loaded springs to exercise against resistance.  Joseph was already using Pilates as a physical therapy tool years before Pilates became mainstream.  He designed the Pilates machines and built the exercise program that is widely being used today by dancers, professional athletes and the elderly.  

What are the benefits of Pilates?
Pilates is compilation of exercises performed on the mat as floor work and machines as equipment based work targeting the core muscles of the body.  The practice of Pilates exercise uses 8 principles to achieve optimal fitness.  I define these 8 Pilates Principles based on how I have utilized Pilates both in the physical therapy and fitness setting.   

Concentration.  Great concentration is needed to help you build a mental connection with your body.  This will help you to bring focus to the exercise which helps you draw into the core on a deeper level.  
Centering.  I describe this often as a "drawing inward' of the breath, the mind and the body.  Centering helps to isolate the diaphragm and transverse abdominis muscle which are key muscles to building core muscle strength in the spine. 
Control.  Having control while performing pilates helps to isolate core muscles, eliminates faulty movement and allows the exercise to be performed efficiently. 
Precision.  The performance of the exercise is executed with deliberate exactitude with detailed instruction and hands on cuing from the instructor.  Goal is on quality of motion, not quantity.  The exercise is integrated, comprehensive and exact.  
Breathing.  I believe this is the crux of learning the Pilates technique.  The benefits of of breathing are infinite.  From a muscular standpoint, learning to breathe efficiently can allow you to gain better access to the abdominal core muscles due to the attachment of the diaphragm (your breathing muscle) to the deep abdominals.  Breathing also helps regulate the autonomic nervous system responsible for reducing stress and anxiety as well as improving those mood boosting hormones. 
Alignment. Bones and joints align from top to bottom while performing each exercise so that each muscle has a proper origin and insertion to activate properly.  When recovering from back injury, beginning an exercise program or performing weight lifting exercises alignment is key to reducing injury.  Pilates promotes a neutral alignment at the pelvis where the lumbar (low back ) spine and pelvis rest in a position to optimally facilitate the abdominal core and stabilize the spine.  
Flow. Achieving a pilates flow takes months of training.  It is truly when you feel that the pilates foundation lives inside of you and the performance of the exercise is smooth, graceful and flowing.  
Integration. As you start to integrate all of the principles, you will feel the pilates framework and core strength inside of you.  You will see yourself walking with better gait, running with better form, walking up stairs with ease, bending and lifting with better body mechanics. The pilates practice becomes a part of your lifestyle. You start to become an efficiently moving human being.

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