Mike Capacitor said over the 20 years he has run Pilates classes with his wife Emily, he has seen how she has helped people recover, sometimes with serious injuries. .
“Over time, the trend has been great,” Mike Capacitor said. “People realized Pilates was the answer.”
Stretching 11 miles down Longboat Key, residents and visitors could choose several different locations for Pilates classes, from Condens’ Performance Pilates Studio on the north end to Pilates LBK further south .
Mike Condenser said online portals for signing up for classes often have waiting lists for classes.
Lisa Basquefield, owner of Pilates Longboat Key in Center Shops, said she has seen more and more people interested in Pilates since she opened her studio about five years ago.
What is Pilates?
Pilates was invented by Joseph Pilates, a German circus worker and gymnast who was captured by the British Army during World War I.
While in a POW camp, he developed fitness ideas while coaching other prisoners in their exercise habits.
After the war, Pilates was able to learn from other medical professionals and refine its ideas. Working with his wounded soldiers allowed him to hone his methods and develop an organization that would eventually become known as the Reformers.
Full Fuse Ladder class at Performance Pilates’ new studio, The Battleground.
In the 1930s, Pilates and its instruction became a popular form of therapy for injured dancers. His fitness ideas were first published as a book in 1934.
Over time, more Pilates machines have evolved beyond the all-purpose reformer.
Initially not accepted by the medical community, it became a hot topic among doctors and the media in the 1980s and 1990s. All this led to the current popularity of Pilates his lifestyle.
The Pilates Method Alliance article states that “studio and health clubs, teacher training programs, celebrity endorsements, and extensive media coverage regularly extol the benefits of learning Pilates.” There is.
Pilates as a lifestyle
Emily Capacitor is a master Pilates instructor, and although Mike is not a certified instructor, he helps teach classes such as the Hughes Ladder, a dynamic full-body workout using the Hughes Ladder machine.
Both group classes and individual private classes are offered at Performance Pilates and Pilates Longboat Key.
Mike Condenser said he saw varying levels of Pilates enthusiasts on the island. Some people come to Emily’s classes casually, some take classes almost every day, and some come to Emily to use Pilates to address a specific problem or injury.
Condens has noticed a high demand for Pilates on Longboat Key, and classes continue to fill up.
That led them to open a second studio a few doors down from their first location on Longboat Key. Mike Capacitor said he would like to open more spaces to further serve the community.
Now called “Battlegrounds,” we created separate spaces focused on classes like Fuse Ladder and Power Bar.
Nate Sipos also joined the team. We also offer functional strength training. Although not the same as Pilates, the workouts Sipos does include similar elements, such as stretching and focusing on something called “knees over toes.”
“Knees above your toes,” Sipos says, is a philosophy that encourages movements that extend your knees past your toes, such as deep squats or walking backwards on a weighted sled.
These movements stretch your muscles in a way that strengthens your joints. Sipos classes are also becoming more popular at Whitney Beach Plaza.
But Pilates isn’t just popular on Longboat Key.
Capacitor commented on Pilates emerging as a new trend among professional athletes.
“Over time, the trend has been great,” Mike Capacitor said. “People realized Pilates was the answer.”
What are the benefits?
What began as fitness for prisoners of war and physical therapy for dancers has evolved into something people do every day to stay healthy and recover from injuries.
“The trend now is that people are realizing that Pilates is not just a form of exercise, but a lifestyle for a healthier life,” said Mike Condenser.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Pilates provides numerous health benefits, including improved flexibility, core stability, and muscle tone.
The movements you do as part of Pilates can help loosen tight muscles and improve your posture, which may also reduce back pain.
Many of the movements focus on balance and stretching, helping with flexibility and coordination.
There are also suggestions that Pilates can help with breathing control and overall mental health. Some say blood flow increases during a Pilates class, and mixing it with stretching can help calm it.
Busfield says many of Pilates Longboat Key’s clients find the classes improve their overall health, balance and flexibility, and regain confidence in their ability to remain active as they age. He says that it was helpful for him.
He also said some clients come to the clinic seeking relief from conditions such as muscle strains, posterior disc problems and Parkinson’s disease.
“After working with us in our studio, they comment to us about how their movement, strength, and overall health, including mental health, has improved. Busfield said in an email.
Whether you’re looking to stay in shape as you age or recovering from an injury, Pilates continues to grow as a popular lifestyle.
