Pilates

Whether you require rehabilitation or to help enhance your sports performance, increase your flexibility, perhaps during pregnancy or for general fitness and toning the body, Pilates is suitable for you.

Clinical Pilates

Clinical Pilates is Pilates that is specifically used for rehabilitation from conditions such as low back pain, sports injury or following surgery and is usually carried out by or under the supervision of rehabilitation professionals such as osteopaths and physiotherapists who have postgraduate qualifications in Clinical Pilates.

These programmes are designed to return the client to optimum function in their own environment this could be the home, office or up to elite sporting level. David is a specialist in Clinical Pilates and works with his clients over a wide spectrum of needs e.g. women's health, pre and post natal Pilates, osteoporosis programmes, dance and sports injury rehabilitation, "Pre-ab" i.e. preparation (strengthening, conditioning) prior to an operation and post op rehabilitation following surgery.

David undertook his clinical Pilates training with Polestar Pilates in 2007 and is an educator for Polestar and APPI on their clinical Pilates courses. Polestar Education and the APPI are two of the largest worldwide providers of rehabilitation-based pilates courses. He has also taught in the area of clinical Pilates/rehabilitation in individual physiotherapy and Pilates studios in London.

DHis client base includes mothers, office workers, amateur/elite sportsmen and dancers. Each client is assessed by David and prescribed an individual Clinical Pilates programme to address their particular need. Clients are seen privately or in small group sessions of practitioner ratios of 1:2 or a maximum of 1:3.

About Pilates

Pilates is a method of exercise to help develop your core strength, flexibility, body awareness, balance and postural alignment. Working the body from inside out the machines will help facilitate the movement either by adding resistance (springs) or reducing the tension to challenge your workout. Joseph Pilates invented his renowned technique in the early 1900’s and his original techniques are combined with a modern, functional approach to health and fitness.

Most common equipment used in Pilates classes

• Reformers
• Trapeze Table
• Combo Chair
• Spine Corrector
• Ladder Barrel

The Pilates approach

The Pilates approach to exercise is a unique fusion of eastern and western movement techniques. The exercises encourage the individual to consciously sense how and where their body moves in space (proprioception). This allows the mind and body to act in an integrated fashion.

Pilates developed a set of exercises to help achieve this mind body integration by using the following principles:

• Centring
• (Body) Alignment
• Breathing
• Control
• Precision
• Flowing movement
• Relaxation

The original set of exercises have now been modified and enhanced with new knowledge of exercise physiology. Nevertheless, all the exercises used embody the principles listed above. Exercises that consciously combine mind and body interaction, allow an increased awareness of body mechanics, balance, co-ordination, body alignment and spatial awareness.

All these are united through flowing movement linked to our breathing. The exercises are designed to work the body as a whole improving strength, flexibility, posture and co-ordination.

Today this exercise repertoire is offered as a floor matwork class in many health clubs, leisure centres and public halls. These group classes are complemented by a growing number of Pilates studios offering small group (4-6 people) or personal tuition. Many studios are also equipped with a full range of spring and gravity based resistance machines.

These machines are all designed to allow Pilates exercises to be undertaken whilst giving the body support and encouraging alignment.

In this supported environment the machines then allow our trunk (the torso) or our limbs (arms & legs) to be exercised against the resistance of gravity or the springs.

This is ideal when through weakness or injury the unsupported body would not be able to achieve the same results. The machines also allow the joints of the body to move through their full ranges of movement in a number of planes, something not possible on the floor. This increases flexibility and encourages an all round muscle balance and suppleness.

Pilates Applications

The Pilates approach has two main applications: general fitness and recovery from dysfunction or injury (rehabilitation).

Pilates Rehabilitation is generally only offered by professionals with a medically based training. These include chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapists/physical therapists or experienced Pilates instructors working alongside a clinician.

Professional Qualifications

David Canevaro has undertaken the clinically based Rehabilitation Programme with Polestar Pilates UK Ltd.

This comprehensive course is designed to allow the practitioner to develop programmes for all dysfunctions of the neuromusculoskeletal system, chronic pain patients, and specialities such as sports and dance medicine.

Pilates and Osteopathy

I use pilates techniques with osteopathy. My Docklands clinics cover Canary Wharf, Limehouse, South Squays, Heron Quays. The City osteopath clnic is near Spitalfields Market, close to Liverpool Street Station and Aldgate Station. The south east London osteopathic clinic is in Brockley, near Lewisham.