“It is the mind itself that shapes the body” – Joseph H Pilates

What is Pilates?
Pilates is a body conditioning method that targets the deep postural muscles. It works by building strength from the inside out, rebalancing the body and bringing it into correct alignment. Pilates helps to reshape your body, which will become longer, leaner and more toned. It will also improve your posture, achieving the perfect balance between strength and flexibility, and it is a great way to relieve unwanted stress and tension.

Eight principles of Pilates

1. Relaxation
Release unwanted tension from the body at the beginning of every session and feel fully relaxed at the end.

2. Concentration
Clear your mind and focus on your body as you exercise. Concentrate on each and every movement so that you are ‘in’ the movement itself, totally aware.

3. Alignment
Use this concentration to ensure that you are correctly placed before you exercise and when you move.

4. Breathing
Use lateral breathing. Breathe in wide and full into your sides and back. As you breath out, allow your ribs to close down and your breastbone to soften.

5. Centering
Maintain a strong centre as you move and as you breathe by gently drawing up the pelvic floor muscle and hollowing the navel to the spine.

6. Coordination
Coordinate your alignment, your breathing, your centering with your movements, true mind body movement.

7. Flowing movements
Control all your movements, lengthening away from a strong centre. Move without strain or stress, keeping the rhythm of the movement.

8. Stamina
Challenge your stability to improve endurance, building up your stamina slowly.

Main Benefits of Pilates

• Improved flexibility.
• Greater strength and muscle tone.
• More efficient respiratory system.
• More efficient lymphatic system therefore less toxins in the body.
• More efficient circulatory system.
• Lowered stress levels.
• Flatter stomach & trimmer waist through the creation of a natural girdle of strength.
• Better posture.
• Toned buttocks and thighs.
• Toned arms and shoulder area.
• Fewer headaches (where they are posture based).
• Less incidence of back pain.
• Boosted immune system.
• Increased bone density.
• Greater joint mobility.
• Fewer injuries for dancers/athletes.
• Improved performance for dancers/athletes.

Teaching Pilates at Barefoot Studio
Pilates is taught in small groups of no more than 12 people or in 1 to 1 and 1 to 2 studio sessions. The environment is supportive and non competitive and students are encouraged to develop at their own pace.

Pilates one to one sessions on the mat or the reformer start from £42 for a single session. We also offer Duo Reformer sessions and Duo Matwork sessions. You can contact Barefoot Studio to ask for a full price list and options. All classes can also be bought in blocks of 6 or 12 giving you an extra discount.

Group classes are £51 for 6 classes

“I have really started to feel a difference but most of all its so relaxing”
Barefoot Studio Student

Karen Ingram is a member of the Body Control Pilates Association & has also trained with Peak Pilates

Pilates fans
Pilates fans include screen legends such as Gregory Peck and Katharine Hepburn and, today, personalities as varied as Pippa Middleton, Madonna, Jessica Lange, Michael Crawford and Joan Collins. Greta Scacchi, Sigourney Weaver, Britt Ekland, Pat Cash, Kristi Yamaguchi, Stefanie Powers, Wayne Sleep and Tracy Ullman are just a few of the well-known faces who use, or have used, Pilates-based exercise.

For workshops please see the events page.

Pilates at Barefoot Studio
At Barefoot Studio in Cowbridge, South Wales we offer  a beautiful studio space. All equipment is provided, including pilates mats, bands and cushions. Our Studio is light and airy and the perfect environment in which to practice your Pilates, whether it be matwork or on the Pilates reformer. We have two top of the range Pilates reformers with Cadillac towers. We steam clean the studio floor and all the pilates mats and equipment are cleaned with tea tree oil before every use. We believe that the environment you exercise in is really important to the enjoyment you get from exercising… we hope you like our studio space as much as we do!