“The body is a sacred garment. It’s your first and last garment, it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honour.” Martha Graham

About Pilates

Pilates works in a different way to other fitness techniques. Targeting the deep postural muscles, it works by building strength from the inside out, rebalancing the body and addressing faulty movement patterns. It will improve your posture, achieving the perfect balance between strength and flexibility and is a great way to relieve stress and tension.  Everyone has a different body shape with particular problems, and ultimate potential. If you are new to Pilates you will be required to complete 2 1:1 sessions before joining a class, or complete an introduction to Pilates course which run on a regular basis. During these introductory sessions you will be guided through the basic principles of Pilates including breathing, correct alignment and recruitment of your core muscles. It is so important to learn these basic principles correctly, otherwise you may not reap the benefits of the Pilates method. After you have completed your initial sessions, you have the option of continuing with private sessions,  or joining a matclass.  Many clients who have problems such as back injuries, or certain medical conditions may not be ready for a matclass environment.  Therefore it may be best to continue with 1:1 sessions for a while, or join a shared session with another client.  These shared sessions give you the opportunity to follow a programme specific to your needs but also having the company of someone else and reducing the cost. For all your sessions please wear comfortable clothes that allow unrestricted movement.  If you have any health concerns such as heart trouble, recent surgery, or ongoing back pain, you will need to consult your doctor before commencing Pilates.

About The Pilates Teacher

My name is Hilary Symmans and until the late 90’s I worked as a bank clerk/secretary. I had often thought about teaching some sort of fitness technique but never really come across anything that I was very passionate about. Then I began experiencing bouts of extreme back pain, where I found it so uncomfortable to sit for any length of time, let alone walk! Even several visits to the physiotherapist and chiropractor did nothing to alleviate the pain, and only being in my mid 40’s I started to get very depressed, thinking that for the rest of my life my back was going to control what I did. Then one day, I happened to open my local newspaper and saw an article on Pilates. Within a week I had made an appointment for my first session with a Body Control Pilates teacher, and I never looked back. I was so smitten with this method that made me feel longer, leaner, stronger and completely changed the shape of my body, that I decided to train to teach. I completed my training with the Body Control Pilates Association in London and qualified to teach mat work in June 2000. Since then I have also qualified to teach on the Pilates Reformer, Stability Chair and Cadillac with the New Pilates School in Brighton, taught by BCPA co-founder Helge Fisher and Michelle Cohen of New York’s Kelly Kane School. I now have over 11 years experience teaching Pilates. During that time I have also lived in Innsbruck Austria, teaching Pilates to physiotherapists and dancers and also run a successful studio in Portstmouth. I am very passionate about Pilates and believe that all of us need to be able to move freely in our bodies to enable us to enjoy life. I regularly attend courses and workshops on Pilates .  As well as being a member of the Body Control Pilates Association, I am also a Level 3 teacher with the Register of Exercise Professionals and will shortly be studying for my  Level 4 qualification.  I am really glad to be living back on the Island, teaching matclasses in Cowes, Whippingham, Wootton, Ryde and Shanklin and also teaching 1:1 sessions at Cowes Chiropractic Clinic.