Ever wondered what the difference is between Pilates and Clinical Pilates?
Are you looking to take control of your injury/body maintenance?
In this blog I’ll look to outline what Clinical Pilates is and how it can help you. Pilates and Clinical Pilates may sound like one of the same thing, but in reality, there are several differences in practice, purpose, and methods.
Clinical Pilates is used for patient-specific treatment after an injury or surgery. It differs from Pilates because it takes into account an individual’s specific injuries and physical needs.
These differences determine whether standard or clinical is better for your requirements.
It can be confusing wrapping our heads around the two interrelated concepts, so I’ve outlined these exercise methods, including their differences to help you determine which type of Pilates is best for you.
Here’s what you need to know:
Pilates was developed in the 1920s. Its main purpose was to aid rehabilitation and functional movement. As an overview, Pilates is a form of exercise that utilises a person’s body weight or the resistance of the equipment. Over the last decade, it has become a popular form of exercise helping people enjoy improved strength and agility and in recent years, it has become a popular form of injury rehabilitation.
Pilates can be described as a ‘philosophy of movement’. Sounds serious, but I couldn’t agree more. It is a commitment to total body health and breath whether you are in the Pilates studio, the gym, walking, sitting, playing a sport, even eating. It impacts on all you do. We focus on improving ourselves through developing a balance of:
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Postural balance
• Co-ordination and most importantly the conscious awareness of doing these things
Pilates helps you learn to move your body well, listen to what it is telling you, trust your intuition and how to manage the information your body is giving you; how to correct and heal yourself. So all in all Pilates is an education of our selves.
The Key Differences
• Non-Clinical Pilates involves general core stability, strength and endurance exercises
The focus of Pilates is on improving overall physical health, rather than a particular area. It is a great way to maintain and protect your body from every day activities that may cause pain or discomfort. For example, if you have a desk job, Pilates will be beneficial to you to maintain good posture and alignment.
• Clinical Pilates is patient-specific
Clinical Pilates is used for patient-specific treatment after an injury or surgery. It differs from Pilates because it takes into account an individual’s specific injuries and physical needs.
As a Clinical Pilates instructor, I have expert knowledge and training in exercise physiology and pathology. This allows me to tailor a program with targeted exercises that improve and addresses your concerns and reduces the risk of aggravating and re-injuring. The level of personalisation that Clinical Pilates offers is not available in traditional Pilates classes.
What’s best for me?
There is no right or wrong answer when choosing between Pilates and Clinical Pilates. The benefits of both are insurmountable and which type is best is dependent upon your goals and focus. If you are looking to focus on overall health and wellbeing, then a Pilates class is the best option.
However, if you have had a nagging injury that won’t go away or recent surgery, injury, or area that needs addressing then it’s likely Clinical Pilates is the best route for you to take. A 1:1 clinical assessment will be able to help identify the root cause of your problem. When I work with a client, I take the same steps to assess and diagnose. For example, you may be presenting shoulder pain, but this may be where the pain is displaying itself, when in fact the issue lies in the wrist or elbow.
I will then determine what exercises are right for you and help guide you through them. In addition to this, I may include Yamuna Body rolling technique to further aid treatment.
Your exercises can be mixed with physiotherapy to ensure that you are receiving the best possible treatment for you as an individual.
Whichever route you chose; Pilates gives you the power to a faster recovery. It allows you to take what you learn and practice into everyday life.
Book a FREE consultation appointment at the clinic today and see how Pilates can help you.
You can contact me at the clinic on 01732 666050 or email info@edensportsclinic.com
