Getting to the core of the Pilates spirit

THOSE excruciating Hundreds, flawless Swan dives and countless repetitions on the Cadillac have finally paid off: the Pilates industry in Singapore has built up a strong core - so strong, in fact, that some might even say the industry has come of age.

Over three days starting March 1, Singapore will host the inaugural Asia Pilates Summit featuring the who's who of the global Pilates community - second-generation master teachers Alan Herdman, Kevin Bowen, Patricia Guyton and Jillian Hessel who trace their lineage back to Pilates founder Joseph Pilates himself.

A full year in the planning, the event is organised by Collin Low, Pilates teacher and studio-owner of The Pilates Works, together with Miami-based summit speaker and Pilates teacher and studio-owner Mr Bowen. The event is expected to bring together up to 100 Pilates teachers and enthusiasts from Singapore and the region.

Says Mr Low: "If you are a true-blue Pilates practitioner, you have to understand the Pilates spirit. And the most inspiring way to do this is to learn from those who have journeyed with the first-generation teachers."

Ole Eugenio, the Pilates programme director of COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, is in such demand for private and small group Pilates classes that he barely has time to catch his breath in between clients, let alone stop for meals. Still, he's signed up for sessions on all three days of the summit.

"This Classical Pilates summit is a breakthrough for the Pilates industry in Singapore. It's a breakthrough because it is locally organised and internationally influenced. It brings the community together and serves as a trajectory of choice for injury, athletic conditioning and performance training," he explains.

The summit is particularly timely as the Pilates industry here has enjoyed an unprecedented growth spurt in recent years.

Says summit organiser Mr Low: "Pilates has become very mainstream. It is no longer an atas form of exercise. Mega gyms like Virgin Active and Pure Fitness offer Reformer classes. Even Fitbit has introduced a Pilates mode. Gone are the days when people confused Pilates with Yoga."

Virgin Active introduced a dedicated studio for Pilates Reformer classes when it opened its Holland Village club in 2017 and, since then, Pilates has been a staple offering in all the clubs it has opened since.

Says Rue She, the head of programming (South-east Asia) at Virgin Active: "Each week, we offer more than 80 Pilates Reformer classes across all our clubs, which as a category in itself represents slightly more than 10 per cent of Virgin Active's group exercise programme and offerings."

According to Ms She, Reformer classes at Virgin Active are so popular that many have a waitlist. "Here in Singapore, Pilates has always been a popular workout and one that people are willing to spend a little more money on to better reap the benefits of a strong core and good posture."

The popularity of Pilates has led to major changes in the industry. Mr Low of The Pilates Works says: "In recent years, the cost of Pilates equipment and Pilates teacher training programmes has come down. More studios are sprouting. But with lower costs, the quality of teachers is being compromised."

That is why he feels there is an urgent need for good-quality Pilates teacher education. Apart from lectures on the history of Pilates, the Summit will feature practical workshops on topics such as knee care, posture analysis and Pilates for people with back and shoulder issues.

"The speakers will teach practical and functional exercises that Pilates teachers and studio clients will find easy to learn and practise," Mr Low adds.

Serene Teo, the studio-owner of Body n'Sync, has signed up for workshops on knee care, pelvic power and footwork. She says: "Many of my clients are seniors and sports men who have knee issues, so I want to better educate myself on how to work with them."

So committed is Ms Teo that despite attending the Reformer Footwork workshop by Mr Herdman at The Pilates Works last year, she will be repeating it at the summit in the hope of gaining fresh insights to enhance her teaching.

It is also the rehabilitative aspects of the workshops at the Summit that resonate with Kuala Lumpur-based Pilates teacher Low Kai Li of VISIONPiLATES. She notes that 40 to 50 per cent of her clientele have a background of injuries such as knee, shoulder, hip, lower back or arthritis issues. She also has clients with Scoliosis or bad posture.

"In Malaysia, Rehabilitation Pilates training is rare; don't even talk about Classical Pilates-related rehabilitation training. Through this summit, I hope to gain the necessary knowledge from these renowned presenters on how Classical Pilates methods and exercises can benefit clients and improve their movement," she says.

Chris Corbett, a client at The Pilates Works, has experienced the benefits of Pilates. He says: "Pilates has helped me over the past four years with my back and posture challenges. For many years, I participated in spinning, boot camp, CrossFit and gym work and none have had a holistic impact on aiding me in strength, balance and flexibility like Pilates."

* For more information on the Asia Pilates Summit, which takes place from March 1-3, visit www.asiapilatessummit.com