About

körpermotus was born out of a desire to share the Pilates method and the ideals with every human possible. Whilst this sounds ambitious, Adelaide Pilates studio körpermotus envisions a strong, healthy, reliable and intelligent body alongside equal development of intrinsic musculature, global musculature and cardiovascular endurance. This is achieved via the Pilates and Motus classes held at the studio to improve the functionality of the body.

We are grateful that the contemporary Pilates method is flexible in nature and can be accessed and adopted by all; whether it be accessory training for athletes, improving daily functionality for quality of life or fusing the principles into functional fitness.

What is Pilates?

A man before his time, Joseph Pilates created the method after suffering from many ailments including asthma, rheumatic fever and rickets. Taking strong influence from his father, a gymnast, and his mother, a naturopath, he began his drive to self-educate on anatomy, body-building, yoga, gymnastics, wrestling and martial arts to eliminate his ailments. This all formed the initial method that he called Contrology – it included a unique sequence of exercises aiming to develop coordination, balance, improve muscle development, posture and flexibility alongside an increased capacity of breathing. Joseph admired the Greek model of mind, body and spirit and his foundation principles of whole body health, whole body commitment and use of breath are still prevalent in the Pilates foundations today.

People of all ages and fitness levels can partake in Pilates. Using a range of equipment from small equipment to larger fixed apparatus, the body is encouraged to re-prioritise and re-calibrate its movements into their most efficient sequencing. Muscle sequencing alongside breath (where a focus lay on the intrinsic (deep) through to global (surface) muscle movement) enables the body to move freely, functionally, and aids in rehabilitating or even avoiding injury. Moving mindfully with control is not all rainbows and unicorns! The mind/body connection is established and affirmed by repetition, and when working mindfully from the inside out, we discover more effective ways of moving. Redesigning the body’s mindful movement can include trying to switch certain muscles ‘off’ to isolate segments of the body and avoid overuse, or finding other muscles to turn ‘on’ and trigger correctly.

The Director, Melissa, found Pilates in her teens to aid in her dancing and initially thought it “was a bunch of leg circles and weird movements”. This quickly changed when her movement matured within the dancing realm and a higher understanding of body awareness became present. She successfully completed a Bachelor of Dance Performance despite a sacroiliac joint injury, where Pilates presented as a rehab and maintenance tool against the demands of the course. Jumping forward a few years, it wasn’t until she began Crossfit again after a long break that Pilates showed it’s worth; she stepped back into lifting the same weights and performing movements with the same capabilities. It was the concept of working from the inside-out and a mindful approach to movement that re-calibrated her body and the movements it produced. It was clear to Melissa that the Pilates method had proven itself time and time again, and not just as accessory work to dance and Crossfit, that it consistently keeps the body in tune and calibrated.

For Pilates at körpermotus, we begin with an hour long one-on-one introduction with a personal and bespoke approach to ensure all niggles, previous and current injuries and goals are communicated. As everyone is unique, we document your posture, mobility and flexibility and co-align what we see to your goals and any past issues.

We then spend time on explaining pelvic floor, core and breathing and begin with exercises to start the application of these and other concepts. The method is a process that is refined over time – we don’t expect any new client to be a black belt Pilates pro after the hour; it will take a few sessions to settle into the routine and the specifics of the method.

Your introduction also includes your first class which can be used to attend a clinical Pilates, reformer Pilates or a motus session.

Please contact us if you have any questions or to further investigate what Pilates can do for you.